Welcome back, you domain-dwelling weirdos, to ShitBio Entry #010, where we skewer overpriced internet garbage and serve it up with a side of snark. Today’s target? Bât.com, an Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) that’s somehow listed on Sedo with a “Buy It Now” price of 15,000,000 EUR. That’s right—fifteen million euros for a domain that sounds like a typo and looks like a cry for help. Grab your popcorn, because we’re about to roast this thing so hard it’ll wish it stayed in the digital cave it crawled out of.
The Domain: Bât.com
What Even Is This?
So, what’s the deal with Bât.com? It’s an IDN domain, meaning it uses fancy non-Latin characters—in this case, the “â” with its little hat, making it “bât,” which is French for “bat.” Cute, right? Except it’s not. Unless you’re running a bat sanctuary in Bordeaux or selling baseball bats to hipsters in Montreal, this domain is about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. The seller’s clearly hoping some sucker thinks “ooh, French vibes!” and forks over a fortune. Newsflash: no one’s that dumb. Probably.
- Fun Fact: IDN domains can have value in hyper-specific markets, but they’re not exactly setting the world on fire. Per NameBio, the priciest IDN sale on record is xn--h1alffa9f.xn--p1ai (Russian for “авто.рф,” or “auto.rf”) at $90,000 in 2010. Compare that to 15 million euros, and you’ll see why we’re laughing.
Who’s Buying This?
Let’s play a game: who’s the target buyer? A French bat enthusiast with a trust fund? A startup desperate for a quirky URL? Maybe a prankster with a vendetta against good taste? The truth is, even if you found someone willing to take this off your hands, they’d realize branding it is a disaster. Picture the pitch: “Welcome to Bât.com—where we… uh… swing big?” Pass the cringe bucket, please.
- Harsh Truth: IDN domains like this tank in marketability. That “â” is a branding booby trap—hard to type, harder to remember, and a total buzzkill for any serious business.
The Price Tag: 15,000,000 EUR
Are You Kidding Me?
Fifteen million euros. Let that sink in. For Bât.com, the seller’s slapped a “Buy It Now” price on Sedo that’s so absurd it feels like a dare. For that kind of money, you could buy a private island, a yacht, and a decent .com domain that doesn’t make people question your life choices. Instead, you’re offered this—a linguistic oddity with the appeal of a wet sock.
- Pro Tip: Want to know what domains are actually worth? Check NameBio. You won’t find Bât.com comps, because no one’s paid more than pocket change for something this ridiculous.
Let’s Compare
Here’s some context:
- Bat.com, a clean, one-word .com with universal appeal, sold for $100,000 in 2015 (NameBio).
- Bât.com? It’s the dollar-store knockoff—niche, awkward, and begging for a price tag under $100, not millions. The seller’s either a genius troll or tragically delusional.
SEO and Branding Nightmares
Search Engines Hate It
Here’s a little SEO horror story: IDN domains like Bât.com are kryptonite to search engines. Google’s crawlers see that “â” and start sweating—indexing gets messy, and ranking becomes a pipe dream. Want Google Adsense revenue? Forget it—ad platforms flag these domains faster than you can say “spam.” Your traffic dreams? Buried six feet under.
- Evidence: Google’s own Webmaster Guidelines hint at the struggles of non-standard characters. IDNs often get the short end of the algorithmic stick.
Branding? More Like Brand-Dying
Imagine building a brand around Bât.com. Your logo’s a mess—do you slap a bat silhouette on that “â” and call it artsy? Your tagline’s a dud—“Bât.com: We’re… batty?” And good luck explaining it to customers who can’t type it without a French keyboard or a PhD in special characters. This isn’t a domain; it’s a branding catastrophe waiting to happen.
- Rule of Thumb: Great domains are short, snappy, and spellable. This one’s a triple fail.
Lessons for IDN Domain Investing
What’s Actually Worth Your Money?
Let’s drop some knowledge bombs for you aspiring domain moguls:
- Keep It Short: Domains like Sex.com fetched $13 million because they’re brief and bold
- Chase Keywords: Names with juicy terms like “loans” or “tech” have resale juice. “Bât”? It’s not even on the SEO radar.
- Brand Potential: Think Apple.com—simple, memorable, scalable. Bât.com is none of those things.
Don’t Fall for These Traps
- Shock Doesn’t Sell: Weird names might get a glance, but they rarely close deals.
- TLD Matters: .com reigns supreme—gimmicky extensions like .club are for amateurs.
- Price Realistically: Overpricing is a deal killer. Use Sedo’s Domain Appraisal to avoid looking like a clown.
Conclusion: Fly Away, Bât.com
Bât.com is a textbook lesson in domain investing gone wrong. It’s too obscure, too clunky, and priced like it’s the crown jewel of the internet when it’s really a digital paperweight. At 15,000,000 EUR “Buy It Now” on Sedo, this isn’t a sale—it’s a comedy show, and we’re all invited to laugh. Skip this trainwreck, stick to domains with real value, and let this batty disaster flap back into obscurity where it belongs.