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Top TRAFFIC Auction Picks (Moniker, Rick Latona & Aftermarket.com)

Elliot Silver
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3

Subscribe to Elliot's BlogNow that the three preliminary auction lists have been released by Moniker, Aftermarket.com and Rick Latona, I want to give my top picks for each domain auction.   Of course, all of these picks really depend on the reserve prices, as high reserves will dissuade bidding.
I think there are some fantastic names up for bid, and depending on the reserve prices, these auctions combined could set a live domain auction record. After many conversations with people in the industry, it doesn’t sound like there are a whole lot of buyers right now. However, that could certainly change if the domains are priced right. In my opinion, a great domain name is offered for sale at the right price just once. If you miss your opportunity to grab the name, it’s gone for good.
Below is the current catalog for each company, and I highlighted my top choices:
Moniker Auctions:
Cleaning.com
Trumpet.com
Europe.mobi
Date.Me
Show.Me
Love.Me
Buy.Me
Watch.Me
Play.Me
Ask.Me
Kiss.Me
Rent.Me
Loan.Me
Marry.Me
Gasprices.us
Hotblonde.com
Roleplay.com
BankStatements.com
Windelectricity.net
Scrimmage.com
Pathologist.com
Employment.net
Liabilities.com
CornedBeef.com
Aidsresearch.com
Ankle.com
Celibate.com, celibacy.com
Chickenrecipes.com
Daisies.com
Us.org
Camera.net
Pepperoni.com
RestaurantSupply.com
LowRateMortgage.com
Xx.net
Winks.com
Answeringservice.com
Creditscores.net
Consumerloans.com
Microphone.com
Pensionplan.com
Plo.com
TemporaryJobs.com
Shortstories.com
Vhs.com
Fired.com
Literature.com
Cancerresearch.com
Doug.com
Healthcareplans.com
Web.org
BirthdayPresents.com
Videodownloads.com
LT.com
Disabled.com
Electricbikes.com
Redroses.com
Warez.com
Deposits.com
Mine.com
LeaseCars.com
Internetdating.com
Poem.com
Graphs.com
Cheapsoftware.com
Teenagers.com
FinancialAid.com
Lowfare.com
PartySupplies.com
Zimbabwe.com
Searching.com portfolio
Ad.com
Bond.com
Babysitting.com
Winter.com
Creditscores.com
Sleep.com
CreditCheck.com, FreeCreditCheck.com
Stock.com
Adware.com and net
Homerun.com
Gas.mobi
CTR.com
Look.com
Camps.com
GasPrices.com
Blonde & Blond.com
Dancing.com
Bulldozers.com
99.net
Flights.net
Sites.com
Pokertours.com
Ticketsales.com
Calls.mobi
Sax.com
Ancientart.com
Catbreeders.com
Stores.mobi
Cuban.net
Clarinet.com
ClinicalPsychology.com
Musicstudio.com
666.mobi
MMM.MOBI
Races.mobi
Holygrail.com
Rescued.com
2009.org
Child.info, Father.info, Mother.info
Spanish.mobi
Officefurniture.info
Sponsored.com
Condominiums.net
Examinations.com
Laugh.net
Methodology.com
Stopsmoking.info
Bikestands.com
Soypasta.com
Keywordselection.com
Marblefloor.com
SummerCamp.com
Collectibleplates.com
Surroundsoundsystems.com
Electronicsupplies.com
Pressconference.com
Vintagecigars.com
Retrain.com
Starve.com
Usedmaseratis.com
Wirelessheadphones.com
Divingboard.com
Celebrityweddings.com
Telephoneconference.com
Property.net
Bilingual.com
Oildrilling.com
Greeninformation.com
Joke.net
Sleepwalking.com
Minimart.com
Cheapgas.us
Ugly.net
Japanesegardens.com
Orders.net
Located.com
Baseballplayer.com
Gamedevelopers.com
Technology.net
Amateur.net
Knuckleball.com
Breathtaking.com
Drillpress.com
Sportcoats.com
Schoolloan.com
Dogtrainers.com
Smart.org
Tabloids.com
Whiteroses.com
Yellowroses.com
CarBrokers.com
Firstdown.com
Podcasts.net
Discountrate.com
Bubblebath.com
Guardians.com
Fabulous.net
Massager.com
Emissionsfree.com
Delegates.com
Elegance.com
Barbells.com
Sales.net
GroupRates.com
Frisky.com
Discountdrugstore.com
Familycounsellor.com
Arizona.info
HerbalTeas.com
Furniturerepair.com
BlackjackTable.com
CEO.info, Teen.info
Companionship.com
Governmentprograms.com
CarChargers.com
SummerCourses.com
CellularPlan.com
Candlestick.com
Sports.info
Neuroses.com
Hometown.com
MensOutlet.com
Chop.com
Moonshine.com
Much.com
Shutter.com
Minority.com
Pickuplines.com
Upscale.com
Forget.com
Giantpanda.com
Drunkdriving.com
Waterfall.com
Easypayments.com
Seniordating.com
Mermaids.com
Plans.com
EDollars.com portfolio
Cutegirls.com
Subways.com
AccountingJobs.com
Chosen.com
Floor.com
Policy.com
Pay.com
Promqueen.com
Autobody.com
Affiliateprogram.com
Trades.net
Aftermarket.com Auctions
spywaretracker.com
Openings.com
parttimehelp.com
namelender.com
sciencebooks.com
studentcreditcard.net
taxoutlet.com
flooddamages.com
twinsizebed.com
usedclothingstores.com
classic.net
heatingfuel.com
addicting.org
formula.info
hospitalclothes.com
Drive.net
traveldirectory.com
equipmentbrokers.com
parentingtips.net
husband.com and wife.com
PianoTuners.com
deskheaters.com
acidrefluxrelief.com
antiitch.com
FluPrevention.com
footspray.com
reports.info
stayathome.com
dabbler.com
Palermo.com
studentchecking.com
energytips.com
kidflicks.com
officecomplex.com
peephole.com
rearend.com
RickLatona.com Auctions:
Wines.net
BroadwayShows.com
GolfClubs.com
CR.com
423.com
PublicAuctions.com
Drugs.net
Chew.com
ND.net
GD.net
Sugarless.com
SecurityAlarms.com
Microbrewers.com
Monopolies.com
LotteryNumbers.com
PreOwnedJets.com
HighFidelity.com
GolfClubRepair.com
GayLawyers.com
FrenchPerfumes.com
CustomBoots.com
ComputerBatteries.com
BlackEntrepreneur.com
BlackEntrepreneurs.com
BreastExamination.com
ModelSchools.com
PrinceEdward.com
BabyAnnouncements.com
CountryClubs.com
TruckRims.com
OneHourPhoto.com
Coeds.net
Rhodes.com
EFS.com
Cyberspace.com
Audit.com & Audits.com
MCC.com
ResearchLab.com & ResearchLabs.com
Atriums.com
GolfJackets.com
GolfSweaters.com
FinancialBrokers.com
DayTraders.com
CountryLakes.com
Lisbon.net
PER.com
NAP.com
GolfClothing.com
Tasks.com
SanJuan.com
Gas.info
Schnapps.com
PostOfficeBox.com
Spreadsheets.com
PaintContractors.com
MufflerRepairs.com
OilandLube.com
French.net
Vino.com
Cognacs.com
RugCleaning.com
RentalCondos.com
TheBronx.net
DefenseAttorneys.com
BrooklynLawyers.com
SecondaryLending.com
Autos.net
ER.com
StockShares.com
StockBuying.com
StockOrder.com

AIG Parallels to Biggest Domain Investors

Elliot Silver
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Subscribe to Elliot's BlogAIG survived a close call when the federal government agreed to give them an $85 billion loan in exchange for equity. As I understand it, this will allow AIG the opportunity to find buyers for some of its assets rather than force them to sell for rock bottom prices in a fire sale.   Because of AIG’s global reach, a fire sale would have impacted worldwide markets in a huge way. From my experience working with AIG, I know AIG has relationships with many of the biggest financial institutions and companies throughout the world.   Without the US government’s intervention, there would have been a huge impact never seen or felt before on a variety of industries.
Let’s look at it from a domain perspective. There are several major holders of premium domain names. While domain names can be highly valuable assets, most don’t generate a ton of incremental revenue compared to their actual value.   If a major domain company made bad hedges (maybe TM investments resulting in lawsuits or some other debt problems) and they needed instant capital to pay this down, they would be forced to sell their valuable assets.   If they needed cash immediately, it wouldn’t be easy to get hundreds of millions of dollars in a short time frame from other domain investors.
That said, if they needed to liquidate their domain names immediately, domain values would plunge as not all domain investors would be able to eat the hundreds of millions of dollars in domain names that were poured onto the market.   Good luck trying to convince a bank or lender to give you $5 million or $25 million to buy domain names.   The best performing names would probably be bought, but the mid-level names and lesser names would flood the marketplace.   Those in a strong cash position would buy a small percentage of the best names, but the others would be available, causing everyone elses values to decline.
There wouldn’t be a ton of money to go around in the aftermarket, so domain sales would be difficult.   Since we live and thrive in an industry where the most avid buyers are those who own the largest portfolios rather than outside investments, if the money well went dry, it would be hugely impactful on us all.
The next several months are going to be difficult for many. The best advice I can give is to be prepared. Keep enough cash on hand to survive for a bit of time just in case.   Irrational thinking and anxiety can cause periods of massive uncertainty and chaos, and we all need to be prepared.   Unfortunately, we are all in uncharted territory now and there is no telling what tomorrow will bring to the financial markets.

Flashback: One Year Ago Today at AIG

Elliot Silver
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3

Subscribe to Elliot's BlogOne year ago today, I was working as a Direct Marketing Manager at AIG in the Domestic Brokerage Group, while managing my domain investment business in the evening. I had a great job where I learned quite a bit about direct marketing, but my heart wasn’t into what I was doing. I wanted to pursue my domain investment business full time, and I wasn’t my happy self.
A little over a month later, on October 17, 2007, I tendered my resignation. On that day in October, AIG stock closed at $65.80/share on the New York Stock Exchange – which was up from the $49/share range it had been a few months before, during the tumultous times when AIG was being investigated by New York AG Eliot Spitzer.   People believed that the company was strong and getting stronger. The investigation had made AIG more of a transparent company, which was good for everyone – so they thought and said.
Thankfully, I made what turned out to be a smart decision when I resigned. With the current fate of AIG still unknown (and some even suggesting they may face failure tomorrow), I am very thankful to have had the great opportunity to work for AIG for 2 and a half years, but I am even more thankful to have left.   I am still feeling the pain of the plummeting stock price as I hold some shares, but I am not worried about losing my job. I feel badly for my colleagues at AIG, some who spent tens of years at the company.
I think Americans and corporate America became greedy these last few years. With banks and financial instutions giving loans and credit lines to anyone with a pulse, many Americans took advantage of this and now can hardly afford the overpriced homes where they live.   “Bigger is better” is certainly the motto of many who bought the biggest homes and cars they couldn’t afford. “Real estate never loses value” is another mantra that people had in their heads when signing huge mortgage papers that ballooned in a couple years and required little money down.   Financial instutions aren’t being reimbursed for these ugly mortgages, loans and lines of credit, and they too are now suffering.
Even those smart enough to not mortgage themselves to the hilt or put themselves in debt are facing problems or will face problems. The Federal Reserve will probably deflate the value of the dollar by helping to bail these companies out, or the federal government will raise taxes, impacting those who are doing well financially because they were smart.
All in all, this is a pretty bad day for everyone, but I am just glad I made the decision I did almost a year ago.

Steps to a Quick and Easy Geodomain Geosite

Elliot Silver
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Subscribe to Elliot's BlogFull-scale development like PalmSprings.com or PigeonForge.com can be very rewarding, but it is also time consuming. These are full businesses, and they should be treated like full businesses with developers, marketing specialists, sales staff and office staff – either on the payroll or in a freelance position depending on the website and management company. These sites are difficult to develop and grow, but they are certainly rewarding once the strong foundation is built.
Some people don’t want to have those responsibilities even though they have good domain names, and there are opportunities for geodomain development on a smaller scale. If you have a strong geodomain name (.com, .net, .info…etc) but an actual city name, I would like to recommend a few steps to launching a scaled down version of a geowebsite that will have less upfront costs, and it will be similar to what I did for Secaucus.com – which I continue to build out every day.
1) Do keyword research to see what people are looking for in the city (directions, weather, hotels, restaurants, homes…etc)
2) Contact a domain development service, find a nice free template, or create your own design template
3) Find photos of the city using a royalty-free stock photo site or Creative Commons site like Wikipedia
4) Write several articles targeting the keywords you found for your research
5) Place your articles in your template and add meta description, keywords, and titles to target those keywords and keyword variations
6) Add Adsense or other monetization option if desired
7) Add Google webmaster tools tag to your site and make sure it’s included in Google, Yahoo, MSN…etc.
8) Contact related websites asking for link exchanges
9) Contact local businesses offering inexpensive advertising placement
I’ve found that one of the biggest drivers to my geowebsites is mentioning local businesses. For example, if you add free listings for lawyers in the area, some people will find your site when searching for that lawyer. As I’ve been told, however, it’s much more difficult to get an advertiser to pay for a listing once they’ve received it for free. If you plan to build your site into a larger site down the road, this might not be a good option.
While I believe a fully developed site is of much more value, some smaller towns or non-touristy towns may not bring a huge return if they are fully developed. Building a mini-site can be a better option to build traffic to the site and bring a nice return – especially if you have a non-.com that wasn’t as expensive as the crown jewel .com. By adding pages daily, you are increasing the reach of your site at a convenient pace. Sometimes building a huge website can sound daunting, but if you do it slowly, it may be more rewarding.

Domain Theory: Searches to Results Ratio

Elliot Silver
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10

Subscribe to Elliot's BlogWhen people are selling domain names, I frequently see them quoting the Wordtracker daily searches for the domain’s keyword phrase as well as the number of pages there are in Google that have that keyword or keyword phrase. It’s often thought that the higher the number of daily searches and the higher number of Google results, the more valuable that keyword domain name is. This is just theory here, but I think the ratio of daily searches to # of Google results is a better indicator of value for someone that wants to develop the domain name.
The more daily searches a keyword phrase (“painting contractor” for example), the more value a name like PaintingContractor.com is.   If people are searching for that term, not only are some of them probably typing   PaintingContractor.com into their browser bar, but the greater chance this domain name will be relevant to more people.   A generic domain name is valuable because there are people who want to find that generic term. Some will type the term into their browser (with a .com) while many others will search Google for that term, and hopefully your site will come up in the top 5 or 10 results to attract the attention of the searcher.
I would argue that the old way of thinking – the more Google results for the phrase the better – is actually not really that great for the value of the domain name. Sure, the more results there are usually means that more people are interested in that topic – and that more people are writing about it and covering it on their websites. With more interest in the topic, the value should be higher.   However, to a developer, the more interest in the topic usually also means the more difficult it will be to rank in Google. The lower a website ranks, the less traffic it will receive, making it more difficult to generate revenue.
That said, I believe the ratio of daily searches to Google results is important to consider.   “Painting Contractor” has a WordTracker count of 367, and there are 896,000 Google results for “painting contractor,” which would be strong compared to “Flooring Contractor” which boasts a WordTracker count of 19 and has 309,000 Google results. The more searches with less results in Google means a website will likely have an easier time ranking at the top of the results, meaning more traffic.
I don’t think this will become a commonly quoted ratio due to the actual size of the result (.000405), but I do think people should at least consider this when researching a domain name. It’s great that people are searching for a particular keyword or keyword phrase, but if the SE competition will relegate your developed domain name to the second page of Google or lower, it’s probably worth less than a similar domain name in a less competitive category (assuming PPC values are similar).
This post will be reevaluated once the weekend haze wears off.   I spent the weekend at a friend’s wedding, which is where I thought about this 🙂   More time needs to be spent analyzing this theory, but I think I am onto something.

Top Notch Domains, LLC Acquires FrenchRiviera.com

Elliot Silver
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Subscribe to Elliot's BlogFrenchRiviera.com and Secaucus.com Join Lowell.com and Burbank.com as Top Notch Destinations on the Web
Top Notch Domains, LLC adds world famous French Riviera resort domain name to its diverse portfolio and launches Secaucus, New Jersey website.
Nashua, NH (PRWEB) September 12, 2008 — Top Notch Domains, LLC is pleased to announce the acquisition of FrenchRiviera.com. The company will soon launch a vacation and tourist guide targeting visitors to the French Riviera, one of the most famous resort areas in the world. The company is not disclosing the amount of the transaction.
In addition to this news, the company also announces the launch of Secaucus.com, a guide to the city of Secaucus, New Jersey. Both of these announcements are aligned with the company’s strategy of developing informational websites on high value domain names.
“The French Riviera is one of the most glamorous destinations in the world, and I am excited to have the opportunity to develop FrenchRiviera.com into a world class travel website,” said Top Notch Domains, LLC President Elliot Silver. “FrenchRiviera.com is the first international geodomain the company has acquired, and I look forward to developing it. If you are visiting St. Tropez, Monte Carlo, South of France, or anywhere else on the French Riviera, FrenchRiviera.com will help you plan your trip – from hotels, to beaches, to night clubs and more.”
In addition to Secaucus.com and FrenchRiviera.com, the company also owns and operates Burbank.com, a guide to Burbank, California, Lowell.com, a guide to Lowell, Massachusetts, and TropicalBirds.com, a website with information and resources on tropical birds found throughout the world.
The company expects a full launch of FrenchRiviera.com in Q4 2008.
About Top Notch Domains, LLC
Top Notch Domains, LLC is a privately held domain investment company specializing in the acquisition of high value domain names. The company’s President, Elliot Silver, is the founder of ElliotsBlog.com, an award winning domain investment and strategy blog.

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