Brokerage and parking company continues to grow customer numbers.
The Sedo customer base continues to grow, according to the company’s first quarter 2010 report (link removed because no longer active). The domain name brokerage and parking company now has 1,051,000 registered members, 16.1 million domain names on its platform, and 7.1 million domain names available for sale.
The same can’t be said for the company’s financials, as sales dropped 6.7% from the same quarter last year. Earnings were down 10% and its employee base fell from 175 to 155 in a year.
But the company sees the earnings trend reversing course next year:
In the field of Domain Marketing, in which we hold a leading global position, we expect a slight general decline in 2010 and a return to growth from 2011 onward. We shall continue to invest in our domain inventory and cooperate increasingly with partners in the field of domain trading in 2010.
steve says
Sedo was the first to get it right.
Now the compeititon is coming and spending millions. Sedo better start fighting back to keep its market share.
Rob Sequin says
I’ve been with sedo for many years but usually pointed my domains for sale to my retail domain sales site. I’ve had many offers and a handful of sales there because I just listed everything with “make offer” prices.
I talked to my rep last week (Wendy Huang) and asked her for some guidance on selling my domains.
She suggested that I list them with a fixed price rather than “make offer”.
So, I spent a few hours pricing the domains I wanted to sell at fixed prices and then uploaded the new spreadsheet last Friday.
First, I want to say thanks to Wendy for working on the Saturday before her vacation. She didn’t have to do that but Sedo does have lots of quality people there who love their work.
Second, I’m happy to say that I got an email today congratulating me that I sold a domain for $2995. The domain has no traffic and I have never had any interest in it before.
So, here’s my hat tip to Sedo… and Wendy 🙂
Thanks.
Andrew Allemann says
@ Rob – Wendy is great.
I tried pricing my domains at Sedo as well. I’m curious, do you have the domains that you are selling also parked at Sedo?
Rob Sequin says
Yes, for the second time in five + years, I am parking at Sedo again.
For me, alternatives weren’t working for me. Keep in mind though that I’m a little cheese mouse when it comes to parking revenue.
Andrew Allemann says
@ Rob – I ask because Wendy told me that a lot of the fixed price sales they have come through links on the parked pages.
Rob Sequin says
I see. Makes sense.
A link from a landing page to a fixed price domain for sale offering does seem like the best way to sell a domain, especially if it is priced under $5k.
When a buyer is motivated to buy a domain, I think it’s best to offer a fixed price link in order to satisfy his/her desire for immediate gratification.
A make offer priced domain delays that immediate gratification so the buyer may move onto other interests.
However, with top quality domains it’s best to play hard to get and not price the domain for sale until the seller knows more about the buyer.
Look at any DN Journal sales report and you’ll see Sedo’s name all over it. I’d be curious to know what percentage of those sales are fixed price vs. negotiated ones.