What is the value of the Chameleon.com domain name? Animal .COM domain names can range in value from the low four-figure range ($1,000-$9,999) up to the seven-figure range.
Table of Contents
Why is Chameleon.com valuable?
Why are animal .COM domains such as Chameleon.com valuable? Well, let’s take Chameleon.com as an example here. Chameleon.com is one of just a concentrated number of exact match, animal .COM domain names that are in existence. There are over 134 million .COM domain names registered, which means Chameleon.com and the other exact match animal .COM names represent a very tiny percentage of all .COM domains. Rarity makes Chameleon.com a highly valuable name, especially to investors who pay top dollar to own the world’s rarest names.
There’s also the question of trust and stability. If you’re called Chameleon, then you need to own Chameleon.com for your brand. By owning Chameleon.com, you are displaying a sense of trust to your customers or clients. As a consumer, would you trust Chameleon.com or GetChameleon.com more? The right domain name gives an instant sense of trust in a brand to anyone who visits the domain. A sense of stability and permanence also comes from owning a domain name like Chameleon.com. It shows a long term investment in a brand.
Unfortunately, animal names such as “Chameleon” are popular brand names. Because they’re commonly used, instantly recognizable names, it makes the equivalent .COM (Chameleon.com) valuable since so many companies are interested in using it. That makes it an expensive prospect for a brand to acquire.
An exact match domain name such as Chameleon.com for a company called Chameleon can also offer that company some security from data and traffic leakage that is commonplace amongst longer domain names.
These factors, and more, are why Chameleon.com is a domain name that has retained its value for more than two decades. The factors listed above are fine in theory, but let’s take a look at some examples of animal .COM sales to back up the overall value of Chameleon.com and animal .COM’s in general:
Case Studies
Real world usage of domain names is a key indicator of value, which is why we have put together a series of small case studies below. If several companies spend six or seven-figures on an animal .COM domain name, it demonstrates clearly that exact match animal .COM’s play an intrinsic value in the online brand of savvy businesses. Read our case studies:
1. Penguin.com
The Penguin.com name is owned by Penguin Publishing Group, a multi-national book publisher founded in the UK in 1935. The name is a vital part of their online identity, with the name hosting the company’s corporate site and book shop. There are several other famous brands that using the “Penguin” moniker including Penguin, the clothing company. The fashion brand is using OriginalPenguin.com, but interestingly the company does own Kangaroo.com.
2. Shark.com
This marine based domain name shows precisely the wide range of uses for animal/wildlife names. The Shark.com name is owned and operated by a former golfer. Australian Greg Norman, nicknamed The Shark, spent 331 weeks as the world’s number one golf pro. After retiring, Greg created the Greg Norman Company, formerly known as Great White Shark Enterprises. Shark.com houses Greg’s multiple ventures.
3. Gorilla.com
In October 2019, it was reported by DNJournal that the domain Gorilla.com had been sold by broker Monte Cahn (RightOfTheDot) for a total of 6,320. The name was acquired by a Russian online casino, and as of writing, the name is being used in conjunction with the brand’s online betting division.
These are just three examples of animal .COM domains that have been acquired and put to use by brands willing to invest significant amounts of money into their online identity.
Another means of getting a face-value appraisal for Chameleon.com is to take a look at verified domain sales data.
Recent Sales
Using previous sales data can help you to get an idea of the value of your own domain name. Here is a list of publicly disclosed animal .COM sales:
Snake.com – $135,000 (2019)
Walrus.com – $55,000 (2018)
Gorilla.com – $496,320 (2019)
Bird.com – $200,000 (2005)
Pig.com – $125,000 (2010)
Coyote.com – $65,000 (2011)
Pug.com – $61,000 (2016)
Hornet.com – $60,000 (2017)
Further Reading
I wrote an article for NamePros in 2019 about how certain animal domain names are being used. You can read that here Some of the content here is quoted from that article.
Conclusions
Working out the intrinsic value of the Chameleon.com domain name (without any attached content, IP or other considerations) is a difficult process. Automated appraisals cannot be relied upon, and ultimately it comes down to the circumstances surrounding the acquisition or sale of the domain (with associated factors including motivation to buy or sell, the need for the domain, funding available, and current circumstances).
However, it can be easily proven that domains such as Chameleon.com are highly desirable, and previous sales data indicates that this type of name routinely sells for five ($xx,xxx) or six ($xxx,xxx) figures. In some cases, this will be higher.