It’s officially the new year and we know you have an exciting idea in mind to launch for your next big thing! You need a domain name for your new website plan. As you’re searching for that enticing company name, you may noticed a couple of newer options in the search function. We’re going to tell you all about these additions to the Hover platform so you can make the best decision for your domain name registration.
Sometimes, when a domain name is already registered by another user, you will see some options to move forward with making (or trying to make) a purchase. These options are DomainAgents and Sedo. DomainAgents is used when a domain name is taken and may or may not be for sale. Sedo is for situations where the registrant, or current owner of the domain name, has it available for sale. Hover has partnered with both of these companies to provide you the best experience possible when finding a domain name. When your ideal first choice domain is taken, but when that first choice can’t be beat and alternatives simply aren’t enough, we want you to have options to try to get ahold of the domain name of your dreams.
What is DomainAgents?
As per DomainAgents, they exist to assist domain owners and buyers through the sometimes challenging and onerous process of negotiating for the sale of the domain you want and the impending transfers following your purchase. DomainAgents continue to develop and refine the process to make it easier on those who want to buy (and potentially sell) a domain name. They have been a trusted industry leader since 2012 and boast tens of thousands of clients annually.
DomainAgents knows how tricky the process of buying a domain can actually be. If you’ve ever reached out to someone to buy a domain name, you know that you are sometimes ghosted, ignored, or given a ridiculous price. These types of issues tend to make the process not as exciting, and a buyer once so keen on a domain name, can lose interest. DomainAgents helps broker this relationship to keep things open and fair by facilitating the early stages of the process.
DomainAgents and Hover Partnership
DomainAgents has partnered with Hover. The role of DomainAgents is to help you get in touch with the owner of a domain name you want when that domain name is already taken. The domain name you want may or may not be for sale, but DomainAgents will help you facilitate negotiations and contact with the owner of the domain to see if there’s any way you can buy and own that domain.
When you search for a domain name that is taken, you will see an option to “Make an Offer” through DomainAgents. From there, DomainAgents will take you to their site to set you up for potentially buying and owning the domain name you wanted. If the current owner agrees to sell, DomainAgents helps with the safe transfer of payment and domain between buyer and seller. Then, you’re the proud owner of your domain name!
What is Sedo?
Sedo is a platform full of domain names that are currently registered, but where the registrant is looking to sell the domain name. Sedo’s goal is to help customers find their ideal domain, even if their perfect domain name is taken.
Sedo’s marketplace brings domain owners and buyers from across the world together on their platform. They boast a market share of 60% and are the leading provider in what is referred to as the “secondary market” for already registered or “used” (or as Sedo likes to call it, “secondhand!”) domain names. They are responsible for every second domain name transaction that happens in the world.
Sedo and Hover Partnership
Sedo allows Hover to offer any domain name our customers have for sale through our website. You will see the option to “Make an Offer” through Sedo when a domain name is registered, but verified that it is for sale through their marketplace.
When you navigate to Sedo from Hover, you will find a co-branded landing page. Once on Sedo, you can create a Sedo account in order to officially make an offer on the domain. The negotiation goes back and forth on the Sedo platform until the seller and buyer come to an agreement. Sedo then handles the sale of the domain and starts the fulfillment to the buyer by way of a standard transfer. After that, you own the domain name!
If you’ve had the opportunity to use Sedo or DomainAgents when trying to get your domain name through Hover, we hope you’ve had a great experience with our new partners. Please share your experience with us on Twitter, if you can, and let us know the domain name you were able to get!