Sunday Morning Updates

I am almost back home, and here are a few updates for the weekend.

  • Thanks to everyone who commented on my post the other day. I plan to select the winner at some point tomorrow afternoon and will let that person (and everyone else) know who was selected. Depending on the interest level and the time, I might do something like this in the future.
  • If you’ve sent me an email in the last week, please excuse my belated reply. It’s going to take a few days to catch up on emails. If you don’t hear back from me for some reason, please re-send your email and I will be in touch.
  • I read a couple of domain-related articles that people sent to me this past week, and it seems like there was quite a bit of interesting activity:
  • >>> Regarding “pigeon shit” domain names – I agree with Rick in some ways although I don’t entirely understand the point behind the posts. Yes, there are plenty of people who register bad domain names. I’ve registered plenty of shit domain names. I assume many people read domain blogs to learn, and I hope I can flatten the learning curve to help people buy good domain names.
  • >>> I also saw Rick’s post about the traffic/oil spill domain names, and although I won’t pass judgment on another person’s or company’s investment strategy, I will say that I don’t personally monetize tragedy-related domain names. It’s more of a personal thing for me, but it disappointing to see Rick publicly disclosing these investments. IMO, people look up to Rick for advice and knowledge and when people see the “Domain King” owns BP (trademark) names, others might follow suit thinking it’s okay, and some might be okay but others might be problematic. Of course names like these get some traffic and revenue, but in the whole scheme of things, is that $1k (maybe) in revenue worth it?
  • >>> Mike Berkens’ post about the CamRoulette.com lawsuit was interesting and had some great responses. I don’t really feel badly for the 20 year old “kid” because I’ve been in the position of losing out on a name after a price was agreed upon. I don’t wish any ill-will on him, but I hope anyone who reads about this sees that backing out of a deal (even one consummated via email) is not only unprofessional but can lead to additional legal problems.
  • >>> In that same vein, it seems that some potentially upcoming legal cases may make it more costly for a seller to back out of a deal. There’s the CamRoulette.com case, the 7 legal domain names sold on Sedo, the Women.com case, and the MobilePhones.co.uk case. If the buyers sue to get the domain name(s) and legal fees and win their cases, it could become known that’s very costly to back out of a deal. Right now, perception is that it’s simply a matter of a damaged reputation, but the reality could be that backing out of a deal is costly and not worth it.
  • I put some names for sale on DN Forum as I said I would, using a sticky thread. So far, two of the better names have sold and I will begin to reduce some of the prices and add names like RingtoneSites.com.
Elliot Silver
Elliot Silver
About The Author: Elliot Silver is an Internet entrepreneur and publisher of DomainInvesting.com. Elliot is also the founder and President of Top Notch Domains, LLC, a company that has closed eight figures in deals. Please read the DomainInvesting.com Terms of Use page for additional information about the publisher, website comment policy, disclosures, and conflicts of interest. Reach out to Elliot: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

13 COMMENTS

  1. Re: Rick

    Elliot, I agree with you 100%

    TM squatting names exploiting BP deaths and an ecotragedy is disgraceful, unethical and unlawful.

    Hypothetical — what if a spree killer murdered 3 people every Wednesday at Chevron gas stations for the next year, would it be ok to register, park and monetize ChevronMurders.com, ChevronKiller.com, ChevronTips.com? NO!!

    Moreover, Rick resides in a multi-million dollar home, generates millions per year, but he proudly flaunts TM tragedy names. Rick should stop loitering at the dollar store and get a life.

  2. Elliot, you have to take a side on the issue, we know you like Rick but the facts are the facts. Id go as far to say as he went from having some impact on the industry to now becoming a side attraction in the grand scheme of things. Does he own a handful (literally) of premium .com, yes but he has no more or lass than the top 100 guys ( you know this ) and his voice loses impact everytime he does something like this ( flaunts tm’s/unethical reg’s ). He’s kind of like the VP of the United States, has the know how, smiles nice but damn he says a lot of stupid shit.

  3. Elliot —

    I have to agree with Josh on this one. Rick has made a ton of money in the domain game and is the self-proclaimed Domain King, but for all he has accomplished, his proud foray into TM domains has cost him any credibility he has earned.

    It is also a black eye for the domain community when one of it’s most high profile members not only stoops to purchasing/holding trademark domains (which I think Josh fairly called cybersquatting), but brags about it. If other leaders in the domain community (yourself included) don’t speak out against such actions, then it simply reinforces the belief by some (including some in the media) that domain investing is an unethical little business.

    Thanks for pointing out the error of Rick’s ways.

  4. @Elliot,

    Thanks for the post. Only if I had access to this post 3-4 months ago. Oh well. I learned my lesson. Even if I had good domains, it is very hard to make a sale. I’m tried everything, even offering a few throw-ins instead the package deal.

    How do you add your blog to domaining.com. Do I have to subscribe to their membership plan. I asked you about it before, but haven’t been successful in signing up my blog.

    I think my blog would help people to learn about what no to do. I still don’t regret buying my domains because I acquired a dozen good domains that I’m confident I can sell after the summer. However, I will have to put in some extra legwork to move the others.

    I feel that Valuate and Estibot are worthless to generate an appraisal value, especially when people use them to set a price. I don’t understand how there are so many unreliable appraisal websites online. I learned to find the valuable domains, but now it is too late. I don’t have the money to even make a purchase.

    I don’t even have the money to attend my graduation at Washington DC. I only made $2 in donations on my blog in the last year. I’ve written close to 500 blogs there. That’s the reason I was asking you for help a few weeks back. I wanted to make enough money to attend my graduation.

    I’m earning a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. It’s not looking too good right now. I haven’t been able to make a sale because I’m hitting the wrong marks. I have a few exact keyword domains that are .com. I’m talked with end-users in meetings. I even visited on three occasions.

    I believe you know a lot of people, have a popular blog and have a strong skill to make a sale. I’m confident I have the same skill, but don’t know the right people. I receive very little traffic on my blog. It’s like a grain of sand compared to your beach.

    I wanted to apply to your domain contest, but I can’t afford to purchase domains at the cost of registration. Of course, now it is too late. The cost of living is way too much in Southern California, and I basically spent the majority of my cash – a few thousand to be exact – on domains since the end of January.

    I have learned a lot from your blog. I know I may create some conflict at times, but I mean well. I’m looking to be successful in domains. Good work on the article.

    Jason

  5. @elliot

    Flowers.mobi for $200,000 was a bad investment. The domain investor from Vancouver who purchased cookinggames.com is more respectable. I don’t listen to people who try to put people down, essentially because advice manages to go over the head of most people.

    You can’t fault people for failing to ignore advice. People are reluctant to trust advice, especially when it involves web-related business. You offer great advice. I didn’t agree with you that I registered bad domains because you haven’t viewed my entire collection.

    The executiveheadshots.com domain you sold didn’t generate that many searches. It is not that popular. You found a photographer that provided the exact service. You have skills and know people.

    Jason

  6. @Elliot,

    Do you spend a lot of money on managing Burbank.com? Most of your websites are made into cool websites. How do you transform domains into websites which supply information other than articles.

    You have information such as hotels, dining, and etc… When I host my domains, I offer information through my personal experience and research. I always wanted to setup a website to offer information.Once a visitor arrives at my website, I want to give them a service that will bring them back again.

    I prepare many articles on suisun.org, suisunblog.com, and magicwriter.net. Suisun.org should dip under one million in traffic within the next few weeks. I don’t make much on monetizing the domain. I made about $.18 in two months. I made more on donatetostudents.com. I had 2 visitors on that site.

    The first visitor clicked on an ad that generated $1.47. I receive nearly 1000 unique visitors a month on Venezia-abc.com, and only make .50 a month monetizing it. That site has a ton of backlinks, sites linking into it, Page Rank #2 and is ranked 1 million in worldwide traffic. How should I price this domain to make a sale.

    Sedo’s price suggestion suggests i price the domain at $2200. Website Outlook and 7Zoom value the website at between 2067-2900. Do you think this website can attract an end-user or a potential buyer. I’m willing to pay a percentage of the sale to move this domain.

    Let me know. Thanks.

    p.s. Burbank.com is a really cool website.

    Jason

  7. @ Jason

    You’d have to email Francois about inclusion in Domaining.com. I was one of the first people included so I didn’t have to pay.

    Burbank.com is in the process of being completely overhauled, and the new website is expected to launched on the 15th. I have a lot of information about the city for people who are from the area and visitors. It’s monetized with a couple local companies and a hotel affiliate. Once the site is relaunched, there will be a full ad sales team working the local market.

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