Once you’ve sold a domain name, do you ever follow up to see what becomes of it? I recently sold a domain that was related to one of my passions, so I was kind of excited to find out who bought it (after the WHOIS transfer went through.) I have not contacted them yet, but in the spirit of collaboration and community, I will reach out and let them know what my plans were for the domain and see how I can serve them. this one happened to be unique in that sense; it wasn’t just about money, but about helping people (it was a medical domain.)
Maybe it’s the “curiosity” in me, but I always like to see where my domains end up, and here is what I find:
- 1.Profitable Domains. I really enjoy knowing that the buyer is making money with the domain because it reinforces that as a domainer, I am selling something of genuine value (instead of just perceived value.) If they take it to another level, it makes me proud to have been a part of creating a great brand.
- Domains that I Want to Re-Buy. On rare occasion I have actually re-registered a domain that I have let go, but for the most part, it helps me see that perhaps there wasn’t the value I expected, given that no one scooped them up after they expired.
- Domains I Should Have Kept. So many domains; so many choices. Sometimes we let go of the ones we should have kept (see my post on domain sellers remorse.) It’s just a part of the dance. The good news is that there are always great domains to be found at great prices if you know where to find them.
- Failed Projects. This one is discouraging for me. For those who think domainers are just hardened capitalists, you are wrong. I am sure I am not alone when I say I really want to see the right person get the right domain and succeed with it. Recently, as I was documenting my domain history (yes, I am a geek), I found a domain that I had sold that used to make money from AdSense, affiliate links, and ads. I reached out to the buyer to ask him what happened to the domain because it had turned from a mortgage website with a mortgage keyword-rich domain to (oddly) a cheesy blog with some post about air conditioning service on it (talk about a poor match for domain and content.) He thanked me for reaching out, and told me that he had somehow gotten banned from AdSense, and just gave up and let the domain expire. I don’t think I would pursue this domain at this point, but at one point it made over $1,000 per month on autopilot as one of many mortgage lead gen sites I ran (and yes, those were the good old days for me.)
Now I know many web entrepreneurs struggle with ADD like I do, so I hope this doesn’t send you on a rabbit trail of looking up your formerly owned domain names.
