Morning Folks!!
Yesterday I said IOS7 was a disappointment. Today it is a bit of a disaster. My advice DO NOT download this to your iPhone. It is HORRIBLE!
It needs to be fixed. Apple needs to get in front of this or they are going to have big problems.
It crashes every few minutes. It has more bugs than a roach motel. I can't believe Apple would put this crap out.
Rick Schwartz
Morning Folks!!
Until a few minutes ago I could not wait to order my new iphone tomorrow. After installing the new ios7, not so sure. It is hard to see and read as everything seems it is using a very light font that old guys like me can't see that well. Luckily I updated an old iphone I don't use cuz if it were for my regular iphone, I would be very disappointed and unhappy right now. At every place they use light fonts and not bold and black any longer or light white and no longer clear and bold. Big mistake! And that is just my first complaint. Ah, but there is a setting that helps some, but not al. The time is smaller, too small.
Matter of fact the entire operating system feels a little too Windows like for my taste. But I will keep an open mind. But at first glance the first time I am not wowed.
Steve Jobs is gone and so is his vision if this is what we can expect. I sure hope they fix the fonts because right now, no value to me. This operating system is not good!
Rick Schwartz
Morning Folks!!
Everyone is on the "Breaking" bandwagon except I am in a wagon in front of the news. The news is news. But what does the news mean? That should be the question. Where does the news lead should be an even bigger question.
So my question is who is going to acquire Godaddy.com? That's a much more interesting question. Who wants to get in the space? Answer that and you will have the entire picture. It would complete the eco system for many that could afford to buy them. My take is they just set themselves up to be acquired by several that are on the tip on my tongue.
That's may take. Based on nothing. But when you add that to the 1 and 1 approach, something big is going on and we are just starting. How much more proof do folks want that the business of business is back and is soon to be in full swing? That's the real story! You folks are in the middle of what will become a frenzy!
Rick Schwartz
Morning Folks!!
In January I felt the first gentle breeze of the storm to come. I said this: "With that said let me tell you what happened today. For the very first time I felt the 'Winds' from my 20 year plan. Don't laugh. Serious stuff."
In January I felt that first breeze. By summer there was no mistaking it. I just kept writing about it. For me as well as for you. It's always darkest before the light.
So what exactly does it mean to be in the "Gravitational orbit"?
OK, here is an exact example of what I mean and what I see. It means acceleration for one thing. It took me 18 years to sell 4 domains into the 7 figures. Let me make a very bold prediction. I will sell four 7 figure domains in the next 18 months. That will be because of things accelerating. I know at least 2 or 3 of them are ripe right now for the pickin' and 2013 is not over by a longshot. There will be more 7 figure deals still to come this year than the previous 3 or 4 put together. Let's just say an "Avalanche" of deals.
We are entering the perfect storm right now. Started on Labor Day as I have been writing about. The great race has begun. Not the eye of the storm, tho at times we might be, but we are in a perfect place to observe that storm and collect the fruit if you positioned yourself correctly. In a perfect storm you need ingredients and they are all there and more. I described it last night.
My posts are not islands. They are a series to be connected to each other and grouped into subjects.
If you are a member of the domaining industry doom and gloom club, snap out if it! Slap!
I swear to you a novice could come into this industry for the first time today and make his fortune in a couple of years. Just depends how smart he or she works. There are ways. There are ways to do it if you are broke. I have seen it done many times in many industries. That is why I have always said that your first deal is your most important. So you can start again today and just focus on better domain names then the crap I see out there. Check out what I have to say about the 2 portfolios on DomainSherpa.com this morning. You want clarity? There it is. But so many are too lazy to go and think and find that clarity. Thinking is the single biggest part of doing business. But few believe that or make time for it and so it is.
I wrote this about thinking in that January post:
"I spend hours a day thinking. That is my #1 job. I am blessed that I have the time to think. But I constructed that blessing when I was 20. I might have to drive from El Paso to Los Angeles for example. 1200 miles. There was no Sirius radio back then so had a case of 8 tracks. Plenty of time to think. LA to San Fran......400 miles and more time to think. San Fran to Portland and Seattle.....more time to think. Seattle to Denver a load more time to think. Denver to Kansas City and St. Louis And so on. Loads of time.
It gave me time to figure out some of the simple equations of life. Thinking and planning not only save time it helps to insure success. My #1 job is to look for all the pitfalls and see if they are deal breakers or is there a work around. So I think about it. I sleep on it. I forget about it and then come back to it with a fresh set of eyes. It could take even weeks or months. But it is hard and deep thinking figuring out a way forward. Figuring out things before they become a problem."
Look, everyone reading this has one last opportunity to seize this "Unique Moment in Time". Domainer or end-user. I have talked about it since the first post I ever made in 1996. But I will also say that "Unique moment" is about to expire. When that clock hits 20 years, the game won't be affordable any longer. The frenzy started a while ago. But it takes time to ramp up. We are on the ramp and the pedal is down.
And not to change the subject but maybe that is the biggest problem I see. Domaining is a long-term game with a lot of short-termers floundering like a fish out of water. They want to argue they don't need water.
You're not far from the water but your flopping and flipping in the wrong direction. You should be collectors and connoisseurs even if you are going to flip something in 5 minutes. I mean imagine a guy opening up a memorabilia store and he knows nothing of the difference between one piece and the next. Between a Babe Ruth baseball card and a Tim Tebow football card. That would be insane. Well there is a lot of insanity in domaining and it is so sad to see.
Rick Schwartz
Afternoon Folks!!
Just a few weeks ago there was widespread doom and gloom throughout the industry. I really have never seen anything quite like it and wrote about it several times with these posts I have linked to in this opening paragraph. But it does prove Human Nature once again. So many give up just before success shows up and could have rescued them. Are we on the eve of a "Frenzy"? We may be and here is why.
You can thank the gTLD's in part. In large part. Embrace or reject, does not even matter.
Really!
Why?
Because it forced the Fortune 500 companies and those down the chain to discuss their long-term domain name strategy. They most likely never had that discussion before and if they did it was in the last century. Maybe the first time they ever had such high level meetings about the subject of domains. And the outcome will be mixed. But I can tell you that the majority rejected the notion and then the conversation turns to the long-term strategy and online vision and what it will take to compete. And it would be a natural progression of things to discuss the .com domain name they have and the one or ones they want going forward as well as what domains their competition uses.
And since they can't buy any gTLD's right now, the other group that may embrace gTLD's loop around to the same conversation since you can't buy what isn't available.
It's just a phenomenon and one that can be predicted and seen but can't be controlled. It has to happen in a natural way and that is exactly what is happening at this very point in time. Right on schedule. In board rooms everywhere. The dynamics have changed. They have been changing all summer long as I have been stating. I see it as a volcano, you can react after it erupts or you can tune in to see the subtle differences before it blows and position yourself.
Rick Schwartz
Morning Folks!!
We have had the domain name Bergzeit.com on our Hall of Shame watch listand today marked 3 for 3 as 3 on the watch list has now been found guilty of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking. Bergzeit GmbH represented by Riegger Rechtsanwälte, Ludwigsburg, Deutschland is now a Reverse Domain Name Hijacker!
I am also told that another domain on the Hall of Shame watch list case, Share.tv, complaint has been withdrawn. Maybe folks are starting to get the message?
Rick Schwartz
Morning Folks!!
As you know I aim to sell no more than 1 domain per year to bridge that 20 year gap I talk about all the time. In June I stated that the "Financial Recession is over". Now look at the wording. The keyword there was "Financial". That meant that the institutions were back on solid ground. We paid for that as the incomes declined and so did standard of living. But that discussion is for another day. I wrote that on June 9th.
But the one I wrote 2 days later spelled it out even more clearly:
"In 2007 I wrote about it and prepared for it cuz I saw in coming.
In 2008 we were in New York City when they were jumping out of windows.
In 2009, 2010, 2011 we lived thru the fallout.
In 2012 we started rising from the ashes and by the end of 2013 we may be roaring back. My first post about this just 2 days ago."
On June 22nd I write a post entitled:
"I Stated the The Recession Was Over on June 9th! Now Even Bernanke Agrees." That post is here.
On June 24th I asked "What Evidence there was that the recession was over?" That post is here.
On June 28th I talked about the "Great Domain Industry Boom" That post is here.
On July 11th I stated "Keep sitting on the sidelines but this is 2003 all over again!" That post is here.
On July 12th I explained why "Domains were the single most undervalued asset in the world." That post is here.
On August 1st I explained how we were entering a new era. That post is here.
On September 1st I shared the story of my first days in domaining. That post is here.
On September 3rd I explained why this was the most important Labor Day ever! That post is here.
On September 8th, just 10 days ago, I proclaimed that 2013-2018 would be the "Golden Era of Domaining". That post is here.
Point is I spent all summer writing about this during the period of doom and gloom so I would be 100% clearly on record like I have never been before and that is not an easy thing to do as I have been on the record for a very long time.
In 2003 the sale of Men.com ignited things overnight. It was the fuel that gave birth to T.R.A.F.F.I.C.
This time it was not overnight. My new 7 figure sale was preceded by 2 other huge 7 figure sales just in the last 10 week!!
Just a few days ago, on 9/11, IG.com sold for $4.7MM
In July 114.com was sold for $2.1MM
Compare that to 2012 when there were only two reported 7 figure transactions for the entire year. Investing.com at $2.45MM and PersonalLoans.com at $1MM.
So with my new sale that I can make public in the weeks ahead, that makes three reported sales in just the last 10 weeks! That's significant. And what is even more significant is the size of the sales.
So fine, ignore all those posts and sit on the sidelines. But my only question is "How can't you see what is coming?" More importantly, "How can't you see what is here?"
Evidence can't be ignored. Just today Elliot is reporting the sale of Chicago.com now confirmed by Crain. I think it safe to say it was well into the 7 figures if not more.
Stop selling yourselves short. If you have premium domains you are set for life. If you don't, and the $$$ are not rolling in, scrap what you are doing and go get some before it is too late.
Afternoon Folks!!
Last week we covered a company doing well because they are advertising on Porn sites. This week CNBC is covering the story. Well that only took 15 YEARS to figure out. People that like sex....EAT! And buy cars and buy all kinds of other stuff. These very progressive companies seem not to be in tune with their own client base. They all have sex!
"You won't see blue chip companies advertising on a porn website. At least not yet. Those American icons don't need to. They have images to uphold, and they're awash in advertising money to make sure you see their products whenever, wherever. However, when you're a self-funded start-up, you have to be creative … and perhaps a little less straight-laced."
Well, well, well. Did you know that "Chicago is the horniest city in America"? Go read the article and better yet, read it from the end-user himself. Results and everything else.
Rick Schwartz
Morning Folks!!
Let's take a few minutes maybe even a few posts to untangle this clusterf*ck of what is coming and what the Myths and Facts really are. And if I don't know, I will make it up. I will come to an assumption. I will use what facts are available and at the minimum use that as the starting point because you need somewhere to start and assumptions are perfect until you can plug-in the actual facts when they unfold. And if you have been paying attention they have been unfolding every day. And if you have some parallels set up, you can already see what is coming and the stages they are coming in. Let's just say "Consolidation" will be the keyword for the first 5-10 years or more and we have already seen that happen. Or die on the vine.
Myth #1 "gTLD's are bad for the Industry."
Well it may be a mess and it may be a clusterf*ck of historical proportions, it will also bring awareness and tens of billions of dollars into our space. Normally I would say sales. But in this case, the #1 expenditure will likely be advertising and other means to bring awareness but does not necessarily result in sales that are strong enough to support. Not to mention employees, customer service, unexpected glitches. A rocky road. It costs money to pave the way and get to a smooth time. Many won't survive that journey and some already gave u before the trip even begins.
Myth #2 "gTLD's will devalue my .com's."
Well nothing could be further from the truth. It will do quite the opposite. Those that are saying that are likely buyers trying to get you to sell beneath market. How gullible. Are you paying attention to the after market? It is exploding! There is a reason for that but I won't argue the point, I will just state what happens before it happens and be on record so we can look back.
Myth #3 I am not sure what to quote here. But just an interesting observation. The gTLD's were open to everyone in the world. All the different languages. But extensions are dominated by English Words. Why?
Myth #4 "Somebody that owns a .com will want the other .whatevers."
As Page Howe articulated on DomainSherpa.com last week and I agree with 100%, he never goes downstream. In other words, if you own something other than .com then you want to grab every other extension and keep going after better and higher level domains until you get to the prize which is .com. But if you have the .com you are really not motivated to get the lower level extensions. Matter of fact, you can't wait for one of them to have a giant success.
Myth #5. "My .whatever extension does not leak traffic to the .com"
Sorry, fact beyond dispute. The evidence is overwhelming. So overwhelming in fact that it has the potential to sink the ship. Any ship. That's a captain of a ship that believes the ocean has no shallow spots and a few leaks won't hurt anything.
Myth #6 "Google and Amazon and the big boys are in charge"
Not true. The consumer is always in charge. Everyone chases the consumer. There are some that do it really well (Apple) and have a harness on it and there are others that fail like JCPenny and are wobbling out of control. The consumer demands certain things. And when you don't give it to them, they won't give their dollars to them.
Myth #7 "The buyer sets the price and is in control of a transaction."
Come on. The seller is the only one that can press the Red Button and make a decision. The seller has only one thing he controls, his wallet and perhaps lack of funds.
Myth #8 "Reverse Domain Name Hijacking is no big deal"
Myth #9 "Rick and his Need, Want, Desire" does not get it.
Sorry, few have challenged Need, Want, Desire" and "Value" becomes a knockout blow. Down goes Frazier! I am just saying that many of those that are doing this are unprepared for the reality of what they are going to find out. So their only play is selling the extension. And while everyone thinks they make 5X their money with a $1 million sale of a $185k asset, there are also many other fees and expenses and time and energy that the very people I talk about, don't count. Sorry, It all counts!! Ignore enough important things, minimize them like a shrinking machine and eventually collapse may be the result.
Myth #10 "We will have hundreds of thousands of registrations"
That's like the Internet guy saying that getting traffic is no problem. Until he finds out it is the 2000lb gorilla in the room and there are 699 other gorillas and some are much bigger.
Myth #11 "The success or failure of those extensions that are released first will have no affect good or bad on any other extension.
I beg to differ and did an entire post on it. It the first 10 are dogs, it won't help #11. If the first 10 are winners, then it will help #11. If it does not move the needle, it is even worse. That means nobody cares.
Like I said, it would take more than one post to go down the list. So #11 was just a replay bonus. ;-)
There will be many ways for the savvy to make money regardless of the fact that most people will lose their asses.
Rick Schwartz
Morning folks!!
Over the weekend a number of updates were made to HallofShame.com. One being that almost all caps have been removed from the text. I am in detox over it. Deep breath! We also updated the Watch-List Page to a table. And that bring me to the next subject. We have a new addition.
Canary.com is now the next domain seeking a Reverse Domain Name Hijacking" finding. We will follow each of these 10 or so pending cases. 2 have already been found guilty of RDNH.
Thanks again to "Mr. T" for work above and beyond.
Rick Schwartz
Maintained by Rodan Media
Recent Comments