One of the ways you can make money is by selling a domain name (or buying one and selling it later). However, before you begin any process of buying or selling a domain name, it is a good idea to have it appraised. Like real estate located offline, in the "real" world, online real estate is also appraised. A home in cyberspace, a domain, can be valuable -- or less than valuable. Domain appraisal evaluation can help you determine what a web site name might be worth.

Factors to Consider with Domain Appraisal Evaluation

Before you go through the appraisal process, you should consider the factors that will influence the "worth" of the domain name in question. If you are selling a domain name, it is important to know how much it is worth -- or at least have an estimate of what it's worth -- before you sell. You want to make sure that you are getting what you deserve for the domain name. Likewise, before you buy a domain name, you want to make sure you understand the factors that determine what a site is going for. This is important since you don't want to overpay for a domain name; you want to get a good deal.

Here are some of the factors that are considered in a domain appraisal evaluation:

1. Length of domain name: Generally, the shorter the domain name, the more valuable it is. Shorter domain names are easier for people to type, easier to remember and less prone to mistakes.
2. Domain name suffix: The most common domain suffix is .com. You are more likely to get a better price for a website that ends in .com. You might also be able to get a good price with an alternative to .com such as .net or .org. If the domain name ends in a way that is easy for someone typing in the domain name to remember, then the website is generally worth more.
3. Popular or common name: It also helps, in terms of how valuable a domain name is, to have a common name or a popular phrase. These popular or common names are easy for people to guess, and to just type in. Sometimes, you might not have access to the .com version of a common name or phrase. In such cases, you can check to see if .net, .org, or .biz are available. Having a domain name that is still popular, even without the .com, can be helpful in some cases.
4. Is your domain name related to a high sales market?: In some cases, your domain name might be connected to a market that earns a lot. Domain names related to smart phones, popular brand names and common products and services are likely to fetch more than other domain names. If you are selling, you want to highlight this connection. If you are buying, you might need to be prepared to pay a little more.
5. Traffic to the domain: If the domain name already has a website attached to it, the amount of traffic it is getting could matter. If you are selling a website, you want to show that it has a good SEO presence, and that it is drawing traffic. This will help you get a better price.

Having Your Domain Appraisal Evaluation

Once you understand what will go into a domain name appraisal, you can then have it evaluated. There are free tools online that can provide an estimate of what a domain might be worth. These general tools take a number of factors into account, and then offer an idea of what the domain name might be worth. You can also get more precise appraisals by paying for them. However, if you are selling, make sure that you really do expect something substantial before you pay for the service.