{"id":24073,"date":"2019-12-05T08:16:06","date_gmt":"2019-12-05T13:16:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/?p=24073"},"modified":"2021-08-24T12:30:56","modified_gmt":"2021-08-24T17:30:56","slug":"what-is-my-domain-worth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/what-is-my-domain-worth\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is My Domain Worth?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A lot of us wish we could travel back in time and buy up domain names<\/a> like apple.com, hotels.com, google.com, bank.com, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, even without access to a time machine, there are still ways to make money by selling domain names. Even though 99% of short and valuable domains are already taken, there are still a ton of valuable domain names out there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe years ago you decided to purchase a random domain name on a whim, only to find out years later that your domain, was worth thousands of dollars. This scenario is more common than you might think. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s easy to purchase all kinds of domain names, hoping that one day, a brand new startup wants to buy your domain. But, spending hundreds of dollars on random domains and sitting with your fingers crossed isn’t the best or most lucrative approach, but rather find out what goes into a domain appraisal and how to actually make domain flipping profitable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A better approach is to learn about the factors that make a domain valuable and purchase domain names that have a decent chance of turning a profit down the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post, you’ll learn the ins and outs of what makes a domain valuable and how to properly appraise a domain so you can answer the question, 'What is my domain worth?'\u009d with a high level of confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"register<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Understanding Domain Name Valuation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Domain valuation is the process of determining the value of a given domain. It’s a similar process to when companies are valued, but much less intensive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before we jump into how to do a domain appraisal, let’s have a quick overview of how domain names work<\/a>. If you already have the basics down, such as how to register a domain<\/a>, feel free to skip to the next section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re just getting started building websites online, this section is for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Domain names are synonymous with URLs (although they aren’t exactly the same thing), but essentially it’s what a user types into their browser address bar on their search engine to access your site - things like HostGator.com, Facebook.com, Google.com, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two primary parts that make up a domain, the second level domain and the top level domain. These two factors will also contribute to a domain valuation,, but more on this below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s how top-level and second-level domains work together:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Top-level domain.<\/strong> Even though it’s called top-level<\/a>, this portion of the domain name is what comes at the end. It can also be referred to as a domain name extension<\/a>. This is the .com, .org, .net portion of a domain name. <\/li>
  2. Second-level domain.<\/strong> This portion of the domain name is the central portion of a domain and often refers to the name of the website, in “hostgator.com,” “hostgator” is the second-level domain<\/a> and also the name of the company. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    If you want to actually sell a domain you’ll need to own one first. To do this you’ll need to head over to a domain name registrar<\/a> and buy a domain. Usually, you’ll have to renew your ownership of a domain on a yearly basis, but you can also buy a domain for multiple years as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Whether you’re purchasing a domain name for a new project, or simply to hold onto and sell one day, the process remains the same. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here’s how you do it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Go to a Domain Name Registrar<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    There are dozens of different domain name registrars out there, including one right here at HostGator, which we will be using for our example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    First, head over to HostGator.com, and input the domain name you’d like to register. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"domain<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    2. Search for Your Domain Name<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The domain registration tool will then search through every single registered domain name to see if it’s available. Unless you spent some serious time researching your domain name<\/a>, there’s a good chance it’ll already be taken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"domain<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    However, you can input different combinations of words and try different top-level domains until you find an available domain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"search<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    3. Choose Your Terms and Register<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Once you’ve found a domain name that you like and that’s available, all you have to do is choose your purchase terms and register the domain. If you\u2019re planning on holding onto the domain for a while it can be helpful to register the domain for multiple years at once, so you don\u2019t accidentally let the domain lapse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Once you’ve registered a domain, you can either:<\/p>\n\n\n\n