The Rick Schwartz Domain and Traffic Blog RicksBlog.com...Home of the "Domain King"

SEO or Spammers? The Smoke and Mirrors of Search and Spam

Morning Folks!!

I get more spam from SEO folks than any other group except the Viagra crowd, but why?? If they were that good why would they have to resort to spam? So most SEO guys are FAKERS! That’s the truth friends. There are some real ones, probably a few hundred. But the masses of SEO types are nothing but spammers that sell a bag a smoke liable to disappear by the time you read this or never appear at all.

Want the best SEO guy? Do a damn Google search! Pretty easy to find the winner! Meet Mic Tienken. He is the #1 guy at the moment. He may be dethroned by the time you read this.

http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS274&=&q=The+Best+SEO+guy&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

PS: To clarify, I am talking about email spamming as well as telemarketing spamming.

The Posts I Write that Never get Posted.

Morning folks!!

I have so many posts that I write that I just never post. This year I posted many of those posts anyway as I want to be on record. Yet I have others that I have not posted. That just sit there. I want them for my personal record but some are a little too much to make public. Some things you just can’t talk about. You are not allowed to articulate an opinion without winding up certain folks and then dealing with the fallout. No skin off my nose. I still have the thoughts. I still have the beliefs. I just don’t share them as readily.

I have always stayed away from politics. However now that the center of business in the USA is in Washington and no longer in New York, the landscape has changed more in the last 200 days than the last 200 years. There is plenty to be concerned about. There is so much bullshit coming at us you just don’t know what to believe anymore. If the TRUTH matters, then all I can say is pay attention to the NUMBERS and filter out everything else. When you do that you will see that the real problems that we will all deal with long after the clowns and crooks in Washington are all gone.

People that act like the way the government is acting almost always end up in jail with their lives ruined. Let me see, they have a $10,000/mo income. Their bills are $12,000 a month. So they go out and go shopping and buy all types of things and sign all types of monthly contracts and borrow all types of money to do it. May as well buy a Rolls Royce since they are never going to pay it back anyway and since they are not going to pay it back and their credit is almost shot, let them spend their neighbors money as well.

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

Results of the TRAFFIC survey are in!

Good Morning  Folks!!

The results were overwhelming...a bit less food, lower prices. By a margin of 6-1.

As I have stated this is YOUR show. So we will try some different things in New York this October. You will still get the same level of service and networking that you have come to expect at T.R.A.F.F.I.C.. The parties will all still be great. You just won't gain as much weight as previous shows but there will still be plenty of food and drink to make your networking and business experience the best it can be.

Now your part in this experiment is to register early. Like right now. At $895 we are rewarding those who commit early. This is the formula we need to still put on a great show. The prices will eventually rise to $1495. This price level is important to us as well. Some folks can't decide early for one reason or another and that is fine, but we MUST charge more which again is part of an overall formula to produce a first class no nonsense show that brings new speakers and top level keynoters. So this is a significant savings for your planning ahead and getting on board early. Plus spouse rates are just $199. HOWEVER, THIS PRICE IS ONLY GOOD until June 30th or 100 tickets, whichever comes first. So those who want great prices now have the opportunity to save hundreds of dollars. The larger crowd that we will attract will allow us to still serve great food and drink for which T.R.A.F.F.I.C. has become known. You have three weeks!  The price goes up no later than July 1.

We are already deep in planning the New York show. It will come at a time that will prove to be more timely than any other show we have ever put on. We are going to reach out way beyond the domain industry to bring in new blood and new views as we trail blaze together once again. We are in uncharted waters and many decisions need to be made. This show will help you define a direction. Chart a course. Start to focus on building and creating businesses by studying the market, looking for voids and new opportunities.

Finally, let me take a minute to set the table and be clear about our intentions. This is just an experiment. We are doing this to increase attendance and open up TRAFFIC to a wider audience. We reserve the right to increase prices back to regular levels if we see there are no real results. So if price has been the barrier we have heard about for so long, that barrier has been removed. This experiment only works when we each do our part. Our job is to keep costs low and still provide the great networking and speakers etc. Your job is to sign up right now. For companies with multiple employees, this is a significant savings for just making a decision right now over postponing it for 60 or 90 days. So please, help US, help YOU.

Thanks for your time!!

Rick and Howard

Flashback 1997. Getting back to Basics

Good Afternoon Folks!!

Every once in a while I stumble on something I wrote early on. Today I stumbled on this post I made from from 1997. It may be something to keep in mind when you try developing and experimenting.

"How do I measure progress or success on the net? I do it $1 at a time just like steps on a ladder. As long as I am making a $1 more this day/week/month, then last, day/week/month I am on the right path. I experiment with different pages in a way that never ends. Once I have a page that does better than the previous one, then that becomes my new "Standard." If I change that page only 2 things can happen. I will either make $1 more or $1 less. If I make $1 more, I have a new "Standard." If I make $1 less, I scrap the new page until I figure out WHY it made less and go back to the safety of the last "Standard" page. Using this method I never fell off "My ladder" more than just a few dollars for just a few days and with one click of the mouse it was easily corrected. The beauty is you are always climbing to new heights and when you fail, you fail so small that it is just success in disguise."

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

Inside the Candy.com Deal

Morning Folks!!

Everyone always wants to know how big deals like this happen. I will start by saying that besides having the right domain names it happens by not wasting your time with every person you get an email from. You’ll be wasting your time answering spams from domainers for the rest of your life. A party that is truly interested will contact you over and over again. They will tell you who they are. They will be professional. And, you can’t piss off someone that really wants what you have and it rolls right off their back. They have a bigger mission than getting pissed off. So once they get pissed off, you know there was nothing there from the get go. 

So Greg contacts me for the first time on February 8th of this year. Normally I would blow it off. Especially since it was a Hotmail account. But he signed his  FULL NAME, his COMPANY NAME and his contact info. So he gets upgraded and at least gets a reply. I tell him we are in Multi Million Dollar territory and he says they have a budget of $500k-$1M. I tell them that I get an offer for $1 Million every month and my price is $3.5M.

Little by little after a lot of "No's" we find out what is important to each of us. The circumstance that we each face.  By March 18th we have a deal. But it is a long way from a deal to a DEAL. As you can see 2.5 months since the lawyers got it. But to hammer out a REAL agreement that PREVENTS future litigation, takes time and patience. Every item needs to be addressed and a remedy provided if you don’t want to end up in court someday. So the hard work is here. While you agree to the major points, the lawyers are the architects. They have to construct a solid agreement that can hold up under scrutiny and prevent any unforeseen circumstance and address what happens. To me, this is the KEY to any deal that is not just a cash transaction.

Besides the 2% off the top, I also have a provision in case Hershey’s or Mars or whoever wises up and acquires Greg’s company or the domain at some point down the road. There are a lot of moving parts in a deal like this. Lots of give and take. But the more moving parts you have the more flexibility you have in places where one can give some thing up that has little importance to one party while having great value to the other party. If price is the only thing you are negotiating with it is much more difficult. Not as much fun either.

When we finally had the agreement setup we still needed an escrow company that could work with us, knew domains, and was secure. Moniker worked up a custom escrow agreement in concert with our lawyers. They were the lynch pin in all this. But we could not worry about that part until we got everything else nailed down.

So from here, we will see. Should be a fun journey.

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

It's a DEAL! Candy.com Closes. And the Buyer is......

Good Afternoon Folks!!

One day they may write about this. How a small New England Candy company disrupted one of the largest and oldest industries in the world. Congratulations to Melville Candy Company of Massachusetts.

Rick Schwartz

G&J Holdings Announces the Purchase and Development of Candy.Com

BOSTON, MA — June 3, 2009 — G&J Holdings, LLC today announced the purchase and acquisition of the web domain Candy.Com and the development of a new internet based confections retailer d/b/a Candy.Com. A growing distribution channel that is here to stay, G&J Holdings, LLC has invested in Candy.com for the purchase price of $3,000,000.  The new internet candy retailer will service the growing demand for consumers to find their favorite bulk, gourmet, and gift confectionary products with great service, a unique and social shopping experience, competitively priced products, and expedited shipping.

Candy is an American treat that everyone enjoys, whether at a birthday party, bar/bat mitzvah, corporate event, baby shower, wedding, or a holiday gift.  Candy.com will provide unlimited access to confections from around the world with candy you remember as a child and even candy that is even healthy for you---all part of a new virtual candy store. With over 5,000 confectionary products, consumers will be sure find a fun treat to share with their family, co-workers and friends. The Candy.com team will add and update new products continuously to ensure customers have the latest and best products available from the confectionary world.

The vision of Candy.com is to provide the best online customer service candy shopping experience in the world. Confectionary products are what Candy.com will sell but the shopping experience will be the driving force behind its success including providing:  live customer support online; toll free dedicated and trained customer support personnel; and quick E-Mail responses.  Social shopping experiences will also be found at Candy.com including product reviews, blogs, and discussions boards creating an unparallel experience while shopping online for tasty candy products.

Perhaps the most important features of Candy.com will be its expedited shipping and competitively price products. With partner distributors in California and Virginia, along with Candy.com’s main location in Massachusetts, US customers will enjoy shipping anywhere in the United States in four days or less and in most cases two days or less.  Candy.com has also partnered with a Canadian distributor to supply an international reach to customers. Prices will be competitive with distribution channels both online and off. Customer will feel secure in knowing that Candy.com has negotiated the best rates for their purchases with manufactures and suppliers to bring all candy products allowing easy, quick and enjoyable one-stop shopping.

Candy.com was founded by two highly experienced confectionary executives Joe Melville, CEO of Melville Candy Corporation & Greg Balestrieri, Vice President of Melville Candy Corporation—the 30 year old family-owned candy manufacturing company owned by Gary Melville.  Greg Balestrieri will assume the role of President of G&J Holdings. Plans to launch the site are slated for July 1st, 2009.

Candy.com is the second largest domain purchase of 2009 selling for $3,000,000 second only to Toys.com ($5,100,000) to Toys R Us. One of the top 15 reported domain sales ever. With over 800,000 searches for the word candy online each month Candy.com will fill orders and provide information and resources related to all things candy.

The domain was purchased from a Florida based domain holding company run by legendary domainier Rick Schwartz (WorkSmarter.com) aka “Domain King” who last year sold the iReport.com domain to CNN for $750,000 and Property.com to Foreclosure.com for an undisclosed amount believed to be one of the most lucrative domain deals ever. Moniker.com was responsible for the escrow of the Multi-million dollar deal and was the final lynch pin in putting this acquisition together. Trinity Law Group, LLC which specializes in startups and emerging business provided the necessary documentation to complete such a deal.

Candy.com Sale Set to Close

Morning Folks!

The long awaited sale of Candy.com is just about complete and could close as early as today. Moniker will be handling the escrow and transfer. The press release is ready to go and will announce the company that bought it. Then we can all watch this small candy company transform themselves to a powerhouse right before our very eyes. In all the deal took about 6 months. Besides the $3 million for the domain, I will share in the profits with 2% royalties off the gross for 15 years. That should more than double the entire transaction. And with a little luck…..who knows.

I will post the release here once we close.

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz
http://www.twitter.com/DomainKing

The Future of TRAFFIC

Morning Folks!!

Yesterday I sent the following email out to the TRAFFIC mailing list. I decided to post it here as well.

T.R.A.F.F.I.C. has always been the show for domainers by domainers. The method behind the madness when we created TRAFFIC was to bring folks together that knew each other but had never met each other. Some had done business for years. So TRAFFIC revolved around several things. First and foremost was to slow everyone down for a couple days. Give them important content to help you grow your businesses and meet the right companies to do that. Then after a 12 hour day we would have a pretty darn good party or two. The key in the formula was to break bread with each other to form deeper more meaningful relationships and it was a good way to meet new people at every meal.

As the industry matured the meals have become less attended but still a very important part of the equation. Many now have private dinners and small gatherings. We never know and we pay for those meals whether they are served or not. It is also where we have our greatest expense. Where we have to predict the most and make those projections early on. That is the reason we have Early Bird pricing. The more we know early, the better we can plan. However we still have to guess about other things and there is never a way to accurately predict how many folks will come to any particular show.

So the point of all this is that I need your input. We can continue the formula we have used that has set the standard, or we can eliminate many of the meals and scale down the others. This would allow us to do a $995 early bird as well as reduce the spouse rate considerably. Does that have value to you? Will that $500 make you more likely to come and sign up early? Do you prefer being fed like royalty? This is YOUR show. The choice is YOURS. We just want to give folks what they want. So give us some feedback. We will weigh the overall response and report back to you in the next few weeks.

The changes could look like this.

1.    Instead of a full breakfast, it would just be a continental breakfast or none at all.
2.    Instead of a sit down lunch we will serve a Caesar salad or cold sandwich on one day and have our Keynote and Main affair at lunch on the second day.
3.    Opening cocktail party will have limited food and drinks.
4.    Dinners would be eliminated. Just a cocktail hour after each day, maybe.

That would be an outline of what could change to bring prices down. Cut more meals and the prices can go down even further. Your choice. On the other hand you may like what we do and how we do it and you see no reason to change the formula that has set the standard. Your wish is our command. Just share with us your thoughts and have faith that after listening to all suggestions, we will give You what YOU want..

So, do you want the no frills TRAFFIC with a $995 Early Bird Price or do you want the full deal at $1495? Your money, your show, your business, your decision. Let us know. Our ONLY agenda is YOUR agenda! We are listening.

Thank You!
Rick and Howard

The Ego Stroke. Does Size Matter? Yes! Small wins!

Morning Folks!!

The ego stroke. "I bought 5 million hits for .001 each."

The 2009 version of my dick is bigger than yours.....EXCEPT......

I bought 5 million hits and got no sales.

The bigger ego would say, "I bought 100 visitors for $500 and had 5 sales that will become repeat customers." So if size matters, traffic counts. The source of traffic counts. The type of traffic counts. How they interact with that traffic counts. Somebody tell the world before they all go broke.

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

It's all about Freddy!

Morning Folks!!

It's Freddy's birthday this weekend! 2 years old on Sunday. It's all about Freddy. He rules the house and just wants to eat 1 of our 6 cats. Problem is the cats will beat that Miniature Schnauzer  up every time in between the hisses. They were here first but Freddy rules and they know it.

Freddy as a pup and Freddy today

   

That's Ruby and her sister Pearl. They love and torture each other.

That's Blackie in front and her sister Ebby in back

Bully and Baby Bully. Father and Son. They love each other more than I can tell you. Baby Bully and Ebby and Blackie share the same mother. All 4 were rescued. Baby Bully was just hours away from being destroyed. This is when they were reunited.

So Happy Birthday Freddy!!

RIP George

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz