|
We've just done that and indeed
the number of domain sales reported to us took a very healthy
jump compared to the preceding quarter (4Q-2011). 4,306
transactions were reported to us in 1Q-2012, a healthy 15%
more that the 3,754 we logged in the closing quarter
of 2012.
On the downside, the recession's
effect on prices paid has not fully abated as the total dollar
volume of sales reported fell 5.5% quarter over quarter. $22.4
million in sales across all extensions was reported in the
most recent quarter after $23.7 million had been logged
in 4Q-2011. The 1Q-2012 was also down by about the same amount
vs. the same quarter a year ago when $23.5 million
in sales was reported.
|
Hundreds
image from Bigstock
|
|
When we
look at total $ volumes we always like to check to see if any
unusually large sales accounted for the difference between one
quarter and another. They often do, and they did again in this
instance - though the impact was not extreme this time. In
1Q-2012 the five biggest sales reported (led by PersonalLoans.com
at $1 million) totaled $1.77 million. Even
though the largest sale in 4Q-2011 was $700,000 (for VU.com),
the top five in that quarter totaled $2.67 million,
$900,000 more than in the latest quarter, accounting for two
thirds of the $1.3 million lead 4Q-2011 had over
1Q-2012.
The top five sales in the same
quarter a year ago (led by another $1 million dollar sale
in Dudu.com) totaled $2.18 million, $400,000 more
than 1Q-2012, accounting for a little over a third of the
advantage 1Q-2011 held over 1Q-2012.
|
Domains
image from Bigstock |
Since dollar
volumes are easily skewed by outlier sales we also like
to keep track of median sales prices (the point
at which half of all reported sales were higher and half
were lower). Across all extensions, the median price
reported to us in 1Q-2012 was exactly the same as
in 1Q-2011 - $2,588 - and it was up 8%
from the $2,379 median in 4Q-2011.
Keep in mind that we do
not track sales below four figures - to be specific we
track .coms of $2,000 and up and all other extensions
from $1,000 or more. As a result our median figures are
higher than you will see in reports issued by major
individual sales venues like Sedo and the AfternicDLS
that include their entire universe of sales.
The median numbers,
along with the total dollar volume figures indicates
that prices for the vast majority of domains that change
hands have remained fairly stable over the past
year. What we would all like to see now are rising
prices to go along with the rising number of
transactions. According to a new
report from Sedo that is |
| already
happening. Sedo said the IDNX
domain price index hit record highs for
both prices and number of transactions recorded in March
- obviously a very positive sign for the market. |
To dig a little deeper we break
out numbers for the categories we track in our popular weekly
domain sales reports - .coms, ccTLDs
and non com gTLDs. Looking at .coms only - the
total dollar volume reported in 1Q-2012 was $15.2 million,
down a little under 7% from the same quarter a year ago ($16.3
million) and off 13% from the $17.5 million
reported in the preceding quarter (4Q-2011). However, the more
telling median sales price figure for .coms in 1Q-2012 was exactly
the same as 1Q-2011 - $3,000 - and down just 6%
from the $3,188 posted in 4Q-2011.
| The ccTLDs
were the only category whose total dollar volume
figures in 1Q-2012 beat both the preceding quarter and
the same quarter a year ago. $4.6 million in
country code sales were reported to us in 1Q-2012 - a 15%
jump from the $4 million reported in 4Q-2011
and a 7% gain over 1Q-2011. On the other hand
median ccTLD prices were off a hair at $1,979.
That was just 1% lower than then $2,000
number in 4Q-2011 and a little over 2% less than
the $2,025 we saw a year ago in 1Q-2011.
As has been the case
for many years now, the non .com gTLDs had the
lowest sales volume in terms of total dollars reported.
The numbers for that group were a mixed bag. The $2.6
million in total sales reported in 1Q-2012 was down
10% from the $2.9 million reported in the
same quarter a year ago, however that $2.6 million
in the latest quarter represented an 18% jump
from the $2.2 million reported in the last
quarter (4Q-2011). The median |
Flags
Globe image from Bigstock |
| numbers
for the non .com gTLDs have remained stable over
the past year. The 1Q-2012 median price of $1,769
was 1% better than the $1,750 logged
in 1Q-2011 and 1% worse than the $1,788 we
saw in $1,788 - a negligible difference on both
counts. |
With the first lap of the 2012
sales race now complete we are looking forward to seeing how the
rest of the year unfolds. We have all seen the reports in the
mainstream business press indicating that things in the general
economy may be getting better but it is still too early to pop
the champagne as things could go either way. One thing we do
know for certain though - the Internet is here to stay
and domain names - regardless of quarterly price fluctuations -
will continue to provide the foundation that every enterprise
on the web is built on. That leaves owners of high quality
domains in an enviable position indeed.
|
