Breaking: 40% of Mobile Traffic Either Fraud or Mistake According to New Study!!

Afternoon Folks!!


They are starting to pay attention to sales and traffic and making money. According to this Fortune article, that just came out minutes ago, a BIG portion of Mobile traffic is worthless. Imagine that. Worthless traffic? Where have I heard about that?? Oh yes, I started writing about worthless traffic back in the 1990's and about every few days soince then. Long wait with this Pina Colada on the beach. But they are coming.


'A study by Trademob, a German mobile-marketing company, found that 40% of all mobile clicks are either accidents (buttclicks, perhaps?) or fraud. And mobile-ad click fraud is apparently growing fast, the company says. At the start of the year, fraud accounted for 10% of mobile-ad clicks. Now it accounts for 18%, according to the study'


I make money from Facebook, but Facebook does not make money from me and are still trying to figure out how to make money ON me.


But this email I got that I have plugged in with fictitious city name to protect the privacy emailed me the following and it is straight from the end user:


'I recently opened a restaurant in 'Mid Size City USA'. Wasted $6k on a social media expert to get 600 fans. Half don't live in the market.


Spent $1500 on MidSizeCityRestaurants.com and get 1,000 plus uniques a month from active local restaurant seekers.'


That's first hand evidence that I got just the other day. Real world testimony that trumps all the BS you hear.


It's all about 'Targeted Traffic' and SALES from here on out and the game is changing.


Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz


Tuesday, September 4th is”Business New Year’s Day!”

Morning Folks!!


Tuesday, September 4th is 'Business New Year's Day!' Huh? Yup. To me, one of the most important days of the year. It's the day 'Normalcy' begins to return along with it's cousin 'Routine'. It's the day the economic engine begins to transform itself as it gets ready for the all important 4th quarter. The excitement to me is like the build up to the Superbowl. Sorry, business turns me on and in the last quarter, that is when most of the years business is done decisions are made and a course is set for a new year.


What happens in the weeks ahead determines where we actually end up by the spring of next year when this ride coasts into another summer slowdown. Ever been on the 'Log Flume Ride'? Well 'Business New Year's is the day you reach the peak and just before you go on your merry way which occurs in late November. The hard work is done but these are the days that you pick the fruit from that hard work.


This is just the part of the year that really counts. That serious folks get serious. The folks that realize that the reason they enjoy their summers is because they work hard to make hay for the few weeks a year that they can make big things happen.


There are a few important cycles during the year for business. None more relevant and important than now. It all ends early in December. You heard me, it's over by the first week of December. By then the cards for the holidays are already dealt. Business will sink or swim with whatever decisions they make between 'Business New Year's' and the end of the year on the calendar.


December is a deal making, horse trading, get your books and taxes in order. So have a great weekend and when you come back in Tuesday, know we are in for a race to the finish line!


Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz



T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Awards Icons Now Available.

Morning Folks!!


We are in the process of creating a series of Icons for those that have been nominated for an award. They can display on their site if they wish to. Below are the first generation to get things going. But we are working on a few other things.


For example, for past winners, we will provide you with a more customized Icon with it personalized for your specific award and year. Possibly even your name!


Award1


Award2


Award3
Award4
Award5
Award6
Award7



Award8


Image10
Award11
Award12


Image9
This is just the first generation and Danny is working on many of these so that you can find the one that suits your site the best. I will be posting more TODAY. I will post them right here as they become available.


There is no link back required but would be appreciated to TargetedTraffic.com. We often talk about 'End Users'. So the first thing to accomplish that might be to build a road to something they can educate themselves about. Just a thought.


Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz


T.R.A.F.F.I.C. to Have 3 Auctioneers at LIVE Auction.

Morning Folks!!


You won't be complaining about boring, but you might complain about just how fast a pace auction we are going to present. For those that have been to any of the live auctions, one of the worst parts is all the wasted time between the actual domain names auctioned off. Once a winning bid happens, there is generally 1-2 minutes of bookkeeping and other things to attend to.


So how do you fix that? You have 2 auctioneers! While one gets bogged down for those 1-2 minutes, the second auctioneer will swing into action and keep it all moving and exciting.


We expect by the time auctioneer #2 is done with his auction, then auctioneer #1 will take over. And if not.....auctioneer #3 is ready to go. Call me crazy! Call it a lot of things, but boring won't be one of them. Reserve judgement until you see what we are going to do. My goal is to have as many domainers targeting specific domains before they even enter the room.


We have 2 hours. We will auction off whatever we have time for. I am encouraging portfolios and auction lots with multiple domains.


These are the domains as of this morning. I am still considering others and waiting on a few contracts. I am in no rush to fill the slots. The ONLY criteria is 'Will it sell?'


Lot #101 Tumors.com (No Reserve)
Lot #102 Fibre.com ($1 Reserve)
Lot #103 3dMovie.com (Aggressively Priced)
Lot #104 DesPlaines.com ($1000 Reserve)
Lot #105 (Awaiting Signed Contract)
Lot#106 gtldforum.com (No Reserve)
Lot#107 gTLD.org ($1000 Reserve)
Lot#108 AerobicExercises.com (Guaranteed Placement)
Lot#109 FixedAPR.com (Guaranteed Placement)
Lot#110 SeePrague.com (Guaranteed Placement)


Below are our strongest runner up candidates so far to make the final cut. Domains that are under Contract and serious consideration to be in the live auction. All priced well.
Once we have 100 slots reserved for the Live Auction, and great domains are still coming in, we will select the ones with the very best chance to sell. We plan to sell as close to 100% of the inventory selected for the Live Auction as possible.
SolarBusiness.com
VirginiaMortgages.com
BrownNose.com
BulletproofVest.com
gtldAttorney.com (No Reserve)
VisitBogota.co (No Reserve)
Tumors.net (No Reserve)
Kannabis.com
ch9.tv, rude.tv, pals.tv, investmentproperty.tv (No Reserve)
simplyletters.com, wholesalefruits.com (No Reserve)
joanna.tv, tammy.tv, kirsty.tv (No Reserve)


Posted on | Comment (1)

Rick and Howard’s Closing Argument of Why to Attend T.R.A.F.F.I.C. 2012

Morning Folks!!


Why go back to T.R.A.F.F.I.C.? The main reason to go
to T.R.A.F.F.I.C. is that when each of you looks back, so many of
your memories and friendships and businesses, started at T.R.A.F.F.I.C..
Your memories may include meeting someone who actually had a part in changing
your life style, your income, your hopes and your dreams. Your memories may
include learning information that was not available anywhere else in an
atmosphere conducive of learning. Your memories may include the fun that
you had at the lavish parties that you were a part of in different locales
around the world. How many people in your life did you meet for the
first time at T.R.A.F.F.I.C.? Now take all those TRAFFIC conferences out
of your life and tell me what life would have looked like? Do I really need to
say any more?


Lastly, the only reason I can even say these
things is because I have lived it first hand. Some of our closest friends in
the world we met at TRAFFIC. Their friendships are priceless. At every show I
have made at least a few interesting new friends. We share a common and nearly
unique bond. 7 BILLION people on the planet and we are a group counted in
HUNDREDS! Pretty incredible and spectacular and the only place you can energize
yourself in this unique industry is with like minded people. We just see things
differently. The show for domainers by domainers and Howard and I have fought
on your behalf time and time again. You can't buy passion like that. The passion we all share and have for what we do because we believe in what we are
doing in spite of the head winds along the way that act as fuel to get to the
next level.


I know more than I am at liberty to say. What I
can tell you is to EXPECT some major disruption in the way we are monetizing
our domain names to be unveiled at TRAFFIC. So besides all the other reasons to
come to TRAFFIC, the #1 reason is to increase your income and not settle for
the levels we are at now.


The mission is not over and we are expanding the
focus of TRAFFIC beyond domaining as businesses learn that traffic is what
fuels the Internet by producing sales and profits. We truly are at the doorstep
of widespread understanding and that will unlock the true potential of our
assets both in income and value. Just remember, even in 2007 you were still
only getting a fraction of what your domains really earned.


That's my final pitch folks. Prices go up on
Friday. We expect a sellout crowd. This really is decision time with
T.R.A.F.F.I.C. just 5 weeks away and limited space. The Industry will be there. Will You? Will
your company? To compete, to progress, to grow your company? To secure your
customers before others do, you have to show up and fight for them. T.R.A.F.F.I.C. is about LIFE
CHANGING OPPORTUNITY. That's what we do and that is why you come.
T.R.A.F.F.I.C. MEANS B.U.S.I.N.E.S.S. and we prove it!


Don't forget to reserve your room at the Ritz-Carlton.


See you in just 5 weeks!!


Rick Schwartz
Howard Neu

-----

Hurricane Isaac Could Produce the Great Floods of 2012 in the USA

Evening Folks!!


Well it's Deja Vu all over again as Yogi would say. Tomorrow the anniversary of Katrina. Something about August 29th. The wind won't be much of a problem. However floods will. I can foresee a huge area that is flooded if their predictions of 20 inches of rain come to be or if this storm slows down even more. New Orleans may or may not be prepared, but this is such a vulnerable area that I am afraid we are going to be witness to that vulnerability.


It won't just be the gulf either. As this moves north I think Flash Floods will become an issue. I don't know where this is all going, but you can be fairly certain it is not going to be pretty and could bring some major devastation and loss of life. I can already say I never saw anything in my life this huge. Florida to Texas and up to North and South Carolina and that is ALL before a single landfall. After the landfall, it will affect another huge area likely to go all the way to Maine and beyond. A lot of water is coming and flooding so widespread they will look back and wonder how they never saw that part coming. State after state after state.


Florida can take a pretty good punch because we have good drainage and lots of lakes etc. The parts of the country that it is about to hit is low and the amount of rain can rewrite some of the maps in the bayou country. North you have lots of valleys and Gorges and it is going to be ugly. And the real story could be east in Mobile and Biloxi because of the way this storm is shaped.


So keep safe of you are in the part of the country. Our wishes are with you. You are witnessing history.


Rick Schwartz
Have a GREAT Day!


The Votes are in and the Winners Are….

Morning Folks!!


Last year we had a record amount of votes. This year we blew that record away by lunch time!! Hundreds of you voted in the most widespread voting ever in the Industry. It was a real horse race and a big CONGRATS to all nominees.


Most of the races were very tight. The votes are in and the winners are to be announced on October 9th in Fort Lauderdale at T.R.A.F.F.I.C.


Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz


“Comment Whores” are robbing us of FREE Collaboration in an Effective Way

Morning Folks!!


In my last post I said this:


'The biggest enemy for domain investors is not the value of domains. It is not seeing and not understanding what is happening around us. The oxygen is in jeopardy of being sucked out if you are now keenly aware of what is taking place. If you don't understand the different sectors with different motives. What's worse, SOME don't play by the rules. They take a short cut. They LIE and CHEAT and FOOL to get ahead.


Just yesterday I went to a restaurant that was rated #1 and had rave reviews. Alina and I went to lunch there. The place was fine. No problems. Pretty strange menu. But ok. Just ok. I would be willing to BET that those reviews were PAID for. Paid for! Bullshit! Propaganda. Hook, line sinker. We took the bait.


There is even news out right now in 2 separate stories that 70% of both President Obama and Lady Gaga's Twitter followers are FAKE or IMAGINARY!! News like this has consequences. Change in plans. Change in how some might process this information.


So we are seeing that at every level. But in the domain industry if you don't see it, then your financial future is at stake. Just look at the 'Comment Whores' that are unknowns without a real name or email addy, spewing shit all over the blogs once anyone dare say anything not liked or are not wanted. Like barking dogs. Agenda driven drivel. But you are seeing some blogs like Elliot's that are rejecting that stuff and that's a good thing. Invisible voices, fake names and emails that are agenda driven and add nothing to the conversation should never see the light of day.'


They stifle discussion because who the hell wants to get caught up in the crap they see. Who can blame them? But it still takes a toll because people are intimidated and don't feel free to share an idea or something that they are doing that works in fear some comment whore will piss all over them. Usually to protect their own turf. Some tried to shut me up in 1996 when I first started writing about domain names. They did not want others to find out. They wanted to keep domains a secret. I saw a different path.


Acro Posted his comment:


'Rick, you hit the nail on the head.


I agree with you 100% and the issue is not what one says, it's putting their name and business behind it that makes a difference. A lot of nasty comments that attack you or others, I never allow through on my blogs, simply because they are from cowards with an agenda.


I challenge everyone that has the balls to say these things in someones face, to come to TRAFFIC and attempt just that. Domaining has been recently infested by fat-talking pu$$ies that parachuted out of nowhere, without even a single decent domain under their control.Keep fighting the good fight!'


Comment Whores are easy to spot. They usually come to protect whatever turf I might be talking about that day. They do it to try and prevent further FREE CONVERSATION and otherwise skew the conversation in an unproductive manner. They are many times the company themselves or their underlings. Not a big surprise. Many are just the 'Cubicle Whores' I have talked about in the past.


And make no mistake, they are whores and either they whore for themselves or they whore for their pimps. I mean bosses.


So on this blog, if you are not known, say something vile or personally insulting and there is no real name and no real email address, I reserve the right not only not to not publish your irresponsible comments, I reserve the right to compare what info I do have with other bloggers. I reserve the right to ASSUME that your real reputation on your real name is so bad that you have to go by a fake name.


Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz
'Some People tell me I have a short temper. I prefer to call it a swift and assertive reaction to BULLSHIT'

-----

Domain Investors are a MINORITY in an Industry Turning into an Octopus.

Morning Folks!!


There is a HUGE problem in the domain industry and has NOTHING to do with the value of our assets. It's the FACT that as Domain Name Investors we have gone from the majority to a SMALL minority. They have more people working at GoDaddy.com than there are full time domain investors.


The number outside of the small investor circle is growing at a rate bigger than our entire community every few days or few weeks. That is the level of expansion we are gearing up to see.


The biggest enemy for domain investors is not the value of domains. It is not seeing and not understanding what is happening around us. The oxygen is in jeopardy of being sucked out if you are now keenly aware of what is taking place. If you don't understand the different sectors with different motives. What's worse, SOME don't play by the rules. They take a short cut. They LIE and CHEAT and FOOL to get ahead.


Just yesterday I went to a restaurant that was rated #1 and had rave reviews. Alina and I went to lunch there. The place was fine. No problems. Pretty strange menu. But ok. Just ok. I would be willing to BET that those reviews were PAID for. Paid for! Bullshit! Propaganda. Hook, line sinker. We took the bait.


So we are seeing that at every level. But in the domain industry if you don't see it, then your financial future is at stake. Just look at the 'Comment Whores' that are unknowns without a real name or email addy, spewing shit all over the blogs once anyone dare say anything not liked or are not wanted. Like barking dogs. Agenda driven drivel. But you are seeing some blogs like Elliot's that are rejecting that stuff and that's a good thing. Invisible voices, fake names and emails that are agenda driven and add nothing to the conversation should never see the light of day.


There are basically 3 groups of domain names. By far the biggest and most important are those used by businesses around the world to identify themselves, brand themselves, sell things and grow. That is the BASIS for VALUE to begin with that many forget about.


The next group is you and me. The domain investor. We have a limited audience with collective value that can't even be measured. Tens of Billions, Hundreds of billions. Who knows. The ONLY reason we exist is because of the first group. Without them, we would have sand in the desert!


Then we have the 3rd class or group. They are the masses trying to do anything in their power to duplicate something that is not duplicate-able in THIS medium. They want to repeat what group number 2 did. US. But they CAN'T because they don't have group #1. We do! They would almost have to invent their #1 all over again. Good luck with that. Should be complete about the time your children's grand kids get married.


Let me prove part of that. I got in at the tale end of the 800 number business. But even then their was a path to success. I was the very last guy to come in that industry before it basically collapsed. The LAST guy. But it taught me what was to come.


Many people made tens of millions of dollars with 800 numbers. Many. Hundreds. Not to mention the big companies like AT&T who invented the 800 number and the end user that sold many tens of millions in extra new sales because of the stigma associated in those days to spend $2 a minute on a long distance phone call.


The 888 number's came out. Sure there was new opportunity and many made millions. Not many. Some. Few. But the point is many more participated only to realize it was a smaller pie. Hello!!?? See what is coming now?? They came to a dying industry. Dying because if the Internet. Not because if a new extension.


There are anywhere from 350-1000 men and women that you could truly categorize as 'Domain Investors' on the entire planet. Then you could categorize those into several groups. But for this example, we don't have to.


How many will that number grow by with 1000 new gTLD's for example? Let's see it goes to 100,000 or even 1,000,000. The point of this equation is that the gtld's will have 1000 times as many participants as we all have now, splitting a pie that will never even be 10% the size of .com. That's a damn crowded pool!!


There will always be successes. But they will be fewer, wider and not as great. The pool just is not that deep. The crowds will make it even difficult to find clear water to dive into.


or


The pool will be deeper, bigger and EMPTY.


Either way.....


Just an equation that gives an answer years before the event. I would even like to be proven wrong because wrong means new opportunity. So just like 800 and 888 I don't see the threat. I just see an expansion. Expansion is not a threat even tho many react that way. 888 was never a threat to 800.


.TV, .ME, .whatever even in success will never be a threat to .com. NEVER in OUR lifetimes.


But behold, that is just one leg of this Octopus. A leg that will give birth to other legs. Thousands of legs from that one.


There is no way I could even write about the other legs of this octopus in just one blog post. Lots of legs to talk about. Registrars, PPC, Lead Gen, SEO, Social Media, Fake Social Media, aftermarkets, valuations. I think I might need a blog post just to identify all the tentacles.


But guess what?? None of this matters unless you are oblivious to what is happening. Unaware of the changes and motives and propaganda to make you weaker or even to doubt yourself.


So if you are at a point you are doubting yourself.....STOP! You are just falling victim to BULLSHIT! You are listening to all types of DRIVEL as folks STRUGGLE to keep their companies in business. Allied companies.


The only thing going on is folks are selling their souls to repeat what we did and are doing! If you are a domainer that thinks your domains will be less valuable in the future, YOU ARE A VICTIM! Hook, line and sinker. Spit out the bait you fool before it is too late and you swallow it.


Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz


A Bunch of”Mini Goals” Add Up to”Major Goals”. I Hit a Major Personal Goal Today!

Morning Foks!!


I am 'Goal Oriented'. I was not always wired that way. It was taught and then self learned and then employed over and over and over again over time. It's a great feeling to know you have a road map to almost every goal before you even set the goal. A realistic chance of achievement so strong there is little or no doubt of success. Some goals loftier than others. Each usually a pretty long journey.


Today I hit a Major personal goal of mine. But it was made up of a lot of Mini-Goals and rewards along the way. But this one was the toughest one I may have ever faced. I had to change my habits in a real way. I had to change things in life that I did not want to change. But I made a choice. I made a decision. I decided to do something and not do it the conventional way, but my way and in my time.


What motivated me? Diabetes, Cancer, Death or whatever else, God willing, being in the 60's, 70's, 80's might bring. So I decided to do something proactive. I decided to lose the weight I had gained from being a domainer and sitting at this computer for the past 17 years. Going from fit to fat.


I like to eat! Strike that. I LOVE to eat! What better way to celebrate a good day but with a great, and in my case, HUGE meal. I am an eater. Get into the hotel, let's have rooms service before we go to cocktail hour on the way to dinner and then maybe a hot fudge sunday on the way back and maybe a late night snack. Set you clocks for 8AM because the breakfast buffet is off the hook. Then we'll do something special for lunch and get a quick snack before we order room service and go to the cocktail hour......repeat, repeat, repeat. FAT! FAT! FAT!


It was not unusual for me when I look back to go out and eat 5000 calories at one sitting. 10,000-12,000 a day. Day after day after day until there was no room in my body and I almost exploded. I ate like Michael Phelps and looked like I swallowed a bowling ball or two.


When I went on my 30 day Honeymoon with Alina I weighed 197LB. 48 hours before the Ceremony. Then 203 at the wedding and a whopping 217 at the Beverly Hills Hotel before I stopped weighing myself on the trip. So I guess I would have topped out at 220LBS as I arrived back home from that trip. I mean it was a culinary trip the likes of which I had never done or imagined before.


Then 3 summers ago I decided that if I did not get this under control it was going to get completely out of control. It would make me have health issues and so I prepared my mind for the journey to come. I prepared to change the habits that got me to that point. It was not easy after 55 years of eating for sport. My favorite pass time. Almost.


When I set goals I set them in steps. Achievable steps that give me the fuel and motivation to continue and see results along the way. My Long term RIDICULOUS goal was 169. I mean that was like shooting for the moon. Something you shoot for but know it is not really within reach. So you aim high and do what you can to get as close as possible,


So I set all these mini goals. 210, 205, 200, 199, 195, 190, 187.5, 185, 183, 181, 180, 179, 177.5, 176, 175, 174, 172.5, 172, 171, 170.5, 170, 169. It is one step at a time. The only way ANYTHING works. It's a ladder. Skip steps and you fall to the bottom and that means you wasted a lot of time and energy to only be where you started. No progress. All pain, no gain. So I celebrate EVERY step along the way! Its the story of the tortoise and the hare. Folks laugh at me for my slow progress on things. But the keyword is progress. Any measurable progress is a success.


So TODAY, after 3 years, after some ups and downs, after learning what I could, after reducing this and that, I have reached my GOAL! Yippie! 169lbs baby!! Never thought I would see that number again.


My doctor asked me what I did because it is rare to see somebody keep the weight off? First of all I NEVER exercised. I just SLOWLY began to change my habits. Slowly going down from 5 bottles of Ginger Ale everyday to 1-2 bottles. Having one bite of Chocolate cake instead of a large piece. Having a few bites of everything I like but that's it. I told him I knew if I did not change these things and my habits by myself, I would go into see him one day and he would tell me I could NEVER eat this or that again. I like food too much for that to happen.


In certain circles I am known as the 'Domain King'. In other circles I am known as the the '800 King' but in even another circle, I am known as the 'Carpaccio King'. Really. Coast to coast and a few countries and ships. But that story is for another day.


So TODAY I am 50LBS less than I was and I still eat my bacon and eggs each day. But now I am even trying to modify that a bit to reduce the fat. But first I decided to tackle the big problem. Overeating. Now I will refine what I am doing and hopefully as those new habits get reinforced, I will be able to maybe lose just a couple more pounds. But I am going to celebrate to with a nice lunch, hopefully take half home for dinner and so it goes.


If I had to boil it down to five or six words I would say it would certainly be discipline, decision making, determination added with a desire and then realizing it takes 30-60 days to break any habit or to form any habit. Add that with a passion to succeed and there is not much in life that can stop you or me from achieving any goal. But few goals happen overnight. It's a long process. Many steps. Sometimes thousands. This one was just over 1000 days. But there is no force on this planet that can hold any of us back when there is a true desire to succeed and the PATIENCE to see it through. Whether 3 years or 20 years.


I had a choice 1000 days ago. I could have kept on going and today maybe I would have been 269lbs instead of 100lbs less. Isn't that the REAL reality?


Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz