Impress Them With Your Domain Names

As he often does, Peter Askew shared a nugget of wisdom about domain name development I can appreciate:

build on a domain name that makes them say, “how in the hell did you get that domain name”

— Peter Askew (@searchbound) June 21, 2021

Besides operating this website and Embrace.com, I have pretty much resigned from web development projects. Peter’s comment still resonated to me because I share his sentiment when buying domain names in the aftermarket. When I tell someone I own a particular domain name – be it at a social gathering or professional event – I want the other person to be impressed. I want them to think to themselves – or ask me – how the heck did he get that domain name?!

Domain names with that wow factor are difficult and expensive to acquire these days. There are quite a few people hunting down what is available and what may be available for the right offer. I don’t think people outside of the business of domain investing are all that impressed with the money or effort spent acquiring these domain names. That probably isn’t super interesting to them. The fact that you or I own the eye or ear catching domain name is what is impressive.

Sharing an attention grabbing domain name may seem like a bit of an ego trip. When I mention a valuable domain name I own to someone outside the business of domain names, perhaps it’s an attempt to legitimize this niche business in the eyes of someone else. It is also a way to share what I do and differentiate my business from cybersquatting, which is often one of the first things someone thinks about when they think about buying domain names for a profit.

Regardless of the reasons for wanting to impress someone with a domain name, I think there is something to be said about an attention grabbing domain name. If a friend or colleague can be impressed by a domain name, chances are good that it will be in demand if selling is the goal. If development is the goal, as is often the case with Peter, having an impressive domain name can be helpful in getting advertisers and clients.