Most domain investors can tell you what a “good” name is. Short. Clean. .com. No weird spelling.
But a “good” name and a name that actually pulls inbound inquiries are not always the same thing.
Inbound is a buyer raising their hand. That is different from an investor nodding in approval. Your job is to spot names that get emailed about, not names that win debates.
Say-it-once clarity
If someone hears the domain once and can type it without asking follow-up questions, it has an edge. Most buyers are moving fast. If your name creates friction, they bounce.
I like names that survive being spoken in a room. No hyphens. No numbers. No “is that with a K or a C?” problems. A quick test: tell the name to a friend and have them text it back. If they hesitate, buyers will too.
Obvious category fit
Some names are “cool.” Others are useful. Useful names get more inquiries because the buyer instantly knows what the business is about. Not exact match garbage. Just clear meaning.
Two-word category .coms with a clean rhythm tend to get steady pings. If the buyer has to explain the name to their cofounder, it is a harder sell.
Active demand
If nobody is building in that space, nobody is emailing you. I’m not trying to predict the next decade. I’m trying to buy where companies are being formed right now.
I have watched names I personally liked sit dead for a year, then suddenly get attention when a category heated up. The name did not change. The demand did.
A buyer set you can picture
Names that “could work for anything” usually get inquired on by no one. The best inquiry names have a buyer set you can picture without strain.
Ask yourself: who is the buyer? A marketplace? A SaaS tool? A consumer brand? A media site? If you cannot list five buyer types in 30 seconds, it might still sell, but it is less likely to pull inbound.
It feels safe to own
This is where extension, spelling, and overall vibe matter. A clean .com makes buyers feel like they will not have to defend the choice later. They imagine telling their team, sending it to investors, putting it on a banner. If that mental movie plays smoothly, they reach out.
If the name feels like it could be misunderstood, or constantly corrected, or explained, you will get fewer inquiries even if the “value” is there on paper.
The inbox test
When a buyer emails you, the subject line is often just the domain. If the domain looks credible in plain text, it attracts inquiries. If it looks like spam or a typo, many people do not even start the conversation.
And here is the real moment: can they forward it to a partner, boss, or investor without writing a paragraph to justify it? If it feels safe, it gets forwarded. If it feels risky, it dies quietly.
What good inquiries look like
Most real inbound is boring, and that is a good sign.
“Is this domain available?”
“How much are you asking?”
“Can we buy it today with escrow?”
If your inquiries are mostly “What’s your lowest?” or “I can offer $200,” you might have traffic, but you do not have the right kind of demand.
Bottom line
If you want more inbound, stop grading domains like an investor and start grading them like a founder on a deadline. Names that get inquiries remove friction, match active demand, and feel instantly ownable.
Everything else is a fun argument and an expensive renewal.