This episode features an interview with Chad Weinman of Cat5 Commerce, who shares his rationale behind spending $700,000 on the domain RunningShoes.com. Operators will learn about the strategic value of premium domain names, the importance of SEO rankings in domain acquisition, and the challenges and opportunities in building out a new e-commerce store atop an established domain.
Key takeaways
A premium domain name with a strong search engine ranking for a high-traffic keyword can justify a significant acquisition cost due to immediate SEO value and established authority.
Acquiring an established domain allows for immediate traffic redirection (using 301 commands) to a new site structure, leveraging the previous site's accumulated link equity and visitor base.
Building supplier relationships and re-establishing previous SEO rankings are critical post-acquisition tasks that require significant effort and time.
Patience and persistence are crucial for building brand recognition and trust in e-commerce, even with strong initial assets like a premium domain and extensive marketing efforts.
Most ecommerce merchants own several domain names, perhaps buying and selling them as opportunities occur. One merchant in Missouri just purchased a domain name. He paid $700,000 for it. The domain is RunningShoes.com, the merchant is Chad Weinman of Cat5 Commerce — owners of MilitaryGear.com, TacticalGear.com, HikingBoots.com, among other sites — and he joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to discuss it all.
Frequently asked about this episode
What does this episode say about brand building?
A premium domain name with a strong search engine ranking for a high-traffic keyword can justify a significant acquisition cost due to immediate SEO value and established authority.
What does this episode say about domain acquisition?
Acquiring an established domain allows for immediate traffic redirection (using 301 commands) to a new site structure, leveraging the previous site's accumulated link equity and visitor base.
What does this episode say about e-commerce growth?
Building supplier relationships and re-establishing previous SEO rankings are critical post-acquisition tasks that require significant effort and time.
What does this episode say about seo strategy?
Patience and persistence are crucial for building brand recognition and trust in e-commerce, even with strong initial assets like a premium domain and extensive marketing efforts.
