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Need a Job? DomainTools is Still Hiring

Elliot Silver
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DomainTools WhoisI’ve seen reports about just how bad the job market is these days. I am very thankful to be doing what I am doing because I know there are plenty of people who are struggling and don’t have a job. I think unemployment is over 9% right now in the US – a scary number to think about.

One company in the domain space that continues to have job opportunities is DomainTools. A few months ago, the company was looking to hire a SEO and Analytics Manager. The company has added other job openings to the list for job seekers in the Seattle area.

If you know engineers with expertise in the fields below in the Seattle area, send them the information. I have no idea what the pay is, but it’s nice to see that there are some companies looking to hire while others are downsizing.

If you happen to be someone looking for a job, or you would like to apply for one of the positions listed above, send an email to “joinourteam” at domaintools .com.

Boston Globe Moves to Subscription Based Service on BostonGlobe.com

Elliot Silver
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What Will Happen to Boston.com?

Yesterday, The Boston Globe announced that it is launching a subscription based service on BostonGlobe.com. According to an article posted on Boston.com,  “the company has decided to split its news brands – Boston.com and The Boston Globe – into two distinct websites.”

It appears that the company plans to leave Boston.com free to use for now, and it will remain ad-supported. Boston.com will feature breaking news, sports, and weather reports, as well as classified advertising. It will also have travel, restaurant, entertainment, and hotel information. Essentially, it seems that Boston.com is going to be a beefed up version of many city .com websites found in the GeoPublishers.com network.

What will ultimately come of one of the best US city .com domain names remains of interest to me?  Could the Boston Globe ultimately sell off this prized website? Time will tell if the  subscription  based revenue model will work.

My gut says they will have a difficult time converting Boston.com readers into paying subscribers. I don’t think it would be wise to sell of the Boston.com brand, but who knows.

What do you think will happen to Boston.com and do you think the subscription model will work?

.CO Registry: “We Are Almost At 70% Renewals for Year One”

Elliot Silver
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Last week, I posted a video of an interview with .CO Registry  Chief Operating Officer,  Nicolai Bezsonoff. In the interview, Bezsonoff stated that first year renewals are “fantastic,” although he didn’t quantify this.

In the comment section of that post, .CO Registry VP Lori Anne Wardi posted an update about the renewal rate, stating that .CO is “almost at 70% renewals for year one.” Compared to other renewal #s with which I am familiar, this does seem to be quite strong, especially considering most domain registrars didn’t offer much in the way of concessions in renewal pricing or coupons.

With over one million domain names registered in its first year, a 70% renewal rate is very strong, especially considering that it’s month 14 of .CO, so we’re not just talking about the best keyword .CO domain names that were purchased in the first days of .CO availability.

I think this shows the viability of .CO domain names and it also shows that there is considerable money to be made on the registry side of the business when new gTLDs are introduced to the public.

Q3 Estimated Taxes Due This Week

Elliot Silver
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Here’s a reminder for those of you who are based in the United States and have to pay estimated quarterly taxes: Your Q3 2011 payment (for June 1 – August 31) is due to the Internal Revenue Service on Thursday, September 15, 2011.

According to the IRS, “if payment is mailed, the date of the U.S. postmark is considered the date of payment,” so you have a few days before you need to stick your check in the mail.

Hopefully, you’re having a great 2011.

Sedo CEO: “Addition of a New gTLD Will Not Affect Prices in the Secondary Domain Market”

Elliot Silver
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SedoBecause Sedo is a sales platform that serves as a venue for domain names of all extensions, and because of the breadth of its sales, I think company CEO (and co-founder) Tim Schumacher is well positioned to opine on the impact gTLDs may have on the value of domain names.

So does Tim think gTLDs are going to change or devalue the price of existing domain names? According to Schumacher, “the answer here is simple: No. The addition of a new gTLD will not affect prices in the secondary domain market.”  Schumacher continued,  “for example, the introduction of a number of new gTLDs in 2001 (.aero, .biz, .coop, .info, .museum, .name, and .pro) highlight how some extensions flourish, while other do not.   I’d imagine many of people would not have even realized that some of these TLDs were launched.   The inconvenient truth for any new gTLD is that, in 2001, you needed a .com to start a business (or a country-specific equivalent) and that rule still applies ten years later.”

I’ve been hearing quite a bit of buzz about .XXX domain names, and Schumacher commented on that extension as well. Said Schumacher, “while the .xxx extension is receiving much media attention of late, without a mandate to force adult content to the extension, it’s simply another new extension that brands should be aware of.”

One thing that will be interesting is to see whether Sedo has any restrictions on selling .XXX domain names. Sedo has an adult domain name section, and I am curious about whether they will push all .XXX domain names there since they currently look to the left of the dot for cues.

9/11 Memorial: Out Enjoying New York City

Elliot Silver
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There’s no place I would rather be than in New York City today.

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