Posted on March 4th, 2010Domain names are by far one of the most important aspects of the website industry. Without the right domain name, even the most advanced website will fail to produce results. Web surfers tend to prefer websites that have catchy, easy-to-remember domain names that pertain to a particular keyword or phrase. However this does not mean that a domains value arises from these attributes. In fact the value of a domain really has very little to do with these features. Domain name value is a very complex issue and it should be noted that the real value of a domain can only be decided by the buyer of the domain. As always, what one person may regard as useless, another may find to be priceless. Although there is no way to place an exact value on a domain, there are ways to boost the value of your domain.
Perhaps the single most important aspect of your domain in regards to value will be it’s search engine ranking It is an undeniable fact that websites that are ranked higher in the search engines, generally tend to sell for more money. The reason for this is obvious. In fact, even domains with terrible names can sell for a good price if they have a solid search engine ranking. One of the most important search engine optimization attributes in regards to domain value is the amount of incoming links your website has. Incoming links, also known as backlinks, are links placed on other websites that lead to your website. Generally the more backlinks your site has the more traffic it will receive. Potential domain buyers are looking for domains that can be acquired and then monetized with as little effort as possible, so high traffic means high value in the domain game.
Domain Age
The age of the domain will also play a tremendous deciding factor in it’s overall value. The older a domain is, the more valuable it is considered. This is because older domains have an established web presence, which means they have had a longer time period to gather traffic enhancing attributes such as backlinks, search engine ranking, and overall popularity and recognition. Newer domains are considered relatively useless because they lack these qualities and are essentially bare projects that would need larger investments to grow. Although this is true in most cases, there are some cases when the name of a domain alone can cause it to sell for a high price. For example, you may own a domain name that matches a popular phrase or slang. Even though the domain name may be brand new and the domain itself is completely blank, the name alone could inspire a more fortunate buyer to spend an exuberant amount of cash for the name alone.
Name Value
Perhaps one of the most important aspects of your domain’s values is it’s name. So, what makes a domain name valuable? Names that are short tend to be more valuable, and names with four letters or less or considered the most valuable. Names that are popular keywords carry a lot of value as well, however any key phrases that contain hyphens should be avoided. Site names with hyphens generally hold a lower value. The extension of your domain name also matters as well, as .com domains tend to sell for more.