Symbolics.com

DomainTool: TrafficEstimate.com ReLaunched As a Great Domain Resource!

March 1st, 2010

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TrafficEstimate.com Offers FREE Web Analytics

TrafficEstimate.com, a website offering free traffic estimates and analytics, has a new look. The Alexa ranked top 20,000 website now offers more domain tools and increased statistics for every estimate.

Since 2004 TrafficEstimate.com has been providing website traffic estimates. They strive to give the most accurate estimation of worldwide website visits over the last 30 days. Note that this is different than “visitors” or unique visitors because many visitors have repeat visitations per month. Also this is different than sites like Compete.com and Quantcast.com that focus on USA unique visitors so the TrafficEstimate quantities can’t be compared directly.

TrafficEstimate.com produces a graph for each estimate, showing the number of visitors in each month:

Each estimate produces a wealth of information, on it’s own unique URL:

http://www.TrafficEstimate.com/Symbolics.com – for example.

The current Seattle-based owners told me the TrafficEstimate visitor calculation algorithm has been updated. It was “calibrated” based on hundreds of verified website traffic statistics from across the entire spectrum from Google down to smaller sites with approximately 10,000 visits per month.
“The algorithm isn’t perfect but we feel it is probably more reliable than some of the other traffic estimation websites out there,” they said.

On the website profile pages they added much more information with the goal of making this website a great resource for scoping out your competition.

Here are some of the items added to the website profile pages:

Updated TrafficEstimate.com chart

Google stats
Alexa stats
Quantcast stats
Compete.com stats
Web traffic charts
Related websites
Keyword density analysis
Company contact information
Competitor analysis
Category pages linked to similar sites
Twitter tweet feed
News links
and more.

Additionally,

TrafficEstimate.com has created a top websites list with their top 10,000 ranked sites. This top list has been filtered to be what TraffficEstimate considers “relevant” websites. Soon the list will be expanded and vetted to be more relevant.

Finally, TrafficEstimate.com is helpful in evaluating potential domain and website acquisitions, SEO tracking, statistical analysis, and finding related websites.

We have watched this site grow in the past few years from a fun tool to a serious analytics website.
The owners have promised more is to come, and we are excited to see the benefis this site can add to the domain industry.

NOTE: If you would like to give TE some feedback, feel free to contact the administrator at: admin@TrafficEstimate.com (use copy/paste).

XF.com / Symbolics.com has not been compensated for this review and maintains no ownership of the TrafficEstimate.com business.

TE, at this time, works best for developed websites receiving significant traffic. However, the owners are constantly working on the site and have plans to upgrade the site to work on smaller traffic domains. STAY TUNED!

- Running the numbers…

- Aron

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Turning a Hobby Into a Website. Doing Something you LOVE Every Day!

February 22nd, 2010

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Let's try building a site around something we love.

Time to put my money where my mouth is.
I hate that expression — I wish someone would rewrite that a better way and send it to me.
But, in this instance, the expression holds true.

I’ve spoken many times about the dangers of building a business around something you have no passion for. If you do something solely for the payday, then your heart will begin to wander and your passion for the job will dwindle.

Example?

iBlog.com

We own this domain name (iBlog.net too).
I absolutely LOVE this domain… as far as “i” domains go, this is a good one.

We ran a successful blogging site which featured 3,000,000 monthly visitors at it’s height about a year ago. 75,000 registered bloggers, lots of visitors, lots of tech emails, lots of questions, lots of templates … just a ton of activity, every day.

Check out iBlog.com now: www.iBlog.com

What happened?
Simple. I don’t have a passion for running a blog network (it’s hard enough to keep up with a personal blog). My heart wasn’t in it. Fielding the questions became a chore… as the traffic grew, and more people used the site, I actually got discouraged as opposed to encouraged. More work and each day I seemed to have less and less interest in running a blogging network.

iBlog.com is still a great name, and someone will really be able to put this incredible asset to work for them. Blogging is huge, and there are great opportunities in the field… It’s just not for me at this time.

So, now what?
It’s time for a project — part fun, part business.
I’m ready to take on a new little venture, in an area that I love.

People know that I love music. People know that I love Christian music.

Wait, before you think “LAME”… know that Christian music has come a long way since you sat in church as a kid doodling on a piece of paper.

Bands such as Kutless (featured in the video at the left) Skillet, David Crowder Band, Hillsong United and Chris Tomlin have created some incredibly inspired songs. These bands are very talented.

With that said, I’ve decided to make a website around drumming, Christian music and original songs. I am going to use a domain that I’ve owned for a while, and I’m going to see if my interest in the project holds steady at where it is today: VERY excited!

I’ll update my blog periodically with the progress… so far this has been the progression:

1. Domain Name (done)
2. Drums (done)
3. Drumming Microphones (done)
4. Recording Software (done)
5. Monitors, headphones, cables, iMac etc. (done)
6. Studio buildout with soundproofing materials (done)

Everything is set and this is going to be a project based on mostly fun, but a little bit of business.

I’m going to show (even myself) first-hand, that a project based around something you love will hold your interest longer than a project based on solely money.

I ASK:

What projects are you involved in that you have a love for?
Do you have any websites that you are building around a topic that you really enjoy?

I’m also going to show a prime example of how a personal interest site can turn into a life-changing website (stay tuned for that one as well).

I’m curious. Let me know if you are undertaking any passionate projects.

Rocking out for the right reasons….

-Aron

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Elliot and Aron’s Suggestions — PART II — Improving the Domain Auctions – YOUR INPUT NEEDED.

February 10th, 2010

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Domain Auctions are in Need of an Overhaul

NOTE:
This post is the collective thoughts of Elliot (at ElliotsBlog.com) and myself. Elliots original post, on Issues Facing Domain Auctions can be found here:
http://www.elliotsblog.com/domain-auctions-problems-solutions-part-1-1020
Elliot has given me permission to post OUR suggestions for improvement.
Elliot will post a “Summary Wrap-Up” with his personal touches, on his blog, within a few days… so be sure to look for it.

———–

Elliots original post has produced some incredible suggestions for improving the domain auction system. 35 comments poured in within 24 hours, and many of you had some great insight as to what should be done.

I am going to list a few of the suggestions here, but I feel there is one simple (yet MAJOR) solution to our dilemma.

While Elliot did touch on the fact that
A: The same names appear to be popping up over and over
B: Sellers price expectations are high
and
C: PPC is down

I don’t really feel these are the main reasons for poor performance.

Personally, I believe it is a lack of marketing, awareness and outreach.

A majority of the readers’ suggestions cited improvements needed in the inventory, pricing and structure of the auctions.

I believe we are all thinking like Domainers a bit too much — and we aren’t looking at the industry as an outside investor would.

Rick London suggested something that I believe would be a “home run” to our industry:

“Sotheby’s or Christie’s could get into the domain business and perhaps be able to get far more publicity that what there is now for the domain auctions.”

This is what is lacking.
Sotheby’s and Christie’s do NOT simply hold auctions and just expect people to show up. They advertise and market their events like crazy… as does every auction house.

I believe we need to market our auctions in the same way — mailers, catalogues etc. We have to reach out to the investors of the world and educate them on the incredible opportunities that domains hold.

I received a mailer from “Robert Edwards Auctions” on Monday.
Robert Edwards Auctions is a sports memorbilia auction house.

The flyer told 3 important things:

1. It told of Robert Edward’s credibility
2. It told of the opportunities that exist in sports memorabilia and the state of the market
3. It cited recent sales that the auction house has produced

Simarly, Mastro Net (Memorabilia), SCPAuctions (Memorabilia) Sotheby’s (Art, Coins, Collectibles) and Christie’s (Jewelry, Real Estate, Antiques, Art) send out mailers and catalogues to potential buyers.

There is an incredible amount of marketing money spent before each auction. This HAS TO BE DONE.

Don’t get me wrong “Weeding out the crap” as many commenters suggested… that’s needed. “Charging sellers a fee to list domains” is not a bad suggestion to this specific issue.
However, I feel that the problem lies in the marketing and promotion and not so much in the volume of names.
Have you seen a SCPAuctions, MastroNet or Christie’s Catalog? HUNDREDS of pages… it takes a good week to go through the whole catalog.

Back to the issue at hand…

Christie’s sells high end real estate. They produce a magazine titled “Christies Great Estates”. It’s absurd to think that they would sell high end property without marketing and without an outreach to investors. Why is our industry different?

We’re turning into a social club — and I don’t like it. It’s killing our industry. If we’re just buying and selling each other’s crap then we’re not in an “industry at all” — we’re in a cult.

We’ve got to get serious.

I’m suggesting (in addition to other’s suggesting this) a partnership with Christie’s or Sotheby’s.

CAN YOU IMAGINE the publicity our industry would receive?
No longer would we shoulder the burden of trying to educate people on the values of our precious holdings.

Can you imagine the NEW CAPITAL that would be thrust into our industry?
Can you imagine the sales Christie’s or Sotheby’s would produce?
Every sale would be newsworthy — people would finally see how valuable domains are — and the information would come from a 3rd party… NOT from us.

Domains are serious investments — they are global.
Sports memorabilia is TANKING — yet auction houses are STILL producing big sales — because they are FINDING the buyers.

This suggestion does NOT cut Rick Latona out of domain auctions… we need Rick (or someone like Rick) to present our industry to Sotheby’s or Christie’s, be the liaison between the sellers and the auction house, help produce an inventory of domains and to educate the auction house on our industry.

I don’t think any of us has a good solution to the current format… we don’t run auction houses.
We have suggestions — shortening the auctions, lowering the reserves, make extended auctions 500 names and not 5000 etc.

The volume of names, and even the prices of names might not need changed.

There are people out there with money.
There are INVESTORS out there.
They need to know about our industry and jump aboard.

I’ve blogged about little old ladies buying $1,000,000 worth of gold at a local coin shop… Imagine these people buying a top domain to pass down to their families.
“My grandma bought our family GUNS.com” – that’s pretty bad ass

This won’t hurt the little guy that buys names on the drop or who buys $100 names.
The Christie’s and Sotheby’s auctions are for the high end sellers and buyers… so this really will only adversely effect the high end buyers — but they aren’t doing much at the existing auctions anyway.

We will still have a need for low and medium priced auctions (Rick Latona)
and the suggestions of lowering reserves, shortening auctions, limiting submissions etc. can all be applied.

I’m wanting to help give this industry a desperately needed shot in the arm — something that I suggested was needed long ago.

The outreach to investors and marketing is what’s lacking, and
I feel that a major auction house could do this far better than anyone in our community could.

YOUR COMMENTS ….. ???

*** Elliot will post his personal summary soon on his blog.
He will have suggestions on improving the existing format.

My post is about channeling the high end buyers.

- Moving Forward….

- Aron

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.com History — From the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the .com

February 9th, 2010

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25 Years of .com

From: 25YearsOf.com

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History of .com

Dot com may be the most popular of those three little fragments that helped reshape the world, but the first registered name occurred without fanfare. A computer manufacturer based in Cambridge, Massachusetts called Symbolics, Inc. was the first to stake a claim in .com on March 15, 1985. What followed was hardly a gold rush: that year only five other companies signed up a name.

Early Challenges

At the time, the Internet was largely a project for computer scientists and universities who wanted a way to communicate. As more and more people and institutions discovered the growing network that was set up by the Defense Department, it became increasingly shabby place. Stories about the difficulty of sending an email pepper the early history of the Internet. “One of the challenging things in the 1980s was getting mail from one network to another,” explained Marty Lyons, who created a map of the existing network gateways in June 1985. “Figuring out how to manually route through gateways was something of a black art — and often not officially sanctioned… as mail loads got heavier, sometimes postmasters would ask for people to stop using their connections.”

The Birth of .com

The need for some sort of organizing principles became more and more apparent as more entities connected into the fledgling Internet. Bringing order to the increasingly chaotic universe fell to the legendary Jon Postel and his colleagues at the University of Southern California’s Information Sciences Institute.

Postel who was called the “King” of the Internet became the request for comment (RFC) editor in 1969. As RFC editor, Postel and his colleagues personally shaped the Internet as we know it today. In October 1984, RFC 920 “on the requirements of establishing a new domain in the ARPA-Internet and the DARPA research community” was published, setting the stage for the birth of .com.

While we know that the first .com was assigned to symbolics.com on March 15, 1985, the genesis of .com is less clear. According to Craig Partridge, chief scientist at Raytheon BBN Technologies, the name for domains evolved as the system was created. At first, .cor was proposed as the domain for corporations, but when the final version came out it was switched to .com. Likewise, .org was originally .pub and .mil was originally .ddn. Other domains that came into being at the same time as .com were .edu, .gov, .net and .arpa.

Jack Haverty, another Internet pioneer who was at MIT at the time, said they weren’t really thinking about business when they were developing the top-level domains. “I think .com originally was derived from “company” rather than “commercial.” The. com’s weren’t thought of as “businesses” in the sense of places that consumers go to buy things,” he wrote in an email. “They were companies doing government contract work. The Internet was not chartered to interconnect businesses – it was a military command-and-control prototype network, being built by educational, governmental, and contractors.”

Since most of the Internet’s pioneers were involved in educational institutions, the military and government, it would explain why the other top-level domains seem more intuitive. Since what would become the Internet wasn’t set up to do business, and the profit-motive wasn’t officially sanctioned, Internet pioneers wouldn’t naturally think about a .biz or something else. Still, they seemed to understand that some kind of commerce was coming.

The .com Bubble

But to say that .com took some time to take off is an understatement. Two and a half years after the first registration, only 100 total .com domains existed. Among the early adopters included IBM, Intel, AT&T and Cisco. By 1992, there were still less than 15,000 .com domains registered and the million-domain mark wasn’t crossed until 1997, well into the Internet boom. Then came the “.com boom”, with nearly 20 million names registered in the next two years. It also ushered in something termed “cybersquatting,” where domains of famous people or companies were registered in hopes of getting a hefty sum to sell it. Nations implemented laws to combat cybersquatting, and the entertainer Madonna won a notable case in 2000 to get control of madonna.com.

The burst of the “.com bubble” cooled off the rapid growth for a short period, and since then .com has grown at a steady rate, with now more than 80 million domains. Yet, some of the most popular websites today were registered late into the .com era. Youtube.com, for example, wasn’t registered until 2005. Twitter.com was also registered after the .com boom.

While Symbolics the company didn’t fare well, symbolics.com remains as the oldest .com and was purchased by Aron Meystedt, owner of XF.com in 2009.

.com Today

Today, .com is an integral part of a technology boom that reshaped the way people work, live, play and connect with family and friends. Much to the amazement of its creators. “I don’t recall anybody ever thinking we were creating an organizational structure to encompass hundreds of millions of entities covering the entire planet in support of all human activities,” said David H. Crocker, who wrote the RFC 733-the first standard for Internet email. “And it certainly wasn’t supposed to last for 30+ years, even as an experiment. It just happened to turn out that way.”

www.25YearsOf.com

———————

.com Approaches 25th Anniversary: VeriSign to Lead Year-Long Initiative to Recognize Innovators and Leaders That Have Shaped First 25 Years of .com

February 3rd, 2010

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The 25th Anniversary of the .com is in March

Verisign, today, has announced a year long initiative to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the .com. The celebration will include unique web content and a gala in California in May.

The press release is featured below:

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA — (Marketwire) — February 3, 2010 —

In March 1985, the first .com domain was registered, igniting the birth of the consumer Internet that, 25 years later, continues to transform communications, commerce and our society as a whole.

Beginning in March 2010, VeriSign, the long-time operator of the .com domain, will lead an industry-wide initiative to recognize the innovators and leaders that have shaped the first 25 years of .com and in doing so transformed our economy and society. The celebration of “25 Years of .com” will kick off with a policy-focused event in Washington, DC on March 16.

In conjunction with that event, VeriSign will also announce the creation of four $75,000 research grants that will be awarded to those who show the most promise to shape the next 25 years of .com.

“In the past 25 years, the Internet has altered history and transformed lives around the globe. It has forever changed our relationships with the world around us by providing unprecedented access to people, places and information.
The .com celebration is about honoring the innovators who have gotten us to where we are today and recognizing those who will help shape the next 25 years,” said Mark McLaughlin, CEO, VeriSign.

“Billions of times each day, VeriSign connects web sites and users, while helping to ensure the Internet revolution continues to unfold at its characteristically fast pace. We’re proud of the role that VeriSign plays in enabling the .com infrastructure and in the role that our registrars play in providing the crucial platform and access to .com every day.”

Details on major events and initiatives:

March 16: Policy Impact Forum, Washington, DC

The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center Amphitheater

The Internet has been the source of — and increasingly, the forum for — some of the most interesting and controversial policy debates in recent times. Public policy has been challenged to keep up with the ever-evolving, fast-paced advances of the Internet and the often-perplexing economic and social questions that it raises.

This day-long event will feature thought-provoking keynote speakers and two engaging panel discussions that will bring together innovators, entrepreneurs, visionaries and Internet users to reflect on how we got here; to discuss the significant impact of the Internet on our economy, society and environment; and to focus on what the future of .com will hold.

.com 25 Awards

.com would not be what it is today without the early innovators who paved the way. As part of this celebration, VeriSign will soon announce the top 75 people and companies who have made the most notable impact in shaping the Internet and ultimately, our world.
From this list, a distinguished panel comprised of some of the Internet’s most important influencers, will select the “.com 25.”
Winners of the .com 25 will be announced at a gala event later this spring in San Francisco.

A web site — www.25yearsof.com — will host a variety of multimedia content throughout the coming months, showcasing the innovators and entrepreneurs who have shaped the Internet. 25yearsof.com is a year-long celebration of Internet innovation, all of which can be followed at:

Twitter: Keep up with our latest news at @25yearsofdotcom

Facebook: Friend us at facebook.com/25yearsofdotcom

Video: Watch people from leading Internet companies answer the question “How Do You .com?” at 25yearsof.com

About VeriSign

VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) is the trusted provider of Internet infrastructure services for the networked world. Billions of times each day, VeriSign helps companies and consumers all over the world engage in communications and commerce with confidence. Additional news and information about the company is available at www.verisign.com

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Entrepreneurial Ideas: Where Do They Come From? People Seeking Help.

February 2nd, 2010

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Entrepreneurial Ideas Generate From The Same Place...

This is a “random thoughts” post. Skip over it if you feel the need.
It’s my blog… this is what’s on my mind today.

I frequently get asked “entrepreneurial questions” from my close friends, and even from random people.
People are seeking advice and direction, especially in today’s economic climate.
Everyone wants to come up with that one great idea that will set them for life.

There’s no magic formula. Unfortunately.

It started, for me, by adopting a creative way of thinking, which was instilled by my parents. They tought us kids to look for opportunities in everything, to think creatively and to strive to be business owners. This was a great advantage growing up… I had aspirations of business ownership even at a young age.

Today, if you have entrepreneurial aspirations, it’s not too late. But you have to look around to find opportunities.

I can help you out: Don’t start dreaming up random things… it typically won’t work out. Don’t jump into something you have no passion for, knowledge of, or desire to talk about every day.

Most recently, I’ve had 2 good friends tell me they are tired of the “day to day” and that they want to own their own business (2 separate friends… 2 separate occasions).

Now, here is what drives me crazy:

BOTH friends, are so incredibly talented in a specific field/hobby, that the answer is a no-brainer. (I’m being vague to keep this anonymous in case they are reading)

For example:
If I say MUSIC — everyone thinks of this friend. If I say COOKING, everyone thinks of this friend. If I say CARPENTRY, or ART, or PHOTOGRAPHY — people immediately think of this friend.

Do you have friends like this?
It’s nerve-racking to see such amazing talent go to waste.

Sometimes the answer is right in front of you.
You have to LOVE what you are doing and you have to be GOOD at it.

Start the process by listing the things that you LOVE. What would your dream career be?
“My dream career would be doing ____________ all day long.”
Find something you are passionate about.

Now, list the things that you are good at. List things that you are BEST at.
Does anything from the 2 lists overlap?

I don’t want to ruin your ideas — but if you hate shoes — then you shouldn’t own a shoe store.
MAKING MONEY will only take you so far… that’s not the big motivator.

YOUR PASSIONS and INTERESTS will take you farther.

You will put more work into a venture that you LOVE, as opposed to one that is all about money.

ANYTHING can turn into a business.
Writing your thoughts down each day can be a business (a blog).
People blog about shoes, sports, gossip… it’s all important.
Do you know more about a topic than anyone? Blog about it. People will notice.

Something else that I was tought by my dad:

“To find a great idea, it’s always best to be involved in something already.”

It’s hard to find an improvement to a copy machine if you don’t work with copiers every day.
Once you dive into a job, or a field, you can start to look around and see opportunities — just keep looking.

While working for my dad at his trucking company (after college… no direction) — I noticed the need for warehousing in the area. I bought a large warehouse and it was successful.

Sometimes, it IS that simple — head in a direction — look around for opportunities.

————-

To sum it all up:

1. If you are incredible at something, and you love it — do that. Sometimes people miss this completely.
2. It’s easier to come up with ideas if you are involved in a job or a field already.
3. Find something you LOVE — don’t dream up ideas just for money.
4. Pray about it — ask for some direction. I know this rubs many people the wrong way — but it has helped me.

the biggie:

5. Strive for something greater than just a career. Money is fine, but it wont make you happy. Even doing something you love won’t make you happy.
Be part of something bigger than yourself.
Make each day count by working towards the big picture.
Strive to raise money for a charity.
Do something that gives your venture a purpose — something other than just making money.

For me, the day to day is more than waking up — making money for MYSELF, going to bed — repeating.

Be part of something bigger than yourself.

- Moving Forward

- Aron

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Conferences: WHO Are You Giving Your Time To at DomainFest, T.R.A.F.F.I.C. and Mardi Gras?

January 23rd, 2010

admin

Reach Out to Everyone

I felt the need to say this.
This will be short and to the point.

I’m excited to head to DomainFest next week.
I’m excited to re-connect with old friends and I’m very happy to meet new ones.
I’m excited to hear about the fun everyone is having at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. and I hope that gathering is beneficial to everyone.

However, there is one thing that always bothers me about these events.
How much time is given to the new guy, who is lost … looking for answers?

While yes, many of us have deals to close (or attempt to close) and we have many people that we “must” see — do we give enough time for those that are seeking help?

Do we only get excited to talk to people that can fatten our wallet?
Do we only give the time to the people that “can do something for us?”

Guilty. I’ll admit it.

I get fired up to talk with someone that might want to buy a domain or partner on one…
and then, 2 minutes later, someone I’ve never heard of — who owns NOTHING that I’d ever consider buying — walks up and introduces himself.

Our excitement level drops — because this person can’t increase my social standing or my bank account.

Admittedly, I’ve done this.
WOW, I feel horrible about it now.
I think we all do this.

Can we try to make a conscious effort to treat everyone the same?
With respect?
Can we give our precious time to those who really need some advice or a friend to talk to?
Can we be excited about eating lunch with (insert big name here) but be just as excited to meet a new friend who is struggling for direction?

Let’s not lose sight of this one thing:

We are all people.
We are all small and sadly, insignificant.
One’s worth isn’t determined by social circles, business success or property.

I’d encourage you to watch this short video… showing the massive expanse of the universe.

Let’s make it a goal to reach out and give time to those who couldn’t do anything for us in return.

After watching this, let me know if any one of us has a platform to brag from.

- Pressing On

- Aron

DomainFest: 1 Week Away. Are You Going? Me Too. Still on the Fence? I Can Help.

January 18th, 2010

admin

DomainFest in Santa Monica

We’re excited to head to Santa Monica, CA next week for a great event called: DomainFest.

For those reading that aren’t involved in the domain industy, DomainFest is an event where domain buyers and developers gather for networking, auctions and fun.
This year, the event is being held at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel, from January 26-28.
The event is presented by DomainSponsor, a parking company owned by Oversee.net.

*** Are you going to DomainFest?
If you plan to attend, and need to discuss something, feel free to pull me aside.

We’re very excited about the networking opportunities, the great food and the Getty Center gathering this year.

The Getty Center

The Getty Center is an art museum that sits on over 100 acres, overlooking Los Angeles.
The networking party at the Getty Center should be an event that you’ll remember for a long time.

*** If you plan on attending DomainFest, leave a comment or send me an email.
I’d love to meet up with you and have a face-to-face talk.

Still on the fence about whether to attend or not?
Let me help by giving my 100% honest input.

The trip costs quite a bit of money.
You can save money by splitting a hotel room with a friend, but the costs you can’t change are the airfare and the event ticket prices.
You’ll spend just over $1000 for the event ticket, and airfare will probably run $500+ for a round trip (depending on your location).

Honestly, this event is used as a once-per-year mini vacation for many people.
It’s a tax write off.
It’s an opportunity to meet people from all over the globe that you would never have a chance to talk with.

If you are new to the industry, and are still learning, this might help get you rolling.
However, don’t expect to walk in and start making $500,000 deals with strangers
It takes a bit of time to get plugged in, but this a good way to do it quickly.

If the cost is a problem, and money is tight (and it is for all of us), maybe sit this one out, keep working hard, and have a goal to attend next year.
There’s nothing wrong with saving your money.

Remember, this is an event that will give you memories to last a life time.
Last year’s event was a blast, and I’m so glad we attended.
This year will be the same.

Everything you do, from the time you leave your house, will be a tax write off… so that helps a little bit.

If you are looking for an opportunity to meet some people that you’ve wanted to talk with, this a good chance to do that.
If you are new to this industry, and just starting, attending might help you wrap your head around everything.

Weigh the costs vs. the experiences and opportunities.

If you have questions, comment here or email… I don’t mind giving my honest input.

*** If you plan to attend, see you there!

- Moving Forward…

- Aron

————————

Bringing Our Industry to Your University. Putting Together a Curriculum Addition. Input Needed.

January 15th, 2010

admin

It's up to us to move this industry forward.

Students of today will be the leaders of tomorrow.
I’d venture a guess, and say 95% of entering Freshmen have no idea of an occupational direction.
I see them every day, I talk to them at least once a week.
Many are lost, just floating around with no real drive.

To me, it’s simple.
Success starts by adapting a new way of thinking.
Today’s kids don’t have this entrepreneurial spirit instilled within them… at least- not yet.

Let’s face it, we all didn’t just wake up one day and start throwing cash at the Internet — we were coached, we researched, read blogs, talked on forums, saw figures, learned of profits and growth, and heard success stories.

Then, we began to think differently than everyone else around us — we started looking for opportunities in everything – every moment of every day.

Is it up to us to spread this to the leaders of tomorrow?
I submit — IT IS.

Here’s where I am going with this:

Is there a University close to your location?
Do you want to teach what you’ve learned to University students?
Do you have a passion to be a driving influence in college students?
Do you wish to see our industry grow with new ideas and new minds?

We sure do.

I’d like to start putting together a curriculum addition, to present to presidents of colleges and educational institutions.

Many of us have a lot to say… we have a lot to teach.
Many of us are speakers – and this speaking would translate perfectly to the classroom.
Many of us ARE concerned about the youth and we’d like to have an impact on them.

I do believe that a few among us are already teaching — we need your help.

Would you like to help put together a course of study to add to the curriculum of your local University?

We’re looking for people that would like to join in this — present to your local college, and heck — maybe land a teaching job where you can mold some minds of the future.

We need to cover topics like these (any other ideas are welcomed):

Entreprenurial Introductions
Creative Thinking
Internet Opportunities
Domain Names and CCTLD’s
Web Hosting and Site Design
Basic Search Engine Optimization
Website Monetization and Domain Parking
Affiliate Marketing
Advertising and General Marketing
Sales Negotiation and Tactics
Web Tools and Analytics
Business Ownership
Basic Legal Coverage

etc.

I feel we could put together one of the most amazing
semester courses to ever hit colleges.

Which course would a college student be intrigued to take?

Pottery
Swimming
Internet Entrepreneurs

We need help — any ideas are welcomed.

I’d love to hear from those already attempting this.

I feel we could cover an incredible amount of information, and put together a course that would set students on an incredible path for the future.

We all had help — a boost — and some direction.
These kids need the same thing — and we can provide it.

Comment or contact if you can help.

Collectively, we could put together something quite amazing.

NOTE: We’ll be at DomainFest, if any of you would like to pull me aside and discuss this — feel free.

- Still learning….

- Aron

Psychology in a Domain Listing. Setting a Price Expectation… or Not.

January 12th, 2010

admin

It's no Jedi Mind Trick -- but there are ways to not show your hand.

In considering listing a domain for sale, publicly, a big dilemma is whether to list an asking price, or not.

Here is my stance:

1. Listing an asking price is just like making the first offer — which I never like to do. If we list an asking price of $100,000, then every negotiation that we encounter will be below this figure.

Think for a second, whether you are buying or selling — it’s best to NOT make the first offer.
If you do, then every negotiation from that point on will go in the favor of the other party.
If the other party makes the first offer (in buying or selling) you have the upper hand… you control what happens next and where the price negotiations go from there.

2. Listing an asking price eliminates the possibility of a large, unexpected sale. If you list a domain for $50,000 — a buyer won’t make a $100,000 offer. It depends on your circumstances… but you’ll likely never sell a domain for more than your publicly listed asking price.

3. Listing an asking price might scare away people looking to pay less, and discourage them from bidding.
However, one could argue that these people aren’t serious buyers anyway… but some sellers are known to negotiate to 50% of the asking price — and buyers might not know there is this much “wiggle room”.

I’d like to encourage buyers to make offers — but there’s a fine line between encouraging bids and encouraging low-ball offers.

4. Listing an asking price DOES reveal your expectations, and it does save time by discouraging low-ball offers.

I know this is a short post, but I’d like to hear your thoughts on the psychology that goes into a domain sale.

Should you list an asking price or not?

Are there things a seller can do to encourage more bids?

Is it best to list NO asking price?

Is it best to list your absolute bottom dollar… so buyers know a deal can be had?

Is it best to price yours on the low end of the comparables to encourage buyers?

Is it best to list your name on the high end, to try to land that big buyer?

What strategy encourages more bidders — more serious bidders?

Is it your opinion that listing your name in the first place hurts your bargaining position?

For me, when I have interest in a name, and I see that a broker has it, or it’s listed on Sedo, Afternic etc. that excites me (as a buyer).
It leads me to believe the seller is motivated, and is ready to deal.

Does listing your top domain with a broker hurt your bargaining position from the get-go?
or
Is giving yourself every avenue for a sale just standard procedure?

We are going to list a decent sized name for sale and we are eager to see the interest generated from having no price listed.

Which strategies lead to more offers?

- Moving Forward ….
Aron

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