Panel Details:

Moderator: Chris Sivertsen (Oversee.net)
Speakers:
Anthos Chrysanthou (Lease Domains, Inc.)
Lance Wolak (.ORG, The Public Interest Registry)
Ron Jackson (DNJournal)
Monte Cahn (Moniker.com/SnapNames.com)
Kathy Nielson (Sedo)

This panel digs right into looking at the big financial numbers behind the domain industry. While the total sales and the median domain price stayed relatively the same it turns out in 2008 there were many more domain sales in the mid tier category whereas in 2007 there were a large number of million dollar plus sales that significantly drove up the median price.

One interesting question brought to the panel is how the loss of PPC revenue will bring portfolio owners to pay a lot more attention to which domain names they need to keep and which ones they can let go. As this trend continues the expired domain market will see many more quality domain names hitting the drop.

Another trend noted is that even though these domains hitting the expired market are of a higher quality then what’s been seen in the past the prices their bringing in is still falling. Even 3 and 4 letter domains are taking a hit as traffic and business models change and the market evolves as a whole.

Great quote from Ron Jackson, “I’ve never marketed a domain in my life.” This, from the guy who runs DNJournal? Following up he adds that all his parking pages state that this domain may be for sale and that virtually all the domains he’s sold came through a business owner doing direct navigation while searching for a domain for his business.

Another great quote from Anthos Chrysanthou, “if you were drinking when you bought the domain then let it expire.” This was in reference to deciding which domains to keep in your portfolio and which to let go.