The Value of a Domain
Some of the domain names purchased at the beginning of the tech revolution have now become more valuable than the jewels themselves.
Quality domains have become so sought-after that Heritage Auctions, one of the three largest auction houses in the world, now features domain names in their catalogues of fine art and other investments.
Even before this auction house joined the trend of increasing domain recognition, many notable sales of gem and jewelry names were transacted around the globe.
Publicly recorded gem and jewelry domain sales include:
Gems.com $1,500,000
Jade.com $1,250,000
Silver.com $875,000
Jewelry.net $270,000
Platinum.com $250,000
DiamondRings.com $228,420
Jewelers.com $150,000
Emeralds.com $125,000
Jewel.com $74,333
PearlEarrings.com $50,000
Iolite.com $48,458
Jewellers.com $30,000
DiamondDistrict.com $25,000
CloseOutJewelry.com $19,000
IndianJewelry.com $16,005
UniqueRings.com $14,000
These premium domains required an investment, but their values were established with profitability in mind. A prestigious online identity can generate high-value leads and sales that quickly deliver a return on the investment.
The aquisition of DiamondRing.com was $228,420-. How might this break down as an investment?
For example, the average diamond ring (non-engagement) from online retailer BlueNile can typically runs $1,997. This translates as 115 rings for the domain name DiamondRings.com. The domain then continues to be owned in perpetuity.
Based on the price of an average diamond and gold ring from Tiffany & Co., a jewelery company's investment would only involve the equivalent of 47 rings to recoup the acquisition cost of DiamondRings.com.
In fact, in 2015 the average engagement ring in the US costs $4,758- according to WeddingWire's findings in its recent Newlywed Report. This price point is very close to Tiffany & Co.'s non-engagement rings, equaling 48 rings for a premiere domain.
And the profits from just ten higher-end ring sales could earn back the cost of investment.
Quality Domain Names
Over the last two decades, nearly all of the most common words and phrases have been reserved, leaving many businesses to make up nonsensical words for their URLS.
As a result, many familiar domains have exponentially increased in value. But why?
Instant Name Recognition
In a strategic move by a Canadian mining company, CDN Jade Mine Resources Inc. acquired domain name JADE.COM for $1,250,000 in 2016. This acquisition reconfirms the strong market value for "exact match" domains in the gem and jewelry sector.
Mr. Shao Long Li, Director and Chief Executive Officer of CDN Jade Mine Resources explains, “We are extremely pleased to announce our plans to acquire JADE.COM; this could significantly expand our customer reach by developing a strong platform for the global trade of jade.”
Advertising
One of the primary goals of advertising is to form a cognitive connection between your company's name and the product it sells.
Some businesses spend millions of dollars on advertising, all in an effort to create a correlation between their name and a specific product.
Full-page advertising in gem and jewelry magazines can easily cost more than $100,000 for a single year.
Owning a quality domain name can earn credibility that would otherwise take years of expensive advertising and marketing to accomplish. And because of the high value of the potential purchases, attracting just one new customer with a recognizable domain name can be incredibly lucrative.
Search Engine Optimization
Jewelry customers find online suppliers in one of two ways: through search engines, or by their domain names. Without an easy-to-remember domain name, your website is vulnerable to being lost in the crowded field of search results.
The benefits of having a distinct web address for customers who visit a site from memory is obvious. But your brand’s status within search results is affected by your domain name, too.
If a customer is searching for “rubies from Burma,” the search engine algorithm will determine that this visitor is more likely to be interested in a website named BurmaRubies.com than one named XYZCompany.com, prioiritizing your listing in the search results.
A company that already has a website with a domain name need not to worry. You can directly link multiple domain names to an existing site. If your web address is XYZCompany.com, you can still own BurmeseRubies.com and have it directly forward visitors to an existing home page.
Competitive Edge through Exclusive Ownership
When selecting a name, businesses rarely mimic the name of a generic product, like “Pink Sapphires,” as protecting the name from a legal perspective is difficult or impossible.
But on the Internet, product names can be owned exclusively in the form of domain names like PinkSapphires.com.
Those domains can then link directly to your existing website. And once you’ve acquired a domain name, you own it exclusively. This exclusivity prevents your competitors from purchasing the domain and stealing future customers away from you.