Morning Folks!!
I wrote this last week and posted it to my blog earlier this morning before the Time Person of the Year announcement. Normally I would not have made it public until next week when I hit my 15 year milestone doing this. But I think it needs to get posted now with the news so that it makes even more sense than it would have.
When I look back at 2010 I will look at it as the first year that the Internet started to really be defined. Not only defined, embraced. Not only embraced, but as predicted for years, the “Savior of Sales”.
2010 was the first year of the Internet because it was the first year that attitudes changed universally. ALL eyes are on the Internet. The future of all business pinned to the Internet. Everyone now online. Everyone. And not only online, but Facebook has put them in the game and right in the middle of the action.
2010 the year of Facebook. We saw it coming but who would have thunk?. But it truly manifested itself this year. Everyone is in or getting in or will soon be in. Things evolved this year more than any other in recent memory.
Have we witnessed another Hula Hoop moment? I think history will tell yea or nay. I vote yea. I also thank the economy for forcing things to break wide open. You have witnessed a truly epic year. 2010 sets up the next decade. Things are just beginning to rev up. This was the year that we left the starting line.
2010 was a tough year. But 2010 was a key year and I am here to tell you this is the turning point and the mile posts I have most looked forward to for all these years. It took these guys 16 years or more to get it right. They blew zillions of dollars! But now, they are in the game. On the trail. In the hunt.
Hallelujah that long lonely trail is about to get more crowded than anything you can imagine. The greatest ego stroke anyone will have in the next decade is a hughly recognizable domain name.
Facebook has ignited the masses in how they spend their time. Between 20 years and a decade ago the average person spent ZERO minutes online everyday. ZERO. Then reved it up to one a month. They weekly. Then daily.
Today, the average person spends hour after hour online. Multiply those minutes. WOW! Many are just starting to navigate their way around. It’s a new world and it started now. 2010.
It takes tough times to make good times. It forces folks to reach deep. What folks learn is when they reach deep, they will find a great success. And sometimes make fools of themselves as all the viral videos prove. This will be the year I remember everyone acting like a clown to bring attention to them and get into the game.
I have been doing these posts for a very long time. Since 1996 I have posted annually about what we accomplished and what was still left. The 'still left' column won by landslides and the 'accomplished side' was barely in the game. Like a see-saw. All weighted to what was still left to do and accomplished still sitting on the ground.
Let me be 1000% clear. 2010 was THE breakthrough year. This was the year that the momentum has finally shifted online in the way it was meant to do. The world is engaged and finally in the game. Those that are not, will be very soon consumed as well. A tidal wave of progress.
The shift has happened. 15 years ago today I registered that first domain. (Actually, my ISP registered it) That was me sticking my toe in the water to see what was going on. By that time 12 months later, I was all hyped up about something nobody around me knew nothing of. I was on a new planet and there was nobody. Barrne and deserted. Was this really the future?
I could see the evolution but would anyone else?? How many could I afford to get at $100 each? What would I do with them? How would I afford to keep these for years while others saw what I saw? All questions. No answers. Nobody to even ask. All that was there were techies and they did not speak the language of business. I could not look at it thru techie eyes. I look at it through the eyes of people. Consumers. Mom and pops and business folks. They saw code. They were geniuses and I was just a guy that stuck out because I was so clueless. We talked different languages and I got banned from the few places I found to try and discuss domains or the future of the Internet. Pretty damn lonely. My only link to any real life was when I looked up a domain name and the same guy or company would own it. Or Proctor and Gamble would own it or somebody that was a hell of a lot smarter than me. So there must be something.
So from that day to this day……I don’t even know how to put it into words. It is almost miraculous to watch something you think will happen actually happen and have it happen in a historical magnitude like this.
Facebook is the “Training Wheels” of the Internet. Facebook to the masses is like the Ynot board was to me and the adult biz in 1996 and 1997 and 1998. Transformitive by taking communications to another level. To take our productiveness to another level. Unemployment is high right now, but only because the transformation has yet to happen. It is in progress. Jobs in 2010 and 2020 won’t look like the jobs of 1910 and 1920. We won’t be going to a “Job” to put a screw in a hole and pass it down the assembly line to be productive. We will be collaborating with our minds not our hands.
So welcome to the most exciting 5 years of your lifetime. The last 5 years of a 20 year plan. The Home Stretch. My mile markers are all lined up for history to see. I knew they would look for that oceanfront land. My #1 job,get to the ocean, set up camp, an umbrella, be as comfortable as possible in the process and pull out 20 years of patience.
Mark it on your calendars. 2010 was the year that changed the game in a significant way. The $$$ are now earmarked toward the Internet. Their time is now earmarked for the Internet. Their energy is now earmarked for the Internet. This is the beginning. 15 years on the on-ramp. But we are now on the superhighway. Getting up to speed and ENJOY the next 5 years.
Take a deep breath. The game starts again now. No matter where you get on board, there are fortunes to be made online. NOW! The guy that gets online today, will do just fine it he has any plan at all and the discipline and patience to carry that plan out.
Congratulations for being part of the single biggest opportunity ever available to the common man in the history of mankind. That is not an exaggeration. That is a fact and you need to stop and get your heads around that one if you want to be one step ahead and not one step behind. The beauty of the Internet, is that even if you fall behind, you can still leap ahead.
So as I start my 16th year the passion only grows. My single best advice. Go see “The Social Network” Watch it twice. Then re-access and recalibrate everything you thought you knew and apply it to where we are at and where things are going. Don’t look at it thru your eyes, think what the others in the audience are thinking. You can FEEL the energy.
We are witnessing the greatest shift in advertising dollars and investment in the history of the universe. The money is flying towards the Internet. The thing they tried to kill a decade ago is the only thing that can save them today and in the future. Media is tripping over themselves trying to make things go viral. Be relevant. Be social. Talk to their viewers on their level. Some are good at it, some look like fools. Most do. Desperate sometimes. Most times. It looks forced, it feels forced. But from this race the real one finally emerges. Right on schedule!!! That is the mind blower. As much as I have done everything in my power to accelerate things, the 20 year plan will still take 20 years. Except for one minor difference. I believed it would just be starting in 20 years. I did not think we would peak in 20 years. We are 5 years ahead and it took hundreds of companies and thousands of domain owners to get there. Going from the outer limits to the focal point of the new economy.
And around the turn they come…….The finish line now in sight.
Have a GREAT Day!
Have a FANTASTIC New Year’s
Have a Healthy and Happy Future
Bill Kara
Great post Rick thanks for sharing and all the tears of running through mud to get to this point. All the best in 2011!
Christian
A super super post, thank you Rick, onwards and upwards!
NextOption
Thank you very much Mr. Schwartz. You have opened my eyes and changed my life. Seriously.
Steve
Nice post. I was speaking with an advertiser yesterday that sells ad space for tractors and farming equipment. They said the minimum cost per click for a banner ad on their site is $39. $39 for one click for tractor ads! We are definitely on the way. My only concern is frivolous attempts to steal generic names will increase in a big way. Many companies missed the boat and will try and sue their way into the domain space rather than pay a fair price for the name(s) they want.
Best Regards.
Steve O'brien
Another great”Annual Post” Rick. I think once again – you are right on the money. Next year is stacking up to be huge. Strong – keyword domain names are the ticket and the year long ride, will be a pile of money for the companies that embrace what we have know for many years now.”Happy Holidays” – Steve
SL
Good. That means there’s finally hope that someone will buy my crappy names listed on Sedo.
Fero
Grate post as always Rick.
I now have same situation as you have had in the beginning, it is very hard for many people to understand where new things, like internet and business is going . I see grate opportunities in developing business by building web sites .It have never happened before that such a young people became milliners by building online business and this is happening in the front of our eyes .Thanks to my vision and to your vision and support I now own some grate domain names that most of the business here don’t understand yet. All the best and Happy Holidays .
BullShitwebsites
Rick the Man–You always save the best for the last.
This is the best post and does not come at a better time–
Let put it this way-the Man of the Year reads your blog.
Paul Kapschock
Rick,
Thanks for sharing your excitement and love.
If you look around, you can see it and feel it too.
Just a year or two ago, the only thing connected to the internet was your computer. Now, it is almost the last thing. Everything will be connected in your life.
With your inside knowledge of the industry, you are one of the first to see and feel stuff..the advertisers, the dreamers, salesman and business suits….and I am glad you are telling everyone that it is true!!
The ground is a shakin’! Life is changing!
Thanks Rick.
Kevin Davis
Great read Rick and just posted it to Facebook.Merry Christmas.
Shaun Morton
Great Post Rick. Happy Holidays.
Steve M
… and once again the road less traveled is revealed to be the true path to success.
Thanks Rick.
Anunt
Since everybody knows about it, that game is OVER.
Domain game is over!
The people who own prime domain names now are going to slowly and quietly cash in all their chips to new suckers…these new suckers who buy domain names now will definately lose in the future!
Smart people are already cashing in their chips now…take a good look around you…ask the big domain boys…new suckers are born everyday…they will buy these domains and lose tons of money letting them expire worthless within 5 years time.
No such thing as a domain name within 5 years time…guaranteed!
New rules, new game within 5 years which dont include a domain name.
Start cashing out, dont get caught holding empty bag of smoke!
Mark this post!
Rich
Thankx Rick,this post came handy for me ,this was a bad year in regards to domaining.It’s my second year in this game and i have a lot of catching up to do.
Paul K
Nutter lol
Jokes aside, your probably right……..normally are.
have a good one
chris
Great post rick – great sum up of 2010 – now off to 2011
Rob Sequin - Havana Journal
Great post.
I like the part about buying your first domains and how you saw something that other people could not see.
I feel this same way with my 2500+ Cuba domains that I have been actively buying for ten years.
SOMEDAY Fidel Castro will die and the US Embargo will be lifted.
Then watch people rush to the Internet for Cuba keyword searches that interest them and domains they need to own.
I’m waiting :-)
dick03070@yahoo.com
Hi Rick,
Great post, You had a vision and followed it through. How many would have given up?
You have the spirit of an entrepreneur, that for sure.
Have a great Holiday.
Dick St.Cyr
jeff schneider
Hello Rick,
Thank you for your thought provoking post. You changed my thoughts on sale or development, and I am sure that being a billionaire is better than a short sighted sale recipient. Many domainers are like me setting on valuable company address names and second guessing what is best a Sale or Development? Your post has come at a very timely juncture for me, so thanks again and Happy holidays.
Gratefully, Jeff (2010 year of the Metal Tiger)
Dan
Hi
Rick…I did see: “The Social Network” and will do so again…it was great the 1st time.
I would,if it is OK with Rick take you back to 2007, when”MS” bought 1.6% of”FB”…giving it an valuation of 15 Billion.
Once again”MS” does something almost right…they should have bought 10%+ at that ‘valuation'(hindsight being 20/20)
At the time, looking through only ‘domainers goggles’…I thought it was insane. I of course I was 100% wrong, and made many post to prove that fact :)
If anyone cares to go ‘back to the future’ post is at the: ‘SevenMile’ Blog (2007)~ The comment’s are interesting to say the least…
http://domainnamesales.com/sevenmile/2007-10/microsoft-values-facebook-at-15-billion-domains-name-valuations-in-a-bubble/
____
Now that it is 2010 and”Mark” is Times Man Of The Year, I would like to point out there is a lot more under the ‘FB hood’…than most know about…it is worth everyone’s time to do a little more research on what”FB” is doing,how to use marketing correctly on”FB”, their future plans etc…
Already, their in house PPC advertising system if used right is way better than”Google’s Adwords PPC…IMHO.
And here is some pretty remarkable news that just came out today:
___
JC Penney Advances Social Sales Model; 3 Tips for Companies That Want to Follow Suit
http://www.marketingvox.com/jc-penney-advances-social-sales-model-3-tips-for-companies-that-want-to-follow-suit-048309/?utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=mv&utm_medium=textlink
(250,000+ of J.C Penny products that can be seen and bought on”FB”…)
I had no idea that this could be done. More large and small companies to follow?
I do think”Ricks” right, the future does start now…and will bring many changes and surprise’s.
Best To All For 2011 And Beyond!
Dan
sideliner
@anunt and your comment”No such thing as a domain name within 5 years time…guaranteed!”
GUARANTEED!!!!!!! huh?? LMAO….ony thing guaranteed is death, taxes and your goofy posts here.
There will always be internet addresses, unless something else is in development that NO ONE knows about. And even then at the speed ICANN works at would be a 15 year project not to mention technical testing and then massive litigation etc.
Look at the IDN.IDN ccTLD program, something as simple as that still in the works 12 years later but nearing the finish line and everyone worried it would”break” the internet. There certainly are and will be other ways to access websites on the net….Japan is a perfect example where you can aim a cellphone at an image and get to that website. And no doubt there will be many no one has even dreamed of….but in the end you are going to need a URL address. The DNS system and url addresses using a-z, 0-9,and – is not going away, in fact it is being expanded to new gTLDs and ccTLDs as we speak.
You might want to get a copy of ICANN 2011 budget….tens of millions being spent to be exact on upgrading and expanding the existing system, and nothing new reported or on the horizon.
ZipQuote
Thanks Rick for the positive inspirational post. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you and all your readers.
~Bob @ZipQuote
John R
Damn Rick, you gave me goose bumps the way you speak of the internet. I am glad that you wrote this post, because I was wondering if I actually missed the bus or not. Like you said in a round about way, better late than never. great post, and good luck to all in 2011
Futureteller
@Anunt
You never comented or clarified while your comments were criticized.
What do you guess will new advents will come out in next 5 years?Could you list those on priority if you really knew?
Josh
If you think Rick is wrong about”The Social Network,” check out this video linked-to here: http://techcrunch.com/2010/12/17/facebook-3/
While humorous, it’s also telling…
jeff schneider
Hello Rick,
Microsoft continues to make blunders by choosing domain addresses that make no sense. They as well as other big corporations choose to buy domain names that need continual branding by advertising companies to be memorable instead of buying a decent organically branded name whose address is their permanent brand. Go figure!
Is it any wonder they miss all the big plays by listening to the siren sounds coming from the Advertising companies.” You need us to be properly Branded” Over the next five years watch this stategy unravel quickly! Domainers come to your senses and quit selling your names at highly discounted valuations. Sell to validated end users only, or read and weep years from now about how you should have! Rick has written the play book, get in the game and have the patience he has displayed time and time again.
books
totally agree with ‘sideliner’ above
well said
the powers that be who decide the inrastructure, the system, domains etc will not stop domains. over their dead bodies, too much of a cash cow for icann etc
‘if’ domains ended, would take decades to implement a new system
TrafficFlow
I would like to thank you for your amazing posts! I have been domaining for 10 years and its been very hard paying for my large portfolio. I have have spent most of my money on domains going into deep zone domaining even waking up at 4am buying names.
Your posts over the years have help me feel I’m not going mad spending money on domains. So many people who don’t
know about domains think of them as a joke and it always sticks
in my mind that one of my OLD FRIENDS calling my domains poor mans
stock market! My traffic was dripping like a tap at the time
and now its flowing like Niagara Falls :)
Even in your posts I can tell why you’re a top domainer because you see things before they happen and that’s the tool to be the best domainer. Like Myself :)
Some of the new domainers are catching up quickly because
they have people like you to teach them so they are very lucky.
I had to learn the hard way buying lots of crap at first!!
I’m happy now because everyone has their own path and it made
me really appreciate my best domains. Reading Ricks posts has
made me price my domains correctly. This has been a big help
and you didn’t have to teach people some of your selling system.
My traffic is going up everyday like never before so I think you’re right about that we have some great times ahead.
Amanda
Great post! Game on!
lily
The shift has happened. 15 中关村写字楼years ago today I registered that first domain. (Actually, my ISP registered it) That was me sticking my toe in the water to see what was going on. By that time 12 months later, I was all hyped up about something nobody around me knew nothing of.
story
which domain did you register 15 years ago Lily?
btw Rick, do you think 2011 will see a laboured start and build strongly and really things to start kicking off more in 2012?
Anunt
Since everybody knows about it, that game is OVER.
Domain game is over!
The people who own prime domain names now are going to slowly and quietly cash in all their chips to new suckers…these new suckers who buy domain names now will definately lose in the future!
Smart people are already cashing in their chips now…take a good look around you…ask the big domain boys…new suckers are born everyday…they will buy these domains and lose tons of money letting them expire worthless within 5 years time.
No such thing as a domain name within 5 years time…guaranteed!
New rules, new game within 5 years which dont include a domain name.
Start cashing out, dont get caught holding empty bag of smoke!
Mark this post!
Brett Napoli
Rick, you couldn’t be more on point with this, these are my sentiments exactly. I/we can feel the passion and it’s not only exciting to see but relieving to hear confirmed. All of us are on the brink of an astonishing and world changing opportunity. My favorite line…”Congratulations for being part of the single biggest opportunity ever available to the common man in the history of mankind.”
Cheers to a prosperous new year/decade/lifetime!
Brett Napoli
I appreciate comments like this because it reminds me no matter what you do, when you do it, who you try to help or how passionate you are to create and give opportunities to others… there will always be someone there to hate. Instead of paying attention to one guy heckling you, pay attention to the thousands of others who are stoked to hear what you have to say.
Nancy
I may be a little late to comment here, but love to read a visionary’s report. I’m wondering, however, if the shift will be to more portable options in the future, shopping via mobile apps, doing everything in a more portable way. People are attached to their cell phones, and they are taken for granted now. It will take a while, but the internet may become ‘old school’ and redundant.
Just what I woke up thinking this morning as I checked the weather and email on my blackberry before getting online.