I Want to Enable Dreams and Dreamers.


I want to enable dreams and dreamers and I have the unique vehicle to do that and do that in dozens of industries. I can all but guarantee them a seat at the table and will be taken seriously from day 1 if they are serious!



It surprises me and saddens me that so few people understand the life-changing power of a great domain name. And without that life-changing domain name, their dreams may never materialize.



I have demonstrated over the years that I’m willing to nearly give the domain away to get the right person or entity into it. Give it away at first to share in the success later down the road that’s my business model.



But I’m disappointed and frustrated that so few people see this incredible opportunity. I wake up every day for 28 years hoping that will change and to some degree it has.



There are more shiny object chasers out there than there are qualified dreamers. Idea people. People with a brain, a vision, and can also spot opportunity. So many great ideas are laying in the Internet graveyard because the idea was great, but their domain was not.



I always dreamed of empowering young entrepreneurs to realize their dreams. I have a race car in the form of a domain and all I need is a race car driver.



I envisioned having contests with college students and high school students that could compete and change their lives. But after what I’ve seen in the recent weeks I guess now I understand why that dream of mine did not materialize either.



Domains are the real deal, and should never be confused with shiny objects. But we have a generation or two that is trained itself to chase shiny objects, and not be critical thinkers. I believe it will still manifest itself, and we see it every day with upgrades from .whatever to dotcom.



The CANDY.com guys represent my business model. They got into the domain for next to nothing. And they changed their life, their family's life, and my life as well.



Folks are risk-averse, and they don’t know the difference between a good and valid risk and a blue sky risk.



I have domains worth millions that I’m willing to start a lease for as low as $1000 a month to give them runway and time to get to safely lift off. And so few over the years have seen that opportunity. But today’s focus isn’t on their golden goose in their future. It’s getting a nice leased car because that’s more important. Isn’t it? Definition of shortsighted.



For the cost of a part-time employee working 4 hours a day and making just $8.33hour, they can compete with the big dogs on the world stage. But they don’t have the brains to figure it out. I guess $33.33 a day is just something they can’t get their head around. Lunch cost more than that!



We have a generation or two of morons and idiots with limited skills and almost no mathematical ability. And no common sense! Not even on the radar. They don’t have the ability to learn. They are stuck with the mentality of failure.



They say all the good dotcom domains are gone, well so is all the Real Estate on earth! So what? You have to pay for prime. But the results payoff in spades! But so many are lazy and so many are cheap.



Let me help focus them. Your domain is so much more than a bunch of letters! Maybe you have not thought if it in this way but your domain is:



Your World Headquarters



Your Location



Your Brand



Your Front Door



Your Cash Register



Your Information Portal



Your #1 Sales Tool



Domains provide Unlimited Expansion. 



Great and memorable dotcom Domains are the doorway to all future business dreams. If you have a dream and a true burning desire, it MUST start with a High-Profile domain name or all of your efforts will always be diluted and minimized and eventually your dream will turn into a nightmare.



It's not all their fault. As an industry we have failed to have a serious outreach program. Our outreach happens one deal, one upgrade at a time. There is no amplification even though we have the means to amplify in a significant manner.



A Good Domain Name is easy to remember.A GREAT Domain Name is hard to forget!



A GREAT Domain Name makes a small business look BIG!



A GREAT Domain Name grows GREAT businesses!



A GREAT Domain Name is YOUR passport to GREATNESS!



It's not the value of the Domain Name, it's the value of the opportunity that it presents!



So....Let's build YOUR Life-Changing dream on MY Life-Changing Domain Name! SIMPLE!





Rick Schwartz



DomainKing@gmail.com




The Main Point is Main Street. Lesson #1 of Domaining, Marketing, Traffic, and Future Audience.




Morning Folks!!



The size and value of your audience decide your future before you do. Targeting an audience is the key to the success of any business, organization, or even charity.  A profitable audience.



MainStreet.com (Not a domain I own or even looked up) has value. It's obvious because it represents commerce. If it's not obvious to you, find a job. It has an audience. That audience has the potential to be increased and specifically targeted.



ManeStreet.com (Not a domain I own or even looked up) has value. It does not pass the radio test, but still has value. That audience has the potential to be increased. But probably has less value than MainStreet.



DanielQSysemskiMemorialBridge.com (Not a domain I own or even looked up because I made it up as well as this non-existent person) has NO value and never will. NO AUDIENCE!! In 1 MILLION years that domain won’t have value. It’s a Liability not an asset!



Most domainers have the majority of their domains that will never have an audience. ZILCH!! NO CHANCE!! Those are all liabilities. Just bills!



We are talking tens and probably hundreds of millions of worthless domains. Worthless because they are not capable of getting an audience. And when I hear SEO guru's and every answer is the same about optimization, I have but one word.....BULLSHIT!!



Domaining is about getting memorable, meaningful, and important domains. If they are not, that's not domaining. That's not domain investing. That's not anything but a waste of time, money, and energy. SEO really has nothing to do with domain investing. It's nothing you talk about until there is a profit-making site attached.



So the MainStreet test is just another test that should be added to the test of my last post.



Do I have to explain those names? Will people misspell them? Will they easily forget them? Will they be able to tell others? Can content be matched to that domain that is intuitive? Is that content profitable? Is there a market for that content? Is it confusing? That's a lot of filters but a domain that I buy MUST meet ALL those standards and more! If I am doing it, why aren't you?? That's the path to success. To find domains that have the ability to be a successful business. And I focus on domains that have face-value. That has obvious value and uses. That has 1 and 2 words. WORDS!! WORDS!!



If you are ignoring this stuff or want to vehemently disagree.......I can't help you. Nobody can! These are simply the most basic, most important, and most imperative hurdles a domain name must pass if you want to filter out pigeon shit.



Even a brandable has to be spellable. How many MONTHS did it take takl.com to go out of business?? WTF was that?? They spent TENS of millions on Kathy Lee Gifford and endless commercials everywhere advertising a name nobody could spell or remember or even meant much. Everywhere! Until they went belly up and broke! They blamed it on Covid! Here's a memo from me to them, had nothing to do with covid. Had everything to do with a PIGEON SHIT domain name! They failed before they started. And remember, almost all failure happens at the start! The start of the Internet is the Domain Name and many times, that will dictate your success or failure before you take your second step!!!!



Rick Schwartz


DomainKing’s 10 Step Guide to Selling Domain Names!




Morning Folks!!



Sales are about Buying. Buy shit, get shit. People lose the sale at the beginning. Buying is the start. They lose the sale by what they say. SO STOP TALKING!! SHUT-UP!! Knowing WHEN to SHUT-UP is the #1 key to sales.



Some people teach the world to sing. I want to teach domainers how to sell. Not only how to sell, how to extract maximum value for your assets. YOUR job is to appraise. YOUR job is to believe. YOUR job is to compare & show the value. YOUR job is to be strong. YOUR job. DO IT!



Here are my 10 steps to be a better salesperson.



Lesson 1: If you give a price, YOU LOSE!! Ask a question don't give a price.



Lesson 2: If you give a counter-offer just because they made an offer, YOU LOSE!! You only give a counter-offer when they give you an offer inside your realm of value. Other than that, NO WAY!! They can keep making offers. NEVER counter until they are in the realm. If you have a $1 Million home and someone offers you $75,000, you don't counter. Not at $100k, not at $500k. Not at $750k. You counter when you get a TRULY BONA-FIDE offer! PERIOD! Or YOU LOSE! Why dance to their tune?? YOU set the parameters!



Lesson 3: Don’t negotiate. That’s when you turn it into a conversation. Ask a question. Ask another question. Probe. Discuss. Tell them your own profitable plans. You did buy the domain for a reason. Right?? If not, you are not buying the right names. I buy focus on domains I have an idea for and I can build a future if that was the only name I owned.



Lesson 4: Don't do REASONABLE, Don't do CURIOUS. How to handle "Curious" inquiries "I am curious about the price" 2 responses: 1. Toss it 2. Ask "Why?" That's your opportunity to get info w/o wasting your time. "Reasonable" IS a total waste of time and usually another domainer. If you are selling to other domainers, you are far from getting maximum value. Actually, you are getting minimum value. Reasonable is for losers!



Lesson 5: Don’t wet your pants. So you got an inquiry. Big deal. Don’t get too excited. Don’t jump up and down, calm down. Now is the moment to do the research on your own domain names to find the current value. I'm not going to tell you how to do that. Figure it out! A domain's value can go from Zilch to millions with new products, news, or events. Pre-pricing domains are not the best approach. The day smart glasses came to be in the news, I snapped up smartglasses.com for $3500. I rest my case.



Lesson 6: Don’t be sucked in by BS and shiny object chasers. Let an email marinate!! You don’t need/want a “Hot” lead. You want a strong one! Strong ones don’t lose interest in 24hrs Weak ones do! When you waste time w/ weak, you lose time & opportunity.



Lesson 7. A Domains value is Fluid. Do the research at the time of inquiry. Put your own value on it and stick to it. Assign a value worthy of the domain name. Don’t price it out $1200 cuz the mortgage is due. Want to be a millionaire? Think/act like one.



Lesson 8: Sales is about buying. Buy shit, get shit. Most success or failure happens at the beginning. The end is simply when you find out about it but don’t necessarily figure it out. So the beginning of a sale is the purchase of the domain name itself. Choose wisely. Stop buying crap. If you buy crap, what the hell do you expect?



Lesson #9 Invest in dotcom. You invest in dotcom, you gamble (and lose) on .whatever. Stop reinventing the wheel. Stop spitting in the wind. Start smarter. The internet starts and ends with .com domains so give up the .crap and you will live well.



"You build nightmares on gTLD Domains But there's a solution... When you wake up from the nightmare, the dream is just a dot-Com away!"™ -Rick Schwartz



Lesson 10 Domain Names that are easy to spell are easier to sell. Spelling test = Can an 8th grader spell it right? Radio test = Are there multiple ways to spell or even hear wrong? Hair/Hear/Here Must be easy to remember & pass on (word of mouth advertising is key)



In Review: Part1 Lesson 1: If you give a price, YOU LOSE!! Lesson 2: If you give a counter-offer just cuz they made an offer, YOU LOSE!! Lesson 3: Don’t negotiate. That’s when you turn it into a conversation.



In Review Part 2 Lesson 4: Don't do REASONABLE, Don't do CURIOUS Lesson 5: Don’t wet your pants. Lesson 6: Don’t be sucked in by BS and shiny object chasers.



In review Part 3 Lesson 7: Value of domains is fluid. Stick to your value! Lesson 8: Sales is about buying. Buy shit, get shit! Lesson 9: Invest in dotcom. Invest in dotcom, you gamble (and lose) on .whatever. Lesson 10 Easy to spell means easy to sell.



Remember one thing, you are selling a unique asset. Act like it!



All business people need to be good in sales. Sales takes talent and you get that by practice and rehearsing. Saying the right things. Knowing when to SHUT THE F*ck up! Sales is about LISTENING not TALKING. Listen CAREFULLY. Know what to answer, know what to ignore, know what to look for, know how to answer.



Stop leaving your family's future on the table or putting your future into the pocket of others. Learn to sell. Learn to create value. Learn to be tough, not desperate. If you want to be a millionaire, you MUST think like one, act like one, and make decisions like one! This is your roadmap. GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!



Rick Schwartz






The GTLD Fakeout. Domainer I Caught Misleading or Worse w/Fake Sale Today on Twitter!!


Morning Folks!!



Today I caught a domainer that I believe outright lied, but at a minimum mislead. All in an effort to pump up GTLD's which is in collapse mode.



This happens ALL-DAY long!! I am sick of it! So I am going to post the Twitter thread and you can see for yourself and decide. Did he lie? Did he mislead? Or is that perfectly ok with you?



Just make sure you mulitply it by all the others doing the same CRAP! That influences others under false pretenses. PUMP and DUMP!!



It started with this quote that I challenged.



"I owned one of the best gtlds it was bought by one world's 40 biggest legal firms So it must have good"



My Response:



"Perfect Example of someone spouting stuff won't give us the domain name won't give us the price. It's just nonsense! Give us the details or it doesn't exist."










He is on twitter now trying to explain himself. Trying to say





So folks, stop swallowing their .horsesh*t! They are lying thru their teeth. They are in collapse mode. Out of 500 extensions, only a handful has daily gains and HUNDREDS have daily losses.





Rick Schwartz


Reflections of the Past, Applied to the Future. Asheville, the New Delray!


Morning Folks!!



So when I found the 2004 picture of me in front of the Grove Park Inn yesterday I started to reflect on the similarities and differences between TRAFFIC 2004 and the Asheville Meetup. Let me share some thoughts with you.



For one thing, I had never produced a trade show before nor had I ever been on stage in front of people of which I was terrified. I never fed 135 people 3 or 4 meals each or put a menu together. I never did a host of things that now I have done 28 times. But I always rise to the occasion no matter what it is in life. I even surprise and impress myself sometimes.



TRAFFIC 2004-2007 were sensational events by all accounts. The success of TRAFFIC had a very specific recipe and to be honest, it was lost when the interests of domain investors took a back seat to the needs of sponsors and others. My original recipe was no more.



In 2014 it was time to get out of the way of the GTLD trainwreck. Sometimes it just makes sense to sit it out. Get out of harm's way and allow the dust to settle. Once the dust settles, and folks are clear-eyed once again, the original need want and desire remain and come back with a fury. Meanwhile, there is nobody in the industry on the record like I am when it comes to gTLDs.. Literally, HUNDREDS of posts articulating and exposing the pitfalls. They poisoned a thriving industry and NOW it's time to recover!



TRAFFIC 2004 was unique because it brought so many people together for the first time face to face. Before that, we had interacted on "Ricks Board" for 4 years since 2000. Relationships that were forged 15-20 years ago have endured the test of time. The trail never changed, I just had to sit and wait 5 years for a failure that should have been recognized in 5 minutes!



I have created intersections that have been life-changing. Bringing people together that have something in common and would have never met without bending destiny just a tiny little bit. That's the way I give back. It's the way I change people's life. Many that I have never met nor will I ever meet. But I have some street cred after 20 some years of consistency.



What's different now is the fact that besides knowing each other over a long period of time we are now armed with so much more knowledge and understanding. The universe itself has changed so much. They have gotten so much more sophisticated as well.



My recipe always included slowing things down. Take folks out of their everyday frenzy of activities, calls, and appointments and allow very smart and very creative people do what they do best. Be smart and creative with each other and at the same time receiving an energy transfusion that lasts a very long time. It reinforces our belief in ourselves and our assets.



When you come back and taste the original recipe and the show done for the original reason you will know in the first moments that it's like coming home to have your favorite dish and how mouth-watering delicious it is.



This time we are a self-funded, not for profit get together that is going to provide something special, fun and unique and still do 3 days of business and have a group of high power players without the noise. As a soloist, I don't need to make a profit or make a living from a show. My personal motives are different. I need to accelerate the future. Especially after a horrible 5 year detour.



This idea I had 15-20 years ago was shared for the first time on February 8th. I ran it by Berkens on the 7th. Told him about my dream and my idea. Host hotel contacted and had signed the contract on February 21st. The first business day was just last Monday the 25th. On Tuesday the 26th we exhausted the first block of rooms I contracted for and added more. Thanks for the confidence. It means alot.



So at this point, we have more actual domain investors paid and registered than came to either of the last 2 TRAFFIC shows. Mostly high-level investors. A number of them with great portfolios but have never been to any show. It's their TRAFFIC 2004 for sure. And that is in just 4 days for an event 5 months away. WOW!



As I posted early on if it were just Berkens, Messer and Schwartz it would have been a great time. But to be joined now with dozens of other truly professional domain investors and many more to come is going to be so much better.



When I tossed out a number to Berkens early on he asked how many domainers coming would be good and what you hope to expect. I said 18-36. But when I posted the idea and folks were excited about it, I signed the contract based on 60 attendees.



We will likely blow past 60 and am now planning for 130. Once we sell 130 tickets, I will close registration, and I will crunch some numbers. There are 60 tickets at $295, and there are 70 tickets at $395. I want everyone there for $295. But I am planning and financing this a long way in advance, and you still need to have a reason and sense of urgency to sign up.



https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1st-annual-asheville-professional-domain-investors-meetup-family-outing-registration-57272887749?aff=affiliate1



That brings me to the next thing. Once you register, getting your hotel room is very important. This is the first week of August and easily their single busiest week of the year. This little town and great digs are going to redefine "Vibrant" for you. But please make your reservations now! The hotel does not mind waiting and getting another $200/night more per room. They know from experience that they will be sold out.



Rooms are still $349 but I expect the next round of rooms to be raised to $399 which is still much less than the lowest rate of $479 I can find right now. As we get closer to the summer, I would expect rates to be between $599-$699 until they sell out. If you get an error message, it means the second block of rooms have been sold out. Please drop me a line if that happens.



https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park/meetings/1st-annual-domain-investors-08012019



Also, airlines. The 2 major hubs other than some direct flights to Asheville are Atlanta and Charlotte. It is best to fly in early in the day if possible. Summer can get backed up in the afternoon plus pm thunderstorms and I don't want anyone to miss the incredible opening cocktail party that is going to mark the start of a new era in domain investing. Come in a day early but don't miss it!



As I announced on Twitter, the Ghost tour has been booked, and our guide is no slouch. We are going to have the one and only Christian MacLeod! He is a pro-paranormal investigator who has been in the NYTimes, on Coast to Coast AM national radio, ABC news affiliate, etc; and, he is the current Master of the Masonic Lodge.





Fabulous.com/Directnic.com have stepped up to sponsor the Friday lunch. Thanks, guys! Could not have picked a better Inaguaral sponsor! Going back to the future!



I do have a few openings for other things like tours or busses, a possible breakfast, but I think it is essential to be selective given what I have learned. While attendance is open, sponsorships are going to be restricted. And to answer your burning question, the answer is "No." No, this event will have no gTLD sponsors. They are welcome to attend, but sponsorships would be like me selling out at this stage and at this time.



Looking into the future! Want to see what I see?


All I can say is this is a labor of love. I do what I do in the months before the event and then get out of the way once the show starts. It's your show. As I started before the show came to fruition, I don't even want to touch the money. I will finance and fund it, I will organize it, I will guarantee the contract, I will do all the grunt work. But I don't want to make a business of it. Using Eventbrite helps me do that. I elected not to get a check from them until after the event is over. That keeps the bookkeeping much simpler.



If anyone has any dietary restrictions, please let me know, and I will make arrangements. That said, come hungry because there is some delicious food coming your way.



When you take a detour and, you end up in the wrong place, in my world, you go back to the starting point and try a different path. In this case, a tried and true path that works. So we will take out the noise, take out the gTLD's, take out their sponsorships and get back to the BUSINESS of domain name investing!!!



Rick Schwartz


Real Business Defined: Starts with “No” Followed by Many “No’s” and Ends with “Yes.”


Morning Folks!!



In the movie "The Jerk" with Steve Martin, he got some fatherly advice on the way out into the world: "You see that? That's shit, and this is Shinola." Basically inferring that now he knows everything to succeed in the real world.



Well in Business everything starts with "No" and hopefully ends with "Yes" or there was no business. Now you know everything about business and sales to go out into the universe. It's the path from "No" to "Yes" that moves the world. Got it?? Remember, nothing happens until a sale is made. Nothing!!!



How do you know a bad deal? It starts with "Yes". Sorry, something is not right when it starts with yes. It's too easy so you have to find out the reason because if you don't, you are about to be s victim of a "Businss Mugging."



Are you shaking your head and wondering wtf I am talking about? I am talking about simple. I am talking about how do you know the difference between real business where everyone wins and one-sided business where you are sure to lose?



Be suspect of the easy deal. Real deals are not usually too easy. There are issues to be hammered out. So when there are issues, and no hammer, "Yes" may not have any meaning. "Yes", maybe a waste of time. When you waste time it could be minutes, hours, days, even months. So, beware of the quick "Yes."



On the other hand, the minute someone says "No" most people think the game is over. Even a so-called professional salesman. "No" is simply the opening salvo to protect yourself from someone else invading your personal space. You have to work up from that resistance. DUH!! "No" means GAME ON! No means YES to a pro!!! No means keep selling I am not there yet. No means keep convincing me. No means they simply don't have enough info or confidence to make a decision and pull the trigger. No to the common man and he walks away with his/her tail between their legs. NO!! STOP!!! NO is the ONLY WAY to get to YES!!! SO SIMPLE!!



Let me repeat....In SALES....."NO" is the ONLY WAY to get to "YES!!!" As long as they are objecting and pointing out the NEGATIVE, you are on your way to a sale. They are doing THEIR job. Are you doing YOURS?



Again, the geniuses of the world have it ass-backward. Finnesse is the way to get from "No" to "Yes." And finesse comes from knowledge. Knowledge comes from breaking the ice after they say "No." Then, without wasting time, a little concoction of humor, banter, finding out their needs and gently getting comfortable with each other. That's the road to "Yes." But every road must start with "No," and that is the wrong time to get discouraged. No is actually an encouragement. They WANT to say yes!!! Your job is to guide them there. Gently, but firmly.



Now that does not mean you get to harass or invade their space or privacy. That dog won't hunt. But you can ask, permission. Permission to contact again. Permission to present something else. Permission to stay in touch. Once you become a PITA, it's over. So don't cross that line. Selling is a tight rope. One cautious step at a time. Selling is simply answering questions fully and giving accurate information. Never lie, never make it up. Your main job is to give facts. As "Joe Friday" used to say on Dragnet when somebody would go on and on and on, "Just the facts ma'am, nothing but the facts.



Rick Schwartz


One Step Ahead, or One Step Behind Defines Success and Life.


Morning Folks!!



There is a choice in life if you are one step ahead you put yourself at risk sometimes, but you also put yourself in a position to be handsomely rewarded. And as that saying goes:, when you are not the "Lead Dog," the view never changes. Aka Always looking and chasing the Ass in front of you instead of setting the pace and watching the scenery change. OUR CHOICE!



Succeeding is an acquired art. For some, it comes more natural than for others. But success and winning is a repeatable recipe. But you can't repeat unless you keep all the key elements in place. The elements acquired over the years. That's why it is so easy to spot a failure so far in advance or success so far in advance. They wear this invisible billboard that only a trained eye can see.



I wish everyone great success because I believe we each have a gift and once we discover our gift, success will automatically follow IF we act and and seize that opportunity It's like water running downhill. It just happens and you can depend on it as long as you have water and the hill.



We are all slaves. Period!! If you want to eat, have shelter, and you were not born into wealth you are a slave. We don't own our own time, and we don't own our own souls, they are mortgaged to the hilt. So we are slaves to these bills. You can be a slave to renewal fees on domains and all your other recurring bills, or you can be Master of your Domain. It's just 2-ways of looking at the same thing and then putting things in order.



Be a slave to a good work ethic. Be a slave to efficiency. Be a slave for your dream idea. Be a slave to your own being, your honor, and your character, and you will be disciplined in many different ways all designed to free you of those mental chains. Slavery today is mental, not physical. If you are a slave to bad habits and wrong-minded thinking, it is you, and only you holding yourself captive. Now you have the key, unlock your mind and critically think about everything you believe and see which thoughts survive with your new found freedom.



My advice, don't be a slave to anyone but yourself and your concept and your work ethic. As a slave, it deprives you of the time and space to think and apply your own ideas. If your boss owns you, and you are not the boss, you are a slave. When you don't own your own time, you are a slave



People think of just one step as nothing special. I am here to tell you that the difference between you being one step ahead or one step behind is life changing. Simple is what makes the world go round.



Rick Schwartz




Domains are About Math. Division Creates Smaller Audiences & Smaller Value.


Morning Folks!



I think one of the problems and one of the biggest things domainers ignore is the size of their audience. There are 7 Billion people on the planet. But who and how many folks you target is the key between success and failure and when you divide too much, you get really close to ZERO!



I talked about the .Kiwi guy. He overestimated his market. Why? Because he forgot to divide! Since more than 6.9 of the 7 billion DON'T live in his neck of the woods, he never took that into account.



So let's start dividing domain's value and I will end with an example. The 7 billion is automatically 3.5 billion because half the world has no buying power. ZILCH! It may be a lower number than that.



But let's say you focus on the USA. 350 million. 1/10 of the 3.5 billion. We get there by division. So we focus on the 350 million now. 100 million of them have no buying power. Whatever they use and consume are provided by the 250 million. So the USA is the focus even if it is for an item for the 100 million.



So, I saw this domain today on auction. LibertyLake.com. Sounds good. Looks good. Let me see if there is such a place. Yup. Liberty Lake, Washington. Population 7700. So as a Geo domain, not so good. Is it as good as SaltLake.com? Well, probably not. Salt Lake is a metro area with 1 million people. BIG difference and a big difference in value.



Now in this example, I see something also brandable. So from that lens, it has more value than from the geo lens. Liberty Lake can be used as a variety of brands. Brands are a long shot. But they can hit big. It may be a few hundred years or more waiting for the ONLY one.



The MAIN thing I look at when weighing the value of a domain is the size of the audience, the value of the product that the audience is interested in and the profitability of that good or service. That's my basic equation. There are many other factors. That is the "Top of the Pyramid". If you get the top 3 elements wrong on ANY decision in life, you will get it wrong. PERIOD!



If you sell badges and you only sell badges to a group that has 100 members, and they buy one badge when they join, you have a hobby not a business. If you sell badges that are universal and can be used by many groups and organizations and clubs and all types of audiences, you have something much different.



I meticulously go thru each and every data point. Good, bad and ugly. What I never ever do is refer to the size of the market. Real Estate is a trillion dollar industry. Who cares?? It's meaningless. It's a footnote. It does not even rise to the level of a data point. So when a domainer or any businessman LEADS with a FOOTNOTE, I automatically know they are on the wrong path. It may be something of interest, but carries no real weight unless you have this formula in place where you can syphon X% directly from the top.



The audience is the KEY data point. Size, value, qualifications, profitability, competition, sources, location, etc. Then you drill down to the next layer of questions. The ones that pertain directly to you. How much of that can YOU harness? If Real Estate is a trillion dollar industry and you harness no sales, that trillion is meaningless. It's foolish. See what I mean?? It's about what I or you can produce. When you talk about the volume of an industry, it says you are doing $0 in my book.



The great domain name gets you into the party. But not all parties are created equal. So first you have to find the right party in the right place and have the right item to provide them. But then the rest is on us. We have to sell and we have to have the skills to sell and exploit the market or the party. If you don't understand business basics and certain things there, it does not matter the size of your audience. When we suck, we lose.



I can have 100 customers go to a car dealer. One salesman will lose every single one of them. Another might close every single one of them. They both had the same opportunity and they both had the same audience. But one pissed away the gold that came and the other guy got the gold. They both did equal work. One was rewarded the other made zilch. Isn't it time to WAKE-UP??



Maybe the guy that blew thru 100 customers just asked "Are you going to buy a car from me right now for $30,000." Of course they all said no. But in a way, isn't that what a domainer does? He buys a domain and 30 seconds later he has it posted EVERYWHERE! Desperate and Foolish.



Compare that to the other salesman. He will introduce himself. He may offer some info to start a conversation. He might ask some questions. He may find out things that become helpful in making the sale. He provides a sense of security because he seems knowledgable and confident and seems in no rush. He's not pushy. Voila, he casually makes the sale. No fuss, no muss. The other guy is too busy complaining how bad business is. The other guy is just not good and belongs in another job or he is just a fool that will never learn. The definition of being stuck.



So, on one hand, it is the size of the audience and the other it is how you work that audience. How you understand and approach that audience.



And we can look at it a different way. Two used car lots right next to each other. one guy selling and the other guy struggling. This happens in every industry. It is universal.



The size and profitability of your audience is the key driver of domain value. If that good or service can then be easily sold on the Internet, it has more value. Value comes in so many different forms. That is why Estibot and Godaddy and any other outfit that uses an appraisal tool is folly. And if you are a domainer and you use those tool, you are a FOOL! If you rely on these tools in any way, shape or form, you are in the wrong business. Don't take my word, just look at your bank account.



Learn math and stop depending on 3rd parties with motives to educate you about domains. You have to have some GUT INSTINCT in anything you are going to be successful in or any career. GUT! That is not something you learn. It is something natural or acquired. They can't teach that in college. Nor can they hand you a diploma that says "Dr. of Common Sense". This stuff is so simple, no wonder geniuses can't figure it out!



Rick Schwartz


Largest Domain Name Registrar in the World Needs Hubble Telescope to See/Find GTLD Sales!


Morning Folks!!



This post is going to change someone's life today. Maybe more than one. It's a post that will make a grown man cry when they have an aha moment.



Type-ins are the holy grail of domaining from at minimum a historical standpoint. Now PLEASE understand that does not mean a domain without type-ins have no value. What it does mean if you have a portfolio and you have NO type-ins on any domains, wtf are you doing?? If you were digging for oil and and you had 1000 wells and not a single well pumped an ounce of oil are you still an oil man?? Maybe. But a broke one for sure.



Let me give you a little history lesson. There was a substantial reason that .com became an investment and why it was so valuable and THE REASON was END USERS and TRAFFIC. PERIOD! That is what drove investment and drove value to begin with. Even domains with no traffic could evolve into ones that did. I proved that as I was buying mainstream domains. I chase tomorrow, I never chase yesterday. But when I chase tomorrow I can articulate a host of valid reasons and those reasons have a history of coming to fruition.



Now traffic today still and alway will have value. Value. Value! That's the #1 point of investing in domains. VALUE! Face value. That means if you collect dimes and you can buy a dime for 9 cents, you won't lose money. If you buy the dime for 11 cents and you think it has value the risk is too low to pass up. On the other hand if they want a $1000 for that dime, you better KNOW WTF you are doing. You better have a plan. You better know you stuff? Know why?? You may have just lost $999.90.



For me a type-ins can be as lille as 1 or 2 or 5 or 10 a day. It does not take much. But it is the #1 qualifier in VALUE. It PROVES that you are not the only idiot on the planet of 7 BILLION to think of it and type it in. Gee, that means it may mean something to someone or to many. The more the merrier.



Now of course if you have a portfolio with NO TRAFFIC you are going to jump up and down and disagree. It always happens. Go ahead. You are allowed to be wrong. Been hearing this for over 20 years. "All the good domains with traffic are gone." Well, no they are not. It's just your own bullshit that you believe and swallow and too dumb to spit out. YUM!



Type-in domains are born and they are for sale. If you would focus on tomorrow you might see type-in traffic being BORN! Don't believe it. Then you really should look for a new career.



So, now lets fast forward to GTLD's. What LAUNCHED .com domains to have GREAT value was traffic. Traffic was the earnings that PAID for buying the next domain. There was no aftermarket. GTLD's are ass backwards, they tried to create an aftermarket before there was even any value or market to begin with. And ooops, NO TRAFFIC of significance.



According to DomainNameWire.com: Paul Nicks, VP & GM for GoDaddy's Aftermarket, the world's largest registrar, had the following breakdown in domain sales for 2018. NUMBERS DON'T LIE!! PEOPLE LIE! (Especially when they are trying to sell you a bag of smoke)



"92% of sales are .com, followed by 2.6% for .org, 1.5% .net and 1.4% .co. Avg. selling price of $2,268 for .com. .Com and .Org number of sales were up YoY; .net and .co were down."



So if my math is right that adds up to 97.5%. That leaves a whopping 2.5% of sales divided among 350 some odd country codes and about 550 new GTLD's. Got that telescope out yet? Don't worry, you won't need it. The only thing you will see is INSIGNIFICANCE!! Something with no meaning.



This is on a large and grand scale. I think it also proves the point I have made for decades about .net being weak and an orphan extension and that even .org had more demand and more meaning.



Now let me be clear, I would have NEVER EVER focused on or even invested in one domain if I only focused on .org and .net. I would not be writing this blog. Nobody would have ever heard of me and chances are I would have never looked at domains as anything viable or worth my time or effort. I would have gone broke had I focused on those and many more will go broke focusing on ANYTHING other than .com UNTIL you make your first few million. And then you will learn like I did that it was a waste of time, effort and money, And their numbers are exponentially better than any new GTLD now or in the DECADES to come.



I talk from experience. I have BEEN the "Birdie in the mine." In my career I have invested over $1 Million in various extensions. 1 sale. Why? No, need, no want, no desire, no value, no market, no nothing. PRIME one word domains that if was .com would have GREAT value but because it is .net or .org or .tv or .info or .me or .mobi or .biz or .whatever, has virtually no value but MUCH MUCH worse as Godaddy has PROVEN, is there is NO DEMAND whatsoever!!! And of those, .org has the most value and recognition but very small demand.



And most of GTLD demand is domainer to domainer which renders it completely meaningless and worthless. A simple game of musical chairs and so-called "Domain Investors" will be left holding the bag.



It also shows that as I write about each extension Godaddy registrations are very thin. It's very telling when you have many millions of GTLD domains registered and the world's largest is way down on the list of almost every "High Flyer". I have written extensively about it and it certainly catches my attention as a VERY IMPORTANT fact. It tells a story. A BIG story for anyone willing to read the tea leaves and understand. It demonstrates just how HOLLOW and FAKE the GTLD registration market is. It also shows which extensions MIGHT have a fighting chance. But if you don't STUDY the numbers and you still invest in GTLD's, then it's all on you.



The chances of selling anything other than .com is just stacked against you. It's astounding anyone, let alone so-called domain investors, can't do simple math. And when they do, they see they can get 1% to 10% of the .com value, with an audience that is looking for a .com by nearly a 100-1 ratio. Can you folks do math????????????? Do you know what the chances are of selling a GTLD for even what it costs you let alone making a profit??



If I owned a car dealership and one guy did 97.5% of the business and i had 900 other dealers next to me splitting up 2.5%, and then added to that my cars are 99% less profitable, I would rethink wtf I was doing or at least MOVE!



Point is about YOUR TIME. It's about YOUR EFFORT. It's about how much TIME and MONEY are you willing to waste?? And it gets worse. Even if you found an end user starting with a new GTLD, they will eventually upgrade once they wise up. This is now a trend. Many are doing this from .net and .org or multi words to less or one words. When others see this HUGE TREND, it will say to them to BYPASS the other crap right from the get-go. Your best chance at success is their ignorance. Good luck with that as a long term strategy! PITFALLS, 100's of them, will destroy nearly every single end user into submission.



The path is simple. Take a risk, but take a smart risk. As I mentioned last week, ImpeachTrump.com sold for $3500. I f*cked up by missing it. Point is ANYONE reading this could have grabbed that and had something that would fit MY EQUATION of NEED, WANT, DESIRE, VALUE, AUDIENCE and TYPE-IN traffic! That was a domain that can and will be flipped. That's how you START in domaining. You buy a GEM first and then parlay it! So why are so many wasting their time and money on what does not work? Will never work, has been proven not to work? But at the same time ignore what does?? Beats me! Especially since there are PLENTY of .com domains of great value for BARGAIN prices.



Rick Schwartz



UPDATE:
Paul Nicks slide shows the lower entries (after the 97.5%)
.io 0.4 %
.ca 0.2%
.us 0.2%
.co.uk 0.1%



Conclusion: Not only are GTLD's No where to be found, they have proven themselves meaningless. Numbers don't like, REGISTRIES and DOMAINERS DO!


Domain King Announces New Blog!!


Morning Folks!!



You get to a destination one step at a time. Your history of blogging comes one blog post at a time. It's the accumulation of both that adds up to something or brings you to a planned or unplanned destination.



Below are my original thoughts before I ever made my first blog post. If nothing else, I think you can agree, I have been true to my word. Like I wrote the words right now! That gives me great pleasure. Time is my best ally and always has been.



I want to take a moment to thank all my sponsors for the last 11+ years. Oh, never mind. I have never had a sponsor. I don't answer to anyone. I believe what I believe just like I assume my readers do. I just choose to share because mine are strong, long, deep and proven. Let the chips fall where they may. My reaction, my opinion, my beliefs will be the same, friend or foe. I search for answers and there are no property lines when it comes to thought. I never have to bend an answer to satisfy someone in the industry. Numbers and facts are the only ones I answer to. I filter out the noise.



So here is to another year of sponsor-less posting and free thinking. Whatever pressure I get, whatever blowback I get, it all happens after the answer not before. After the post, not before. And my only answer to that," It is what it is."



1450 Posts, 22,500 comments. Averaging more than 15 comments per post. Going on 12 years. Adding to those posts of 1996-2007 where I shared much of what I was discovering in REAL TIME and even then most just dismissed it and worse. I tried.



And as I read this, I may have not satisfied everyone, some you can never satisfy, but I was true to my word and I sure as hell satisfied myself. I lived up to the standard I set and that has more value to me than anything. Thanks for being part of it!






Rick Schwartz