What makes a domain worth paying for?

For me, value comes from a combination of audience fit, memorability, extension, spelling, commercial use, and scarcity. A short .com can be valuable because many businesses can use it, but that does not mean every short name deserves a high price.

I would also separate value from budget. A domain may be objectively strong and still be wrong for a bootstrapped company today. The right decision considers runway, the cost of a later change, and whether the name will actually be used well.

A transparent seller should be able to explain the price without promising traffic, rankings, or guaranteed growth.

My checklist
• Can the intended customer pronounce and spell it after hearing it once?
• Could the company use it if the product expands?
• Have trademark, conflict, and social-handle risks been reviewed?
• Is the price compatible with runway and the cost of a later change?
• Is the transfer path clear, with escrow or another appropriate safeguard?

I would treat the answers as evidence, not as a score that forces a purchase. Sometimes the right conclusion is to wait, choose another name, or keep the current domain until the business has more information.