Morning Folks!!
I can't always get the thoughts in my head to match the words I write. It is hard to convey a thought or an idea effectively all the time and have 100% of the people understand. Actually, it is impossible. But the posts I write are never done until the comments are. The comments help me fill in the gaps. Say something the same in other words that hit home.
Recently I have had one comment and one email that I will be using from time to time because it effectively conveys what I am trying to say.
As I have stated before, domain leasing is not new. Been doing it on and off since 1997.
But what is different is the time. THE TIME. TIMING. If you look back at my years of posting, 'Timing' is the thing I talk about year after year and project after project. To me.....EVERYTHING is timing. That is why I chose December 1 to launch. Not because December is the target. Not at all. Just because it would take a few weeks to get my ducks in a row and LEARN about things I needed to learn about. Fix what needed to be fixed. That is why some businesses have a 'Soft Opening' or 'Beta testers'.
The hardest thing is articulating the criteria without pissing many of you off. But for this to work I need quality domains with type in traffic. Traffic that verifies value. That demonstrates viability. That has customers with nothing of real value to sell but a 3 cent click.
My simple way to convey what I was looking for was Yellow Page headings. That at least gave folks a general guideline. But now I am receiving hundreds of domains daily and I have to be honest, we can't lease domains for $50/month. Not our model. Our base is $1000. Some may go for as little as $500. Nothing lower. On the high range, some domains are going to lease for TENS of thousands a month.
Look folks, I have real world examples. eBid.com for example has made up to $2000/day and as little as $20/day. That is a HUGE gap. But that can be the difference between a lease and a parked page. But it MUST have some type in traffic. 20/day qualifies some domains. The sweet spot is 100-300-1000/day. THOSE are the type domains we are looking for to list and represent.
This is not small ball and as we unveil our inventory folks will see more and more what we are looking for. I look at things through the eyes of an end user and the value it can either add or the protection it can provide.
It IS all about type in traffic and if there is no traffic , there is little chance of a lease. Not none, just very little. The odds are much higher against than for.
Letter #1 from Jon Feldman:
1. Must be a dot com.
2. Must clearly state & define the product or service being sold.
3. Must be easy to pronounce & therefore pass the radio test.
4. Must not be longer than necessary, the shorter the better.
5. Must be about a product or service that is in demand & being searched for.
6. Must be easy to remember, in fact it must be a no brainer to remember.
7. Must be a domain a business could be built on.
I can add elements to that list and I will.
8. Must have type in traffic. That is the key validater in a domain name. That is why there are parking companies to begin with. These are domains that get traffic without SEO. That has ONLY natural type in traffic. That is the minimum requirement. So don't send entries unless you provide daily visitors. I will talk about type ins regardless of the push back because there are domains with type in and there is everything else. Now other MAY have great value but you have to see the seed being able to sprout into a tree.
Remember it costs nothing to list and if we strike gold, we have the ability to transform a domain making $5/day +/- into a domain making hundreds a day. Others talk of 20% increases. No where else are they swinging for the fences and looking for 1000% increases. 10,000% increases. We are WHALE HUNTING. We don't feed the pigeons. The only thing that can hurt the lease is having your domain DESPERATELY listed for sale everywhere with a price. Listed without a price is fine, with a price is the KISS OF DEATH as far as I am concerned. You put a ceiling and a limit on our abilities so we MUST pass.
Letter #2 from Howard F
Welcome to the domain name leasing world, Rick.
It’s a good place to be and will allow us to monetize domains while our precious .COM assets continue to appreciate. Unlike conventional property, cyber landlords have no real estate taxes, no insurance, no fire marshals, no zoning ordinances, no fire sprinkler requirements, no custom build outs, no trespassers, no graffiti, no trash management, no landscaping ordinances or upkeep, no parking requirements and, the best part… no clogged toilets.
Oh, one more thing and it’s my favorite. In the physical world, a landlord has all sorts of requirements imposed on him before he can legally recover a property from a tenant who breaks the lease and stops paying rent. The landlord can’t simply change the lock, but instead, needs to go through a lengthy legal eviction process during which he has no income and substantial legal expenses. Usually take 6-9 months if you move quickly. The landlord may even lose or experience additional delay for some silly legal technicality. With a domain, on the other hand, if the tenant ever stops paying, the landlord simply stops the redirection. Poof. In my case, my tenants are put on notice that if the rent is not received by the first of the month, the plug can get pulled and their interest in the domain can then be assigned to someone else.
Remember your old analogy to building a Sears tower? With cyber property, there is nothing to tear down, no custom build out, no signage ordinances and re-building between tenants and even switching tenant uses is easy.
So I want to be as clear as possible what we are looking for. I realize that many domainers don't have the inventory to qualify. I love you guys but you are not my target group. My target group knows exactly who they are. And since I have no sense of urgency to make a BAD deal, I think they understand what makes me tick and how I see things differently. Much more the way they see it.
So I have been learning a lot about a business that was not even planned. I did an interview with DomainSherpa that will air next month and I knew before the interview I was going to have to get up to speed on my own business because it was just something planned internally that got into the public and then there was a demand.
The only thing I care about right now is demonstrating great inventory. Million dollar domains that can be leased for a couple grand a month and transform a business. That can take a domain making chump change and turn it into a long lasting revenue stream with a possible exit strategy personally negotiated by me. That can take a parked domain or a domain with a worthless mini-site and find a LONG TERM tenant.
The FUTURE is here and I am all about being in the forefront of the future no matter where it leads! Domain leasing IS the future for ME! 18 years of saying NO to selling is now a big YES to leasing and Joint Ventures! My vision is to have JointVentures.com be the hub for listing high value domain names. True category definining domains. That is what we are about. I hope in the weeks ahead to keep further crystalizing what I see, why I see it and why THIS is the time!
Lastly, lisings are either 6 months or 12 months. This is not a quick process. This is planting the seed on MY FARM and letting us tend to it while you continue to use the domain as you see fit. Lastly, our formula is what makes this all possible. It is 100% transparent, reasonable, protects all parties and it WORKS!
Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz
Rick Schwartz
I have received over 2000 domains for consideration from about 150 domainers and have selected less than 10 domains. 3 of which I already announced. Others will be announced next week.
Thank you!!!
Jay
I like this one >>
“Look folks, I have real world examples. eBid.com for example has made up to $2000/day and as little as $20/day. That is a HUGE gap. But that can be the difference between a lease and a parked page.”
My earnings are $20+/day, type-in traffic only. I wish I can lease it for $2000/day :)
Jay
Can you please publish daily or monthly traffic of the selected domain names?
Jay
Does this traffic [http://i45.tinypic.com/j0gzgw.png%5D qualify?
Rick Schwartz
It may. It gets over one of the big hurdles. Traffic.
Now it is about what they are looking for, how large the market is and how profitable and competitive it is. But that’s the type domain numbers that are attractive enough to get the attention of an end user. Depending on those other factors for starters.
I also see the CTR and that is a disaster. Not your fault. Just shows that upwards of 90% are not finding what they want. That is the money that is locked away in that domain name. I think anything less than 33% is a problem and I like to see well over 50%.
Also depends whether the traffic is natural type ins or search. I have seen domains with 200,000 people a day have no value. I have seen domains with 200 visitors a day with great value. Socials vs commercial.
So lots of factors. Email me the name and I will tell you in MINUTES how much that domain SHOULD be earning. Can’t do it without the name. But with the name, I can give you a REAL number.
Jay
Value of this domain name is actually not in traffic. I know CTR is very low, but I park domain name just because I don’t want to develop it, so it stays sellable. I do have offers to sell it, but I am waiting long years for RIGHT buyers :)
Rick Schwartz
What I am offering is taking that $20/day domain name and make it a $3000/month leased property until you sell. Probably to the guy leasing it. And if it is not the traffic then exactly what is it?
As far as being salable….MYTH. Do anything you want with it. Has NO bearing whatsoever on value. Other factors are at play that you might be ignoring.
Rick Schwartz
What exactly is your risk if I bring you somebody to the table that has potential long term?
The deal can’t happen unless you agree.
Jay
Rick, I am not looking for just $3k/mo., but I am open to do that at some time. You are also a person who has no problem to wait for right time, correct? So for now, I want to first see how your model will work. I will closely watching how you are going to lease some of domain names you already select and it it goes well, I am your next one. Deal?
Rick Schwartz
Fine with me.
That’s my plan to begin with. Establish the model for third parties like I have done for myself and I hope to be in a position to be a sponsor of TRAFFIC by the time May roles around. 3-5 high profile deals should do the trick.
Jay
To answer you question”What exactly is your risk…” – Would you buy domain name that someone else is using for real business? That is a problem. Once domain name is in lease, other potential buyers are out and that may lead to lost. That’s why a lot of domainers and domain investors do not develop websites for their domain names, but just park them somewhere. Tell me if I am wrong, and if so, why?
Out of my League
Interesting post I would say.
I have a domain name that has 30 type ins a month and all ready made me 127 a month. Previous months it continues to draw me a passive income. Now I probably should test that traffic and do 500
The kind of numbers Rick is throwing out are for the big guns. Wish I had these type of names and would email them. I will never own a name with 500 type ins a month
Ricks model has all ready worked. Just wait until GTLD nonsense starts. That traffic will be more worth a lot more as well.
Seems to be some .com guys are devaluing their own portfolios and hyping up gtld non sense. 3 out of 100 will work possible in the future. Some opportunity. But you would rather have better odds at the casino.
To each there own I guess and there hidden agendas. Just wait until the bloggers get some advertising and be very careful who you to listen to as well.
Go .com!
Rick Schwartz
“Once domain name is in lease, other potential buyers are out and that may lead to lost.”
Ever hear the term a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush? ;-)
Kobe Green
Rick, this is exciting. While I still am skeptical of the model, it is obvious you’ve put forethought and effort into this so I’m curious as to how things unfold.
Altaf
Hi Rick,
Not only CTR,but RPM,EPC matters too.
Gratefully,