In the cutthroat reselling world, your achievements pretty much depend on steering clear of common slip-ups that can slow down growth and cut into your profits. As someone who sells domains for a living, getting a handle on these mistakes can help you cook up plans to beef up your business approach and give your clients service that goes the extra mile. This piece takes a deep dive into ten big errors domain resellers often stumble into and offers hands-on fixes to push past these roadblocks.
1. Turning a Blind Eye to Specialized Markets
A lot of domain resellers tend to zero in only on go-to TLDs such as .com, .net, and .org, which in a way means they're missing out on the hefty potential of specialty domains. This tunnel-vision approach, very clearly, puts limits on how far you can reach in the market and how much cash you can bring in.
How to Steer Clear of This Mistake:
- Grow your TLD menu to add specialty-focused domains that serve particular industries
- Push tech-centered extensions like .ai and .io to new companies and tech firms
- Give local businesses options with place-based TLDs like .ca or .nyc
- Look into up-and-coming TLD patterns to get ahead of what the market wants
- Whip up learning materials that break down why other TLDs might be worth a shot
By mixing up your domain collection, you actually present yourself as a well-rounded domain reseller who gets what different clients need instead of someone who thinks one solution fits all customers.
2. Skimping on Promotion and Content Planning
One mistake that happens too often with domain resellers is not putting enough money into getting the word out. Without proper promotion, even domains that could knock your socks off stay hidden from folks who might buy them. A website that looks like it's from 2005, a blog that never gets new posts, or social pages that seem like ghost towns can seriously tank how trustworthy you seem and how easily people can find you.
How to Steer Clear of This Mistake:
- Build a steady content promotion strategy that tackles domain-related subjects
- Keep your website fresh with helpful stuff for people shopping for domains
- Stay on top of your social media with posts that teach and promote
- Make big resources like digital books or how-to guides about picking domains
- Put SEO tactics to work that target words people search when looking for domain resellers
- Think about targeted ads to reach specific groups of customers
Just so you know, small companies that keep blogs pull in 126% more leads than those that don't, which really drives home how crucial content marketing is for anyone selling domains. 3. Not Giving Customer Support Its Due
Weak customer service is, in some respects, a major domain reseller blunder that can permanently hurt how people see you. In a field where technical questions pop up all the time, having support channels that don't cut it or take forever to get back to people leads to unhappy customers and chances to make sales slipping through your fingers.
How to Steer Clear of This Mistake:
- Give customers several ways to reach you, like chat, email, and phone
- Set clear expectations for how quickly you'll respond and try to beat those times
- Create detailed FAQs and knowledge centers for common domain questions
- Make sure your support team knows the ins and outs of domain-specific issues and reselling rules
- Use a ticket system to keep track of and prioritize help requests
- Regularly ask for feedback to make your support better
Top-notch customer service creates customers who stick with you and tell others about your domain reselling services, giving you marketing that money can't buy.
4. Failing to Carve Out Your Corner
Trying to catch the eye of every possible domain buyer typically leads to watered-down marketing efforts and fuzzy value statements. Domain resellers who succeed know just how important it is to specialize.
How to Steer Clear of This Mistake:
- Pick out specific industries or customer groups where you can offer specialized domain know-how
- Shape your domain offerings to fit what your target audience needs
- Craft marketing messages that speak right to your chosen corner of the market
- Build up special knowledge that makes you an authority in your selected market
- Put together case studies showing your wins with clients in your niche
By pointing your domain reselling business at specific customer groups, you can actually develop deeper expertise and more compelling offerings than competitors who try to be everything to everyone.
5. Hooking Up with the Wrong Hosting Company
Many domain resellers branch out into hosting services, but picking a hosting partner that's not up to snuff can cause performance problems that make you look bad. This domain reseller error often stems from not doing enough homework.
How to Steer Clear of This Mistake:
- Do a deep dive into potential hosting providers' uptime promises and performance numbers
- Check out customer reviews and ask other domain resellers who they'd recommend
- Test the hosting service yourself before you offer it to your clients
- Make sure the hosting provider offers solid support for your clients
- Check that the hosting company gives you the tools you need for effective reselling
- Think about where their servers are located compared to where your clients' customers are
A hosting partner you can count on strengthens your domain reselling business by letting you offer complete solutions to your customers.
6. Making Hosting and Domain Packages Too Complicated
Creating packages that take a rocket scientist to understand confuses potential clients and makes your sales process a headache. This domain reseller mistake puts up unnecessary barriers that stop people from buying.
How to Steer Clear of This Mistake:
- Design straightforward package options with clear value statements
- Use everyday language to describe features and benefits
- Create visual side-by-sides of different packages to help people decide
- Keep your package options few to prevent people from getting overwhelmed
- Clearly show which package most people go for, or which one you recommend
- Make it easy for clients to upgrade as their needs grow
Simplified offerings make it easier for customers to get what they're buying and reduce the friction in the buying process for domain resellers.
7. Overlooking Ideal Server Spots
Where servers are physically located has a big impact on website performance for end users, yet lots of domain resellers kind of miss this key factor when they start offering hosting services.
How to Steer Clear of This Mistake:
- Get a feel for where your clients' target audiences are spread out geographically
- Team up with hosting providers that have servers in multiple locations
- Teach clients why having servers close to their audience matters
- Think about content delivery networks (CDNs) as part of what you offer with hosting
- Keep an eye on performance metrics from different regions around the world
Addressing server location concerns shows your technical chops and commitment to making sure clients get peak performance as a domain reseller.
8. Not Seeing the Value in Bundled Offers
Not creating attractive package deals that bring domains together with related services represents, for example, a missed chance for domain resellers to bump up the average order value and provide all-in-one solutions.
How to Steer Clear of This Mistake:
- Come up with strategic bundles combining domains with hosting, email, security, and design services
- Create different bundle levels for different client needs and budgets
- Point out the money saved compared to buying each service separately
- Run special promotions on bundles to get people to upgrade
- Make managing bundles simple with integrated control panels
- Make sure all bundled services work together smoothly
Well-crafted bundles increase what you bring to the table as a domain reseller while making buying easier for clients who want complete solutions.
9. Losing Track of Industry Shifts
The domain and hosting scene changes fast with new tech, policies, and market trends. Domain resellers who don't stay in the loop risk becoming yesterday's news and losing customers to competitors who are more on the ball.
How to Steer Clear of This Mistake:
- Sign up for industry publications and blogs focused on domain trends
- Jump into relevant forums and professional communities
- Go to industry conferences and webinars
- Keep in touch with registrars to stay informed about policy changes
- Regularly look at what competitors are offering and what works best in the industry
- Set aside time specifically for learning and research
By keeping up with what's happening in the domain industry, you position yourself as someone who knows their stuff rather than just another domain reseller.
10. Giving Bad Domain Naming Advice
Steering clients toward poorly chosen domain names can damage how credible you seem and lead to customers who wish they'd gone elsewhere. Common domain naming no-nos include using numbers, hyphens, trademarked terms, words that are hard to spell, or words that sound like other words.
How to Steer Clear of This Mistake:
- Develop clear guidelines for picking effective domain names
- Create resources that teach about domain naming best practices
- Offer domain name consultation to help clients make the best choices
- Use domain suggestion tools that follow proven naming patterns
- Provide trademark checking services to prevent legal headaches
- Encourage clients to test how their domain name sounds and spells with other people
By helping clients select effective domain names, you show your expertise and increase the chances that clients will be happy with your domain reselling services long-term.
Wrapping Up
Domain resellers who hit it big understand that avoiding these common mistakes requires ongoing attention to market trends, customer needs, and business processes. By expanding your TLD offerings, investing in marketing, providing excellent support, defining your niche, selecting appropriate partners, simplifying packages, considering server locations, creating compelling bundles, staying current with industry changes, and promoting good domain naming practices, you can build a thriving domain reselling business that stands out from the crowd.
The domain reselling industry keeps changing, but the basics of good business stay the same. Focus on delivering real value to your clients, and you'll build the reputation and relationships needed for long-term success in this competitive field.