2 builders who never spoke to each other

Pay for the dot com when the name carries the brand

Where the name is going to be the brand, the domain is worth real money and the purchase is rarely regretted. Expect the holder to play games, treat a marketplace buy-it-now as a lead rather than a sale, and keep a shortlist you have said out loud so an unusual extension stays an option.

The method

1. 01

   Pay real money for the dot com when the name is going to carry the brand.

2. 02

   Expect the holder of the domain you want to play dirty, and stay calm rather than bidding against yourself to close it.

3. 03

   Run through dozens of alternative names, throw out every one that does not sound right out loud, and accept the renewal bill on an unusual extension if the short version sings.

4. 04

   Treat a buy it now price on a domain marketplace as a lead, not a purchase, because the broker may never reach the owner.

5. 05

   Do one-off domain lookups at a registrar that will not register the names you searched for.

What it returned

• $5k

  Rob Hope settled at $5k for the Email Love dot com domain.

• $643.50

  yo.fm cost $643.50 up front and renews at $110 a year, taken after the dot com fell through.

• $120

  Rob Hope paid the $120 buy it now on the yopodcast dot com domain and was refunded 60 days later when GoDaddy could not contact the owner.

• Rob Hope spent heavily to own the dot com for each of Email Love, UX Love and Love Curated, and regrets none of those purchases.

Sources

• How an NBA player ruined my lifeJustin Jackson · justinjackson.ca · Is there a lesson here for you? · undated
• Naming your productNathan Barry · nathanbarry.com · 2013-02-04
• How I negotiated the $5k Email Love dot com domain - Rob HopeRob Hope · robhope.com · Hope these tips help save you some cake when hard-balling that perfect domain. · 2019-01-28
• A short story (of hesitation) behind the yo.fm domain - Rob HopeRob Hope · robhope.com · Behind every domain acquisition announcement is always a lot of doubt. Let’s peel back the layers a bit. · 2022-12-27