?? Selling Domain Names: Pros and Cons of Using Your Own Landing Page with Google Analytics vs. Third-Party Marketplaces

About one-third of my domain sales come through my own landing page. This approach offers insights into visitor behavior and allows for customization. However, using third-party marketplaces like Afternic, Dan, Sedo, BrandBucket, and Atom also has its perks. Let's quickly look at each method's pros and cons to help you make the best choice for your domain selling strategy.

?? Using Your Own Landing Page

Pros:

• Detailed Visitor Insights: Get granular visitor data, including country, browser, repeat visits, and time on page.
• Email Capture & Auto-Responder: When utilizing your own or free CDN, like Cloudflare, nameservers, you can capture all emails sent to the domain; eventually, implement auto-responders to inform senders about the domain's for sale status.
• No commission: Pay zero commission to a third-party marketplace if the domain sells via your landing page. You can still list the domain for sale on non-exclusive marketplaces such as GoDaddy's Afternic.com or Dan.com, or Sedo.com. If the transaction takes place on their marketplace, you pay their higher commission: 25% to GoDaddy, 15% to Sedo Marketplace, or 20% to SedoMLS.
• Customization: You have complete control over the design and messaging to attract potential buyers better. You can also implement and offer multiple payment providers such as PayPal or Escrow.com.
• Branding: Maintain consistent branding that aligns with your other business activities.

Cons:

• Technical Setup: Technical know-how is required to set up and manage analytics, email capture, autoresponders, or custom payment rails.
• Higher commission: If the domain sells on a third-party marketplace, you will pay a higher commission.
• Cost: A cost is associated with hosting and maintaining the landing page.

?? Using Third-Party Marketplaces

These are only some of the main domain name aftermarket platforms.

Afternic.com (owned by GoDaddy):

• Pros: Simple setup, large buyer audience. Choose one of their templates to present to the buyer when viewing your Afternic listing. Save 10%: pay only 15% commission versus the default rate of 25% when using GoDaddy's nameservers.
• Cons: No visit data provided. The domain owner cannot capture emails.

Dan.com (owned by GoDaddy):

• Pros: See Afternic above. In addition, Dan shows you the average monthly number of visits and views from last month.
• Cons: No visitor details provided. The domain owner cannot capture emails.

BrandBucket.com:

• Pros: Brand-focused marketplace, professional presentation.
• Cons: No visitor data provided. One must use the BrandBucket name servers. Their commission starts at 15% for names above $100k.

Atom.com:

• Pros: Best visitor data among marketplaces, showing total visits and a list of visitors with visit counts over the last 30 days.
• Cons: Google Analytics offers more details. For premium listings, Atom must approve the domain name and its pricing. A premium listing domain name must use the Atom nameservers for premium listings. Their commission varies, starting at 15% for sales over $75k.

?? Conclusion:

For those who value detailed analytics and have technical skills, setting up your landing page with Google Analytics and email capturing is the way to go. Help your domains' exposure by listing them on the non-exclusive marketplaces, at least on Afternic/Dan and Sedo.

If simplicity is more important, a third-party marketplace like Atom.com offers a good balance with some visitor insights.

Choose what aligns best with your goals and capabilities! ????

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