Auction Domains on eBay: A step-by-step guide

Domain names are like Internet real estate these days. If you run a domain that is a crowd-puller and has lots of traffic you can expect tons of $$$ if you want to sell it. And sell it to the highest bidder. Domain auction sites are the hottest sites with lots of buying and selling activities. Auction domain is nothing but a means to offload some useful domains. And selling the same via auction domains on eBay actually requires a good domain name.

Of the various media like advertisements, sites listing domains for sale, auction etc. that are used to buy a domain name, the last one is supposed to be the most popular one. To maximize one’s profit while buying or selling domain names via auction domains on eBay the following step-by-step guide is just indispensable.

1. Get the registration done: A registration is a must when someone is planning to sale domain names on eBay. Although the registration is free a small fee is charged while selling. And buying is absolutely costless.
2. Prepare yourself beforehand: A little research goes a long way. After getting a successful domain name registration, the domains should be rightly placed so that the domain name gets sold. Of the various eBay categories, the Domain Names directory and Business for sale are some of the most popular ones. Listing of items on eBay needs a small fee. The same item can be listed in different categories. The more categories for a single item the more it attracts a wider and potential stream of audience.
3. Choose the right listing type: One must list the items to be sold on auction domains on eBay so that it gets the maximum exposure to the potential traffic. ‘Featured listing’ is a great thing that channelizes a wider traffic to the site. Of course, it costs a little more than the normal listing. In order to include the domain name on auction in both the categories like Domain Names directory and Business for sale, one must make sure that the domain name has superb sale potentials as it costs a sum of US$49. ‘Premium listing’ is that type of featured listing where more bids are made at higher prices. Here the auctions are placed on top of the pages in bold texts, which increase the visibility to the customers. ‘Homepage featured listing’ is yet another type of listing that is not recommended for a low price auction item since the fee is US$99.
4. Duration of the auction: The duration of the auction is rather important as a period of three, five or seven days comes free while a fee is to be paid for a duration of ten days. Since survey statistics say that there is no difference in a seven-day and a ten-day auction, it is wiser to sell for free!
5. Appraisal is a must: the domain name on auction must be appraised by the appraisal authority that certifies that the domain name is search engine friendly and is a unique one. There are factors that evaluate the monetary value of a domain name. Appraised domain names always get an undue preference! And posting a certificate picture at ebay can be really promising. This magically raises the bid price.

Although auction on eBay sounds great to earn dollars at a click, one must be aware of the auction frauds. There are a number of fraudulent viewers who win the bid but never reply back. Complaints make little meaning in these cases. Some basic practices really make auction domains at eBay a great success. Here are some clues:

 Make a thorough research: It is recommended that one makes a thorough research to attract bids. The information present should be appealing enough to the potential target.
 Create a minisite: if the domain is developed into a minisite, a greater number of buyers hit the same thereby jacking up the price.
 Time is the main factor: Domains sold at the right time fetch higher prices. The domain names that have real potential can wait for a while to get higher prices but those featuring any upcoming issue must be sold at the peak time for the best.
 The right auction type: There are various auction types offered by eBay for customers who are eager to buy domain names.
• The BIN or ‘Buy It Now’ auction type is the smartest of all as it ends up as soon as a bidder pays the exact price set by the seller. There are some buyers who regularly response to the BIN auction and selling the domain names for the BIN price is the trick to attract more of such buyers. So, it is suggested that whenever one gets the offered BIN price, he should sell the auction.
• eBay offers a ‘private auction’ plan that ensures privacy to the bidders. Their identity is kept hidden. But one downside of this type of auction is the high number of scams. Since the identity is hidden, the scammers make great use of this golden opportunity. So, it is suggested that unless the domain is such that the bidder wouldn’t like to bid with his identity disclosed, a private auction should not be offered.
• eBay offers another auction plan called the ‘Dutch auction’ where a person is allowed to list more than one items in a single category. The bidder just needs to inform the auctioneer about the item he wants to bid so that the same is reserved. But there is one basic thing that a person requires to have to start a ‘Dutch auction’ at eBay. He must make sure that he has received a minimum of fifty feedback remarks from his buyers and the people from whom he bought domains. It is not at all necessary that the remarks have to be all positive ones. They may be positive, negative or even neutral. Suppose, one receives 70 positive remarks, two neutral remarks and 20 negative ones. Then his feedback rating will be 50. The neutral remarks are not considered in the feedback rating count.
 Listings must be formatted: The smart way to get the best bids is to format one’s listing with HTML tagging and proper presentation. The visitors should be conciliated with good looking and easy to read pages.
 Partnerships must be avoided: Partnerships are a no-no while selling domain names at eBay. It is simply against the rules. And any kind of such proposal from other auctioneers must be dealt with strictly.
 Multiple auctions can be run at the same time: Yes, running multiple auctions at a time allows the viewers to choose from a number of items open to them and you never know, the bid can be a corking one.
 Affix a logo: A smart logo for the domain names on auction goes a long way.
 Name the auction with the domain name: It is a trick to use the domain name as the auction name to allure a greater traffic to the auction page.
 Free transfer on eBay: A free domain transfer must be mentioned in bold texts. It attracts bidders who want to buy a domain for free transfer. Even if it is not a free transfer, the details of the payment making should be elaborated clearly enough as a confused viewer will never bid!
 Get a separate account for each domain: A separate account should be assigned to each domain so that the buyer of a single domain does not have access to other domains of the auctioneer.
 Abide by the eBay rules: eBay listing policies change on a regular basis. The appraisal policy at eBay has changed recently and it states that the appraisal report must be provided with a proof, say a picture of the appraisal certificate. Bidders who want to purchase domain name are actually driven a lot by the appraisal proof. Even there is free picture allowance offered by ebay these days.
 Advertise the auctions: advertising of domain names is suggested at the online sites like ezines that are specially meant for listing and discussion of domains.

The above was just a guideline to sell or even buy domain names. But to hit the business one needs to implement innovative ideas as the business itself is subject to changes every moment. Thus, it is a trial and error process that makes some ideas work better than others. So, now it is up to you as to which avenue brings you the desired success.