The Rick Schwartz Domain Name and Traffic Blog: RicksBlog.com – Home of The Domain King®

Morning Folks!!

When we left off nearly 2 months ago I said we were at a “Pivotal Moment”. Anyone out there that does not believe that now? The entire landscape has changed. But what does that mean? I needed TIME to THINK and understand how overnight, DOMAINS and Internet Addresses became the center of the universe.

Go back to my 2008-2010 posts and you will see I have consistently said the worst part of the recession would start in mid 2011 because of the extended weakness we were about to endure. Welcome to that point. This is when the recession STARTS, not when it ends. This is when it can become dire for some and great opportunity for others. But if you saw this coming you had time to prepare. While others laughed at my doom and gloom, I prepared. While others got weaker I aimed to get stronger.

You have to step back, take a deep breath and STOP. I have said so right on this blog many times. How will things change? What direction will things go in? I get some laughs out of some of the comments of what it all means. Let me be 100% clear. It DOES mean something. Something very big. Something that looks very different.

I learned about hypothesis vs. predictions and the difference. A monkey can make a prediction but hypothesis is based on experience and events and knowledge and understanding and training and life and common sense and 50 other ingredients and awareness’s and senses. There is a BASIS for an outcome, a conclusion. That’s how you see what will unfold tomorrow while FAILURE chases YESTERDAY or just curls up and dies as they become VICTIMS of events instead of beneficiaries of those events.

Most base their predictions on hopes. Or they base it on what they need and want as opposed to whatever REALITY is. Turmoil and Opportunity. That is what best describes exactly where we are. For some FEAR is the natural reaction. Some get paralyzed. But if you figure out how to time things right, you just focus on the byproduct of that fear and that is called “opportunity”.

Nobody has talked about that and now you will hear that phase over and over again. “Turmoil and Opportunity” is the place and the moment. Both are huge, one very dangerous and one dreams are made of. During the months ahead more industries will be disrupted than ever before.

Just in our tiny little corner of the universe there are companies in our space that are on the verge of collapse. There are companies that wander aimlessly. There are companies that are hiding under their desks. These companies risk sitting on the sidelines while others eat their lunch. In sports they call that a “Forfeit”. There are companies that came with fanfare that have now quietly disappeared. Don't forfeit.....FIGHT!

Don’t know what I am talking about? Then that is exactly what I am talking about. You can’t see great opportunity so you miss it because peril has you paralyzed. That’s just Human Nature at work. But if you don’t understand that part, then you miss it. I agree it is invisible. It is invisible because it is based on conditions and many conditions at that. But if you are oblivious to these things of course you would react negatively. Human Nature.

Instead of forming an hypothesis, some form fear or baseless predictions of no value based on want rather than reality as I stated above.

We may be in a recession, we may be in a crisis, but none of that can harness progress and progress is happening faster than I can type this. So are you getting your piece of it? There has never been so much money sitting on the sidelines. Plenty of cash out there. This is NOT a cashless recession. This is a recession of ideas, a recession of business acumen a recession of risk and know how. It’s generational but this time the generations are determined by how computer literate you might be or many other factors.

Generational because in less than 20 years we have gone from factory based societies to information based. Where the #1 tool in the world went from a hammer to a keyboard. And while you might think 15-20 years is a long time, it is not when you talk about progress. We had 1000 years of progress in 20 years. That’s like driving a Ferrari at 200mph when you’re taking a right turn. We added a communication dimension we never had and it is NOW that we are just understanding the new things that can evolve from that. Recession forces folks to step up.

How do you blog when the changes that are happening at this very moment are the most profound in any of our lifetimes? And on the other hand there are such numerous things coming out each and every day that no human or group can even chronicle the changes or stop long enough to understand the impact if indeed there is one.

So many companies are being rocked to the core right now. Others are rocking and rolling like never in history. What a stark difference. But these dynamics are what create opportunity on a large scale. See the largest changes in history are happening each and every day and while you may not see it, I am telling you, I sure as hell see it.

Just look at how many industries the iPad is revolutionizing. If you have not noticed then you are doing something wrong. You are not paying attention to the future. The iPhone was Apple's 'Backdoor' to taking market share. But the iPad is a disrupter right through the front door. And while there are now 100 tablets on the market, when added all together, they are still in the shadow of the iPad and will never catch them.

How many new uses and applications and cost saving and other features just from this one device? I have been all over since day #1 because I understood what was about to happen and why it was about to happen. Still we are in the infant stage and most don't see or understand it. There is a REASON Apple has more cash than the US Government.

Let’s analyze unemployment. That is a fallacy. What has changed is who provides the job. Who books your time. In more and more cases it is ourselves. We, as a society, no longer work for the factory in town. We create revenue streams not a 9-5 job. The largest, fastest growing parts of society are the people that move and shake and make things happen one deal at a time. One job at a time. One contract at a time.

Massive changes are coming to the Domain Industry. An entire new breed with very deep pockets are coming to the table. The biggest are faultering. The smallest are disappearing. The weakest are already gone.

10 GREAT domains make you a domainer. 100,000 worthless domains makes you a pigeon shit farmer at best and a fool at worst. The quantity game has collapsed. Quality is and always has been the real game.

I have listened to a LOT of propaganda over the past couple of years. Most of it was not true. Just based on a wish. Based on a prediction. Based on need and want. Not an hypothesis based on how things were actually unfolding and then finding a parallel in history to help understand.

I watched the entire future unfold with doteverything going viral overnight. But .everything just made .something (dot com) much more valuable and famous. The new game is expensive, but the game is trying to duplicate something you can’t duplicate. Every .everything will want, need and HAVE TO HAVE the dotcom counterpart. That counterpart is worth a king’s ransom!

Exciting times. Lots of new ways to make new money as I watch the masses…..GET IT WRONG once again. But wrong does not mean unprofitable. Right does not mean you will get rich. Confused? Start reading this blog and you will get a lesson in life as a dividend of learning and understanding domain names and what they have to do with Human Nature. Seasoned domainers, pay particular attention to the May and June posts. It only proves what I have said for a very long time. Some folks deal with the truth and some folks do what they do when confronted with it.

I have been very public over the last 15+ years as I did everything in my power to bring domain names to the consciousness of everyone and have them understand why they were important and valuable. With .everything, that mission has been accomplished and then some. Critical mass in domains has been achieved!

So the next phase is completely different. It’s based on another hypothesis. The one I came up with in 1995 and 1996 is now blossoming and unfolded as described back then. The new hypothesis includes the entirety of the last one plus 50 other ingredients and awareness’s and senses as described above. The only difference is in 1996 I yelled it from every mountaintop for all to hear without VISIBLE BASIS and now I see no need to do that. Point proven. The record speaks for itself and I intend to exploit that record.

My blog is my diary and opportunity to memorialize things with a date certain. To announce events and sales and thoughts and ideas. I always believe my posts would stand the test of time. Now more than ever. On the record, for the record.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!

In 1996 I never dreamed there would be groups just devoted to 3 number domain names. But there are and I have 3 number domain names.

In 1996 I never dreamed there would be groups that focus on 3 letter domain names. But there are and I have 3 letter domain names.

In 1996 I never dreamed there would be groups for this and that and the other thing. But there are and I have this that and the other thing.

For almost every sub-group, I have domains that match that group. Even 3D.

The big difference is I went wide and some drilled deep.

I only drilled deep in adult because that has proven over time that nothing you can do will kill the appetite for adult.

Soon, many new tld’s will come online. New opportunity for some and a black hole for others.

My only point in EVERY post I ever make is that a newcomer can get in the game on January 1, 2011 and make a lot of money IF he gets the FIRST buy right. The FIRST buy. Luckily you can make your FIRST buy right now even if it isn’t your first buy. Fool yourself! Pretend!!

You have experience that the guy coming on January 1, 2011 does not. You are light years ahead. You should whip his ass!! But, if you are not having the results you want and don’t do anything different, you lose. If you are losing, the last thing you want to do is the last thing you did again.

And, you don’t have to have money to make money in domains. You have to have a plan. You have to be smart. You can create opportunity! Did you read that? You can CREATE opportunity.

I have nothing to prove so the easy way out is the loser turning it back on me. That is why you are a loser. Want to change that? Get you mind thinking. But it is more than just trying to make $$$. Calling you a 'Loser' is not name calling. I would much rather call you a WINNER! But if you lose, that by definition is loser. Not personal!

If I was penniless and needed to change that today, I could name a few things I could do. The easiest and lowest entry bar is brokering a domain name. Just find a great domain name. Contact the owner. Get an agreement for a period of time to allow you to market and sell that domain.

A sale gives you seed money. A start. A direction. Of course you have to know how to sell, who to contact and how to talk to them intelligently. You also need to really know what a great domain is or you will be pissing in the wind. It takes the same amount of energy and time and expense to market gold as to market pigeon shit. Read that again. Please! Plus when you market “Pigeon Shit” you get frustration as the reward instead of a cash reward. Why would anyone in their right mind keep choosing Pigeon Shit?

And let me be 100% clear. It is not Pigeon Shit because I say so. It is Pigeon Shit because the MARKET says so. It may just be your timing. It is possible for Pigon Shit to turn into gold. But then wait until it turns to gold and THEN sell. Because right now, it is yet to be transformed. It is still Pigeon Shit.

I have Pigeon Shit. Yes, me too. The difference is I don’t try and sell Pigeon Shit. I let them drop. They are worthless. It is not worth my time to do a $25 transaction for something with no value. Nor would I feel good about it. The only reason I had the Pigeon Shit to begin with is I don’t chase yesterday, I predict tomorrow. When you do that, you may only hit 1 in 100. But for $800 in hand registrations, that 1 will pay that $800 bill dozens of times. It’s a formula that has proven to work for me for 15 years.

There is more opportunity in domains than anything I have ever seen in all my life. There are so many ways to climb the mountain. So many ways to approach things. So many ways to do whatever. Life changes ever minute and every time that happens a new domain opportunity is born.

My only point is that if you are not succeeding, it may not be comfortable, but do something different and try again. Don’t repeat failure, repeat success. You can only repeat something you did. So in January, grab a success and then repeat that success as many times as you can and do it as fast as you can for as long as you can.

The opportunity in domains is just beginning. It is not ending. It won’t end for anyone reading this while you are on this side of the dirt. Your only job is figuring out how to harness SOME of that power.

I was making well into the 7 figures before I ever quit my day job. I urge folks not to quit their day jobs until the time at work interferes with their domain business and ability to make money and grow their business. Then and only then would I have made the leap. So domaining is a natural part time entry until you ramp up.

So it all boils down to whether you have time, patience and a keen understanding of business and what is important to business. Don’t chase yesterday. It seldom works. Predict tomorrow based on history not yesterday. And of course……..stop playing with Pigeons! The same energy to play with Gold. I am rooting for your success. I don’t know if you have Pigeon Shit or gold. The only one that does…..your savings account. Or you can use this test. If my Pigeon Shit category offends you………

And of course it is one thing to buy Pigeon Shit for $8 and another thing to buy Pigeon Shit for $8000. I know. I have done both. But I admit it. I know the difference. I try and not repeat what does not work. The only thing I have repeated over the years that only has marginal success is trying to reach those in domaining reading this without the true success they want and deserve and only have anger and frustration banked up instead of happiness and dollars. But I figure with every post.....maybe, maybe, I sway one willing mind and they get to transform their lives. I may or may not know the result. That is good enough for me! We all have a way of giving back. Some donate to charity. I donate my time and words to willing minds and hearts. I just plant the seeds of thought and know some will germinate. Some with anger, some with greatfulness, some with nothing at all.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz



Afternoon Folks!!

So you want to be in the Domain Game? You are sick of Pigeon Shit. You are ready to see what you are doing wrong. Here is MY VIEW on domains. MY step by step guide to free yourself from Pigeon Shit!

If you seriously want to do this, just abandon all the bullshit you think you know. Before you can progress you have to cure the disease. The posts of the last few months and particularly the last few days was to do that. Now onto the real method.

1. You are planting a SEED not buying a domain name.

2. You are staking a claim not buying a domain name.

3. Seeds take time to germinate, mature and bear fruit

4. You are planting trees not grass.

5. This is a 5 year plan

6. If I just lost you, you may be lost forever. Don’t have 5 minutes? You will piss away the next 5 years and still end up right here to figure out where you went wrong.

7. Your mindset has to change from the immediate gratification to that of investor. Hooker or Call Girl. One gets $50 and stands in the rain one gets $5000 and sits in a penthouse. Choose!

8. Why am I wasting my time with this? Because the start is where folks go off course. THIS is the PLACE they all goof at.

9. Don’t quit your day job! Seriously. You need $$$ to fund a hobby into a business.

10. If you don’t have a day job, get one unless you don’t need to.

11. Take a deep breath

12. You FIRST purchases are VERY important so you MUST get these right or you are off course and out of the game until then and by that time you will likely be broke and confused and frustrated and angry.

13. Pick a category. Any category.

14. Make sure there is a Yellow Page listing for that category.

15. Find the listings with the most advertisements

16. Start drilling.

17. You will see that vein picked apart like a Friday Morning Turkey after Thanksgiving.

18. Try xylophones. Less crowded.

19. Work up to better categories.

20. Start with a noun like Insurance.

21. Add adjective to the beginning like: DiscountInsurance.com, NewYorkInsurance.com, CheapInsurance.com. THOUSANDS to try and find. Drill. Don’t be lazy. Drill. Thousands.

22. Use Verbs. GetInsurance.com, BuyInsurance.com, They are taken. buyxylophones.com is available as I write this. The audience there is tiny. So look for bigger audiences. More common items.

23. When you know the difference between a domain and Pigeon Shit, THEN you will recognize domains of value the INSTANT you see them. Just like I know Pigeon Shit the instant I see them.

24. Drop lists now come into play. When you know what to look for you can go thru a list of 100 in 3-5 seconds.

25. Domains of value standout

26. Set a realistic budget. You buy your car for $20k or whatever, invest in yourself

27. Buy with a rifle not a shotgun.

28. Don’t be a spammer.

29. Be creative

30. Don’t buy and try to sell 10 minutes later

31. Activate the domain and monitor for traffic.

32. Don’t be a whore and try and sell 30 minutes after that

33. Just put it in inventory and assuming it was a value, pat yourself on the back for a good grab! It’s a fish!

34. Repeat, repeat, repeat

35. There will be a time for selling.

36. If you do it right, you will be too busy getting domains to worry about selling them and then they will be chasing you too.

Yes, I hear ya. You have no money and you need to flip fast. Fine! But you still have to go through these steps to find a domain of value. And if you do it right., you will find a liitle income along the way.

My test for a truly valuable domains is if it stands alone can I build a business around it if all I ever did was focus on that one domain from now on. That’s the test. I have the luxury of not having to do that. But you MUST do that if you want to start in the right direction.

Of course you can’t start going the right direction until you come to a complete stop and change course. Folks have a choice. Buy pigeon shit and make pennies and lose dollars or understand what makes a domain have value and transform what you do.

Clear out the inventory and start fresh again if you are losing $$$.

Just KNOW there gems that sell way below what pigeon shit sells for.

No one post will give you all the answers. But almost all the answers lay within the confines of these several hundred blog posts.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

In this post I will give you some rapid fired do's and don’ts that will change how you make more sales for more dollars and KNOW when you have reached THEIR top dollar. Nothing worse than a guy having a $250,000 budget for a domain that you end up selling to them for $250. Want to avoid that?? Pay close attention.

1. DO NOT set a price right away

2. Don’t answer questions

3. Ask Questions

4. Ask more questions

5. Answer the questions they pose with a question

6. Buy time

7. Don’t commit, think about it

8. Do the research.

9. Don’t be lazy

10. Know the difference between a domain name that has value that others want and pigeon shit that only one person in 6 billion thinks is valuable. That is why TYPE INS are the key. I don't care if the get 5 a day or 55 a day or 55,000. Just stay away from ZERO because when you double ZERO you got ZERO.

11. Be vague

12. Do not commit

13. Keep is ALL in writing

14. Don’t get weak knees

15. Don’t flip out when you don’t hear back for a few days or weeks or even months.

16. NEVER, EVER, EVER, contact them back before they contact you back. That is WEAK and that email or phone call will likely cost you dearly as they FEEL your weakness.

17. Don’t “Pitch” the domain name. If they contacted you, they already know why.

18. Look at it as a game. Nothing more, nothing less. Those that are busy getting pissed never win the game because they are too busy being pissed.

19. Anything goes in a negotiation so don't take anything seriously until it is all over and the buyer and seller can have a beer. Then you can each tell the other how full of shit you were during the back and forth and have a GREAT laugh! That's what you get when both parties walk away happy and as winners.

20. Deals are about formulas. Just because the first ones does not work does not mean you give up. By asking questions you find out what is important to them and you can work with that. So be creative and imaginative. Keep coming up with ideas until you find a fit.

'When you see John Jones through John Jones eyes, you will sell John Jones what John Jones buys.'

No one post will make you a salesman. It takes time and practice and more than that, replaying where you went wrong when you don’t make a sale. Many books have been written on selling. Many are great and will change your life because you look at things differently.

Some sales are very easy because there is no bullshit. A conversation of what each party wants can do wonders. But you have to be dealing with more savvy folks that know what they want and a realistic outlook.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

Everyone always wants to know what my technique is for selling a domain name is. Problem is when I tell those techniques I am met with all types of people telling me I do this wrong or that wrong when in fact, they are wrong.

First, don’t take it too seriously or personal. The chances of you selling a domain for big money is small. However you can sell something undervalue and do it easily. Like selling $100 bills for $85. Do you REALLY believe you need a talent to do that??

I rarely send out the same reply as each offer is unique. Well almost unique. 98% of offers are a waste of time. But most get sucked in and WASTE THEIR TIME! They get hooked by weeks of back and forth email. Me, I blow them away with one email. One email let’s me know who and what I am dealing with. Usually a one word answer or whatever I feel like. I WANT TO PISS THEM OFF!!

This is the time that everyone starts shaking their heads. Keep being wrong. You can’t piss off a REAL buyer! A REAL buyer has their eye on the prize and they just laugh and get back to business. The 98% get pissed off and that proves my point.

Now you can’t do this unless you have a UNIQUE item for sale. If 50 people sell the same thing at the same price, then you need to find a way to kiss ass. To do a lot of things. But domains are different and if you don’t know that, you are wrong again.

Of course it is always good to have something of value to sell to begin with. Does not work so well if you have pigeon shit. But, if you have a domain of value, most domineers leave MOST of the money on the table and goes into the pocket of the buyer not the domainer.

Selling a domain is much more involved then just sending back a price. You need to do research. You need to think. You need to think well into the future. You need to find someone with a BIG idea. THAT is part of the sale. The domain is only as valuable as their idea. Again, blow away the 98% asap and stop wasting your time.

DO NOT answer emails from other domainers. Oh, you don’t know how to spot SPAM from a domainer?? Then learn! Pretty obvious. But so many of you jump up and down when you get an inquiry on a domain and most are other domainers. Wrong direction!

Now I don’t have all the answers and I am sure most of you won’t agree. But most of you have not sold 6 and 7 figure domains as a habit. Sometimes my domain is not that good. BUT I AM! I know what to look for. I know the elements of a big deal or a whale on the line. I know by so many things by the words they use, by the tone, by the signature. Everything is a clue.

We also have our own techniques that may work for me and won’t for someone else. But those skills and techniques need to be learned by practice. But even practice has limits. Limits because the #1 factor is human nature and until you learn to read and interpret human nature, the results will never be what they could or should be.

Just like this post. 80% of you won't agree with what I am saying here. But I am talking to the 20% that gets it and the 80% have the same opportunity to understand what I say. But they are too busy being pissed by my words which is what I described above. That is because I understand the human nature aspect and you ain't buying no matter what I say and no matter what proof I present. So why waste the time convincing them?? I have 20% that are willing to understand and that is a much better investment of time. Clear out the 80%. The NOISE of life.

And of course the most important word in selling is saying “No”. So when folks ask me how I managed to get $750k for iReport.com I tell them the TRUTH. I said NO a hell of a lot. For months. Month after month. Learn to say “No” It is the most powerful tool in your tool box.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

I just wanted to repost this interview I did withSully’s
Blog. It touches on some interesting items and I give my usual frank and in your face answers to
the questions posed. I hope there is something of value for you in your quest for greater success.

Mike: You recently posted about “the domain industry
expanding, but domainers are shrinking” as related to possibly keeping
the 2011 T.R.A.F.F.I.C. for domainers only. There are, as you point
out, a limited number of full-time domainers. What are your thoughts
around part-time domainers? That is, those with full-time jobs in an
unrelated industry that are trying to become full-time domainers. Is it
possible for someone to achieve this at this point in the Internet’s
cycle? In your experience, do you see part-time domainers come and go
or is there growth in this demographic of the industry?

Rick: Every domainer I know started at this part time. Every single
one including myself. So I applaud and encourage all that are getting
into it. I always say don’t quit your day job until it interferes with
your money making abilities in domaining. However there are different
types of new folks. You have folks like Tia Wood who get in, learn,
understand, marry what she learns with her skills and then is able to
contribute to help others. But unfortunately she is the exception not
the rule. In the early days we were all Tia’s put together and then
bound together. Many made no money but had that desire and passion to
learn without peeing over other people in the process. Just classy
people with the strong desire to do better for themselves and their
families. (btw, Tia, I was not sure if it was 'Wood' or 'Woods' so I took the liberty of registering 'TiaWoods.com' for you this morning. Let me know where to push it. Likely it will become more valuable to you as word of mouth is still the greatest advertising on earth and you will have some dumb folks like me not sure which one)

Today we have domain bloggers that are not even domainers but blog
only for profit. That is fine, but folks that come in today are
confused. They certainly don’t have to look up to me, but they can
certainly look at who I look up to and respect and applaud because they
know what they are doing. They can certainly look at dozens of others
and their success stories. No two stories the same. There are so many where would you start? I know, you would start with folks that already found gold and know where to look as opposed to those still searching for their first strike. Imagine a gold miner that refused
to sift thru dirt. Would not find any gold either. So that person is
what I would call 'Noise.' Do you think other Gold Miners want to spend
time with a guy like that? They would know he was a fool at best and now you know how to weed out the 'Noise' Pretty simple test. Too lazy to apply the test? Then you get what you get and chances are you too will become noise. It is not up to me, never was, never will be, but there it is.

With so many success stories why would anyone in their right mind follow failure and be proud of it? But don’t confuse
that with keeping score for success and failure. All the guys I look up
to fail a lot and have no shame for it. They embrace failure because
that is a stepping-stone to success when you are a trailblazer.

But their secret is OPM. They LEARN from 'Other People's Mistakes.' They don't copy failure, they copy success. They actually know the difference. So when others laugh
at your failure, what they are really doing is excusing and masking
their own lack of success as they sit on the sidelines or just put on a sideshow. Time to know the difference. The folks I hang with don’t root for failure
or get off when others don’t succeed. They encourage folks and are
happy when their friends find success. I think most folks yearn for that again. When business was done by reputation and a handshake.

The mindset of so many new folks is they want the $$$ first and then
they think they are entitled to something. The only thing they are
entitled to is to work hard and find a niche that works for them that is
profitable. But first you got to be on the right path so simply being a
part time domainer does not mean much. You need to have successes along
the way. But let me be clear, even the newest domainer can offer
something of great value to the conversation. Domainers come from many
different backgrounds and cultures. They have info to offer and share.
That is what built the industry. Sharing. TRAFFIC is built on sharing.
You never know who holds the single most important piece of the puzzle
because they are all important pieces. You never know who you are going to meet at TRAFFIC. But they all have one thing in common. They have all invested time and dollars to travel to a distant place to actively make things happen and make things happen right then and there. These are folks of action meeting with other folks of action. Just another secret behind TRAFFIC. I got my reputation for not encouraging the 'Noise' and 'Naysayers' sitting on the sidelines to come and the 'Noise' and 'Naysayers' always makes more 'Noise' because that's what they do with their time. As time goes on more and more serious folks see why I would do this and I have no plans of changing.

Mike: You are considered among many to be the leading expert
in the industry. What is your opinion of the .CO TLD? Is it the next
best thing since .COM or an over-hyped release of yet another ccTLD
trying to rebrand right out of the gate?

Rick: It’s nice that many say that but just as many would argue it
and I can’t say I blame them. Many have done much better than me and
have many more accomplishments. I have just been very outspoken and
bullish on something when nobody else was. I figured a smaller piece of a
bigger pie was a winning hand. That said I know domain names better
than anything I have ever been involved in. It’s as if I was groomed all
of my life for this. I live it, breathe it, feel it, taste it. Just something hard to explain but very deep.

As for .CO……Sorry, I am not smart enough to figure any of that out at
this point. What determines the success or failure of any extension
will not be domainers. It will be determined by end users and
advertising budgets, brochures, billboards and all the rest. No ad
dollars spent on an extension means RIP. It’s all about the ad dollars.
Not the moon, the stars, the registry, the hype. So that is why each new
extension is speculative. But that is what domaining is about so you
need to do the job and get in or out based on what you believe and not
what anyone tells you. But listen to your wallet the most. If it is
getting fatter, keep going. If it is getting thinner. STOP and try
something different.

.CO is an interesting extension. It will be years before we know if
it is truly embraced or not and that is why patience is always a huge
piece of the domain game. Meanwhile many domainers will make a lot of
money buying and selling to each other and some end users. I have bought
about 2000 myself. Time will tell. Right now, it’s a 12 month option
and then I will re-evaluate and see. One thing I will say…..every
domainer at a pretty equal shot at getting some domains of value. Of
course if all folks do is register Pigeon Shit, then they won’t make a
dime and they will lose their money. On the other hand the ones that do
understand domains will pick a few winners that will pay for their
entire investment and more. What do all the whiners say then? Who do
they lash out then for keeping them back? Who will even take them
seriously again? The answer, newbie’s who don’t know any better. There
will always be an endless supply of ignorance and a limited amount of
talented domainers that will hit gushers once again. Some that came into
the industry 30 days ago will be bigger and more successful than 50% of
the folks reading this. Then what do the whiners say? It basically
impugned every word they ever uttered and the basis of their every
thought. So at that moment they have a choice. Get even more angry and
more frustrated or give it up, take a deep breath and give it a fresh
shot with a good attitude.

Mike: This next question can apply to both new and
experienced domainers. There are many bloggers and forum posters, each
with their own and often conflicting opinions. Particularly for those
new to the industry, what do you feel are the best sources of quality
information to learn from?

Rick: Well, I certainly would focus on blogs where the blogger has
enjoyed some level of success. Some bloggers as I suggest above are not
even domainers or just regurgitate or plagiarize posts by other domains
bloggers or talk without much to back it up. If you want to know what is
going on in the domain Industry I look to TheDomains.com, DNJournal.com
and then Domaining.com to see who else has something of value to
contribute. But I hate blogs that I have no idea who the author is and
that takes away a lot of the credibility.

Don’t believe half of what you read and question the other half.
Follow the financial motive of folks giving advice. Don’t be lazy. Find
the source and verify. Successful domainers as a rule have hearts of
gold and are more than willing to help others. Lashing out at folks
contributing their time and thoughts and asking nothing in return is
just not very classy and whether you succeed or fail folks should have
the dignity to treat others with respect. If folks take what I say
personally without me naming a single domain name or single domainer’s
name then I guess they have indicted themselves. If the shoe fits, they
bought the damn store. So my plain spoken words are aimed at failure of
the idea, failure of making a profit, failure of a successful plan.
Failure to find the success they are looking for. Where is the personal
name? But the shadows I talk to speaks back in highly personal and mean
spirited ways and I will never make any apologies for not wanting to
surround myself with narrow minded lowlife losers like that. When they
grow up and get some class, then we can see until then, the nameless
will name me without me ever mentioning them and those cheering them on
are in the same league. So pretty easy to spot the losers. They call
themselves out and it is amusing to those that know the difference.
Invisible to those that don’t know.

So to the newbie’s….if you are reading a post or a blog and they
spend their time taking pot shots at me…..it’s the definition of a
loser. Not for disagreeing, we can do that and debate that all day if
the motive is to find the best solution or answer. But for the mean
spirited personal pot shots that are uncalled for and unnecessary. For
those folks, I registered FuckYou.co and a few other socially negative
domains. Like Asshole.co and Morons.co. Come on! This is the most fun
profession in the universe and if you are not making money, having a
good time doing it, then all I ever suggested was try something new or
something different until you find something that does. Those 3 domains
were all just registered. Total cost $103. Does anyone reading this
seriously question I can’t flip for a nice profit right now regardless
of the destiny of .CO?

Mike: I believe you coined the term “Pigeon Shit” when
referring to registering domains that are worthless. I confess that I
collected a lot of pigeon shit before I started to get a feel for what
had some value. In your experience, is this a trap most people fall
into when they start to acquire domains? Why do you think that
registrars don’t include some advice, even to end users, on how to
select a good domain name?

Rick: Yes absolutely. We all own pigeon shit in our portfolios. Some
domains pan out, some don’t. Like panning for gold. Knowing the
difference is what domaining is all about. There is no guidebook nor
could there be as the industry will always change and evolve and that is
why there are so many ways to make money.

A registrar could not care less if they sell a premium domain or
pigeon shit nor should they. Except for their premium auctions which is a
printing press, their job is to register as many domains as possible
and that’s that. Anyone saying anything else is not dealing with reality
or just not being candid. So never listen to a registrar when it comes
to domain names. Two different goals and agendas and they are not wrong.
The ones not knowing and understanding the motives of each are wrong
for not understanding this.

Mike: Back in May, you posted on your blog about possibly
starting up some domain trading based on a small subset of your
domains. Have you done anything with that? Received any trade
requests? Do you think that, if this develops, it could be an equitable
means of strengthening a domainer’s portfolio?

Rick: It basically falls flat every time I bring it up. But someday
this will be common place. So now I do the trading 2 step. I sell a
domain and then take the proceeds to buy the domain I would have traded
for. I seldom go into the funds I have already set aside. I want new
funds to buy new domains. My business has always been self-sustaining.
That means all the dollars I use to buy domains come from the dollars I
made with domains to begin with.

Mike: Do you still actively acquire names? If so, how do
you go about purchasing them (private transactions or through brokers)?
What criteria do you look for?

Rick: I do nearly every day. Some hand registered, some aftermarket. I
buy many at auctions or private emails. But I get domains that fill a
need or diversify what I do. The criteria I use is when the domain
stands alone, it means something and is easy to spell. I focus on
commercial but have a lot of social type domains. Knowing the difference
is important. I was the first to even talk about the two
classifications. Am I as aggressive as I was back in the 1990’s? No.
That was a unique opportunity in time and I have said so many times. But
there will be more unique opportunities and the key is recognizing them
when they cross your path. I have never seen an industry with so many
ways to succeed on a daily basis.

Mike: How about selling names… do you seek out buyers or do they typically come to you for the domains? How do you decide what you feel is a fair price?

Rick: I have never really actively or formally tried to sell a domain
name. I emailed Hershey’s twice and have had some domains included in a
bulk domain ad. The whois is my best salesmen. As for price, there are
so many factors at play and then circumstance is always a huge part.
What would I do with the dollars I get? Is there a reason to sell? Is
there a reason to keep it? Is there a domain I could buy with those
dollars that would make my decision important. Is there a toy I want to
buy but don’t want to put out the dollars? Does it make my overall
portfolio stronger or weaker? Do I have a plan for the domain? What is
the value of that plan? So many factors at play and I am not forced to
sell to pay renewal fees. Some registered for fun or a hoot or a one
time event.

Mike: What advice do you have for those that are new or less experienced in the field?

Rick: Don’t just run off and buy or register a domain name. Learn the
elements that make one domain have value or potential value and one
that is something with an extension on the end. Your first buys become
your foundation and most important. It is not rocket science. The domain
is the centerpiece of every new business. There is still ample
opportunity. So many qualified domainers do share their ideas and
methods and they are often met with resistance. Some of it pretty ugly.
What they do is not working yet they resist what is. So the first piece
of advice is to not be so stubborn and defensive that you refuse to
question your own decisions when they are not working the way you
thought they would. The second would be stop chasing yesterday’s news
and events and focus how things will unfold in the future.

In closing let me say that In domaining there is opportunity every
day at every corner. Some seize that opportunity and others whine when
it passes them by. Black and white to me and I hope what I have said
makes it clearer for you as well. My words are designed to sometimes be
uncomfortable. Change is never comfortable and IF what you are doing is
not working you have a choice, get mad at me for pointing it out or try
something different until you find what works. If my delivery style is
not to your liking, get over it or don’t read it. That’s like being
stuck on something that does not matter. Stuck on stupid. In 20 years
they can tell their grand kids how Rick Schwartz held them back from
success because of his words and delivery. They won’t even buy that
bullshit, why would they think folks are buying it now?

So nobody conveniently twists my words to suit their story line which
seems to be in vogue these days, this is what I believe. I believe that
Domainers, developers, IT, graphics and SEO folks along with others
should be working together with a common purpose and goal. I have
believed that since the day I got on the net. Unfortunately there are
too many jealousies, prejudices, and Type A personalities to allow that.
Together we could build empires, alone, a lot of ugly frustration among
each group.

In the real world you might have a landowner, a developer, a general
contractor, an architect and hundreds of workers working well together
to bring an idea to life. Seems like that blueprint has been in place
for a very long time and one day will be common online as well. We are
the ones that should be making that happen.

Hope this answers some questions and provides some insight. In closing all I can say is I have done all I can do to reach as many willing minds as possible and these posts over the past years will stand the test of time for anyone that has the desire and passion to keep moving to the next level whether in domains or anything else in life.

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

A couple weeks ago I wrote about domainers buying pigeon shit and of course all the pigeons are still coming to terms with it. I am so sick of folks saying there are no more type in domains. BS! There are. There will always be and until you figure out things, you won't find them, but others will.

Funny thing........
The DAY I was writing about the FACT that there are still type-in domains for registration fee and PIGEONS and the naysayers of course don't believe it........I registered those domains below. They started getting traffic immediately. One I registered LAST NIGHT already has traffic. This may not be the best example as it may be time sensitive, but right now..........Out of 16 domains I registered on April 29, 11 already are making $$$ and the others are just a bit premature. So for the know nothings.....you still know nothing! But go right ahead and make a fool of yourself.
bpspill.com 255 visitors $12.55 earnings
oilspillingulf.com 132 visitors $11.80 earnings
gulfspill.com 165 and $14.95
bpoilspill.org 76 and $1.17
gulfoilleak.com 70 and $2.08
bpspill.com 244 and $12.55
bpspill.org 17 and .48
bpoilslick.com 1035 and $14.39
gulfcoastoilcleanup.com 15 and $3.99
gulfoilcleanup.com 40 and $6.33
gulfoilleak.com 72 and 2.08

bplivefeed.com 64 and .09 in first 36 hours
So the next time some MORON says there are no more type in domains, tell them the same thing I did in 1999. Tell them they are wrong, lazy, don't know what to look for and others will find them if you don't. Believe me, this is not too good a list. But it PROVES that there are still domains that can be hand registered and make $$$. But of course some MORON with a lot of pigeon shit will even challenge RESULTS! When that happens, I will just look at the post from the past 2 days and so will everyone else. That is my answer before you even ask. Don't argue against PROOF just to argue! Time to LEARN!

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

If you are one to believe that opportunities like domaining come often than you are a person that has likely not accomplished much in life or are too young to appreciate the historical opportunity you have. Even at this stage you will be hard pressed to find a better opportunity in your entire lifetime or that of your father or grandfather. So at least, put it in its' proper historical perspective. If you think you will get many more like this, think again.

You have an historic opportunity. Don’t blow it. You will live to regret it if you do. This is not a time to worry if you are popular. This is a time to put your nose to the grindstone and create the vehicle that will change your life. If you do it now, you will never worry in the future. If you blow by this window, your future will be filled with worry. It is never too late to get on the right path. Never too late to succeed. Never too late to change. Those that are not succeeding and not willing to change will die on the vine. Don't be one of them.

Did you read every post thatFrankyhas made? If you did, you probably understand exactly what I am saying. If not, then you need to and read other accomplished domainers as well. The only thing they are looking to do is help others have success. Life changing success. So throw mud. How unfortunate for you. The answers are all out there. Those that are not lazy will find and seek and succeed. The others will just rant and rave and keep doing the same things that lead them to failure. Failure on many things not just one. Be methodical, logical and try to make the best decision possible with as much info as you can gather until that info is instinct. That will make you successful whether it be in domains or anything else you try and tackle in life. The negative folks in life will always try and twist your motive or try and figure out the angle. They have a hard time taking things for face value. It may because they are the ones that always have a motive and an angle and they can’t understand how others may not. I would just rather see 90 out of 100 succeed instead of 10. I am not capable of holding anyone back. Nor would I want to. The only one that can either propel you or imprison you is yourself. Not me, not your parents, not you professor, not your next door neighbor, not anyone. Get mad at yourself. Become a winner. Become an eagle. Become a great success. It won’t happen overnight. It takes years! You in rush?? If so, fine, you will fall off the ladder of success each and every time until become methodical and only focus on the next step of the ladder. Not 2 steps not 5 steps, the next step. Build it one step at a time and I absolutely guarantee that you will have to try to fail. Failing does not happen when you come at things from the right mind set. You may have set backs, but you don’t fail. You don’t let obstacles consume you, you consume and overcome those obstacles while others simply give up.

As I stated yesterday and probably the ones that need to believe it don't, I will try one last time to make this extremely important point. How do you explain to those that have an attitude that if Franky, Kevin, Mike and myself went thru a list of 100, $1000 domain names right now, that we would likely pick the same few domain names and the rookies with the big mouths would pick pigeon shit? You can’t blame it on not being there in 1995. You can’t blame it for not being there in 2003. This is 2010 and until you figure out what makes one domain have value and one domain worthless, won’t make any difference what year it is. You either learn to spot great domains for WHATEVER REASON or you don’t. Asset or liability. Sure many will make fun of me and my 'Pigeon Shit' statements, but the only ones that do that are the ones with the most pigeon shit to begin with. Go figure.

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

I have been involved in emerging businesses and industries
all of my working life. I have seen the evolution of multiple industries from
embryos to their eventual peak and then the downturn and consolidation that
follows. It is filled with great times, conflict, change and then spun off to
whatever destiny there is.

I have watched this and been involved over and over. The characters change, the vehicles change but the scene itself does not. They all
start out small, warm, fuzzy and with few attracting a few others.

Words, thoughts and ideas. Our mind is allowed to explore
the extremes no matter what anyone might tell you. It is really interesting how
many people are threatened by new thoughts and ideas. They lash out at the
unknown. Not after thinking about it, but as a knee jerk reaction. Our animal
instincts perhaps at their rawest. But just because something effects you a
certain way does not mean you have to accept that. You can change and bend your
reality for the better.

The Internet is a place made up of words, ideas, pictures and
sounds. That translates into emotion and that is where folks go off the rails.
They are a slave to their emotions instead of mastering their emotions. Your
knee jerk reaction may be to want to kill somebody because they did you wrong.
Our mind is allowed to go there. But most of us realize immediately that is the
wrong way to handle it. That is because we have mastered our emotions. Problem
is while we may have harnessed those big emotions, it is the little stuff that
can become life changing and that is where you need to become the master.

These series of posts are designed to give you solid
information. Some opinion based, some fact based. Either way I don’t force
anyone to read or believe or do. The only thing I can do is share things the
way I see from my view point. It amazes me that the folks that could benefit
the most, are also those that have a hair up their ass. They would rather call
me names in behalf of their failure than to read between the lines. Than to try
different things. They bend what you say. They twist what you say and I guess
it makes them feel good. I have said dozens of times there are 1000 ways to
climb this mountain. Are they just deaf? Dumb? With attitudes like that they
are just passing thru. They won’t be in domaining in 3 years so why even take
them seriously? Most don’t have a single clue about business fundamentals
because they have never ran a business. They don’t understand the fundamentals
of sales because they never sold anything. They don’t understand negotiating
because they never negotiated anything but getting laid and probably did not do
all that well in that arena either. They don’t understand domaining because
they never took the time to stop and think they just buy. Yet they lash out.
They have bills bigger than their
incomes but are 10x smarter than everyone else. How exactly does that work?

So whether you flip domains, buy at auction, get domains for
SEO, buy expired domains for their links or whatever way you are climbing the
mountain, if you are making money, great! If you are not then don’t lash out,
LEARN. You don’t have to learn from me, learn from others, just make sure the
folks you are learning from actually are earning 6 or 7 figures. You can follow
failure, but it costs no more to follow success. I try and give back what I can
by reaching down with my thoughts and ideas. It is up to those that want to
succeed to also help pull themselves up. I can provide a rope. Many others can
provide a rope and do. Those that think they can get on top by pulling others
down will likely be angry and frustrated failures forever. They are the folks to avoid. Failures
because they will never allow themselves to succeed. Success comes with discipline,
good decisions and mastering your emotions and it does not matter what you sell
or what industry you are in. The rules remain the same and that is where so
many miss the point.

How do you explain to those
that have an attitude that if Franky, Kevin, Mike and myself went thru a list
of 100, $1000 domain names right now, that we would likely pick the same few
domain names and the rookies with the big mouths would pick pigeon shit? You can’t blame it on not being there in 1995. You can’t blame it for not being
there in 2003. This is 2010 and until you figure out what makes one domain have value and one domain worthless, won’t
make any difference what year it is. You either learn to spot great domains for
WHATEVER REASON or you don’t. Asset or liability. A basket full of liabilities
does not make you a domainer. So I will never win awards for 'Miss Congeniality'. Of the next 100 new domainers that come into the industry, I will piss off 90 of them. But 10 will figure it out. I will make 90 enemies and 10 friends. But at least I know the 90 to ignore and who cares if I piss them off? They have a decision to make now, get pissed off at Rick or use that same energy to get pissed off at themselves and be a success by learning to pick winners like Franky, Kevin and Mike.

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

You can be a Pigeon or a Domainer but really tough to be both. Most would not like to be pigeons. Many don't even know the difference. WTF is he even talking about? Which one are you? Having lots of domains will not earn you the the title of domainer or investor. There is a growing divide
in the domain industry. The divide is a place we have never looked before.
Never understood before. For well over a decade I have explained the difference
between Investment quality domains and crap. Domains with traffic and domains
without traffic, domains with a future and those without a future. Domains worth thousands and domains that cost thousands.

I have been met with more and more resistance and now I
finally figured out why. I am swimming upstream. Registrars don’t care if you
register a domain worth $30, $30 million dollars or 30 cents as long as they
get their registration fees. So they hype every extension that ever comes out,
every domain in sight at every opportunity and untrained pigeons show up each time. Why wouldn’t
they if that was what you did for a living? They are doing their job. They do it very well because they
have given birth to an industry of pigeons that think they are domainers
because they own domain names. What they own is a bill. A liability. They are a
registrar’s best friend. Here is a
test, if your closest contact in domaining is a registrar I have swampland to
sell you. And let me be clear, my friends own registrars. I have nothing bad to say about them as
a business as a business model or in any other form. But I am alerting some to
the subtle difference in view, in direction in outlook, in destination, in
where you finally end up. The discriminating point that divides people walking in completely opposite directions.

So where there was once one inept registrar with no agenda
now there are hundreds or more and they all want the same thing as a rule. More
registrations. Blood for Dracula. Nothing
more and nothing less. Quality means nothing to them. And that is okay. There
is nothing wrong with that. But if you don’t understand it then you will keep
buying into it and when you buy into that hype, you may no longer be a
domainer. You just may be a registrar’s best friend. So you can follow the lead
of non domainers that know only about number of registrations or you can pay
attention to dozens of real and accomplished domainers. But if you go with the registrar’s
advice, you will be looking for a job in a jobless economy. If you never
thought about this, well now you have. If you don’t get it, you should. If you
continue to register Pigeon Shit, then it matters not to registrars. All the
same to them and that’s how it should be. So if they are your guiding light, maybe time to rethink what you are
doing and the direction you are moving. (Gee am I making friends today or what?) There are a lot of
generalizations here so nobody take anything personally. I am painting the picture
of the landscape. It requires colors to differentiate things. In this picture
the colors are words and thoughts followed by example.

There are investment quality domains and there is Pigeon
Shit. Liabilities to YOU are
profit to THEM. Get a clue already folks! If you screw up in the next few
months, you will never recover. You will not be in the domain business any
longer. This IS your last best chance. There will be the core group of true domain
investors and there will be all the others that are pigeons. Wasting time with pigeons when there
are Eagles in the same nest is fools gold and nothing more. Investor or Fool?
You decide. I will never cater to
pigeons. I will reach out to them to try and get into their heads, but I will
never compromise high standards just to satisfy some pressure to be inclusive. The best way to be included is earning it by putting together a domain portfolio and earning a lot of money. Be deliberate in each purchase. Achieve greatness by finding something that works and repeating it over and over again.

I have been accused that I am the Simon Cowell of domaining.
Okay, not so bad. I like Simon.
When you want the cold hard truth you go to Simon not the others. He doesn’t
worry about how things “Feel”, he deals with the reality if what is. If they
suck, he tells them. If you have worthless domains I’ll tell you. What value
would anything else be? Just to make you feel good? Sorry, don’t come to Simon
to feel good. Go to him for the truth and become the best. Don’t come to me to
buy into stuff just because others can’t figure it out. Now all the registrars
will be pissed off at me lol. So what? I did nothing wrong. They did nothing
wrong. The only ones doing anything wrong are the folks buying pigeon shit and
if that shoe fits change those shoes. Don't get angry, get on the right track. Think before you let your knee jerk reaction control your mind, your being and your direction. I am rooting for your success not your failure. If you are not making big money in domaining, you should and the first thing to do is stop and figure out why. Maybe I just nailed part of it for ya. Maybe not.

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz