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

Morning Folks!!

We are getting to the “Fun part” of the recession. The fun part is when folks just finally give up. They capitulate. It’s a given. Human nature wires folks to give up. Few persevere and see things through. I learned early on in life that looking back I would give up just before success was at hand. That’s what most people do. It’s a hard emotion to fight. However the ones that LEARN to fight it find success time and time again.

So that brings us to now. We are entering the “Giving up stage.” In many cases it is justified. In many others it is not. Do you know the difference? Can you tell the difference? Some are discriminating about fine wines and can tell even the slightest difference. Learn how to figure out the “Giving up stage” and you will have the finest wine for a lifetime.

Lots of folks don’t understand why I am so obsessed with the economy. What I would say to them is if you were in the middle of the ocean in a horrific hurricane, what would you be talking about? Domainers last year thought they were immune from the downturn. The truth is even if you make twice the money you are still being affected. Stores are closing. Services are disappearing. Staffs are dwindling. Choices are about to be fewer. So this is a lowering tide for all.

There are great deals to be had out there in almost every sector. The planet is on sale! Opportunity is everywhere. Until now the hardest thing was to do nothing knowing that things are still in freefall. We won’t see a bottom for quite some time. Any progress in unemployment numbers is a false blip due to seasonal hiring. That blip won’t last long. In about 60 days it will begin to hemorrhage as those seasonal jobs start to go bye bye.

So I believe the true bargains will be next fall and winter. So many will be forced to give up. But that is the point in which opportunity is created. That is the point to look for. The point to focus on. The point in time to be more aggressive than ever. Pedal to the metal. So it all comes back to timing. Timing IS everything and everything is nothing with the wrong timing.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

Timing is everything. Go back to my oldest posts on the net and you will see my obsession with timing. Nothing matters more. It’s pretty close to everything in my equation. The only other thing I pay particular attention to is having patience. Patience and timing is everything to me and hardly on the radar screen for others. It’s like jumping rope, the only thing that counts is the patience to time your entry and then time your jumps exactly right.

I think I can safely say that in the years ahead, TRAFFIC will hit nearly every corner of the world. The expansion and aggressive schedule may be met with some resistance at first blush as there is no question there is “Show Fatigue” in the industry. But going forward things are changing. There is a fairly long hiatus between now and the next TRAFFIC in late October. More than 4 months and a season and a half away. Since we won’t be going to New York in 2010, there is some serious business we need to accomplish there. I am here to tell you that the timing for the NY show is perfect. When you see the slate of speakers and topics we will cover and the fact that doors that were closed to us before are now open, you too will realize how important timing is.

I am sure there are many opinions about doing these shows and the aggressive schedule. So far, almost all positive. Folks know we are going to do some major trailblazing that makes the path less resistant for everyone.

The two Rick’s unleashed and clawing their way to the future and the promises they hold for all of us. Get ready for some real progress. Major breakthroughs. Nothing happens overnight, but I can certainly say that in a year or two from now the decisions that were made this week will not only transform TRAFFIC but will transform the industry and every sponsor and every domainer will benefit. This is really the biggest thing since TRAFFIC was announced 5 years ago. Fasten your seat belts, this is going to be a wild, exciting and profitable ride for everyone that participates. Howard and I are thrilled that we will all be joining forces to work for a common goal. Don’t worry about who you like and who you don’t. Worry about making as much money as you can and having a great life for you and your family. Rick, Howard and I as well as our support teams and families will do everything we can to bring all of us to a place we all know we should be. Call it passion, call it obsession, call it anything you want, but we are all driven because we KNOW the power and value of our assets and it is up to US to make sure that the WORLD knows.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

In my posts over the past year I have stated over and over this is the time to do bold things. This is the time to expand not contract. This is the time to take advantage of the times if you can navigate the treacherous waters we are in. To stay ahead of the times you have to build when others would think this is the wrong time. When the common wisdom is to think it crazy. At first look you might think this is crazy. But it's really not once you digest what we are trying to do and accomplish.

In the past months TRAFFIC has expanded from just shows in the USA to
doing shows in Australia and Amsterdam. Both shows have had very
favorable reviews and outcomes and we are looking to expand on that
success.

Howard and I are happy to announce a new working
partnership with RickLatona.com and his team with respect to future TRAFFIC shows.
Starting in 2010 TRAFFIC will put on 6 shows worldwide with even more
slated for 2011. The 2010 schedule that we presently intend to use will
look like this:
January/February in Las Vegas
March/April in Amsterdam
May/June in Toronto
July/August in Reykjavik, Iceland (But also considering several other spots) What's your choice?
September/October in South Florida
November/December in Hong Kong
This
aggressive schedule will bring TRAFFIC To North America, Europe and
Asia in 2010. We have other exciting things in the planning stage that include South America and
we will announce them as soon as possible.
More importantly we
want to break down the walls of the domain industry and bring in folks
from allied industries and we have a formula and a team that can now
make that happen. By the end of next year it will be evident how big
this change is and everyone reading this will benefit by the reach out
program we are about to engage in. Nothing happens overnight, however
we have set a new and exciting course and you will become the
beneficiary of those changes.

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz, Rick Latona, Howard Neu

Good Afternoon Folks!!

Just a heads up to let you know that tomorrow morning I will post a major announcement that will be sure to be the topic of conversation for days to come. I am in the midst of writing that post and believe this will help grow the industry in a profound way at a pivotal point in time. Stay Tuned!

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

As many of you know I have been in a lot of industries. Emerging industries or emerging companies. Usually blazing new trails with new products or new ideas. They all have a common thread. They all have more self-inflicted wounds than ones from their competitors or enemies or from the outside. That makes themselves their worst enemy.

It was true in the adult world as I watched their “Industry” see a high point and then because of abuse and attitudes I also watched it melt. Watched many of the players that built it walk away. Disperse. Go in different directions. Do new things. It was never as much fun after that. That was not the first time I witnessed it so I knew how things would unfold.

I would say we are flirting with that point in the domain industry. Folks early on were humble and enjoyed progressing and new ways of doing things and sharing and supporting. It was fun because we did not take it or us so seriously. But we are at the point now where the face and look of the industry is changing. We have become hardened in our attitudes. Hobby has turned into business. Business has turned into doing whatever you have to do. Doing whatever you have to do has turned into how others react and view what you have to do and see if it affects them. Even if it doesn't afffect then directly they are still likely to have strong opinions about it. So friends are made. Foes are made. Sides are taken. Reactions then dictate business. It deteriorates into a vicious circle. It's hard to cure that virus.

The industry as we know it is in change. Massive change. What once was a tight group are slowly departing and going there own ways. Smaller groups. Less power. More diversity.Some fighting for survival. That is a normal phenomenon. It happens as an industry matures. It happens when an industry is hit by adversity. It happens when things are changing. Right now we have all three at one time and more. So welcome to the beginning of the end of the “Good ole days.”

Look what the first half of 2009 has brought us already. Ron Sheridan no longer at Domain Sponsor. Matt Bentley not with Sedo. Dan Warner leaving Fabulous. Add the ones I missed. Add the ones that are coming. That equals a changing face. Funny how outlooks are different on the way up the hill as opposed to going down the hill and measuring at the same points. When you are climbing and hit $20 million you are excited and life is great. On the other side, when you hit higher numbers and fall back to $20 million, there is despair at hand. The Same number, just a different outlook.

The seeds of the end were planted quite a while ago. The beginning of one road and the opening of many. Soon you will ask, “Whatever happened to so and so?” Many of us will get distracted in many different ways. We will take different paths from here. Those paths will likely cross again. But they won’t crisscross in the way we have grown accustom to.

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

I get more spam from SEO folks than any other group except the Viagra crowd, but why?? If they were that good why would they have to resort to spam? So most SEO guys are FAKERS! That’s the truth friends. There are some real ones, probably a few hundred. But the masses of SEO types are nothing but spammers that sell a bag a smoke liable to disappear by the time you read this or never appear at all.

Want the best SEO guy? Do a damn Google search! Pretty easy to find the winner! Meet Mic Tienken. He is the #1 guy at the moment. He may be dethroned by the time you read this.

http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS274&=&q=The+Best+SEO+guy&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

PS: To clarify, I am talking about email spamming as well as telemarketing spamming.

Morning folks!!

I have so many posts that I write that I just never post. This year I posted many of those posts anyway as I want to be on record. Yet I have others that I have not posted. That just sit there. I want them for my personal record but some are a little too much to make public. Some things you just can’t talk about. You are not allowed to articulate an opinion without winding up certain folks and then dealing with the fallout. No skin off my nose. I still have the thoughts. I still have the beliefs. I just don’t share them as readily.

I have always stayed away from politics. However now that the center of business in the USA is in Washington and no longer in New York, the landscape has changed more in the last 200 days than the last 200 years. There is plenty to be concerned about. There is so much bullshit coming at us you just don’t know what to believe anymore. If the TRUTH matters, then all I can say is pay attention to the NUMBERS and filter out everything else. When you do that you will see that the real problems that we will all deal with long after the clowns and crooks in Washington are all gone.

People that act like the way the government is acting almost always end up in jail with their lives ruined. Let me see, they have a $10,000/mo income. Their bills are $12,000 a month. So they go out and go shopping and buy all types of things and sign all types of monthly contracts and borrow all types of money to do it. May as well buy a Rolls Royce since they are never going to pay it back anyway and since they are not going to pay it back and their credit is almost shot, let them spend their neighbors money as well.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Good Morning Folks!!

The results were overwhelming...a bit less food, lower prices.
By a margin of 6-1.
As
I have stated this is YOUR
show. So we will try some different things in New York this October.
You will still get the same level of service and networking that you
have come to expect at T.R.A.F.F.I.C.. The parties will all still be
great. You just won't gain as much weight as previous shows but there
will still be plenty of food and drink to make your networking and
business experience the best it can be.

Now your part in this experiment is to register early. Like right now. At $895 we are rewarding those who
commit early. This is the formula we need to still put on a great show.
The prices will eventually rise to $1495. This price level is important
to us as well. Some folks can't decide early for one reason or another
and that is fine, but we MUST charge more which again is part of an
overall formula to produce a first class no nonsense show that brings
new speakers and top level keynoters. So this is a significant savings
for your planning ahead and getting on board early. Plus spouse rates
are just $199. HOWEVER, THIS PRICE IS ONLY GOOD until June 30th or 100 tickets, whichever comes first. So those who want great prices now have
the opportunity to save hundreds of dollars. The larger crowd that we
will attract will allow us to still serve great food and drink for
which T.R.A.F.F.I.C. has become known. You have three weeks! The price goes up no later than July 1.

We are already deep in planning the New York
show. It will come at a time that will prove to be more timely than any
other show we have ever put on. We are going to reach out way beyond
the domain industry to bring in new blood and new views as we trail
blaze together once again. We are in uncharted waters and many
decisions need to be made. This show will help you define a direction.
Chart a course. Start to focus on building and creating businesses by
studying the market, looking for voids and new opportunities.

Finally, let me take a minute to set the table and be clear about our
intentions. This is just an experiment. We are doing this to increase
attendance and open up TRAFFIC to a wider audience. We reserve the
right to increase prices back to regular levels if we see there are no
real results. So if price has been the barrier we have heard about for
so long, that barrier has been removed. This experiment only works when
we each do our part. Our job is to keep costs low and still provide the
great networking and speakers etc. Your job is to sign up
right now. For companies with multiple employees, this is a significant
savings for just making a decision right now over postponing it for 60
or 90 days. So please, help US, help YOU.

Thanks for your time!!
Rick and Howard

Good Afternoon Folks!!

Every once in a while I stumble on something I wrote early on. Today I stumbled on this post I made from from 1997. It may be something to keep in mind when you try developing and experimenting.

'How do I measure progress or success on the net? I do it $1 at a time just like steps on a
ladder. As long as I am making a $1 more this day/week/month, then last,
day/week/month I am on the right path. I experiment with different pages in a way that never
ends. Once I have a page that does better than the previous one, then
that becomes my new 'Standard.' If I change that page only 2 things can happen. I will either
make $1 more or $1 less. If I make $1 more, I have a new 'Standard.'
If I make $1 less, I scrap the new page until I figure out WHY it made less and go back to
the safety of the last 'Standard' page. Using this method I never fell off
'My ladder' more than just a few dollars for just a few days and with one click of the mouse
it was easily corrected. The beauty is you are always climbing to new
heights and when you fail, you fail so small that it is just success in disguise.'
Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

Everyone always wants to know how big deals like this happen. I will start by saying that besides having the right domain names it happens by not wasting your time with every person you get an email from. You’ll be wasting your time answering spams from domainers for the rest of your life. A party that is truly interested will contact you over and over again. They will tell you who they are. They will be professional. And, you can’t piss off someone that really wants what you have and it rolls right off their back. They have a bigger mission than getting pissed off. So once they get pissed off, you know there was nothing there from the get go.

So Greg contacts me for the first time on February 8th of this year. Normally I would blow it off. Especially since it was a Hotmail account. But he signed his FULL NAME, his COMPANY NAME and his contact info. So he gets upgraded and at least gets a reply. I tell him we are in Multi Million Dollar territory and he says they have a budget of $500k-$1M. I tell them that I get an offer for $1 Million every month and my price is $3.5M.

Little by little after a lot of 'No's' we find out what is important to each of us. The circumstance that we each face. By March 18th we have a deal. But it is a long way from a deal to a DEAL. As you can see 2.5 months since the lawyers got it. But to hammer out a REAL agreement that PREVENTS future litigation, takes time and patience. Every item needs to be addressed and a remedy provided if you don’t want to end up in court someday. So the hard work is here. While you agree to the major points, the lawyers are the architects. They have to construct a solid agreement that can hold up under scrutiny and prevent any unforeseen circumstance and address what happens. To me, this is the KEY to any deal that is not just a cash transaction.

Besides the 2% off the top, I also have a provision in case Hershey’s or Mars or whoever wises up and acquires Greg’s company or the domain at some point down the road. There are a lot of moving parts in a deal like this. Lots of give and take. But the more moving parts you have the more flexibility you have in places where one can give some thing up that has little importance to one party while having great value to the other party. If price is the only thing you are negotiating with it is much more difficult. Not as much fun either.

When we finally had the agreement setup we still needed an escrow company that could work with us, knew domains, and was secure. Moniker worked up a custom escrow agreement in concert with our lawyers. They were the lynch pin in all this. But we could not worry about that part until we got everything else nailed down.

So from here, we will see. Should be a fun journey.
Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz