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

Morning Folks!!

Think of domain traffic as producing electric.

Google is the electric company

We have electric.

Now there is different voltages in electric including LOW VOLTAGE. As domainers we may be cranking out pure 220 volt electric in which the electric company can breakdown and distribute from there in any voltage they like.

They KNOW what they are getting and there is a constant flow with no interruptions.

On the other hand you have these INTERMEDIATES that take the 220v and do all types of bastardizing and it is no longer pure uninterrupted 220v. Now it is mixed with different voltages of electric and dead batteries and old tires and any mixture they can give to maximize their revenues at the expense of EVERYONE up and down the line.

What's the difference? If your car battery needs 12V and you can only get 8V, that means your car won't start. What you have won't do anything. It is basically worthless because it can't do what it was intended to do. On the net, it won't make the sale or get a new user. It falls short. There is only one winner and it is not Google and it is not domainers and it certainly is not the customer.

The electric company (Google suffers). The electric producer (Domainers) suffer and the worst of all is the buyer of traffic suffers and that stunts the growth of the electric company and the entire Internet all because of the intermediary who is controlling way too much of what is going on.

I mean this is simple stuff and I am just amazed how many YEARS and DOLLARS and TIME has been wasted. But this MAY be the dawn of a new day. When the Electric company figures out where the problem really is in the chain they may see things in a different light.

Domainers want to do 3 things in this life as I see it.

1. Assemble a great portfolio of domain names that can become businesses. This was time sensitive. A Unique Opportunity in time and that took precedence over everything else.

2. Park those domains on a platform that does not dilute the value until they can......

3. Develop or partner up on those domains to make them into full fledged businesses and become a direct customer to the electric company as they partner and grow their businesses.

The motive to game the system is not there for 99.99% of domainers with true type ins. The rest came to the party a little late and play catch up and have adopted every trick in the book at the expense of everyone else.

Challenges are coming and the electric company may have to deal with other electric companies. Ala Facebook, twitter, groupon, linked in, and 50 that will come tomorrow or next year.

So it really is time for a full understanding of where we are where we came from, how we got here and then FIXING it!

And while everyone keeps telling me how I don’t understand this or I am wrong on that, NONSENSE! I understand all too well and there it all is in black and white.

We are at an “Impression based advertising” moment in time. The choice is to move backwards to that model with PANTOM traffic that is WORTHLESS or looking at the reality and common sense way of growing EVERYONE’S business.

You don't have to agree with a word I write. But this is how I see things. This is what I believe and this is something I believe we can change once folks look at it in an objective manner.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

As you may be aware, last week I turned off the “Comments” section of my blog. Maybe I should have done that a long time ago. So you may ask why? I think I just came to the conclusion that the comments fall into several categories. The folks I would like to hear from no longer comment anywhere because they don’t always feel free to say what is on their mind without getting attacked. Welcome to my world. Plus I will no longer give a forum for those with an agenda or those that employ others to post or just do their bidding.

So I decided to get on the soapbox, take the microphone back and just say what I want to say without giving the same power to those that read it. I decided to take that power back. Some used it for good, and to those folks I know they understand. Some use it to do the opposite of what I intend and now they can do it somewhere else. I will no longer allow others to marginalize my thoughts and beliefs, To bastardize my words. To out right LIE as it is in THEIR best interest.

Over the years I showed I can take what comes. I posted more uncensored posts than anyone in the industry. Friend or foe I posted them all. You are taught “Discrimination” is a bad thing. That is TOTAL BULLSHIT!! Be as discriminating as you want to be. Surround yourself with the best of the best. Let those you discriminate against KNOW IT!! THAT my friends is free speech! DISCRIMINATE!

But don’t discriminate for the wrong reasons. Don’t do it for the obvious. For the superficial. For this group or that group. For color, religion or origin. But do it for Good and bad! For those that believe a reputation is EVERYTHING and everything else is NOTHING!

I hope I piss off all those that have bad reputations because I have NOTHING in common with you. I want a divide that would make the Grand Canyon look like a creek.

At the end of the day we will have a smaller group. Okay with me. “Domainers” is much too broad a term. It encompasses way too many people that have nothing in common with a professional domain investor or a professional domain developer or a professional ANYTHING!

There is the right way to do things in life and every other way. Who in their right mind would want to be around folks that can’t get their head around that?? Go back to 10^th grade if you live your life like that. If your North Star in life is not doing things the right way, then GET OUT OF THE WAY!!

You don’t have to agree with me on almost anything. But you do have to share SOME of my values just as I have to share SOME of your values. But it should not be difficult. We should overlap 95% of the time when you deal with like minded people with like minded values. Good people! We never have to agree on anything and we can both still be good people.

So we live in an era where people DEMAND respect. Funny thing is that only HOODLUMS used to have to DEMAND respect. The rest of us did it the old fashioned way. WE EARN RESPECT!

So many have just been brainwashed because it is ok to be assholes and there are no consequences for wrong doing at any level. So morons copy other morons. I guess it has happened throughout history. But now it is an art form.

So if you don’t want to know what I think or believe or how I see things, fine. But I sure as hell am going to use my soapbox to exercise my freedoms. In time I may decide to choose responsible comments to post that are constructive and I deem meaningful. But that is for another time.

To those that don’t get it….grow the fuck up. To the others that do, I probably just said what you would have liked to for a very long time but were intimidated to do it because of peer pressure and relationships and all the rest of society’s pressures. Most are economic as you FEAR retribution. Yup, I said that too. Why? Because I believe it!! But FEAR keeps you a PRISONER! Time to be BOLD and STAND UP!

I discriminate based on what is in the heart and minds of others and I will never relinquish that RIGHT and I thank every soldier that ever served to protect that right.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

The Domain Industry has been disrupted! Parking companies are flipping out. Some parking companies are squealing like PIGS!! I wrote about this a few days ago but some did not heed my warning. Some parking companies are still lobbying Google and Yahoo to drop Frank. My positiion has not changed. BACK THE FUCK OFF!!

Parking companies engaging in this practice starting RIGHT NOW will NOT be allowed to attend TRAFFIC. I could give a rats ass!! We are not here to serve you, you are here to serve us!!! You provide a SERVICE. DON'T BECOME A ROAD BLOCK!

Stop hosing domainers. Stop dealing with SHIT traffic. Stop the lobbying. I WILL NAME NAMES. I am not kidding! And if not me, somebody else will surely start WHISPERING with a BULL HORN about who is doing what.

But not to worry. You will still be represented. I will go on stage and make your company FAMOUS! Some will be SHOCKED at who are whining. But they are whining for SURVIVAL!

To Domainers: Your traffic has been worth less all the time because the same people that pay you, bastardize the good traffic to blend in with the WORTHLESS SHIT they have been peddling for years. You don't have to put much BEEF in the stew and so they don't. SHIT TRAFFIC is costing EVERY DOMAINER reading this.

And for you folks that believe the ppc payouts have nothing to do with them..... you are flat out wrong and short sighted.

Next we will talk about COLLUSION!

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

This note is just for folks with real type in traffic. Not manufactured traffic. Not search traffic. Nothing but PURE type in traffic.

Most folks are tuned in but many of you are busy building empires and may not have heard that Frank Schilling is making domainers a BOAT LOAD of extra payouts with his no frills but effective parking company.

“I sincerely hope InternetTraffic.com will act as a co-operative which rewards those who generate the traffic. I would like to rekindle a team loyalty that exists between most of us, but which has begun to fade in recent years as the industry has grown. I would like us to rise together and prosper together. It may sound trite but I think it can be done.”

Frank Schilling

The difference in payouts is stunning. Most are reporting 40%-50% increases and I have experienced much better than that. DOUBLE! This program is not for everyone. If you need hand holding, this ain’t the place. This is for serious professional domainers that have watched their pure type in traffic mixed with MUD in order for some folks to make more money at YOUR EXPENSE!

Since the first TRAFFIC event in 2004 I have been talking about this exact thing. Mixing potent traffic with garbage traffic. Having a 'Co-operative' to represent REAL domainers. And yes there are REAL domainers and those that SCREW the system USING domains and giving US a bad name. Them days are over!!!!!!!!

I am not getting paid to do this nor would I want to get paid. Frank did not ask me to do this and he does not have to ask. But my posts and TRAFFIC are all about making more money with OUR traffic and THAT is why the show exists to begin with. So when I see this dramatic a shift, nobody has to ask me. Nobody has to pay me. I just do what I do! Time to pay yourselves.

This is also an opportunity for other parking companies to start innovating again. The landing page is your report card. If 100 people land on that page they vote by clicking on a link or not. If no links are clicked that means no votes were cast and the page failed the surfer, the parking company and the domainer. A negative result for everyone.

On the other hand if all 100 click than they all voted in a positive manner. When I hear about 2%, 5%, 10% or even 25% click thru’s, I am stunned. 5%??? Are you kidding? Should be 50% as a minimum and much higher. It should even exceed 100% if you have a great page to match the traffic.

So between better click throughs in which ALL parking companies can compete and bigger payouts that no other parking company can match.......we have a domain earthquake now in progress.

Now here is a secret. Like you I have done many things trying to make a spark. Developing, mini sites, lead capture sites, commission sites, you name it. But one thing always happened. It HURT the traffic. It did not grow the traffic. On the other hand, my PPC pages seem to always grow. I can’t figure it out. Maybe folks like targeted landing pages more than we think. Not sure. But the numbers tell an interesting story.

So if you don’t mind giving your income away to “Charity” not of your choosing, not non profit, then continue biz as usual. For those with PURE type in traffic, RUN, don’t walk, to getting things setup with Frank. For the first time ever we are about to see something stunning.

Type in traffic is the most potent traffic in the world. Because so few have that GOLD, that OIL, certian groups have to make things up to compete. Then they mix it our oil with their MUD to make more money because without that gold and oil, they got zip! Folks with type in traffic know this. And when folks that BUY the traffic see it, these groups can NEVER put it back in the bottle. The BS will finally be exposed for all to see and then we'll see.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

Year after year I have been told by many how wrong I am and year after year it is THEM that get proved wrong. But there are many more of THEM. They come from all corners. They get paid to be wrong. It is in their best interest to beat the truth up. But how long before folks wise up?

If you have been following my posts for the last few days and don’t get it NOW…..well you can put yourself in the “Hopeless” category or the “Agenda driven” category. 2+2=4....want to argue about it?

When you mix beef stew and shit you get shit. Pretty damn simple formula. How much shit do you have to put in the stew before it is shit and not stew? I asked that on stage in 2004 at the very first TRAFFIC and I ask it today. If you can’t wrap your head around that…you are hopeless and enjoy eating SHIT for the rest of your life. One turd in the stew and you got shit. PERIOD!

I try and point out the difference between reality and bullshit and hype and all the rest. How long does it take some of you folks to finally wise up? Why do you listen to people with no credentials? No successes? When you do that, you chase YESTERDAY! Or you chase a shadow or a ghost. That's a losing hand.

So the people that eat FOOD have chosen a new path and those that eat other stuff can continue on their path. Those sitting thinking they are helpless are 100% right. So change that! Who do you expect to change it? Me? Your mommy? Your daddy? No, it is YOU and it has always been YOU because YOU have always had the power and YOU have decided not to use it. Or use it in a negative way.

And frankly, it has nothing to do with when you got into domains. That's TOTAL BULLSHIT! It was the decisions you made along the way or the indecision that has paralyzed folks. Does it cost more to play now? Maybe. Maybe not. But if you are on the right path your earnings are increasing over the years and you are able to parlay some of your earnings into better investments. Plus there is more definition now on the net than 10 or 15 years ago. If you look into the future you can do ok. You can't be stuck on yesterday and succeed. That's like a dog chasing it's tail.

The first step is to stop eating the shit you are fed by folks that have a motive to feed you shit. And that is not a knock on them. They are doing their job and doing it well. They made FORTUNES on your back and some domainers are the most gullible followers and parrots I have ever seen. Time to think for yourself.

And at this point……”Frankly my Dear, I don’t give a damn”. But I always want to be on record so there is no confusion.

As a last thought, what would you say about the class of 1998 or 1999 or 2000 or 2001 or 2002 that said THEN what folks say NOW about the availability of great domain names? During those years I would hear 100 times from 100 folks that there were no more great domains. No more type ins. Tell those folks back then that they were all WRONG!!! The smart ones know it. The dumb ones are still in denial. I just proved it beyond a doubt. 2+2=4.

What year would you like to cut the list off??? Since Franky got in the game in 2003 or thereabouts you would have to come to the conclusion that those that believed that were VERY WRONG!! But not to worry, there are dozens of folks that would even argue that point today. That's a losing position and that is why I would call those folks 'Losers' , 'Fools' and 'Morons'. When you spit in the wind, you are gonna lose EVERY time! 2+2=4. What label would YOU put on folks that want to argue the point? How much time of your day would you WASTE with them?

Here is the reality. There is 10000000000% more opportunity TODAY in domains then there was in 1996 if you understand business and know how to think the right way. It may come in a different form or vehicle. What you lose in time you make up with progress, youth, energy, timing, vision, tools and all the rest. Nothing makes me sadder than to listen to folks bellyache about wishing they got in earlier or whatever. The KEY of life is taking the hand you are dealt with and making it the best you can. Not complaining about this and that via jealousies that crowd out the drive and vision you need to succeed.

You have your health?? Then there are NO excuses for folks not to turn things around. But you can give some folks the key to the lock and they won't just put the key in the lock and turn. They will tell you 1000 reasons why THAT KEY won't open THAT lock. I don't know whether to laugh or cry at that point.

Winners remove the negatives and focus on the positives. When you focus on the positives, you have no TIME to focus on the bullshit. When you focus on the bullshit, you have no time to focus on your success. So stop throwing good time after bad by getting over what you don’t have and focusing on what you can achieve. Pretty damn simple and I have invested a lot of time writing these thoughts trying to reach those that still think the wrong way.

What's the wrong way? Go Read Mike Berken's post yesterday. See some folks devised certain ways to play the game and when you play it on that narrow a field you can fail.They have failed. Many bought certain domains for the wrong reasons. To game and spam Google with SEO to get them to a worthless domain on a worthless page that offers very little value if any at all. They had little value then and less value now. But that has no bearing on a true commercial domain that means something and is a business. When you know the difference, you will be on the right path and I have done as much as I can do over these years to get folks I have never even met..... there. So if life is not what you want and you start off thinking I am wrong, you already are on the wrong path. A hopeless path.

There are many ways to climb the domain mountain and have a success. There are just as many or more pitfalls and cliffs along the way that will swallow up you and your money. Some don't believe that. The first thing is to recognize the difference between the two. Like shit and stew. There is a difference for me.....how about you? Some swallow it. Some taste it. Some smell it. Some just recognize it and avoid.

The domain industry has THE lowest entry bar of any business in the WORLD. Think about that. One idea, $8 and there there is NO LIMIT in what you can accomplish from there. Stop, take a deep breath, forget about what you thought you knew and look at it from a new perspective. What would you say to the kid living in a hut that buys a domain TODAY and changes his life? Would you say it can't be done? 2+2=4. Only fools believe otherwise.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Afternoon Folks!!

Franks Newsletter starts off “We presently have 55 partners and 230,000 of the best names on the web on the platform at InternetTraffic.com”.

In just DAYS, Frank Schilling has attracted some of the very best domains on the net. At this pace, Frank should break 1 million domains by this time next month. That's without an ad. Without a sales force. Without people on the phone. Without anything but word of mouth and reputation!!

Many are reporting 50% increases. I am experiencing numbers much higher. A true watershed moment for domainers that have PURE type in traffic. Let’s see what happens when one platform attracts the very best domains. The highest trafficked domains. The most targeted domains. The ones with the greatest buying power.

What does our traffic look like when it is not mixed with mud and shit? I think the results will be eye opening. I think the results will provide a win for domainers, a win for end users and a win for Google and Yahoo. It’s all about the traffic. But there is real traffic with buying power and there is manufactured or “Phantom” traffic that just dilutes the real stuff so others can make money at our expense.

The genie is now out of the bottle and new information will emerge that will not be able to be overlooked, disregarded or minimized.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

There are folks that loan money and there are loan sharks.

There are reps and agents and there are pimps.

There are slaves and free people.

In each case it is the PERCENTAGE that is divided up that determines and defines things.

If you are a slave, you work and your master takes more than 50% of your earnings. Slave by definition. So the question to be raised is “Are you a slave for your parking company?” I don’t know the answer in your case. You have to decide based on tests and data and NUMBERS.

I think what is most interesting is how many domainers think that it does not affect them just because they may not use Frank directly. They are just flat out wrong. What Frank is doing filters all the way down and that forces payouts up. The other rants are just domainers that still feel a need to pimp for them regardless of any new information.

I like the idea of having the best type in traffic coming from one source and all other traffic coming from another source. Most of us would be using both. The only difference is we don’t have to mix gold and shit to come out with whatever. We can segregate the two. We all have both. The key is defining them and paying accordingly.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

PS: Off topic comments, repetitive comments or any other comments I deem not worthy of this blog, including but not limited to subject matter or personal attacks will no longer be posted. By submitting a comment you agree to these terms and any decision on posting or censoring will be at MY sole discretion.

Morning Folks!!

The emails and phones are buzzing like mad as SOME of the parking companies lobby HARD to have Yahoo and Google drop Frank and his feeds or to try create a smoke screen like he has a special deal. No such thing. The only deal is the cut he is taking. I KNOW the numbers so please. Many KNOW the numbers.

What fee is a parking company entitled to as a middleman to provide the service they do? 10%, 15%, 20%??

Google and Yahoo have had to deal with multiple parking companies. That's redundant. I am happy to have Frank represent me because what is good for him is good for all domainers with type in traffic. We were under the impression we had folks fighting for us, but that was not the fight they were having.

So these Parking companies.....BACK OFF!! I will have more to say if this continues. You FUCKED US for years and now you want to fuck Frank???? There is a new generation of parking and monetizing and it is being led by DOMAINERS!! You made a FORTUNE off OUR BACKS. Off OUR TRAFFIC. You had a good run. Now stop whining or I will name a few names and that will make it worse.

You can't take 60% of the pie and say we are 'Partners'. The way to get OUR business back is not thru Google or Yahoo. It is taking your spreadsheets and bean counters and shoving them BOTH out the window and stop hosing us.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz