Monte Cahn Shares His Domaining Experience at Domainfest 2015

He’s helped sell $350 million worth of domain names in 12 years. 💰

On the final day of DomainFest Asia 2015, I interviewed Monte Cahn, president and director of Right of the Dot, about 20 years in the domain business. 🎙️

📊 In this episode, we unpacked:

• 💰 20 years and $350M in sales
• ⏳ New TLDs are a long-term play
• 📚 How newbies should start
• 💎 What makes a name valuable
• ⚖️ Three-letter names and trademarks

🎥 Watch the full episode:

💰 20 Years and $350M in Sales

Monte started in domains in 1995. Right of the Dot is an internet consulting firm specializing in high-end domains: helping new registries and registrars choose premium names, and running auctions and brokerage. 💰

He owns three or four thousand names himself, but has helped sell about $350 million in domain names in the last 12 years. He’s also invested in new TLDs like .club, .global and .poker. For a fellow DomainFest veteran, read Jothan Frakes’s interview. 🔗

⏳ New TLDs Are a Long-Term Play

New TLDs don’t have as much resale value today as they will in five to ten years. It’s a long play, like .com in the ’90s. Most people don’t even know what .com stands for, and words to the right of the dot mean more to the next generation. ⏳

Chinese buyers mostly buy .com and .cn. China is about ten years behind the West in domain investing. He was very bullish on India: a billion people and only a fraction with domains. For a domain broker’s view, read Sedo’s Brian Michitti. 🔗

📚 How Newbies Should Start

Attend conferences: NamesCon in January was set to be the biggest domain gathering in the world. Read blogs like TheDomains.com (written by his partner), DNJournal and Domain Name Wire, and join the forums. 📚

To sell: use a broker for high-value names, and a listing service like Afternic, GoDaddy or Sedo for medium-value ones. They handle transfers. Trade on forums only with people you trust. 🤝

💎 What Makes a Name Valuable

Meaning, brandability, keyword value, searchability, demand from a company or end user, and comparable sales. Keep it to one or two words. Hong Kong hotels beats hotels in Hong Kong. Use new TLDs to get an exact match, with a keyword on each side of the dot. 💎

For expired names, SnapNames and NameJet are the best places. A name registered before likely has value because someone saw value in it: “There are plenty of diamonds in the pile.” For expired domain tactics, read my guide to expired domains. 🔗

⚖️ Three-Letter Names and Trademarks

A friend joined to ask about three-letter domains. They’re rarer than four- or five-letter names, valuable if they stand for something, and in China, consonant-only combos are prized. ⚖️

If a company trademarked the same letters, don’t use its trademarked content. If you park it, make sure your parking provider excludes ads from that trademark holder. Research acronyms in the USPTO database and on Google. DomainFest Asia drew about 160 attendees from 25 countries, bringing East and West together. 🌏

📝 Key Takeaways From the Monte Cahn Interview

• ⏳ Treat new TLDs as a 5–10 year play
• 📚 Learn through conferences, blogs and forums
• 🤝 Use brokers for high-value names
• 💎 Short, meaningful names hold value
• ⚖️ Avoid trademark conflicts, even when parking

❓ FAQs About Monte Cahn

Who is Monte Cahn?

President and director of Right of the Dot, in the domain business since 1995, who has helped sell about $350 million in domain names.

Are new TLDs a good investment?

Monte sees them as a long-term play that should gain value over five to ten years.

Where can you buy expired domains?

Monte recommends SnapNames and NameJet.

🎙️ More Inside A Hustler’s Brain Interviews You’ll Love

• Interview with Team Sedo.com Frank Tillmanns & Sophie Pieck
• Kalin Karakehayov Interview On Buying Expired SEO Domains
• Interview with Anshul Goyal Owner of Big .Biz Domains at Domainfest 2015
• Zak Muscovitch Canadian Intellectual Property Lawyer Interview at DomainX

Are you holding any new TLDs for the long term? Tell me in the comments. 💬

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