A field guide to where the real buyers are, what they pay for, and how to pick winners—fast.
TL;DR
- The market isn’t one blob; it clusters into six demand buckets: COM_Premium, COM_Brandable, Geo_EMD, AI_Tech, ccTLD, Other gTLD.
- Each bucket has distinct buyers, price bands, liquidity, and risk.
- Use the scorecards and the allocation matrix below to choose where to hunt (or list) based on your stage and objectives.
The Six Buckets (What they are & who buys)
1) COM_Premium
Short, dictionary/super-clean one- or two-word .com with direct brand power.
Typical buyers: funded SaaS, fintech, infra, marketplaces, consumer apps.
Why they buy: trust, enterprise procurement, PR/SEO, fundraising optics.
Deal style: brokered, inbound, or high-visibility BIN/LTO.
2) COM_Brandable
Pronounceable, memorable .com brands (two syllables ideal), sometimes invented.
Typical buyers: seed-to-growth SaaS/DTC, agencies, creators.
Why they buy: distinctiveness + availability at workable price; fast launches.
Deal style: BIN/LTO at Afternic/Dan/GoDaddy, occasional brokered upgrades.
3) Geo_EMD (Exact/Partial-Match + Service)
City/region + service (e.g., TorontoPlumber.com), sometimes geo-verticals.
Typical buyers: local services, franchises, clinics, legal, home services.
Why they buy: intent capture (CTR), conversion trust, direct type-in.
Deal style: direct outreach/BIN; payback math is straightforward.
4) AI_Tech
.ai and tech-heavy keywords (plus some .io spillover).
Typical buyers: AI startups, tools, infra, research labs.
Why they buy: signaling to technical audiences; early-stage identity.
Deal style: marketplace BIN/LTO; later many upgrade to .com.
5) ccTLD
Country codes (.de, .fr, .co.uk, .ca, .us, etc.) with local language/usage.
Typical buyers: SMB-mid market, local startups, national brands’ sub-brands.
Why they buy: local trust, legal/regulatory alignment, SEO.
Deal style: local marketplaces/registrars; strong if the keyword is native.
6) Other gTLD
Everything outside .com/.ai/.io mainstream (e.g., .app, .xyz, .tech).
Typical buyers: niche communities, devs, brand campaigns, web3 pockets.
Why they buy: category fit, novelty, modern vibe, availability.
Deal style: marketplace BIN; pricing must match liquidity realities.
Exhibit A — Bucket Overview (Price Bands, Liquidity, Risk)
| Bucket | Typical Price Band | Liquidity | Risk | Buyer Speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COM_Premium | $25k – $500k+ | ★★★★☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | Enterprise optics, board buy-in. |
| COM_Brandable | $1.5k – $25k | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | Syllables/clarity rule outcomes. |
| Geo_EMD | $2k – $50k (big metros higher) | ★★★★☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★★★ | Direct payback; easy to justify. |
| AI_Tech (.ai) | $2k – $75k+ (spikes on hot terms) | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | Trend-sensitive; upgrade path. |
| ccTLD | $1k – $40k (market-dependent) | ★★★☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | Language/geo match critical. |
| Other gTLD | $500 – $15k (outliers exist) | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | Fit-first; brand campaigns. |
Liquidity = how often well-priced names move. Risk = pricing/holding risk from taste, cycles, or regulation.
Exhibit B — Scorecard (How to rank a specific name fast)
Rate 1–5 (5 = strong) across five traits; sum for a quick go/no-go.
| Trait | What good looks like |
|---|---|
| Clarity | Instantly say/remember/spell; passes radio test. |
| Intent Fit | Buyer’s ICP + use-case snap in (category keyword or clean brand). |
| Upgrade Magnet | Obvious step-up for teams on weaker TLD/longer name. |
| SEO/Type-in | For Geo_EMD/ccTLD/Category: real intent and search volume. |
| Legal Safety | No TM conflicts; generic/descriptive or coined. |
Rule of thumb:
- COM_Premium needs 4–5 in Clarity and Upgrade Magnet.
- Geo_EMD needs 4–5 in Intent Fit and SEO/Type-in.
- Brandable lives or dies on Clarity + say-spell + positive connotation.
Exhibit C — Examples (Illustrative only)
| Bucket | Example Pattern | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| COM_Premium | Nimbus.com, Ledger.com | Short, trust, enterprise-ready. |
| COM_Brandable | Zelto.com, Bravon.com | Clean, pronounceable, flexible. |
| Geo_EMD | AustinRoofing.com | Intent + local conversion power. |
| AI_Tech | Vector.ai, Cortex.ai | Technical signal to devs/investors. |
| ccTLD | Schnell.de, Finanz.fr | Language fit + local authority. |
| Other gTLD | Ship.app, Build.xyz | Category vibes; modern dev appeal. |
How to Allocate Spend (By Buyer Stage & Goal)
Exhibit D — Allocation Matrix (Guidance, not gospel)
| Goal / Stage | COM_Premium | COM_Brandable | Geo_EMD | AI_Tech | ccTLD | Other gTLD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-PMF, validate fast | 10% | 45% | 15% | 15% | 10% | 5% |
| PMF, scale paid/SEO | 35% | 25% | 20% | 5% | 10% | 5% |
| Enterprise motion | 50% | 20% | 10% | 5% | 10% | 5% |
| Local services network | 10% | 15% | 55% | 0% | 15% | 5% |
| Global brand with locales | 35% | 15% | 10% | 5% | 30% | 5% |
Heavier COM_Premium when procurement/PR matters; heavier Geo_EMD/ccTLD when intent/local trust matters.
Playbooks (Do this next)
If you’re upgrading from a weaker TLD
- Shortlist 3–5 COM_Premium/Brandable options.
- Run a payback model (traffic + conversion lift) for each price point.
- Use LTO if cash timing matters; keep an upgrade clause if you choose .ai/.io first.
If you’re local-intent heavy (agencies, services, clinics)
- Prioritize Geo_EMD in the top 10 metros you actually serve.
- Stand up lead-gen landers (call-to-action first).
- Measure CTR & close rate deltas within 30 days.
If you sell into Europe or bilingual markets
- Get the native-language ccTLD (with exact phrasing).
- Mirror brand across .com + ccTLD to capture both enterprise and local trust.
- Avoid translation ambiguities (legal review).
Red Flags (Why deals stall)
- Near-miss spelling or confusing homophones (kills word-of-mouth).
- Trademark proximity (anything that invites a letter).
- Over-clever brandables that won’t pass procurement.
- Price > payback window (no spreadsheet can rescue it).
Micro-Trends to Watch This Year
- One-word .com upgrades from AI startups hitting enterprise.
- Service-intent surges in home improvement and healthcare metros.
- Regulated markets leaning into ccTLDs for compliance optics.
- Campaign-driven .app/.xyz spikes around launches, then normalization.
Quick Checklist (5 minutes before you buy or list)
- Say-spell-remember test (read aloud).
- ICP fit (would your real buyer pick this over what they have?).
- Payback math clears ≤12 months for your price.
- Legal sanity done.
- Exit path (who upgrades to this next?).
Conclusion
Great domains aren’t abstract assets—they’re packaged demand. When you sort opportunities into these six buckets, the fog lifts: you know who buys, why they pay, and what to price. Use the allocation matrix to match your stage, and the scorecard to qualify names in under two minutes.
Call to action:
Send me your stage, ICP, and budget range. I’ll return a two-page bucket allocation plan + a shortlist that scores each candidate on clarity, intent fit, upgrade magnetism, SEO/type-in, and legal safety—so you can move this week, not this quarter.
