Several weeks ago, I saw that Jebidiah Burnett had left Donuts to pursue other domain industry opportunities. Jebidiah has also worked with the new gTLD domain names at Rightside and eNom. Yesterday afternoon, I learned that Jebidiah was hired by GoDaddy to do outbound marketing on the company’s NameFind domain portfolio as well as some of the premium new gTLD domain names owned by its registry partners.
GoDaddy has always sold domain names through its expansive network via inbound purchase inquiries and offers. The company has not been proactive about selling its NameFind portfolio domain names or selling domain names that are listed for sale by clients. I understand the plan is to test outbound marketing on a limited basis before potentially staffing up and doing outbound marketing on behalf of clients.
I think outbound marketing of domain names listed for sale via GoDaddy has the potential to be a game changer if the initiative is successful and is expanded. GoDaddy is a well-known brand when it comes to domain names, and I imagine their testing will help them create a script and template that will be helpful in closing deals.
Since Jebidiah started doing outbound marketing with the NameFind portfolio a few weeks ago, I am told that he has already closed several deals. The largest sale so far is the $150,000 sale of AccidentAttorney.com, a domain name that was once part of Michael Berkens’ portfolio. Once charted at DNJournal, it will be one of the top 10 domain name sales of 2019.
Commenting on why GoDaddy has chosen registry partner new gTLD domain names to sell, Alan Shiflett, Senior Sales Manager of the GoDaddy Aftermarket, shared this with me:
“Within the last year and a half GoDaddy has sold well over $1MM of Premium gTLDs through the Aftermarket as part of a partnership with gtld registries. Similar to the way we think Namefind can benefit from proactive outreach, we think there is a lot of potential for the new extensions that can be improved by raising awareness through proactive outreach. Jebidiah’s reputation with the new extensions and previous sales totalling in the millions makes him the perfect fit.”
If GoDaddy expands this initiative, I think this has the potential to be pretty big for GoDaddy customers who list their domain names for sale via Afternic.
I would be surprised if GoDaddy proactively sold “Third Party Domains” outside of their NameFind portfolio on behalf of their clients. Sounds too good to be true.
This will end up being more competition for domainers.
GoDaddy will be pushing their own domain inventory listed on Afternic even more now, which will mean less sales for domainer names.
The big gorilla might of just put the final nail in the coffin for domainers.
If “the big gorilla” is going to put effort into promoting the very fact that domains can be more expensive than standard registration price to the general audience, that is going to be nothing but beneficial for domainers.
Using their domain appraisal tool to appraise and promote our domains, is not beneficial to domainers.
They’re not going to be asking for the same high prices for our domains, like they do for domains from their NameFind portfolio.
I was contacted by GD several months ago regarding Edu.Group saying they have $20k offer for my name from one of their clients.I did not sell.
I had another inquire through GD brokerage dept. for Internet.Today.
I think having GD awareness on new G’s it’s a good thing.
The key is to have a premium name, then you don’t have competition.
I remember this guy blowing up my phone with platinum donuts domains with crazy ask prices, I believe last week he sent me another outbound for a namefind name, not that great of a name, with a unnamed ask, it is just a telemarketing biz, their offices are a stone over there on Lake Washington, not a big move, but the Donuts names weren’t selling, better inventory at Godaddy to sell for sure.
To be honest they are using godaddys database, and sales to send unsolicited spam.
They will annoy the shit out of people with their cold call sales techniques and will give all of us a bad name.
Domains cost $10 a year now you want $5k?? GTFO.
This won’t end well.
Looks like that gig ended for Jebidiah @ GoDaddy as of this month (2/2020). A year trial run I guess didn’t pan out. Or maybe the big domain swope earlier this month is taking GD in a new direction.