Why it makes sense to Opt Out of AN boost, and remove listings from Afternic entirely

[FrasierCrane]

There has been a lot of debate (rather one-sided debate, frankly) as to whether or not it's wise to "opt-in" to GoDaddy's new Afternic Boost program, where they squeeze an extra 5% of commission out of us in exchange for allowing them to include our domain names in their list of recommended domains to buyers. In this post, I'll break down the available options we have.

1) Keep listings on Afternic, with AN Nameservers, and opt-in to boost. Your commission will be 20% for every sale via godaddy/afternic, whether or not it results from the boost. Even if your buyer landed on your name via type-in, in which case the sale would have happened regardless of who's processing payment, you're committing to paying 20%.

2) Keep listings on Afternic, with AN Nameservers, and opt-OUT of boost. This is where things get tricky. If you opt out of boost, that means your domains will not show up in GoDaddy's list of recommended domains to the buyer. Exact-name search will still show up, in cases where the buyer is looking for your specific domain. Your will pay 15% commission.

Let's analyze this for a second: If GoDaddy removes your domains from the recommended list based on the domain/keyword the user typed in, despite it being a great match, GoDaddy is actually providing their customer with poorer, less relevant results, than if we opt in to Boost. In other words, GoDaddy will only provide THEIR customers with an optimal user experience if WE agree to pay them more money. So if we opt out, results are less relevant for the buyer. This is not beneficial to GoDaddy, and so it seems their action is strictly punitive towards domain sellers, as they are willing to make their own service worse just to punish us for opting out.

In other words, the ONLY way a buyer will find your domain name is if they A) navigate to yoursite.com or B) type yoursite.com into GoDaddy. In either case, it means they're looking for your site specifically, and will likely navigate to your site directly. If you had your own lander, you'd pay zero commission.

3) Remove listings from Afternic entirely. When a user searches GoDaddy for your specific domain, they will likely see one of those "Pay us $119 and we can try to get this domain for you" banners. Since Option 2 above will result in buyers only finding your domain if they type in the exact match directly, it doesn't make sense to pay afternic even 15%. And by the way, when a buyer pays that $119 and you get a call from a GoDaddy broker, *you pay zero commission*. And I find the conversion rate to be very high since the buyer already paid 119, demonstrating they're very serious.

Perhaps @GoDaddy can let me know if I'm factually incorrect about any of these points. Otherwise, it seems like a no-brainer - either remove my listings entirely from Afternic or agree to pay a minimum of 20% commission. After my analysis, I'm inclined to remove them completely.

 

[Jannes]

I wouldn't and won't remove (delete) my domains but keep them at least unlisted, to prevent fraudulent listings by scammers.

Also, since the commission is calculated at the time of the sale, I'm thinking of just removing BINs and switching to NP landers. I can then (case-by-case) switch back to GD-approved nameservers only if someone makes an offer through GoDaddy.

 

[FrasierCrane]

I wouldn't and won't remove (delete) my domains but keep them at least unlisted, to prevent fraudulent listings by scammers.

Also, since the commission is calculated at the time of the sale, I'm thinking of just removing BINs and switching to NP landers. I can then (case-by-case) switch back to GD-approved nameservers only if someone makes an offer.

I wonder if keeping them unlisted is sufficient to avoid paying the Afternic commission. Seems like once the GD broker sees it's in somebody's afternic account, the afternic fees will kick in. Just speculating

 

[DN_Hunter]

I wouldn't and won't remove (delete) my domains but keep them at least unlisted, to prevent fraudulent listings by scammers.

Totally agree -- every name I own is added to my Afternic portfolio. There are a few names I don't intend to sell at the moment, but I still have them in Afternic (as unlisted).

 

[Synozeer]

I wouldn't and won't remove (delete) my domains but keep them at least unlisted, to prevent fraudulent listings by scammers.

Also, since the commission is calculated at the time of the sale, I'm thinking of just removing BINs and switching to NP landers. I can then (case-by-case) switch back to GD-approved nameservers only if someone makes an offer through GoDaddy.

What I do with names that don't use Afternic nameservers but are listed with them are set the names as Make Offer and put the minimum somewhere near what I might accept for the name. That way you don't get spammed with tire kickers and when you do get an offer you can switch landers and then accept/counter. I generally do this with names that are parked or premium names. I did exactly this with my snitch.com sale from two weeks ago.

 

[FrasierCrane]

What I do with names that don't use Afternic nameservers but are listed with them are set the names as Make Offer and put the minimum somewhere near what I might accept for the name. That way you don't get spammed with tire kickers and when you do get an offer you can switch landers and then accept/counter. I generally do this with names that are parked or premium names. I did exactly this with my snitch.com sale from two weeks ago.

If the flow is as follows:

1) Set non-afternic nameservers
2) Receive offer
3) set afternic nameservers/landers
4) Accept offer

you can confirm that the rate you're charged is the discounted rate, even though the offer came in while using non-afternic nameservers?

 

[Synozeer]

If the flow is as follows:

1) Set non-afternic nameservers
2) Receive offer
3) set afternic nameservers/landers
4) Accept offer

you can confirm that the rate you're charged is the discounted rate, even though the offer came in while using non-afternic nameservers?

Yes, I'd done it a few times with no problems where the offer started on non-Afternic nameservers and I swapped to Afternic's during the negotiations and received the 15% commission rate when the sale completed. I've even had the broker suggest to me that I change my landing page to Afternic before the sale.

 

[Future Sensors]

Yes, I'd done it a few times with no problems where the offer started on non-Afternic nameservers and I swapped to Afternic's during the negotiations and received the 15% commission rate when the sale completed. I've even had the broker suggest to me that I change my landing page to Afternic before the sale.

Exactly. The moment that Afternic receives the payment is decisive for determining which name servers apply at that time.

 

[Dane]

3) Remove listings from Afternic entirely.

Any definitive answer on if we can "un-list" a name vs having to completely "remove" it?

 

[Future Sensors]

Any definitive answer on if we can "un-list" a name vs having to completely "remove" it?

Both is possible. But Unlist will prevent others from listing your domains unless they can prove ownership through verification.

 

[NameGroove]

There has been a lot of debate (rather one-sided debate, frankly) as to whether or not it's wise to "opt-in" to GoDaddy's new Afternic Boost program, where they squeeze an extra 5% of commission out of us in exchange for allowing them to include our domain names in their list of recommended domains to buyers. In this post, I'll break down the available options we have.

1) Keep listings on Afternic, with AN Nameservers, and opt-in to boost. Your commission will be 20% for every sale via godaddy/afternic, whether or not it results from the boost. Even if your buyer landed on your name via type-in, in which case the sale would have happened regardless of who's processing payment, you're committing to paying 20%.

2) Keep listings on Afternic, with AN Nameservers, and opt-OUT of boost. This is where things get tricky. If you opt out of boost, that means your domains will not show up in GoDaddy's list of recommended domains to the buyer. Exact-name search will still show up, in cases where the buyer is looking for your specific domain. Your will pay 15% commission.

Let's analyze this for a second: If GoDaddy removes your domains from the recommended list based on the domain/keyword the user typed in, despite it being a great match, GoDaddy is actually providing their customer with poorer, less relevant results, than if we opt in to Boost. In other words, GoDaddy will only provide THEIR customers with an optimal user experience if WE agree to pay them more money. So if we opt out, results are less relevant for the buyer. This is not beneficial to GoDaddy, and so it seems their action is strictly punitive towards domain sellers, as they are willing to make their own service worse just to punish us for opting out.

In other words, the ONLY way a buyer will find your domain name is if they A) navigate to yoursite.com or B) type yoursite.com into GoDaddy. In either case, it means they're looking for your site specifically, and will likely navigate to your site directly. If you had your own lander, you'd pay zero commission.

3) Remove listings from Afternic entirely. When a user searches GoDaddy for your specific domain, they will likely see one of those "Pay us $119 and we can try to get this domain for you" banners. Since Option 2 above will result in buyers only finding your domain if they type in the exact match directly, it doesn't make sense to pay afternic even 15%. And by the way, when a buyer pays that $119 and you get a call from a GoDaddy broker, *you pay zero commission*. And I find the conversion rate to be very high since the buyer already paid 119, demonstrating they're very serious.

Perhaps @GoDaddy can let me know if I'm factually incorrect about any of these points. Otherwise, it seems like a no-brainer - either remove my listings entirely from Afternic or agree to pay a minimum of 20% commission. After my analysis, I'm inclined to remove them completely.

What about AN listings showing via their FT partners... you want them to show at Sav as "premium partner domain" and see the price. I disagree that someone searching via a partner absolutely must have the name and goes to the website. Sometimes, they just type in their second or third option and look to see if those are avail. So I'd absolutely opt out of boost - it is worthless. But I'd stay at AN for the reg path sales... 15% is fine for me for those. Yes, I get many are exact match. But you pay ~5% anyway even for imported DAN leads or Escrow.com so it's really an extra 10%. I'll pick those up just in case someone doesn't visit and for ease of purchase.

 

[Kyle Tully]

Mostly true

What about AN listings showing via their FT partners... you want them to show at Sav as "premium partner domain" and see the price. I disagree that someone searching via a partner absolutely must have the name and goes to the website. Sometimes, they just type in their second or third option and look to see if those are avail. So I'd absolutely opt out of boost - it is worthless. But I'd stay at AN for the reg path sales... 15% is fine for me for those. Yes, I get many are exact match. But you pay ~5% anyway even for imported DAN leads or Escrow.com so it's really an extra 10%. I'll pick those up just in case someone doesn't visit and for ease of purchase.

Yeah the AN network is 100% worth the 15% commission and I’m happy paying for that distribution as it is well earned.

 

[dncafe]

I'm strongly considering opting out

The main reason I use Afternic is so my domains show up during an exact match search on the 150 other domain registrar sites. I don't know how their recommendations will be all that beneficial to my domains.

I don't like GoDaddy, but it's probably the most well know registrars out there, which is important when selling to end users who don't know much about domains.

 

[davidc1]

Mostly true


Yeah the AN network is 100% worth the 15% commission and I’m happy paying for that distribution as it is well earned.

In fact it's not 15%, it's 25% if you dont use their landers...

so it's 15% IF you decide not to choose your landers and be happy to pay 15% fees for every landers sales.

 

[Kyle Tully]

In fact it's not 15%, it's 25% if you dont use their landers...

so it's 15% IF you decide not to choose your landers and be happy to pay 15% fees for every landers sales.

And for most inventory quality names this still makes sense. The boost in distribution more than offsets the commission paid on direct lander sales.

For higher quality / more expensive names it’s probably better off moving them completely off the platform and waiting for the best use buyer to find you.

 

[dncafe]

I assume you pay they extra %5 regardless of how it was bought, even if someone hand typed the domain in?

The boost/5% isn't just for a recommendation listing referral, its for any and all sales?

 

[Future Sensors]

I assume you pay they extra %5 regardless of how it was bought, even if someone hand typed the domain in?

That's correct.

 

[DomainRecap]

Personally, I think selling on Afternic actually harms sales, as it takes the brokers absolutely forever to do even the most basic functions. And without any way for sellers to directly negotiate with potential buyers, these multi-day gaps in the process are absolute death in 2024, where a potential buyer may be red-hot on buying your domain today, but then a couple of days later, maybe not so hot.

"Strike while the iron's hot" is a well-known saying for a reason.

On Dan, I can get rid of domain hobos in minutes and close deals in hours, while getting an offer on Afternic always gives me a feeling of dread combined with the inevitability of knowing that I'll be watching paint dry for a week or so while the broker slowly works through his script.

The Tortoise and the Hare fable come to life.

Plus, as many have noted, Afternic brokers are not working for your benefit, they are working to make a sale based on whatever amount the customer walks in with.

 

[NameGroove]

Personally, I think selling on Afternic actually harms sales, as it takes the brokers absolutely forever to do even the most basic functions. And without any way for sellers to directly negotiate with potential buyers, these multi-day gaps in the process are absolute death in 2024, where a potential buyer may be red-hot on buying your domain today, but then a couple of days later, maybe not so hot.

"Strike while the iron's hot" is a well-known saying for a reason.

On Dan, I can get rid of domain hobos in minutes and close deals in hours, while getting an offer on Afternic always gives me a feeling of dread combined with the inevitability of knowing that I'll be watching paint dry for a week or so while the broker slowly works through his script.

The Tortoise and the Hare fable come to life.

Plus, as many have noted, Afternic brokers are not working for your benefit, they are working to make a sale based on whatever amount the customer walks in with.

That is why you should have a BIN so you can sell it fast and via reg path. No broker needed.

 

[dncafe]

Personally, I think selling on Afternic actually harms sales, as it takes the brokers absolutely forever to do even the most basic functions. And without any way for sellers to directly negotiate with potential buyers, these multi-day gaps in the process are absolute death in 2024, where a potential buyer may be red-hot on buying your domain today, but then a couple of days later, maybe not so hot.

"Strike while the iron's hot" is a well-known saying for a reason.

On Dan, I can get rid of domain hobos in minutes and close deals in hours, while getting an offer on Afternic always gives me a feeling of dread combined with the inevitability of knowing that I'll be watching paint dry for a week or so while the broker slowly works through his script.

The Tortoise and the Hare fable come to life.

Plus, as many have noted, Afternic brokers are not working for your benefit, they are working to make a sale based on whatever amount the customer walks in with.

I've opted out of Boost, as I believe all my sales through Afternic are direct searches or type-ins

I don't why people would want to use Afternic brokers. All the domains I list on Afternic are Buy Now with no payment option.

For other domains I want to have make offer on, I use my own self hosted landing page and do a private deal. And if payment/transaction trust is an issue you can use a 3rd party like Escrow.com. Doing this while still having it listed on Afternic (not parked) at a high price.

There is still no other service to Afternic that gives you the amount of exposure they do, getting your domain listed on a bunch of different partner registrars

 

[DomainRecap]

That is why you should have a BIN so you can sell it fast and via reg path. No broker needed.

But that's the core problem, if you want to negotiate with potential buyers, there will soon be no GD-affiliated platforms to efficiently do this on, as Afternic is broker-only and therefore a pariah for negotiation-based sales.

I've read online where large domain sellers have demanded GD not close Dan before instituting a way for sellers to negotiate their own sales, and it's been "Silence of the Lambs" on that front. So it appears that GD is ready to close Dan and shift everything to Afternic, while keeping it a "broker-only" system.

Yeah, that's gonna go over well.

What is GD thinking, since as you stated, they stand to lose a LOT of non-BIN domain listings, and these represent the vast majority of the domain marketplace.

 

[dncafe]

But that's the core problem, if you want to negotiate with potential buyers, there will soon be no GD-affiliated platforms to efficiently do this on, as Afternic is broker-only and therefore a pariah for negotiation-based sales.

I've read online where large domain sellers have demanded GD not close Dan before instituting a way for sellers to negotiate their own sales, and it's been "Silence of the Lambs" on that front. So it appears that GD is ready to close Dan and shift everything to Afternic, while keeping it a "broker-only" system.

Yeah, that's gonna go over well.

What is GD thinking, since as you stated, they stand to lose a LOT of non-BIN domain listings, and these represent the vast majority of the domain marketplace.

Why would you want some guy who probably has no real domaining experience just going off a script negotiating your domains for you?