Parking2009.com


Morning folks!!

The move by Google is potentially the most sweeping change to come to
domainers since the inception of the industry. Earlier this year I believed and
was told directly that there would be a major shakeup by Google. Abuses in the
industry were so bad and our 'Partners' were putting the entire industry at
risk. I was told directly that if the domain industry did not clean things up,
Google would. Of course I had no idea in what form that 'Clean up' would come in
but it was clear that the industry was not focused on cleaning it up
themselves.

We may have the economy to thank for saving us because Google did what I
believed they would do, just did it to the parking companies which they too must
have believed was a big part of the problem. They did this in spite of the
relationships with the ppc companies. (Maybe some of those relationships were strained) This showed that business trumps those
relationships with the parking companies. That was an overwhelming move.

The real reality is the MOTIVE behind Google's move. If besides cleaning things up it is to have a
more direct relationship with domain owners? Than we are big winners. If it is
to stop the abuses going on by some parking companies, then domainers are the
big winners. If it is to get rid of the TM traffic, domainers are the big
winners. If it is to get rid of the CRAP traffic that parking companies have
mixed in with our PURE traffic then domainers are the big winners.

Now if you are a conspiracy type guy than there is a host of issues where
domainers could be losers. That would take quite some time to fully explore. I
have yet to even go down that road in my mind yet. I am still wrapping my head around what this move means. There are so many facets on so many fronts. It will take all of 2009 to see the full impact.

Right now the big losers seem to be the parking companies IF they continue
their present formula. Parking companies provide a service. I am willing to pay
for that service and continue using it, but transparency comes in many forms and the curtain on this
has been pulled, exposed and all are about to see things they never saw before.

People LIE......NUMBERS don't. Parking companies have long thought of
themselves as our 'Partners' and they got their 'Partner' share. Today the
equation changed and now they are folks that provide a SERVICE. How much is
their service worth? 50%?? NO! 35%? NO! 25%? NO! We all know what a reasonable
number is and the parking companies that choose the right number will survive
and maybe even thrive while the others are SURE to collapse. Here is what I said
in a DNJournal.com interview in August:


'Here is the bottom line. There is going to
be a new solution come to domainers that will knock PPC out of the box
unless things change. I am going to do everything I can to make that
happen until our “Partners” act like partners. Until then, they have REAL REASON
to be concerned. PPC companies provide a service, but without our traffic
they have nothing. Is that service really worth 50% of our revenue?
35%? Until now we have seen huge growth in the PPC companies. It is the
domainer fueling their growth while sacrificing our
own.'


Parking will survive, many of the players won't. See there is
only one way for parking companies to survive and that
is to assume their proper role in all this. The
companies that do not embrace the new reality are doomed. Not because I say so,
doomed because no company can make the wrong choice on this one and survive.
Parking companies provide a 'Service.' How much is that Service worth? Today,
less than yesterday and those parking companies that don't figure this out I
believe will collapse.

I think Google may have realized that it may be easier to deal with 20
parking companies, but in the long run they have little or no control and no
real relationship with their 'Clients' that are the ones they are actually doing
business with that provide the TRAFFIC. If they don't develop and nurture that
relationship it leaves the door wide open for a challenge. This takes the domain
channel out of play to a large extent or at least strengthens their position against any upcoming challenge. This prevents a parking company from
jumping ship and moving millions of daily visitors from going to a potential
competitor. This move is so big and so bold that it may be months before we know
the full extent of the impact. This has the potential to be the single biggest
game changer in the history of the domain industry. Never been a better time to
shake things up.

Google has changed the game and in a dramatic way with this bold move. It
was long overdue. I really never thought they would do something so drastic and
domainer friendly. I won't deny I was concerned about Google cutting off the
entire domain channel given the depth of the abuses. I think they have been
wrestling with how to handle this all year. Google sent enough warnings that if
the domain industry would not clean house, they would. Well, they did just that.
But the change they made is so sweeping I really never thought it would
happen. They have embraced good domain traffic in a very big and dramatic way
while planting the seeds of cleaning up the unproductive traffic that hurts
everyone. For now, domainers have gotten a great Christmas gift. I think this
may be just one step in a series of steps to shake out the crap and reward the
gold. That said, I still think parking companies have their role and we will
just have to see what exactly this shake up leaves in its' wake.

One thing for sure, the entire impact of this can not be articulated in one
post or even a series of posts. This opens things up in a way that creates
competition and competition will create opportunity. But it will take a long
time to get our heads around this and to see the impact it will have. As I
stated in the DNJournal article last week, 'I think the numbers will tell
the real story.'

Have a GREAT day!