Pricing your domains can feel like a guessing game — too high, and you scare off buyers; too low, and you leave money on the table.

The truth is, how you price your domains can be just as important as what you own.

That’s where two key strategies come in:

• Buy It Now (BIN) pricing
• Make Offer (MO) pricing

Both have their place in a smart domain portfolio.
But understanding when and how to use each can dramatically improve your sales velocity and ROI.

Let’s break it down step-by-step.

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1. Understanding the Two Models

Before you decide which pricing model fits your domains, let’s define them clearly.

✅ Buy It Now (BIN)

A BIN price is a fixed amount the buyer can pay immediately to purchase the domain — no negotiation, no back-and-forth.

Example:

SolarAI.com — $4,999 (Buy It Now)

It’s instant and frictionless — perfect for impulse buyers or corporate decision-makers who want speed.

Pros:

• Fast, no-hassle sales
• Listed on marketplaces like Afternic and DAN with instant checkout
• Attracts serious buyers ready to act
• Ideal for scalable, hands-off investing

Cons:

• You might underprice a domain that could have sold for more
• No room to negotiate upward

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💬 Make Offer (MO)

The Make Offer model invites buyers to submit their best bid, opening a negotiation process.

Example:

MetaEnergy.com — Make Offer

This works best for domains with uncertain market value or premium brand potential where you want to test buyer intent.

Pros:

• Flexibility to gauge interest and negotiate higher prices
• Useful for premium, one-of-a-kind names
• Reveals real buyer demand and price elasticity

Cons:

• Slower sales process
• Some buyers may move on if they prefer instant checkout
• You need negotiation skills (or a broker) to close effectively

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2. The Psychology Behind BIN vs. Make Offer

At its core, pricing strategy is about buyer psychology.

BIN pricing attracts impulsive buyers who value convenience — startup founders, small business owners, or marketing agencies with limited time.

They don’t want to negotiate; they want results.

Make Offer attracts strategic buyers — investors, corporates, or those with flexible budgets. They see negotiation as part of the process.

👉 Rule of thumb:
If your domain is a clear, brandable, easy-sell asset — use BIN.
If it’s rare, open-ended, or hard to value — use Make Offer.

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3. When to Use BIN Pricing

BIN works best when:

• You have brandable domains under $10,000
• You want to scale with volume sales
• You use networks like Afternic Fast Transfer, SedoMLS, or Dan.com
• You want automated, passive income

🔧 Pro Tip:

Use psychological pricing — e.g., $2,995 instead of $3,000.
It makes the number feel more approachable and increases conversions by up to 10–15%.

Also, set BIN prices that fit marketplace tiers (e.g., $1,999 / $4,999 / $9,999).
These price points align with buyer budgets and filters.

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4. When to Use Make Offer Pricing

Make Offer works best when:

• You’re holding premium, one-word .coms
• You’re unsure of current market value
• You want to test buyer sentiment
• The domain is unique, high-demand, or culturally relevant

Example:

If you own Pulse.io or CarbonTech.com, you’d want buyers to reveal their budget first.

Once an offer comes in, you can counter with a higher anchor price — say, 3× their initial offer — and negotiate down strategically.

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5. The Hybrid Strategy — The Smartest of Both Worlds

Some of the most successful investors use a hybrid approach:

Combine BIN + Make Offer intelligently across your portfolio.

Here’s how:

• Set BIN prices for your mid-tier, liquid domains
• Set Make Offer for your top 10–20% premium assets
• Use floor prices and minimum offers to prequalify buyers

Example:

Domain	Pricing Model	BIN	Min Offer	Notes
SolarAI.com	BIN	$4,999	—	Fast-turnaround name
MetaEnergy.com	Make Offer	—	$10,000	Premium niche
GreenBots.io	BIN	$2,495	—	Brandable
QuantumTech.com	Make Offer	—	$25,000	One-word, high-value

This setup gives you balance — liquidity from BINs, upside potential from offers.

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6. How to Set the Right BIN Price

The key to pricing is data, not emotion.

Here’s a quick framework to find the sweet spot:

a. Check comparable sales

Use NameBio, DotDB, and NameWorth to find past sales in similar niches.

b. Estimate brand strength

Is it easy to remember, spell, and pronounce?
Would a startup use it as their main identity?

c. Test pricing feedback

List it for a few weeks. If you get multiple offers below your BIN, you might be priced too high.

If you get no inquiries for months — you might be priced too high or your keywords are weak.

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7. The Negotiation Edge (for Make Offer Domains)

When using Make Offer, always:

• Set a minimum offer to filter lowballers
• Respond within 24 hours — buyers cool off fast
• Start with a high anchor (2–3× your target price)
• Use scarcity tactfully — “I’ve had other interest in this name.”
• Close with clarity — give them a clear, simple path to pay

Negotiation is part art, part timing.
Keep it professional and always leave room for future buyers if a deal doesn’t close.

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8. Portfolio-Level Strategy

Here’s a simple starting ratio that works for most investors:

• 70% BIN – for fast-turnover names
• 20% Make Offer – for high-value domains
• 10% Hybrid (BIN + Make Offer) – for mid-tier names with flexible pricing

You can tweak this mix based on your liquidity needs, portfolio size, and renewal costs.

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9. Data-Driven Adjustments

Track your portfolio performance quarterly:

• Which BIN names sold fastest?
• Which Make Offer names got the most inquiries?
• What’s your average negotiation-to-sale ratio?

Refine and reprice based on actual data, not assumptions.

Remember — your pricing strategy should evolve with the market, not stay static.

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Final Thoughts

The right pricing strategy can transform your sales rate, ROI, and buyer experience.

Use BIN to move inventory fast.
Use Make Offer to maximize premium sales.
And use both strategically to balance cash flow and long-term equity.

The best domainers don’t just price their names — they engineer their pricing.

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Pro Tip:
Try A/B testing your domains on different platforms — list a few with BIN and others with Make Offer.
After a few months, you’ll have data to see which model delivers better results for your niche.