Auction Domains on eBay - The Complete Guide

Choose your Platform Carefully

The platform used to market a domain plays a vital role in getting it sold -- and sold at a good price. Online auctions are not magical. It takes time and knowledge of the system to get great results. If one domain is set up for auction today, chances are there won't be a frenzy of people bidding for it, even if it is a great name. I do believe, however, that eBay is one of the best places to sell a domain a get the maximum price for it. My experience with other auction sites is limited, but eBay works well and is quite popular.

Places like Afternic produce quite a few inquiries, but are short on getting domains sold. To see an example of how Afternic works, see this example appraisal and offer for Want2Call.com

This is an example of the area where offers are made: don't make an offer! I don't own the above domain name anymore (or any domains at Afternic.com for that matter), nor do I sell domains under that name. This is just an example of how to set it up. With this particular domain I didn't charge for a transfer, but handed the buyer the account and email addresses associated with it. By giving them the log-in information, I bypassed having to pay a transfer fee (fees usually run anywhere from US$10 to US$35). This brings up another important point:

Set up Each Domain as a Separate Account

Make sure you have a separate account set up for each domain you're selling. This way the purchaser will only have access to the domain they buy, and not other domains in the auctioneer's possession.

Promote the Auction in eZines

Let's discuss ezines briefly. Domain ezines are online sites specifically for domain discussion and listings. Do a search for groups like "Domains for sale" on Yahoo! Groups or Topica.com, subscribe to any of them and start advertising (read their rules first! No one likes a spammer).

One important thing to note is to make sure advertising of domains is allowed in such places, or any place the domain is listed for sale. If a domain is listed at a site that doesn't allow advertising, chances are it will be deleted from that list. Or worse, they may delete the account all together, and place the account owner on a blacklist. A good reputation is important in the line of selling domains -- make it your first priority, as you would in any business.

Good Luck!

This article is intended as a guideline only. I hope it will help you sell domains successfully, or spark an idea or interest in selling domains. Remember, there are no specific rules to follow, but only theory to keep in mind.

As new rules evolve that help both the seller and potential buyers, implement them! There is no one specific solution for domain sales: some work better than others, and it's a process of trial and error. The big task is to continue to search for a better way to sell, to keep improving and coming up with fresh ideas. Any success I've had is because I continuously search for new ideas and avenues. So what are you waiting for? Take a pen, write down all the domain names you own, and see which ones will make both you and the buyer happy!