Top Domain Names of 2006

Read/Write Web has recently published a very interesting article, on the top domain names of 2006. It was interesting to see who made it into the list, and the incredible amounts they sold for. In actual selling value, in first place came Cameras.com, fetching $1.5million! Second place, came Blue.com, Bike.com & Wrestling.com, with just a third of that $1.5million, each of these domains still cashed in for a whopping $500,000!

But this makes me wonder… What makes a domain name worth its chips? Is it something easy to remember, that sticks in people's minds? Is it a single word, which people may randomly type in, in the hope of finding something relevant to the word? Is it something short, or is it something with a meaning?

In the test, the Domain Name Values Weekly site quizzed thirty experts, on the subject of the buying and selling domain names, and asked them to find out the Top 20 Domain Transactions of 2006. According to Read/Write Web, the main criteria "wasn't most money paid, but best long-term value (4+ years)". So here are the results.

1. Red.org (8) - $50,000 [Product Red's Domain Name]

2. Football.us (4) - $18,510

3. Brown.com (5) - $300,000

4. NewYork.info (2) - $46,392

5. XS.net (2) - $13,000

6. Fun.mobi (0) - $100,000

7. CD.com (0) - $277,750

8. Blue.com (1) - $500,000

9. Stockquotes.mobi (0) - $27,000

10. Sex.net (0) - $454,500

11. Wifi.com (2) - $225,000

12. Cameras.com (1) - $1,500,000

13. SexEducation.com (1) - $120,000

14. Prize.com (0) - $70,000

15. Wrestling.com (1) - $500,000

16. CD.net (0) - $20,000

17. Flowers.mobi (2) - $200,000

18. 20.com (0) - $75,000

19. Scouts.com (1) - $107,000

20. Bike.com (0) - $500,000

If you're wondering what the numbers in the brackets represent, it's the number of first place votes that the panel of experts gave each individual domain name. Of course, some of the commenters at R/WW have pointed out that the list isn't actually correct. Apparently, Vodka.com sold for a humongous $3 million along with Wiki.com, who also sold for $3 million. Wii.com also has great potential. I heard that sold for something like $200k - $500k.

It just shows, that even after the .com bubble burst, there's still room for snazzy names in Web 2.0. That said, most Web 2.0 websites pick a simple word 'Tech' for example, and add on a few random letters, 'zi'. Which is exactly what I did, and Techzi was born. The bubble may have burst, but domains aren't going to stop trading hands any time soon.