http://www.dnjournal.com/cover/2007/july.htm
Kudos to Ron Jackson for another great TRAFFIC recap. If you couldn’t make it to the show in New York, this is probably the next best thing. I’m glad I had the chance to meet and speak with Ron and look forward to reading more of his articles.
The goal of the Domain Distribution Network created and managed by Fabulous is to encourage end-users to purchase higher value domain names than they ordinarily would have considered. When a potential domain buyer searches for an unregistered domain name (at Godaddy for example), a list of Premium Domains appears, giving the searcher an opportunity to buy a better domain name than what they intended to find with their search. According to the DDN site:
There are approximately 6 million domains available for resale in the general market. Initially the DDN feed will offer over 500,000 of the highest quality domains available for resale. The average resale price of these domains is over 100 times the price of a new registration, and registrars typically average over $150 net revenue per domain sale.
Although this is a great opportunity to upsell an interested and presumably educated buyer, I think much more can be done to inform and educate end users about, and encourage end users to purchase generic domain names.
I think it would be in the best interest of the domain investment community and a company like Fabulous, BuyDomains.com, or an otherwise motivated company to sponsor workshops or seminars focused on teaching end users about domain names at industry specific tradeshows. I frequently see advertising agencies and consultants sponsoring lunch seminars at tradeshows to show how their particular company can help maximize advertising dollars. I believe if a company like Fabulous sent Dan Warner to teach a group of entrepreneurial business people how a generic domain name can help their business, it would be beneficial to the company and to the domain business at large. Let’s take the New York International Gift Fair as an example. If there was a Domain Distribution Network sponsored luncheon showing the advantages of owning a name like CheapPresents.com over SallysBirthdayPresents.com, the end users would “get it.”. Heck, this luncheon/seminar could be followed with a sale of targeted, well-priced domain names that could offset the cost of sponsorship and attendance. I bet there would be a residual impact as well when attendees return home after the conference to see what other names they can find using the DDN.
Small business owners are accustomed to dealing face-to-face with account representatives from the companies with whom they do business. Much of their business is done with a handshake in person at a tradeshow – especially when opening a new account with a supplier. For the most part, this is impossible to do on the Internet. To many small businesses, learning how to successfully operate with the help of the Internet is a daunting challenge. Why not meet with these business owners in person, make them feel comfortable and win their business? All of this can be accomplished by attending industry specific tradeshows.
A second idea I have to sell domain names to small business end users is to advertise industry specific domain names in industry specific publications. Kevin of BigTicketDomains.com did this on a broader scale in the Wall Street Journal. While this was a good idea and a nice starting point, I believe more success could be had if we target specific publications. If a group of domain owners with names in a specific industry got together and paid for a quarter page listing in that industry’s trade publication, I believe the results could be much different. I have been compiling a list of publications in various industries. I would be willing to share this with any interested parties – just drop me a line.
Ultimately, the more domain names that are developed into brands and websites, the better for the entire domain investment business. A few months ago, I noticed a Hermes store was opening on Wall Street across from the New York Stock Exchange. A few weeks later, I noticed a Tiffany’s was opening down the block, and two weeks ago I saw a Thomas Pink shop was opening very close as well. These were all preceded by the development of upscale condominiums in the Financial District. The point is that the more small businesses that develop generic domain names, the more others will want to emulate them and do the same. This will certainly increase the value of our premium generic domain names.
Small business owners are much more likely to develop domain names if they understand more about how a domain name works. I believe if we educate them, they will be much more inclined to buy our names. The platform has been created – now we must reach out and let the end users know where and why they need to be looking.
After viewing the Moniker silent auction results, I found quite a few surprises:
In my opinion, there were a few good deals to be had. I believe the following domain purchase was an absolute steal for the price at which it sold:
Illustrate.com
I was surprised nobody picked up the following names, as I thought the reserve prices were more than fair:
Finances.com – $500,000
Whiskey.com – $470,600
Handhelds.com – $58,830
Another surprise to me was how much stock in numerics seems to have dropped. There were many NNN.com numeric names that seemed to have reasonable reserves ($5,890) but didn’t sell – 634.com , 547.com, 481.com, 643.com, 493.com, 342.com, 441.com…etc. There were also a few NN.com names that had higher reserves but didn’t sell. It isn’t very often that pure numeric .com names come onto the market, and I was surprised a speculator didn’t grab them.
I was also somewhat surprised that more .mobi names didn’t sell. I am not a big believer in this extension, but after reading how vigorously this extension has been defended by its supporters, I am surprised there wasn’t more action on them. Quite a few people have been posting that they made xxx% profit so far and still have quite a few .mobi names in their portfolios. If these people felt strongly about the extension, I would have thought they would be willing to reinvest and buy some of the names. One would think that reinvesting in a few of these names could have led to a round of “aftershocks” that followed when Rick Schwartz paid $200,000 for Flowers.mobi.
I believe many of these names will move now that the auctions have ended. Domain investors know the owners are interested in selling, owners know the domain investors at TRAFFIC thought their prices were too high, and I bet some compromises will be made to close some deals once.
While leaving the restroom at TRAFFIC on Thursday, a gentleman held the door opened for me, and I introduced myself on the way back to one of the panels. I learned that he was from Baltimore, and after a brief conversation I found out that he bought and sold Jewish-related and Hebrew domain names among other business pursuits. When he asked if I had any of these names, I responded that I owned one that I hadn’t done anything with and was willing to sell it.
Rewind a few months…
When I originally purchased the name, I told a close friend of mine that I would give all of the proceeds to his non-profit Jewish organization. My friend is the Rabbi who runs the Mitzvah Tank organization in Manhattan, and he has one of the biggest hearts out of anyone I know. I’ve seen him give money out of his pocket to help people in need and he is always willing to lend an ear and give advice.
Back to the conference…
My new acquaintance asked me what my asking price was for the name. When I told him the story about the sale going entirely to tzedakah, he made a very generous offer for the name. I accepted the offer, and my company will match his offer to double the contribution. It certainly wasn’t my highest financial value transaction, but it was definitely the highest value transaction I’ve had, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I made a new friend in the process.
Final Results. *Not responsible for inaccurate prices… Congrats to all winners!
1. VintageAirplanes.com – $5,700
2. StageRental.com – Pass
3. Toy.net – $26,000
4. StockTrades.com – $25,000
5. BondFund.com – $12,000
6. IrishWhiskey.com – $8,000
7. BakingSupplies.com – $12,000
8. PrivateTutors.com – $16,000
9. PrivatePilots.com – $20,000
10. Historian.com – $25,000
11. TechnologyFund.com – $10,000
12. PinkRoses.com – $10,000
13. VintageMotorcycles.com – $14,000
14. Booksellers.com – $30,000
15. Houses.net – $75,000
16. ComicBooks.com – Pass
17. Supplies.com – Pass
18. Breathalyzer.com – Pass
19. Invest.net – Pass
20. PX.net – Pass
21. Tightrope.com – $18,000
22. Sale.mobi – Pass
23. AutoClassifieds.com – Pass @ $135,000
24. Six.com – Pass @ $1,000,000
25. Scotland.com – Pass @ $3,000,000
26. Pedestrians.com – Pass @ $7,500
27. EgyptianPyramids.com – $7,500
28. RentalProperty.org – $8,500
29. Clap.com – $21,000
30. TattooParlor.com – Pass @ $28,000
31. LimousineService.com – $30,000
32. ZN.com – $95,000
33. 46.com – Pass @ $70,000
34. Flights.net – Pass @ $85,000
35. Scores.mobi – Pass @ $115,000
36. Planet.com – Pass @ $350,000
37. PressReleases.com – Pass @ $2,500,000
38. Seniors.com – $1,800,000
39. ClubSoda.com – $20,000
40. Tied.com – $13,000
41. Polling.com – Pass @ $70,000
42. EC.com – Pass @ $250,000
43. Ethanol.com – Pass @ $600,000
44. Vacations.mobi – Pass @ $30,000
45. CreditCheck.com – @ $3,000,000
46. VictorianHouses.com – $8,500
47. JewishDeli.com – $9,000
48. Hospitals.us – Pass @ $8,500
49. Catalogs.net – Pass @ $15,000
50. FM.org – $18,000
51. Fountain.com – $95,000
52. Union.com – Pass @ $185,000
53. Stuff.com – Pass @ $1,500,000
54. Slots.com – Pass @ $4,500,000
55. CarSales.com – $400,000
56. PDA.net – Pass @ $25,000
57. CateringService.com – Pass @ $15,000
58. AirlineReservations.de – $9,750
59. HelicopterCharters.com – $18,000
60. NoLoadFund.com – $12,000
61. RecyclingCenters.com – $13,000
62. FT.net – $22,500
63. Grandmothers.com – $25,000
64. Snuff.com – $45,000
65. DiscountPerfumes.com – $80,000
66. Draw.com – Pass @ $1,000,000
67. Amethysts.com – $13,000
68. Highspeed.net – $27,000
69. 62.com – Pass @ $80,000
70. InternetRadio.com – Pass @ $225,000
71. Commodities.com – Pass @ $1,750,000
72. Elections.com – Pass @ $600,000
73. IncomeFund.com – $20,000
74. Surgeon.net – $21,000
75. 555.mobi – Pass @ $7,500
76. Text.mobi – Pass @ $21,000
77. Forbiddencity.com – Pass @ $20,000
78. Lips.com – $135,000
79. CheapGames.com – $45,000
80. Clock.com – $175,000
81. Student.com – Pass @ $3,000,000
82. PuertoRico.com – Pass @ $3,500,000
83. Passover.com – Pass @ $60,000
84. Bhutan.com – Pass @ $70,000
85. HY.com – Pass @ $100,000
86. Fitnesscenter.com – Pass @ $125,000
87. Comedy.net – $25,000
88. Villas.net – $25,000
89. BachelorDegrees.com – $42,500
90. FinancialPlans.com – $17,000
91. Houston.info – $17,000
92. DUI.net – $18,000
93. Cantaloupe.com – $25,000
94. Glamorous.com – $60,000
95. CustomMotorcycles.com – Pass @ $55,000
96. HighDefinition.com – Pass @ $65,000
97. Bulk.com – $100,000
98. Pay.mobi – Pass @ $45,000
99. NewYorkRealty.com – Pass @ $120,000
100. Locals.com – $250,000
101. Dollars.com – Pass @ $700,000
102. DSL.com – Pass @ $1,500,000
103. TalentAgent.com – Pass @ $35,000
104. PropertyManagement.net – Pass @ $20,000
105. Jericho.com – REMOVED
106. MegaYachts.com – $150,000
107. Z.md – Pass @ $4,000
108. MarriageCounselor.com – $36,000
109. HorseRacing.com – Pass @ $4,500,000
110. Gin.com – Pass @ $250,000
111. 401kPlans.com – Pass @ $250,000
112. FreeAuction.com – $50,000
113. TGP.com – Pass @ $225,000
114. InsuranceRates.com – Pass @ $150,000
115. Manufacture.com – Pass @ $75,000
116. HeartrateMonitor.com – $55,000
117. Telephone.org – $13,000
118. GrowthFund.com – $25,000
119. Dermatology.com – Pass @ $4,500,000
120. SecurityEquipment.com – Pass @ $20,000
121. ChocolateCandy.com – Pass @ $27,500
122. IndividualRetirementAccounts.com – Pass @ $20,000
123. Carburetors.com – Pass @ $25,000
124. Pesos.com – Pass @ $35,000
125. Males.com – $55,000
126. Pit.com – $60,000
127. MastersDegree.com – Pass @ $60,000
128. Note.com – $115,000
129. Cats.com – Pass @ $2,000,000
130. Naked.com – Pass @ $1,500,000
130A. 212.net – $10,000
131. Lick.com – $60,000
132. SoccerLeague.com – $28,000
133. TelevisionShow.com – $35,000
134. Nashville.us – $23,000
135. 300.mobi – Pass @ $4,000
136. AirlineTickets.net – $17,500
137. MartialArts.com – Pass @ $600,000
138. 06.com – Pass @ $60,000
139. Fees.com – $55,000
140. Saginaw.com – $55,000
141. Europe.mobi – Pass @ $14,500
142. FireEngines.com – $32,500
143. PrescriptionMedication.com – Pass $35,000
144. Text.com – $300,000
145. Menopause.com – Pass @ $1,500,000
146. ComputerEquipment.com – Pass @ $110,000
147. Psychologists.com – $160,000
148. Brackets.com – $56,000
149. Phones.mobi – Pass @ $30,000
150. Teri.com – $28,000
151. Gaza.com – REMOVED
152. Pensions.net – $10,000
153. GlobalFunds.com – $20,000
154. Jody.com – $29,000
155. Blogging.com – $135,000
156. Auction.com – Pass @ $4,500,000
157. Bald.com – $400,000
158. Lean.com – $55,000
159. OBGYN.com – Pass @ $1,000,000
160. QR.com – Pass @ $85,000
161. Wrestling.org – $30,000
162. SoundEngineer.com – $8,000
163. EquityFund.com – $30,000
164. Laptops.mobi – $4,750
165. GY.org – Pass @ $11,000
166. Artist.com – Pass @ $750,000
167. GasolinePrices.us – $6,000
168. Pimple.com – $82,500
169. Camping.net – $60,000
170. 82.com – Pass @ $75,000
171. Rollercoaster.com – Pass @ $100,000
172. Tourist.com – Pass @ $750,000
173. Whiskey.com – Pass @ $400,000
174. CD.net – Pass @ $22,500
175. Manhattan.info – $21,000
176. Mayor.net – Pass @ $5,500
177. StockMarket.tv – Pass @ $7,500
178. GED.net – Pass @ $15,000
179. Charters.com – $140,000
180. Cardiology.com – $550,000
181. Program.net – $17,500
182. Fresno.us – Pass @ $4,000
183. GXD.com – $5,000
184. Male.org – $12,000
185. MovieProduction.com – $14,500
186. VenusFlytrap.com – Pass @ $27,500
187. Documentaries.com – $48,000
188. How.com – Pass @ $600,000
189. Bourbon.com – Pass @ $300,000
190. Spend.com – Pass @ $70,000
191. MT.org – $25,000
192. MedicalLabs.com – $10,000
193. BeerKegs.com – $12,000
194. Mortgages.mobi – $25,000
195. SO.net – Pass
196. Sub.com – $71,500
197. Coed.com – Pass @ $75,000
198. Spices.com – $220,000
199. RadioPersonality.com – $7,000
200. EmailList.com – $13,500
201. Character.com – Pass @ $27,500
202. Smoothie.com – Pass @ $75,000
203. DomainPark.com – Pass @ $60,000
204. DiscountInsurance.com – $60,000
205. Racism.com – Pass @ $125,000
206. Subways.com – $50,000
207. Laptop.net – $40,000
208. PP.org – Pass @ $30,000
209. MP4Player.com – Pass @15,000
210. Tart.com – $30,000
211. Shows.net – Pass @ $23,500
212. ZZ.org – $23,000
213. Dont.com – $30,000
214. Shaft.com – $17,500
215. Mortgages.biz – $15,000
216. Dancing.net – $10,500
217. FHAHomeLoan.com – $9,000
218. FreeStuff.net – $28,000
