I figure i will begin writing about a few noticeable situations in the domain world i find interesting. This issue is regarding brand names, domain prices and companies looking to buy.

I recently received a call from a company in California who were in the process of re-branding their company to something a bit more relevant to their products. My domain also appeals greatly towards consumers who might be more willing to buy from a company with my domain than a competitor. So i proceeded to tell the buyer that the domain is for sale but i needed a moment and i would get back to him in a few minutes.

I quickly traced the phone number(cell) using my ninja investigation skills (Googled It son) and found their company was directly tied to the number he called me from. Now from their services and other factors i calculated their approx monthly-yearly income (Thanks Google). Called back immediately and they seemed very interested but i was then hit with, “whats your price because were considering one other domain”. I gave them my price (x,xxx) and they slipped up and mentioned the domain they were also considering, for the right price. I looked it up and its forwarded to some other company site but the domain itself didn’t make any sense.

He said they will get back to me when they hear back from the other domain owner and their price. It seems in this economy, companies will probably pick the domain that costs less. I still don’t know who they will choose but from past experiences, companies are fickle when it comes to brand names when the price is higher than they anticipated.

I think if Facebook.com had an owner who wanted 1 million for the name back in 2004, Facebook might still be called The Facebook for a couple more years while they acquired funding. Who knows?….All I’m saying is, if a domain owner wants a million or no sale, the company will need to decide if the name is worth it to them or change their brand name to something else. (It makes me chuckle when some companies advertise before name acquisitions. Always a good laugh.)

ONE LAST THING–Never let another domainer tell you what your name is worth. Its worth what you are willing to sell it for and what buyers are willing to pay. Keep the faith and never let bumps in the road discourage you from climbing higher. As always, i wish you all the best but don’t expect me to go easy on you if we ever end up negotiating a price. Its still business no matter how good a friends we are. Irie!!