PremierDomains.com launches. Is there room for more domain aftermarkets?
It seems like new domain name aftermarkets pop up every month. Most of them are just copycat sites with features similar to Afternic and Sedo. They don’t gain traction and linger in aftermarket wasteland.
One new site caught my eye today – PremierDomains.com. The site inked a deal with NameMedia to syndicated Name Media’s AfternicDLS listings. This gives the site an instant inventory of 800,000 domain names, which helps the new marketplace fill the “sell side” of the market equation. (Lesson #1 for new aftermarkets: if you don’t have a good inventory, it doesn’t matter how many buyers you have.) But will the buy side come? After all, you need both sellers and buyers to make a market.
I asked PremierDomains.com founder Michael Lindsey point blank: what makes his site different from Sedo or Afternic? Lindsey said:
Our attempt was to put together an upscale site (both visually and functionally). While the concept of a domain marketplace is similar to both Afternic and Sedo, we feel this site is more “retail†friendly. I believe that there are far more individuals “in the domain business†that realize the true value of domains compared to the general public for whom we are targeting as customers. The more “retail†look and feel that we can give the customer and more confidence we portray that the buying of domains is a legitimate business practice, the more positive the experience. You might say the effect we were going for is similar to buying a car from a corner lot or from a dealership.
I think the site does portray a good, retail storefront. It’s professional and clean, and makes it easy to contact a broker. And it’s always good to hear that companies are trying to position themselves for end users. NameMedia, incidentally, does better than any other company at marketing to end users. NameMedia also inks deals (similar to this one) to syndicate their listings, which is important for finding those end users.
Listing on PremierDomains.com is free and sellers can include a headline and description for their domains. There is a 10% commission fee ($50 minimum), and the site doesn’t provide escrow services or a negotiating platform.
What’s your take on PremierDomains.com? Is there potential for someone to enter the market currently dominated by Sedo and NameMedia (Afternic, BuyDomains). If so, what will these new players have to do to differentiate themselves?
jp says
I think there is always room for another. Not everyone can succeed, but in a world where we have 3 profitable starbucks in the same shopping center or mall, why not?
How cool would it be if we got to a point where we were walking down the street and saw an establishment similar to a real estate office with a bunch of domain names with clever images stuck on the windows. Sorry I digress.
jp says
Better yet, why not make a MLS service for domain names? This is an idea that has gone through my mind many times for a while now. Anyone want to start that up with me?
Each listing could include available stats and info on the domain, etc.. you get the picture.
Andrew says
jp – both Dark Blue Sea and Name Media are trying. Hence the “DLS” at the end of Afternic’s name.
jp says
Aha! Never really thought about what the DLS meant.
Steve M says
Sorry, but having a(nother) pretty face (homepage) ain’t gonna cut it in today’s long-established, competitive domain aftermarket.
This verbose and meandering marketplace differentiation statement says nothing about why anyone should use this service/platform; to list or buy domains.
Are they going to advertise more than BuyDomains or Afternic? Have a better, more innovative platform than Snapnames? Greater trust and respect than Moniker? A greater international presence than Sedo?
Since their inventory is virtually entirely that of NameMedia’s–a company that already does a superb job of bringing domains to the end user marketplace–honestly, what’s the point?
Without some great and useful advantage/s to really, truly set themselves apart from the competition, this is; frankly; an exercise in futility.
Leading, well-capitalized companies like NameMedia, Snapnames, Moniker, Sedo, etc have nothing to worry about.
I say this not to be mean, Michael, but to hopefully point you in a direction most likely to lead your company to success.
Before it’s too late.
Patrick says
They need a FAQs page.
They mention Exclusive Domain Listings.
Does that mean what I think it does?
Cannot list your domains elsewhere?
Patrick
Frank Michlick says
The press release says that they ONLY list names on their site:
However it looks like they will also be accepting listing submissions on their site, which I gather in turn then also be listed in AfternicDLS?
Confused in Canada (maybe it’s just because of the late hour?)
/FM
Andrew says
Frank, I was confused by that too. But I got clarification. Basically, NameMedia’s domains will show up along names people list directly with PremierDomains.com. I think “exclusive provider” means that you won’t find listings from Sedo and other competitors on there.
Patrick, the verbiage is misleading. You can list the domains elsewhere, too.