10 Ways to Put a Value on Your Domain Name

Whether you’re thinking of selling your domain name or simply curious about it’s value, there are several ways to find out how much your web address is worth. Here are ten of the most common ways to attach a dollar amount to your domain.

1. Use An Appraisal Service – If you’re not up to doing the legwork yourself, there are scads of appraisal services that specialize in domain name value. For a fee, they’ll evaluate your domain and return an estimated value.
2. Brandability – One of the things that appraisers look at first when determining the value of a domain name is its brandability. Memorable and catchy domain names are almost always worth significantly more than their bland or clunky brethren.
3. TLD Extensions – The most desirable, and therefore the most valuable, TLD extension is .com. There are a few others that pack a punch, value-wise; still, the .com extension will generally increase the value of your domain.
4. Keyword Strength – The marketability of a strong, popular keyword is enormous. Domains with one common and generic word are very popular, such as cars.com.
5. Traffic and Ad Revenue – Domains with a strong history of traffic and advertising revenue can command a higher price than those that have simply been parked and show no use. Remember, the vast majority of people in the market for a domain name are looking for one that they can turn a profit from.
6. Sustainability – As with anything else, trends come and go in the world of internet domain names. Those that have the potential for future interest or are likely to have a solid popularity will have more appeal (and more value) than those associated with fads or waning trends.
7. Automated Appraisal Bots– As an alternative to the human-performed appraisal of a service, there are automated bots that will calculate the roughly estimated value of a domain name. Because these bots lack the human element and use complex algorithms that can be buggy, these are only recommended as a means of acquiring the ballpark value.
8. Browse Domain Auction Sites – One great way to estimate your domain name’s value is to watch the auction sites to see what similar names are going for. Most publish the final sale prices, making it easy to get the information.
9. Consider the Hyphen – Most appraisers consider domain names with multiple hyphens worth far less than shorter, non-hyphenated names. If you’re registering a domain name with the intent to resell, steer clear of the hyphen.
10. Number Substitutions – Regardless of the popularity of text-speak, substituting the number “2” for the word “to” or using “4” in place of “for” will slash the value of your domain name dramatically. Branding these websites via radio ads or word of mouth can be difficult due to the substitution, and branding is the name of the game.

Because of fluctuations in interest levels and trends, there are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to domain name appraisal. The industry is still in its infancy, and guidelines haven’t been established as they have for other goods and services. In the end, a domain is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it; those operating within a niche market might be willing to pay a pretty penny for the perfect name, while others may pass yours by in favor of a cheaper one.

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