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Coming Soon: WhyPark Domain Apps

Elliot Silver
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16

I spent some time working with Craig Rowe of WhyPark and want to share some good news that some of you may have heard about in Vancouver at the Traffic conference. Next week, it is expected that WhyPark will debut a bundle of special domain apps that domain owners can add to their websites. At first, 8 apps will be available, and the company has plans to add somewhere around 30 in the near future.

The apps I am most interested in adding to some of my websites include:

  • Hotel Listings
  • Business Directory
  • Weather Report
  • Twitter Feeds
  • YouTube Videos

Craig set up one name for me, which you can have a look at to get an idea of how the apps can be used. Have a look at SwissAlpsVacations.com, and you can see I have used the Hotel Listings, YouTube Videos, Weather Report, and Twitter Feeds on the site. These apps can help keep visitors engaged on your website, can   help bring traffic (in conjunction with custom content), and can help you generate more revenue on your names as a result of this.

Probably the most exciting domain app for me is the Business Directory, as businesses will be able to sign up and pay for a directory listing via monthly Paypal subscription. Craig previously set up RateAHost.com so that people can see how the directory looks and how it works.

One reason I am excited about it is because I can add it to a site like TropicalBirds.com, and I can have a breeder directory by type of bird breed or state. It’s a great way to drive more recurring revenue, in addition to the PPC links. WhyPark already helped optimize the revenue on TropicalBirds.com, and now the new apps will bring a new revenue stream.

The second reason I am excited is that it will allow me (and others) to set up directories on their websites very easily. I would probably work with my designer to create a custom template and then add the domain app to the site. Had I not wanted to do a fully custom site on DogWalker.com, this could have been a good option to save time and money.

Since the apps haven’t been publicly released yet, I don’t have results yet, but it’s clear that it’s a big advancement for the company. Domain owners are able to build their sites individually or in bulk, just as they are able to do so at WhyPark now.

Swift Rank Investing in Hotel & Travel Domain Names

Elliot Silver
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31

As many people probably did after learning that Rick Schwartz sold SydneyHotels.com for $100k, I spent some time searching for city Hotels.com domain names to see who owns them and how many are developed. Just about all of the domain names I looked up are developed, which says to me that there is money in that business.

I was reading the comments on Rick’s Blog, and as is typical for Rick’s Blog, there was at least one negative comment alluding to the fact that the domain name has privacy guard and the owner’s info can’t be seen. For those of you who have any doubt about Rick’s sale, I can confirm that the buyer was in fact Swift Rank, and the company is an active domain buyer.

I’ve done some business with Swift Rank, having sold them some travel-related domain names last year. The company owns a considerable number of exact match geographical travel domain names in the car, hotel, restaurant, and travel verticals. Just about all of the company’s domain names are developed.

The company’s purchase of SydneyHotels.com probably isn’t their only   large recent acquisition. Swift Rank also owns the following great names, some of which were recent:

  • BostonHotels.com – Owned by Frank Schilling as of 6/21
  • LasVegasHotels.com
  • DelhiHotels.com
  • HongKongHotel.com
  • SaintKittsandNevisHotels.com
  • NewYorkRestaurants.com
  • SanFranciscoRestaurant.com

I would venture a guess that if you own any great City Hotels.com domain names (or other generic travel domain names), Swift Rank may be interested in discussing an acquisition.

BikeAmsterdam.com: Trade a Domain Name for a Bike

Elliot Silver
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6

In the last several months, I’ve picked up a new hobby – biking. Although it’s not easy biking around New York City (except in Central Park, which can also be a nightmare), I have enjoyed taking my bike out for long rides. As a result of this newish hobby, I’ve rented bikes on recent vacations as a way to explore a city.

After my last trip, I did a few searches for city-specific biking domain names, and I saw BikeAmsterdam.com had expired and was set to go to auction. I backordered it, and after a short three-day auction, I won the domain name. I don’t plan to develop it, but with biking being such a popular thing in Amsterdam, I think the name is valuable to any company that rents bikes or gives bike tours.

I sent out a number of emails to bike tour companies in Amsterdam last night, and I already received a couple of inquiries in response, so now it’s just about making a deal that works for both parties. I made a special offer to the bike companies who presumably have the ability to purchase bikes at their wholesale price:

BikeAmsterdam.com will either cost $3,000 USD or I will trade the domain name for a new road bike. The three choices are:

You may notice the MSRP is actually less than the $3,000 price for all three bikes. I know this, and it’s intentional. I want to see if I can trade a bike for a domain name. If anyone is interested in this opportunity, the domain name is still available until a deal is worked out.

Tip to Make Money on Your Developed Website

Elliot Silver
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7

As I’ve mentioned in the last few months, I am not really building any more websites for the time being. I believe I have built enough websites to manage (maybe too many), and I need to focus on generating revenue from these websites.

The best tip I can give to any web developer to make money is to be proactive in seeking out advertisers. Unless you have a really popular website, it’s most likely that you will have to seek out advertisers rather than waiting for them to come to you.

Visit competing websites and see who is advertising there and contact those companies directly. Install Google Adsense on your website and see what companies are advertising on your site via Google. If they’re small (not a lot of red tape in the marketing department), try to contact those companies and work out direct deals with them.

In almost every circumstance I can think of, you should make more money from direct advertising deals than you would with Adsense, affiliate programs, or some other type of indirect advertising deal. You need to be your own advocate when it comes to getting advertisers, and you should know all the details about your site that advertisers will want to know (traffic, pageviews, % of direct navigation, SERP for key terms…etc.).

It’s nice when advertisers reach out to you to advertise (and a credit to your website), but in many cases, you need to do the legwork to find advertisers and you need to convince them to spend their marketing budget on your website rather than elsewhere.

***

Just as an FYI, someone saif it might be against Google’s TOS to contact advertisers directly, so do it at your own discretion.

Luck of the Irish: Owner of VisitIreland.com Finds $3,600 and Returns it to Owners

Elliot Silver
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3

Pat Quinn sent me an article from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette yesterday and I thought would be a nice story to share. Brennan Breene of Bridgeville, Pennsylvania was driving on Sunday when he happened to notice a cash-filled envelope on the road. The envelope contained $3,600, which had been lost by two newlyweds who had put the envelope on the top of their car before they accidentally drove away.

Breene took the envelope and searched a few local websites to see if he could find any news about someone losing a significant amount of money. He learned about the newlyweds’ loss, and he drove the money to the police station to return it to the couple.

There is a video of the story (in which the VisitIreland.com website is mentioned) on the KDKA tv website, a local CBS affiliate. Brennan discusses that as a self-employed small business owner, he could have used the money, but he did the right thing and returned all of the cash.

2011 DomainFest Scheduled for February 1-3 in Santa Monica

Elliot Silver
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1

domainfest globalAfter holding its successful DomainFest conference at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, California last year for the first time, Oversee.net just announced next year’s DomainFest will be held in the same location from February 1-3, 2011. I am happy to hear this because I thought the accommodations were great, not to mention the fantastic location. In addition, the entire hotel is reserved for the conference, making private meetings easy.

If you want to attend the conference, jump on Farecast (a travel forecast website now owned by Bing) and plug in your travel information so you can stay on top of the best airfare. You should probably either fly into LAX or the Burbank Airport just a few miles further but with less air traffic and potential delays.

I am pretty sure there were over 600 attendees at this year’s conference, so if you want to meet a significant amount of active domain investors, this is the time to do it. The conference is also known for its now annual Playboy Mansion party (as if you didn’t know this already).

Press release is below:

LOS ANGELES (June 22) — DomainSponsor, the domain name monetization division of Oversee.net ®, announced today its annual DOMAINfest Global conference will be held February 1-3, 2011 in Santa Monica, Calif.

Based on popular demand, the conference will once again be at the luxurious Fairmont Miramar Hotel.   The entire hotel property has been reserved exclusively for this event, in order to create a relaxed, intimate environment for networking and personal meetings.

Speakers, Agenda and Evening Entertainment
Attendees can expect an agenda offering thought-provoking sessions, expert panelists, business building networking opportunities and first-class evening entertainment.

The highlights from last year’s conference included a keynote fireside chat with Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh, plus DomainSponsor’s Pinup Paradise Fundraising Party at the Playboy Mansion, benefiting Jenny McCarthy’s Generation Rescue Foundation. More than 650 domain name investors, online marketing and advertising professionals, and leading service providers engaged in meaningful discussions and good fun at DOMAINfest Global 2010.

To view testimonials and photos from last year’s event, and to see additional information on DOMAINfest Global 2011, visit www.domainfest.com.

Agenda details for DOMAINfest Global 2011, including session topics and evening entertainment will be published on August 18, 2010.

DOMAINfest Global 2011 Registration Details
Online registration will open August 18, 2010 with an Early Bird discounted rate of $995, available through September 30, 2010.   After that date, registration increases to $1,195.   Registration covers all meals, sessions, networking activities, exhibit hall entry and evening entertainment.

DOMAINfest has arranged for discounted hotel room rates at the Fairmont Miramar hotel.   For details on how to make reservations at the discounted rate, please visit:
http://www.domainfest.com/DOMAINFESTGlobal2011/hotel.

Moniker Premium Domain Name Auctions
Moniker ® will host two live and one extended online auction at DOMAINfest Global 2011.   Domain name sellers and buyers can find details on all Moniker auctions at http://domainauctions.moniker.com.

Sponsorship Opportunities Available
Information about sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities will be posted on the domainfest.com website on August 18, 2010.   Inquiries can be sent to sales@domainfest.com.

DOMAINfest Franchise Expanded
Based on the success of the annual DOMAINfest Global conferences held in southern California, DomainSponsor has expanded the DOMAINfest franchise in 2010 to include a series of new regional events.   These events are designed to make DOMAINfest’s highly regarded learning and networking opportunities more accessible to regional domain investors, internet marketing professionals and service providers.

Upcoming events include a DOMAINfest New York City Power Networking Day on August 18, and DOMAINfest Europe in Prague on October 6-7.   Registration is now open for both these events.   The recent DOMAINfest Fort Lauderdale event on May 13 attracted 135 attendees.

Keep Up-to-date On All DOMAINfest News
To keep up with news and updates on all DOMAINfest events, interested parties are encouraged to sign-up for DOMAINfest email alerts at http://www.domainfest.com.

About DOMAINfest
DOMAINfest is dedicated to the success of domain owners worldwide.   Founded and hosted by DomainSponsor, the domain monetization division of Oversee.net, DOMAINfest brings domain industry professionals and online marketing and advertising experts together to learn, network, and do business. To register or to get more information about DOMAINfest Global 2011 – including sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities – visit http://www.domainfest.com or e-mail info@domainfest.com.

About Oversee.net
Oversee.net ® is the leader in Internet real estate, specializing in monetizing, registering, selling and developing domain names.   The company provides an array of managed services to domain investors, corporations and individuals across more than ten million web sites. Oversee owns one of the largest portfolios of domain names in the world. The company’s unique optimized technology connects consumers and advertisers with highly relevant advertisements.   Headquartered in Los Angeles, the company’s core brands include DomainSponsor ®, SnapNames ®, Moniker ®, LowFares.comâ„¢ and DOMAINfest ®.   To learn more, please visit www.oversee.net

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