Domain rebranding is a daring, but often necessary move to a better brand.
British broker, James Booth of BQDN did just that, switching his brand to the domain Phenom.com.
Defined as a person of phenomenal qualities, this 1996 registration is spot on describing James Booth’s cunning ability to deliver domain brokerage services for his clients, and for his own domain portfolio.
It’s been a good 4 years since our first interview with James Booth gave everyone an exclusive look into a young domain broker’s mind.
Now at 30 years old, James is coming back to talk domain names, and offer us another valuable insight of his plans with the domain name industry.
Domain investor, broker, and Phenom.com founder, James Booth.
DomainGang: James, welcome back to DomainGang. What led you to acquire Phenom.com as your new domain brokerage brand?
James Booth / Phenom.com : Thanks Theo! The Domain was acquired in the 6 figure range as an investment, but looking at the name the fit seemed perfect for a Domain Brokerage and Sales Platform and it adds much more credibility over a random 4 letter acronym. It is all about growth and development.
DomainGang: Did you get tired of explaining what BQDN stands for?
James Booth / Phenom.com : No one really ever asked what it stood for, which is “Buy Quality Domain Names.” The main reason for the rebrand is that after 4 years of using BQDN a domain rebranding was in order with our recent successes. Phenom sounds like a strong brand name and will resonate well with clients in San Francisco and globally.
DomainGang: As an independent domain broker, what is the biggest challenge you face on behalf of your clients?
James Booth / Phenom.com : In terms of acquisitions high quality names are getting more and more difficult to acquire with most sellers now having minimum 6 figure asks up to 8 figures. In terms of sales we have been doing very well and has been our best ever year with over $10 million in sales. We are seeing more and more companies opening their eyes to the value in premium names.
DomainGang: Do you charge a fixed commission percent, or it varies depending on your client?
James Booth / Phenom.com : It always varies depending on the name and potential value. If the name is a 7-8 figure name then we reduce our commission but generally we stick to a set fee.
DomainGang: How knowledgeable are corporations about domains you acquire from them?
James Booth / Phenom.com : As mentioned above, more companies are now becoming aware of their domain assets. They know how difficult it’s to secure and track down high end names, and these companies know a strong domain can bring value to their companies. It is all down to education on how the internet is growing and the value these names can bring with reduced SEO and Marketing costs and other variants.
DomainGang: What are your business goals for the next 5 years?
James Booth / Phenom.com : We are now at the $30 million mark in sales since 2015 so my main goal is to sell $100 million in Domains by 2025. We also plan on building Phenom in to much more of a brand with a full automated sales platform which will be coming in 2020. I never stop persevering and never give up and I am truly grateful to be involved in this amazing industry.
DomainGang: James, congratulations on your many achievements, and our best wishes for lots of success going forward!
