Ask HN: Good Time to Acquire Domain?

2 points by zkirill 4y ago ↗ HN

We currently use "theapp.com" instead of "app.com" and it works well enough so as not to justify paying a domain squatter (BODIS/SecuredOffers).

Having said that, given that fewer startups are getting funded and tech companies are reigning in their spending, isn't this the perfect time to make a bid?

If so, when would be the most advantageous time to start the negotiation process with the squatter? I realize that it's impossible to "time the bottom" but perhaps someone out there has a better crystal ball.

4 comments

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1-6 4y ago ↗

I would limit the purchase to be a percentage of the company’s profit. A good thing about a domain, however, is that it’s not really a sunk cost. You can recover the price of the domain if you ever decide to sell it.

metadat 4y ago ↗

Don't obsess over it, theapp.com is good enough.

I suggest instead focusing on your product, team, and creative marketing (in that order).

bell-cot 4y ago ↗

IANAL, but if you have (or could easily get) any sort of trademark on "App", then the squatter may have to give you the domain for ~free (or face a slam-dunk-lost legal case, penalties, etc.).

WallyFunk 4y ago ↗

Look into all those new gTLDs being released lately. .party .club .blog etc Snap up the shortest one you can. This is a golden age to snap up short domains since the squatters will catch on to this and snap up short ones in bulk as an 'investment'.