Paid URL inclusion
If you're interested in buying a URL that has few other outlets for it, there's a few criteria you need to make sure that your endeavor fits. Before going through with this process, I figured I would write about the various questions to ask yourself if you are considering buying a URL.
Buyer Beware!
- What type of traffic does this website or app get? If you're looking for an audience that is older and shows no signs of dropping, then news organizations might be the best fit for your needs. If the website attracts younger audiences, then Facebook ads might be worth investing in.
- How would it be a fit with your message? This is crucial in your success. If you're going to be trying to attract an older, more conservative base, then perhaps a URL under the ABC News banner would work well for you. If you're looking to attract younger audiences that might be liberal, then perhaps the URL from Drudge Report might work better for your purpose.
- How long has the owner had ownership of this URL? In some cases it might make sense to go after newer URLs than ones that have been owned by their owners for over ten years. However, there are cases where domains have been owned by their owners for decades and still circulate old information or no traffic at all.
- How much is the seller asking for? I've seen sites with high demand get as low as $10,000. Anything higher than that might be too much of an ask for a new owner.
- Have you seen the owner online? If you're going to be talking to an old guy that only knows how to use AOL, then it's possible he'll have no clue what you're talking about. It's always good to see what kind of behavior they have on their site or app. You'd also want to make sure they don't harass other members or harass other domains or domains under their control (e.g., bullying them into submission).
- Is the URL of a certain niche or of a broad range? If it's too narrow, you won't get as much traffic or you might not be able to attract enough eyeballs to your site. If it's too broad, then the URL might get lost in the crowd with other similar websites.
- Do they have lots of passive traffic? You want to make sure that if you spend money for ads for this website or app that you'll still see results from visitors drawn from other sources (e.g., word of mouth).
- Is location important to you? This is something I thought about when looking into YouTube domains . If your message is mostly limited to a certain area, then it might make sense to go after URLs that target those areas. For example, if you're doing business in Orlando and you want to reach out to the Hispanic community, then YouTube domains like EspanolAcademyTv are much better than YouTube domains like AreYouAfraidOfTheDarkTv.
- How old is the site? The older it is, the more trust people have with it. An old website or app that still has steady growth will likely be your best bet.
- Are there multiple ways for you to afford this URL? This might not apply in all cases but some websites and apps might not be sold by their owners at all. In that case, you might want to pay for them through other means such as buying an ad on the website and/or app itself.
- Is this a site you feel comfortable sharing? If it's a Facebook app including your email, then it might not be something you'd want to share with others. If the URL includes your name or phone number or anything else that is personal to you, then perhaps it should be gotten rid of immediately.
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I've been looking into purchasing some URLs lately and I was able to purchase 2 already. The first was paid inclusion at $300/month and the second was a YouTube channel at $250/month. Both were pretty good deals and it's never too early to start looking for URLs.
It's important to remember that there are criticisms of buying websites like mine and listed below are a few suggestions before going forward.
Caveats and Warnings!
- Make sure you have enough money to invest in a website or app. If you're looking to spend $10,000 or more then you might need additional income coming in as well. Perhaps your job doesn't provide you with the income you truly need and you're not able to pay a full month's worth of bills. If this is the case, then perhaps it makes sense for you to look into alternative means of making some extra money (e.g. a small business, selling unwanted items on Craigslist or eBay, etc.). If you're able to spend a few hundred dollars and spend a few hours investing in a website or app, then it might make sense to go forward.
- Make sure your website or app is something you'd be comfortable sharing. Before you go forward with the rest of my steps here, there's one thing I want you to consider seriously. Do you feel comfortable sharing this URL with others? If the answer is no, then perhaps you should try to think of something else. For example, if the URL contains your name or other information that could easily identify who you are then perhaps it might not be worth investing in. However, if the answer is yes (e.g., you don't mind sharing your name or phone number), then it might be time to go forward.
- Do you have the time and money to advertise? You can't just purchase a website or app and expect to attract traffic immediately. You need to invest some money in ads and perhaps into promotion as well. If you don't have the money for promotion, then perhaps it's best for you to hold off on any purchases. If you do, then go forward from here.
- Can you promote what's there? You can't just purchase a website or app and expect people to come there without any reason why they should be there. Perhaps it makes sense to make sure you can promote the content on the site or app you're thinking about purchasing.
- Are you willing to put in some effort? If so, then go forward. If not, then perhaps it's best for you to just be patient and wait on a website or app that is more suited for purchase.
- Are there any others that want this URL? Sometimes buying a URL isn't easy. The seller might not want to give up this URL and might put in some effort to stop others from getting it as well. In that case, it might ultimately be best for you to just wait and see what happens with the site or app in question.
- Are there any other domain names you want? If you go buy a domain name that is too small, then you might not be able to attract much traffic as well. If larger domains are what's right for you, then perhaps it makes sense for you to look at buying bigger domains (e.g., by spending more money on the URLs).
- Do they have a social media presence? Some sites and apps have channels or apps on social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter) that might be worth checking out. If they do, then maybe it would be best for you to give them a look before buying their URL.
Conclusion
If you've made it this far, then I suggest you take a look at buying a couple of URLs. The biggest thing that came to mind for me when thinking about these points are things like age, location, domain name length and social media presence.
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Paid URL inclusion