3 Steps to Used Expired Domain Names and Deleted Domains

If you've ever browsed domain name auction sites, you may have noticed that certain domains sell for a lot more than others. This is because the price of a domain name can depend on its age, meaning how long it's been unused. In this post we'll walk through 3 steps on how to find and buy used expired domains and deleted domains. We'll cover tips like how much to bid for it, when to use Google's Domain Availability tool for an estimate, so that you can avoid any bidding errors.

Step One: Take a look at popular auctions

Let's start by looking in the auction listings of some popular domain names. Scroll down and you should find a section that shows all available domains for sale. Just click to view the listings and you'll find a section that shows all available domains for sale, with prices displayed next to each listing. This is where we can get an estimate of what each domain name is worth now. We'll use this information as reference for our bidding strategy when we enter an auction ourselves.

I'm going to focus on just two naming competitions that are well-known – Google's Domain Name Competition and GoDaddy CEO Auction, because they are mostly about generic TLDs – .com, .net, .org and .info – rather than your favorite country code TLD.

Thinking of bidding on a domain name? The first tip is to avoid placing too much money at one time into the auction. Don't be the guy that makes the low bid in an auction and then doesn't win it, because you're going to regret it. I've personally blown a few small amounts of money because I thought that these were just one-off auctions that would never sell again or I thought that they were cheap but wanted it for some reason.

Step Two: Determine how much money you're willing to spend on a domain name

For the second step in this process, we're going to look at some of the current domain names that are for sale. Scroll down and you'll find a table showing all available domains for sale. These domains will be in random order, but it's a good way to get an idea of what else is around and what other people are selling their domains for. Pick out 2 or 3 similar domains, then click them to view the price they were sold for on the right side of the chart. Now you have an idea of how much someone paid before and after a certain auction ended.

If you're buying a domain name because you want to sell it later for a higher price, then you're probably looking for one of the following reasons:

It's a generic keyword TLD like .com or .org It's an expired domain that someone else owns and didn't renew It has an attractive name because it includes a trademarked phrase or brand If you can find any of these three on the list, then it would be smart to enter the auction. You'll never know until you try! But if not, then keep reading and I'll give some tips about what to avoid paying. The first tip is generally not to pay too much money for anything.

Conclusion:

So, if you're thinking of bidding on a domain name, the first tip is to avoid placing too much money at one time into the auction. Don't be the guy that makes the low bid in an auction and then doesn't win it, because you're going to regret it. I've personally blown a few small amounts of money because I thought that these were just one-off auctions that would never sell again or I thought that they were cheap but wanted it for some reason. These are your warning signs! Make sure you have a limit in mind before you even start bidding.