4 ms·

Show HN: How much is your domain name worth? A new site for domain appraisals

18 points by shaggy8871 6y ago

shaggy8871 6y ago
Hey all, I've always had an interest in domain names, and often found myself buying some for side projects that typically never got built. I recently became interested in the domain name aftermarket, and joined a few communities to learn how to trade them effectively. According to industry wisdom, there are specific ways of valuing a domain name. For instance, .com is generally considered more value than other top-level domains like .net and .org. Short, catchy brands and single words are also highly prized. The industry has produced a wonderful range of automated tools you can use to value your domains, using a range of signals like search traffic, similar names sold in the past, whether the same name has been bought across a range of top level domains, etc. And while these are extremely helpful, what's missing (in my opinion) is the subjective view. Some domain names, especially brandable ones, can't be valued using computer models. Sometimes only humans can do the job. The site is free, but you have to vote before you can submit your own domains for others to vote on. I hope this keeps things fair for everyone. I came up with PeerIdeas to scratch my own itch, and since launch I've had both positive and negative feedback (as can be expected). However I've enjoyed the journey immensely, and I invite you to give it a try if it meets your needs too.
alex_g 6y ago
This is cool! It'd be fun if you threw some from flippa in there and then revealed the asking price after voting.
- shaggy8871 6y ago
  That was one of my original ideas. Turns out there’s already an app for that called the Name Game by NameBio.
toyg 6y ago
Fun idea, but i can’t shake the feeling that I’m doing free work for domain speculators...
- shaggy8871 6y ago
  Thanks! You have to own the domain before I list it (although verifying it can be tricky), so hopefully we don’t see too much of that.
  - alex_g 6y ago
    Personally I would find this really helpful when evaluating a domain purchase. I can't tell you the number of times I've checked for the availability of pretty high quality domain, seen it's available but there's no way to inquire without putting in a (non-binding) offer and wondered what a reasonable offer would be.
    - shaggy8871 6y ago
      I hope PeerIdeas will at least give sellers a reasonable foundation to work from, and buyers an idea of what the rest of the market thinks. If this tool helps buyers and sellers meet somewhere in the middle I’ll be happy.
todd3834 6y ago
Is $5k+ too low for the high end? It seems like people always think their domain is worth six figures. They just have to wait for the right moment. I don’t think people voting would be as irrational though. If someone were to post x.com I hope they could have a higher limit on the poll. Great idea and execution! I answered enough questions so I could submit 3 for polls.
- shaggy8871 6y ago
  Thanks for trying it out! I’m sure there are many who think their domains are worth tens or even hundreds of thousands. However most domains sell in the low range and only a few sell for $1k and above. I had an idea to create a separate, high end version of the poll for those who genuinely have high value domains, but I’d probably need a lot more traction with the upper echelons of the industry before I could get to that point.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
boring_twenties 6y ago
I feel it's a little weird for skipping a poll to cost a coin. For example, I was presented with the following domain: WhoSus.com If you're a fan of the game Among Us, this would probably make sense to you. I've never heard of Among Us, so it seems reasonable that I should skip this poll. I don't want to give up a coin though, so I guess I'll just vote anyway.
- shaggy8871 6y ago
  Thanks for the feedback, I’m still playing with the coin system. A single coin isn’t too difficult to get back, but I did want to discourage skipping. You can also just move on without ignoring but it may come up again.

18 points by shaggy8871 6y ago

Hey all, I've always had an interest in domain names, and often found myself buying some for side projects that typically never got built. I recently became interested in the domain name aftermarket, and joined a few communities to learn how to trade them effectively. According to industry wisdom, there are specific ways of valuing a domain name. For instance, .com is generally considered more value than other top-level domains like .net and .org. Short, catchy brands and single words are also highly prized. The industry has produced a wonderful range of automated tools you can use to value your domains, using a range of signals like search traffic, similar names sold in the past, whether the same name has been bought across a range of top level domains, etc. And while these are extremely helpful, what's missing (in my opinion) is the subjective view. Some domain names, especially brandable ones, can't be valued using computer models. Sometimes only humans can do the job. The site is free, but you have to vote before you can submit your own domains for others to vote on. I hope this keeps things fair for everyone. I came up with PeerIdeas to scratch my own itch, and since launch I've had both positive and negative feedback (as can be expected). However I've enjoyed the journey immensely, and I invite you to give it a try if it meets your needs too.

alex_g 6y ago

This is cool! It'd be fun if you threw some from flippa in there and then revealed the asking price after voting.

shaggy8871 6y ago
That was one of my original ideas. Turns out there’s already an app for that called the Name Game by NameBio.

toyg 6y ago

Fun idea, but i can’t shake the feeling that I’m doing free work for domain speculators...

shaggy8871 6y ago
Thanks! You have to own the domain before I list it (although verifying it can be tricky), so hopefully we don’t see too much of that.
- alex_g 6y ago
  Personally I would find this really helpful when evaluating a domain purchase. I can't tell you the number of times I've checked for the availability of pretty high quality domain, seen it's available but there's no way to inquire without putting in a (non-binding) offer and wondered what a reasonable offer would be.
  - shaggy8871 6y ago
    I hope PeerIdeas will at least give sellers a reasonable foundation to work from, and buyers an idea of what the rest of the market thinks. If this tool helps buyers and sellers meet somewhere in the middle I’ll be happy.

todd3834 6y ago

Is $5k+ too low for the high end? It seems like people always think their domain is worth six figures. They just have to wait for the right moment. I don’t think people voting would be as irrational though. If someone were to post x.com I hope they could have a higher limit on the poll. Great idea and execution! I answered enough questions so I could submit 3 for polls.

shaggy8871 6y ago
Thanks for trying it out! I’m sure there are many who think their domains are worth tens or even hundreds of thousands. However most domains sell in the low range and only a few sell for $1k and above. I had an idea to create a separate, high end version of the poll for those who genuinely have high value domains, but I’d probably need a lot more traction with the upper echelons of the industry before I could get to that point.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]

boring_twenties 6y ago

I feel it's a little weird for skipping a poll to cost a coin. For example, I was presented with the following domain: WhoSus.com If you're a fan of the game Among Us, this would probably make sense to you. I've never heard of Among Us, so it seems reasonable that I should skip this poll. I don't want to give up a coin though, so I guess I'll just vote anyway.

shaggy8871 6y ago
Thanks for the feedback, I’m still playing with the coin system. A single coin isn’t too difficult to get back, but I did want to discourage skipping. You can also just move on without ignoring but it may come up again.