Domain Names have amazing functional uses for their owners. Companies, websites, start-ups, brands, and non-profits, they all use it for both first impression when announcing their online presence as well as virtual address to be used for contacting them.

At the same time, a lot of domain names that are not currently live and therefore used have an undetermined value and unclear demand.

This is the field on which Domain Investors operate. They profit from buying valuable but illiquid domains with uncertain exit times and prices from real users at a discount to their true value and profit when other investors or end-users buy these domain names.

On the Domain Marketplaces you can see the domain names available for purchase by website owners, investors, companies, and start-ups. And these domain names are also available for investment.

And they can be a great investment asset  because of how quickly they can increase the value of your business. When search engines make major changes, domain names are more likely to retain their rankings and higher visibility on the web, and brands are most likely to keep their reputation.

So even if your current business isn’t doing so well now, investing in a domain name could help you build your future success. But there are numerous other reasons to invest in domain names, and we’ll list them all here.

Of course, the monetary part of all domain investing strategies is the most common reason to start. With domain values increasing each year and businesses increasing their ROI, it’s certainly one of the best investments you can get into.

If you’re looking for a complete guide to start investing in domain names, you’re in the right place. We’ll go through the reasons why you should invest, the costs, how long your domain will last, and much more.

In a Nutshell – Top Reasons to Invest in Domain Names

Domain names are a great investment and can be very profitable. Of course, they’ve become very successful over the years, and these are the top reasons to invest in domains today:

• – Increased ROI
• – Minimal Holding Costs
• – Domains are Tax-free

Obviously, there are many more but these are the most common and significant ones. Read until the end to know all the details.

What is a Domain Name?

Domain names are the addresses of websites, assigned by ICANN through accredited domain name registrars. A domain is essentially a random IP address made up of a numeric value used to access a website. Since that series of random numbers wouldn’t make the internet pleasant, it is replaced by a domain name.

For instance, the IP address 8.8.8.8 is replaced by Google.com and makes it much easier for the website to be found online and hold its reputation.

Domain names can be purchased through Domain Registrars and can cost as low as a few dollars per year and as much as several million dollars in special instances.

Domains ending in .com, .net, .media, or .info, to only name a few, are technically called gTLDs. On the other hand, domain names ending in .us, .ca, .fr, .it, or .co.uk, are ccTLDs.

What is a Blockchain Domain?

Blockchain domains are the latest addition to the internet world and represent a fantastic investment. Also called NFT domains or crypto domains, they have endless benefits that we’ll elaborate here below.

To start with, unlike standard domains, domains purchased on Cloudname are not centralized and, once you own them, they’re yours for life. Also, when buying regular gTLD and ccTLD domains, you’ll have to pay them in full. But crypto domains can be to be fractionated, which means that hundreds of tokens can be created for multiple users to purchase a part of it.

Apart from that, using Cloudname, you’ll have the option to forecast future trends and that’s an incredibly important feature when it comes to investing.

NFT domains have different extensions and include:

• – .x
• – .dao
• – .nft
• – .888
• – .wallet
• – .crypto

And if you’re a serious investor, you can buy a domain and rent it to other users instead of of reselling it. Lastly, they can be paid using a credit card or with your crypto wallet and that is undoubtedly a great advantage.

What is Domain Investment?

Domain investment is a process of investing in internet domains for the purpose of earning a profit. Domain investors purchase high-quality domains and park them until they have gained value and can be resold for a lot more than their initial price.

Investors develop traffic-generating methods to increase the value of the domain and, ultimately, the solely reason to purchase one is to resell it for a profit.

Can a Domain be Permanently Yours?

The short answer is yes, you can own a domain permanently. However, this only applies to blockchain domain names. When it comes to general domain names, it isn’t possible to own one for life and the closest possibility is to rent one for an indefinite period of time.

How Much Does a Domain Cost?

A gTLD domain ending in .com, .info, .media, and the most common ones available to the public can cost between $10 and $100 but can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars in some cases.

In addition, country-code domains, ccTLDs ending in .us, .ca, and else, generally cost from $5 to $70 for the first year. It’s worth noting that the renewal fees increase that amount after the first year.

10 Reasons Why You Should Invest in a Domain Name

The internet has changed the world in many ways and it has created entirely new industries for those who are into investing, and domain names are a great way to start. Here are the top 10 reasons why you should invest in domain names today.

Increased ROI

Investing in a domain can be the smartest move you’ll make for your company. You can create a website for your brand and do so by adding content to it and gain online presence.

But how does it increase the ROI?

With a custom domain, you can start generating more traffic from searches which will allow you get more leads. Not to mention, it’ll make your business appear more credible online.

Minimal Holding Costs

Holding a domain only costs a few dollars per year and often remains under $100, which is very affordable. It’s cheap, easy and it will help your business to be found more easily on the internet.

For instance, if you initially paid a domain $100 and kept it for 2 years holding it for $100 yearly, you could potentially resell it for thousands of dollars while having invested only $300 in holding costs.

Lastly, if you are to invest in NFT domains, you’ll be able to rent it to other users before reselling it one day, which makes it even more profitable.

Brand Reputation and Awareness

There are a few key things to keep in mind when it comes to increasing your brand’s reputation, and investing in a domain is simply one of the best answers. Naturally, you’ll have to ensure that all of your content is high quality and informative.

This means that you should focus on creating valuable content that your audience will find interesting and useful.

According to a report by Forbes, 90% of customers read reviews before trusting a business and having reviews or testimonials on your website is a great way to gain awareness.

Also, 91% of consumers use Google or other search engines to find information online and that is your best chance to increase your reputation.

Limited Supply

Domain names are worth investing in because the demand is high but there is a limited supply. Every day, more and more businesses are looking to get online and that means there is an increasing demand for domain names.

By doing so, you’ll be able to secure a domain that’s perfect for other businesses and resell it for a profit. Apart from that, since NFT domains are fractionated, you can buy parts of an expensive domain name and resell those parts once they’re sold out. Of course, the demand will increase over time as well as your profit.

Domain Names are Unique

Domain names are unique and, once they’re gone, they aren’t available until the owner decides to resell them or until they’re seized. Most businesses these days have an online presence, and the first step in setting up that online presence is registering a domain name.

And this should be one of the reasons to invest in a domain name since some businesses might be interested in purchasing it from you one day.

Of course, adding value to the website with quality content and high ranking will highly impact its value and you’ll get a higher profit.

Needless to say, this also applies to blockchain domains purchased on Cloudname.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

A proper SEO strategy will help your business rank higher in search results, thus increasing the number of potential customers that can find your establishment. This means more sales and more profits for you.

SEO is also an important part of online branding as it will help you improve your website’s visibility and create a powerful online presence for your business. It goes without saying that it can help you attract more customers and increase your market share.

SEO is an essential part of domain name investing as it’s the foundation of online presence and companies are willing to pay lots of money for it, which get you your profit.

It’s worth mentioning that NFT domains are currently not indexed by Google, which means they don’t appear in search results. However, they will eventually be in the future and, therefore, it’s the right moment to invest on Cloudname.

Domains are Less Risky than Physical Assets

Domain names are easy to trade and investing in them is not as risky as buying real estate properties or even gold. In fact, unlike physical assets like gold or silver, you don’t need to find a buyer who is interested in the same thing that you are.

Instead, all you have to do is find someone who wants the domain name that you own and is willing to pay your asking price.

Second, domain names are a global investment. Unlike physical assets, which are only useful in specific locations, domain names can be used anywhere in the world. This makes them a great option for investors who want to make money online.

Furthermore, domain names are a much less risky investment than physical assets because the value of a domain name usually only goes up, whereas the value of physical assets can go down. So, if you are looking for a safe investment, domain names are a great option.

The Demand Will Always Increase

Domain names are in high demand and the number of domain extensions will continue to grow. As more people and businesses invest in domain names, the value of these assets will only continue to increase.

Eventually, the increasing interest will make domains easier to sell. As a matter of fact, nowadays, many domain investors use domain names as a way to quickly generate income.

Domains are versatile and can be used for a variety of purposes, such as a website, a blog, or a marketing tool. And other than digital marketing agencies, everyone can invest and buy several domain names to make a living.

You Can Make Passive Income

A domain name is an essential part of any entrepreneur’s business plan and, especially when creating a website, is a fantastic tool to start earning money passively.

There are many reasons to invest in domain names, as you could see above, but making a passive income with your domain name before eventually reselling it is one of the most interesting.

Of course, domains that already generate an income are much more valuable to the business that will buy it from you. It will therefore dramatically increase your earnings.

You Can Resell to Many Buyers

When it comes to promoting your domain, you’ll spend a lot of time and effort to increase its value before putting it for sale. Once you’ve increased its value and it ranks high on search engines, buyers will be able to see its potential and buy it from you.

Since it’s a digital asset that already make money online, you’ll get to reach endless different buyers.

In Conclusion – Is Buying a Domain a Good Investment?

In conclusion, yes, buying and selling domains is a great investment. Domain names are a valuable asset to an online business and has been called one of the best ways for entrepreneurs and small businesses owners to make money.

It is less risky than other methods like stocks or real estate and they provide an easy way to build a brand and create a web presence for any business.

Also, another reason to invest in domain names is that they can be used to generate income through online advertising and parking. By registering popular domain names and parking them with a third-party service, you can earn a passive income stream.

The internet has been around for a while now. Since its conception in 1981, the internet has gone a long way. Nowadays, we have complex websites with tons of unique features that we would have never imagined back in the day.

And one of the newest innovations for people looking to register websites is emoji domains. Yes, you read that right, emoji domains.

These are domain names that feature emojis. For example, Budweiser owns the “🍺🍺🍺” domain name which is a completely new take on how to create memorable websites that all your visitors can easily remember and type out.

With that said, emoji domains offer a pretty mixed bag of opportunities. As much potential as they have, there are also some drawbacks to using an emoji domain name for your website.

So, to help you out, we’ve created a comprehensive guide to emoji domains. This guide is designed for beginners, providing clear and concise information to enable you to confidently take a step into the world of emoji domains..

Keep reading to learn more.

What Is An Emoji Domain?

As the name suggests, an emoji domain is a website name with an emoji in it. That way, users can simply use their phone keyboards and type a couple of symbols, which could be easier to remember than remembering the name of the business or website.

The first emoji domains were created in 2001, and were “☮️.com” and “♨️.com”. However, many people also point to “💩.la” as being the actual first emoji domain, which was created in April of 2011. Additionally, Coca-Cola also experimented with an emoji domain marketing campaign in Puerto Rico back in 2015.

As of 2018, there was an estimated 25,000 registered emoji domains, which means that the possibilities are endless and it may be useful to hop on the emoji domain trend before it really reaches its full potential.

If you’re interested in investing and renting out a valuable emoji domain name, you can approach us at CloudName, where we offer a way for people to rent out valuable domain names without selling them.

That way, users on a budget can find quality taken domain names without busting the bank, and you get a form of passive income while still claiming ownership of the domain name. 

Why Do I Need An Emoji Domain?

So, now that you know what it is, you may be wondering what the big deal is and what you would do with an emoji domain in the first place. Well, one thing you may want to know is that an emoji domain could be your ticket to secure the future of your website.

Here are some important reasons why you may want to consider using an emoji domain name for your website;

They Are a New Language

Firstly, emoji domains are a new language. While emojis themselves have been around for a while, they only started to reach their full potential in recent years. Nowadays, almost all messages sent have emojis.

This is because emojis are different from words. Instead, they are images that communicate direct emotions between the sender and the receiver. There are many different ways to use emojis. You can use them to suggest something humorous, use emojis that accurately reflect your business or service, or even communicate full sentences only with emojis.

Currently, emojis are used all across different platforms. From private messaging to social media, to online forums and message boards, you’re bound to find some sort of emoji-related content everywhere you go on the internet.

There Are Tons of Emojis

Another reason you may want to use emoji domains is the endless possibilities they offer. Currently, there are over 2,666 different emojis. This gives you a seemingly endless stream of possibilities, but it is important to remember to ensure the domain is memorable and easy to write.

If you find the right balance between a unique emoji domain name and something that’s easy to type and remember, then you’ve hit the jackpot. When used properly, emoji domains can result in a much bigger wave of users visiting your website on a regular basis.

They Speak To a New Generation

One benefit of emoji domains is that they speak to the younger generation. If you’re hosting a website designed for younger people to explore, then an emoji domain is a great way to share your brand or message.

Unlike older generations, today’s generation grew up with emojis. They feel more natural and are easier to use for kids, which is why they are a great way to create a unique website for the future. On top of that, as time has passed, there are also a fair amount of young adults who use emojis all the time.

If you feel like your website isn’t connecting with the younger demographic, you can experiment with an emoji domain so you can start speaking their language.

How To Register An Emoji Domain

If you’ve decided that an emoji domain is the right option for you, you may be wondering how to register one for yourself. Fortunately, this process is fairly easy and we explore some of the options below.

However, do keep in mind that ICANN opposed emoji domains and this has limited the number of TLDs that can be used with emoji domains.

So, here are a couple of ways you can register your own emoji domain name.

Find TLDs That Support Emoji Domains

To start, you need to find TLDs that support emoji domains. As mentioned earlier, ICANN effectively banned certain TLDs from using emoji domain names. However, there are still top-level domains that offer emoji domain registration.

These include .ws, .st, and .fm. This does mean you have a limited choice. However, there is a workaround to this, which we will get to in the next section.

Use Punycode

Most domains only support ASCII characters for websites (the Latin alphabet excluding numbers and symbols). If you’re American, this isn’t a big deal, since you don’t need to use special characters anyway. However, for European and Asian languages, these extra symbols are essential. That’s why Punycode was created.

Emojis are Unicode characters. These are different from ASCII characters, but with Punycode, you can convert the Unicode character to ASCII characters. So, if you aren’t satisfied with the TLDs available for your preferred emoji domain, you can use this method.

So, to do this, you have to go to the Punycode website. From there, you can type in the preferred emoji domain, such as www.🙃.to into the converter, and you will receive an ASCII equivalent. In the case of our example, the ASCII equivalent is www.xn--b48h.to.

The benefit of using Punycode is that you can convert multiple emojis and create your own unique combinations that will stick in customers’ minds. On top of that, you can even combine ASCII characters with emoji characters to create a truly memorable website domain name.

And once you find the combination and ASCII equivalent that works for you, you can proceed to the next step.

Use A Domain Lookup Tool

After generating an alternate ASCII domain name, you can enter it into a domain lookup tool. That way, you can find if it is available or if someone owns it already. If someone already owns the domain name, you can approach them to buy or rent it out from there for a regular fee.

If your domain isn’t available, you can also try out different alternatives that still work for the design and concept of your website. It may take some trial and error to find a domain name that works for you or your business..

But once you find one, all that’s left to do is register it.

Register the Domain

Once you’ve chosen the right domain, you can register it online. There are many domain registration tools available online that will register the domain for you and you will simply need to follow their instructions and pay any relevant fees..

Are There Downsides To Emoji Domains?

So, since emoji domains may just be the next big thing for domain names, why shouldn’t you get one for your website or as an investment? Well, that’s because there are more than a few drawbacks to emoji domains, which is why they also suffer from a fair amount of criticism.

In this guide, we’re committed to providing you with the full picture of emoji domains, and not just the advantages. With that in mind, here are some of the downsides to using emoji domain names for your website or business.

A Limited Selection

While on one side emoji domains are creative and unique, the fact that ICANN spoke out against them means that there is a limited selection of TLDs that offer emoji domain registration.

This means that there are only so many combinations that you can select, and if you’re only reading about emoji domains now, chances are that many of the best options are already taken.

Limited Computer Access

Another downside to using emoji domains is that they are optimized for mobile users. Furthermore, today’s smartphone users would rather use dedicated apps as opposed to a browser to access a particular website or service. Think about it: would you rather go on Facebook using your mobile browser or use the app?

On the flip side, if you’re on your computer, using a multi-purpose web browser could just be the more practical option. And since most computer keyboards don’t have emoji options, they’ll likely have to type in the Punycode, which can be hard to remember. This can completely defeat the purpose of emoji domains in the first place.

Hard To Register

Aside from the limited TLD options for emoji domains, they can also be pretty hard to register. Since you need to generate a Punycode, you have to go to a separate website, get the code, use a domain lookup tool, then if the name isn’t available, you have to generate a new Punycode.

On top of that, the limited TLD options may make it hard to register the site. For example, finding a website to register a .ws or.st TLD can be hard. With that said, emoji domains are still a great way to stand out and you could be future-proofing your website.

So, while it takes some effort to register, if you find the sweet spot with emoji domains, it could be a great idea. And if not now, they may become more prominent in the future.

Conclusion

If you’re building a website, you may want to consider using an emoji domain. Currently, they aren’t as popular as other types of website names or domain extensions. However, they are a very unique way to stand out amongst the pack.

And if you’re trying to target a younger audience who grew up communicating with emojis, you can speak directly to a new generation through the emojis.

With that said, there are some disadvantages to using emoji domains. They are fairly limited and the process is a bit more complicated than for other domain names. However, for the right businesses and brands, they could be a great idea.

So, are emoji domains the right choice for you?

Well, the decision is all up to you, but at least you have a general idea of what they are so you can make an intelligent and informed decision for your website.

If you want to buy an emoji domain for your business, it’s worth mentioning that one of the Cloudname features is “Live Pricing”, which allows you to monitor the price of a domain and buy it at the best possible time.

If you’re looking for an investment, on the other hand, you can use the “Trend Spotting” feature to help you buy an emoji domain right before the demand rises.