Morning Folks!!
Great domains will be in demand for as long as we can see and probably much further. Just like a phone number or a physical address the domain name is here to stay. Domains will still be alive when we are all dead!
As for "Domaining", that's an entire different story. If it were not for know-nothing newbies, most companies in the space would have nobody to prey on. Most domainers I know are doing everything they can to liquidate. The pioneers want out. But even with their gems it is simple why demand is down. As I have said repeatedly, the future is about ONE domain, ONE project, ONE need, at a time. The days of mass registrations by existing companies is over!! The only ones buying multiple domains are domainers and most of them are going broke and going broke fast cuz they keep buying pigeon shit.
They don't make an announcement when they disappear. They slither away into the sunset never to be heard again.
I laugh at folks that don't think you can hand register a domain. A business can find a suitable domain name in MINUTES that would pass ALL my tests. I don't care if it is 5 words! The key is being MEMORABLE!! Easy to remember and easy to spell and easy not to be confused when advertised on the radio. Problem is domainers don't understand this.
The big disconnect in domaining is how many folks that call themselves domainers have never had a business before. They don't understand business. They don't understand sales. They don't understand selling. They don't understand marketing. They don't know the difference between a staple and a fad. They are myoptic. They can't see past their own hands or their own needs. They don't have the ability to see the needs of others. They are short-sighted and narrow-minded people that chase what happened yesterday but have no vision for the future.
Domain tradeshows are better for traveling around the world for the discounted business expense than actually going to the shows. The same faces selling the same things at each and every show. When was the last domain trade show that .club was not a speaker at? The answer, 2013. It's all self serving crap!
If I could pick one word to describe the domaining industry and domainers. it would be DESPERATE! Getting worse with every passing day. Soon we may be seeing "Tupperware" style parties as they prey on lower and lower level subjects to sell to. Oh I forgot, many of you never even heard of Tupperware or how they marketed their product.
Just like history has history, business has history. I study business history. I study business trends. I study Sears and Walmart and Kmart and Amazon and you name it. I follow them and I watch them.
When I had my in-home business before domains I copied the biggest companies in the world. I followed their lead. Nobody even knew my "World Headquarters" was in a 10x10 bedroom. I presented myself as a fortune 500 company by copying what they did. Copying how they would make a brochure. Copy their professional newsletter. Copy their marketing tricks. Copy everything of value and make my company look big! That was how I got into 800 vanity numbers. I just copied big business. Same with Domain Names.
The point is domaining 2018, 2019, 2020 and beyond are simply going to be seriously different. Long gone are all the guys boasting about their 250,000 name portfolios. I remember when that was all the rage. I would ask one simple question and it was like "Stump the band". "What is your single best domain?" Followed by a lot of stuttering.
Domain bloggers are down to a tiny handful of about 9-12. A once thriving domain blogging community is GONE! Further evidence of the decline of domaining. Many of those just report auctions or results with no commentary. Don't expect it to get better!
How much is a domain worth? How much would it cost OPEN and OPERATE a physical store in the real world for 1 year? For 3 years? 10 years? How wide an area can you service? That's your basis, not crap like Estibot or any other valuation model. They don't even use a tool like that in Real Estate!!! If they did, it is laughed at. It's a FAKE!! They spend time doing comps! Real research and comparisons.
Would I get into domaining today? Absolutely not! Can you still make money with domains? Absolutely. But when you buy a domain at least realize that the money invested is buried and it will be buried for a very long time. There is no cashier. They are not liquid. You own it and there is less than a 50/50 chance you will sell it in YOUR lifetime.
Rick Schwartz
Emma
That is, strange. Rick is now singing the song I have been singing for years. DEVELOP DEVELOP DEVELOP. domaining is a cheap speculation.
Rick Schwartz
No Emma, I am not singing your song at all. Quite the opposite. Please look at my post from this summer about developing versus starting a business.
Bret
Could you repost that article Rick?
Those domains you're sitting on? They will probably never sell. - Domain Name Wire | Domain Name News & Website Stuff
[…] Schwartz wrote his viewpoint on the state of domain investing today. He’s never one to mince words, and I think he has […]
Sigma
Definitely bookmarking this post.
I think a 2020 recession will wash away 90% of domain speculators and bankrupt most of the nGtLDs; clearing the way for corporate America to scoop up the remaining premium dot-Com 1-2 word domain names with commercial meaning…
Akshshr
Are you sure about that? I have ivyvaze.com for sale…and haven’t had a wiff of people wanting “one word, “two word” domains..
Sigma
@Akshshr Ivy Vase has less than 30K search results on Google. Seems to be a low demand product, but at least it has some commercial meaning. Maybe you should create a store on Amazon or sell/lease it to a seller of ‘Ivy Vases’…
Supratik
We newbies miss you on Social Media. I read what you say religiously and try to get the positive vibe in it like “Can you still make money with domains? Absolutely.” I am a believer in Domains though in Few quality domains and on that belief i am keeping a few domains. Hopefully i would sell those for good prices but not before at least 2020, maybe even later. Finally, Frank’s “One Domain can change your Life” is my mantra and you are my Idol.
Mark Thorpe
Too many domainers market their domains within the domain Industry, when they should be marketing them outside of the domain bubble.
Even doing that, it’s still hard to sell domains to end-users.
You have to make it easy for end-users to find your domain and them trust the platform they are buying your domain off of. Just any ole landing page is not enough. It has to look legit.
Those domains you’re sitting on? They will probably never sell. – Domain Name Wire – Domain News
[…] Schwartz wrote his viewpoint on the state of domain investing today. He’s never one to mince words, and I think he has some […]
Bill Hartzer
You’re right, Rick. The real domainers and domain investors are in it for the long haul. The fake domainers just want a “get rich quick” type of scenario. We’ll continue to see people enter the industry and then leave, over and over again.
Trent
I got into domaining back in 1998, I had no clue, there were no resources, I stumbled upon a website domainking.com read it about 27 times over, and over.
Over the years I just plugged away what I could afford mostly solid 2 keyword phrases, as the one word stuff has always been pricey. Lucky I stayed mostly .com, if I had to go back, I would have grabbed more one word .org’s as they were mostly sitting unregistered.
We had the Chinese chip phase, when people said these chips were going to $5K, these JZXK . com types, I backed up the dump truck at $2000 – $2500 and just unloaded them all with the exception of the western letters. I think we are down to about $600-$800 floor on them 3 years later.
The solid 2 keyword domains are still selling thru to startups, growing companies, these phrases connect products to their users in form of phrase, or a motto etc… Every year has been growing. We are getting more submissions from India, China whereas a few years ago they were just dead leads, now these english keyword .com’s from these countries are selling for 4-5 figures. I would say USA has remained solid, have seen weaker closings out of European countries but the business is still solid. We are getting 5 figures for domains people here wouldn’t pay $499 for. TARYN over at namejet is buying like crazy, godaddy continues to buy into portfolios, the business prospects are strong if you know what your doing. The Fly by night guys are just pushing costs higher for everyone else, and walking right into the auction houses lap and making them untold millions in clueless bidding. I would say you have to play the industry defensively, and just score on the openings when you get your chance. Don’t bite the bullet, or chase the bid, dump it on the clowns for sure.
John
> “We are getting more submissions from India, China”
What are you referring to there, you run a sales platform or something?
Trent
More inquiries from China, and India, China ones have always had a decent closing percentage, but India has always been just a waste of time, but we are starting to close many in the mid 4 figures, very surprised for english keyword .com’s.
Just a hustler like you all, just plugging away sold keyword domains for a rainy day, and the end users keep knocking away. The brandale double ii or ee stuff is going bust, but the strong keywords that connect a message or product to the end user are doing well. Given I would never pay what is being bid up in current auctions, these people are going to be holding a long time, but 2009 to 2015 presented a good buying opportunity.
Akshdbd
I genuinely don’t think there has been any action…where is the data to support this?
I have had Ivyvaze.com for sale for 3 weeks ..not a single wiff
Rick Schwartz
Pigeon shit!
3 weeks?????
Really????
WOW!!
Anonymous
What the hell is “Ivy Vaze” stop posting that dumb domain name. How many people you know use the phrase?
John
LOL. Even pigeons would be outraged to have their droppings compared with that one. Tell me you’re just pranking everyone.
John
> “I laugh at folks that don’t think you can hand register a domain. A business can find a suitable domain name in MINUTES that would pass ALL my tests. I don’t care if it is 5 words! The key is being MEMORABLE!! Easy to remember and easy to spell and easy not to be confused when advertised on the radio. Problem is domainers don’t understand this.”
Yes, it figures it would be you to finally say something like that. If stubborn, self-serving and myopic zero-sum thinking fellow luminaries in the industry understood that or stopped suppressing it when they do, and teaching and influencing the market itself accordingly as they do, we could all already be doing so much better including them no less. As it is they probably still won’t even notice the reality and implications of what you just said there though. But that’s a welcome and surprising start.
Jeff Schneider
Hello Rick my old friend,
We see a quickening Manifestation of a Future explosion in Online Businesses being lead by (.COM Equimoditty Platform Assets). The Wealth generation for (.COM Equimoditty Platform Asset Holders) will in our opinion be Staggering.
Yes We (Contact Group) have prevailed as owners of (.COM Equimoditty Platform Assets). The victory is sweet justification for those who grasped the Real Foundation of Digital Commerce =(.COM Equimoditty Platform Assets).Yes they still remain steadfast in the Marketing Platform of the Digital Age. Congrats to every one of you believers. JAS
Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger) (Former Rockefeller IBEC Marketing Intelligence Analyst/Strategist) (Licensed CBOE Commodity Hedge Strategist) (Domain Master) http://www.UseBiz.com
John
And the reason why you have never registered “Equimoditty.com” is?
steve
I agree with Rick 100%.
It would be foolhardy for someone to get into domaining now. Not sure what factors have caused the decline: the launch of the GTLDs, startups not really caring about the names of their companies, apps, investors who placed their monies into crypto, real estate and the bull market, a global economy without a high percentage of persons who have extra funds to make domain investments.
I’m culling my portfolio — simple metric — if I haven’t received an offer on the domain in 12 months, it’s gone. Will some of these sell for xxxx later. Sure, but that’s business.
John
Yes, one has to trim the flock from time to time. My regret rate is only slightly above zero for that.
> “Not sure what factors have caused the decline: the launch of the GTLDs, startups not really caring about the names of their companies, apps, investors who placed their monies into crypto, real estate and the bull market, a global economy without a high percentage of persons who have extra funds to make domain investments.”
I guess they’ve done their work well because the first thing that should have come to mind is:
1. Google
The second and third things are:
2. Google
3. Google
Followed by:
4. Google’s peers who have also worked to kill domain names as much as possible by design.
John
Oh wait, lest I forget:
5. “Domainers” themselves; most notably the fellow “luminaries” at the top of the visibility pyramid who have done and been doing what I mentioned above:
“Yes, it figures it would be you to finally say something like that. If stubborn, self-serving and myopic zero-sum thinking fellow luminaries in the industry understood that or stopped suppressing it when they do, and teaching and influencing the market itself accordingly as they do, we could all already be doing so much better including them no less. As it is they probably still won’t even notice the reality and implications of what you just said there though. But that’s a welcome and surprising start.”
Take note of the part about teaching and influencing the market, btw.
John
6. Some or all of what you mentioned too.
staff
To give you an idea: over 100k nonsense domains registered in last 20 days. Spotted; 1121 so-so, 273 good, 46 great and 6 top but none of them are in premium zone. Enormous amount.
Dan Gustafson
I really like the part where he says what would it take to compete in the space without the domain. I really dislike the part where he says I won’t sell the stuff in my lifetime…
Daniel
Couldnt agree more! Truth is… nowadays, any old domain name will do as long as its easy to remember and catchy, and in not many months from now, keyword domains (exact match) will be pointless purchases!!
John
Yeah, no, you’re missing it completely. And if a domain is really genuinely “catchy,” then that means it’s not just “any old” at all, even by definition, and is something valuable for end users in the real world.
Steve
Dearest Rick,
“Would I get into domaining today? Absolutely not!”
So where do you currently see opportunity? Where WOULD YOU invest right now?
Crypto? (too early – the price & charts (tech analysis) (Btc) are Terrible, no mass-adoption of the tech just yet)
Blockchain? Infrastructure is being built out as we speak. Also is being adopted at the Corporate level. But still early.
Tokenization? Some say the World will be Tokenized in Time. Advantages – mass liquidity and a New economy But infrastructure not in place yet and regulatory framework still needs to be developed.
Any thoughts?
Thx
steve
Real estate is booming in many locales. But there’s risk there as well.
Rick might have some better suggestions, and besides, you asked him in your question.
David
I recently got into the domain buying business and after reading this post I am worried.
I listed all my domains on a website called domainbrandexchange.com
Any advice for a newbie like me?
Steve B
@David, I assume most of us never heard of that marketplace. In any case, I would suggest listing at a bigger/well-known marketplace like Brandpa or BrandBucket. (I’m assuming you have brandables)
Danny Pryor
I love this line, “When I had my in-home business before domains I copied the biggest companies in the world. I followed their lead. Nobody even knew my ‘World Headquarters’ was in a 10×10 bedroom. I presented myself as a fortune 500 company by copying what they did. Copying how they would make a brochure. Copy their professional newsletter. Copy their marketing tricks. Copy everything of value and make my company look big!”
I can personally vouch for this strategy because it works. Believe me. ;-)
BIll Hartzer
Just make sure you’re copying the biggest companies in the world who are doing it right–there are plenty of them that are doing it wrong!
Jose
Always be you that pessimistic? I think not, many of us have been affected by the death of a key word in our lives, to overcome it costs a lot and I do not want this for you to die. Resuscitate! little by little from a lethargy that is repairable with time and be more optimistic. (If I was wrong with what I write here in this first paragraph, please rectify me)
I write twice in your posts that you persist in finances to grow your or your business, I do not study finance, but I have a finance project I always like to be different from other projects or websites, domains I can not because there is no much where to choose a word that by the radio is easy to hear and understandable to pronounce even more that makes sense what is written as domain name and its content, images of the website etc.,
If you would like to find this domain, you should contact us and do a Joint Venture with our new Startup, it would be fantastic if you like the online business that I create and the team tighten the screws so that it can last for years.
Two years ago and days to die, our mother Pepita (RIP), I take care 4 years of his illness, with a Mrs. to help 10 hours, in these moments of rest start preparing my 12 projects online for a single and future Startup . (The first one to have it at a bad time the year that the internet bubble, technology, etc begin)
Studying markets and US sectors and reading books of the late 40s, all 50, 60 and 70 of US writers and also published in the US was my dream to be very expensive new books and my parents can not afford this expense and wait and save the money to give me for my birthday, 2 long years passed until I was 16 years old to work and buy those books with which I dream and see the escaprates, now the books of Science, Marketing, Economics and Finance, after learning about Science, Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, Human Anthropology, Marketing, what most excited me was the strategy and communicative advertising of the Economy, which was speculation and how to calculate fixed and variable costs, and Finance monetize the purchase of a product with the sale of it.
The books were my best teachers and the notes to take from them was over the years the essential help to follow their path adapting it to our current time, since the arrival of the Internet what I baptized that would be the XXI century would be the novelty of many products , services, and new companies of any sector or new categories, as it has been.
We take time to realize our mistakes are not perfect, politicians in Spain have given many to the Master for friendship and others have a Master paid for their pockets and are asking for money in the streets of many cities of this world, which in the end it’s the same as pigeon shit.
Happy Day.
Jose.
Jeff Schneider
Hello Rick,
We suggest that all domainers, who carelessly call their (.Com Equimoditty Platform Assets)= (Domain Names), to stop this Boring characterization of these very valuable (.COM Equimoditty Platform Asset (TAX SHELTERS).
Most = 99% of the populations eyes, glaze over at the phrase (Domain Names) when they hear (Domain Names), in a sales presentation. Most people react to (Domain Names)as a Snooze subject. Whereas Savvy Institutional End Users imaginations are piqued at the very Savvy Institutional definition =(.COM Equimoditty Platform Asset TAX SHELTERS).JAS
Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger) (Former Rockefeller IBEC Marketing Intelligence Analyst/Strategist) (Licensed CBOE Commodity Hedge Strategist) (Domain Master) http://www.UseBiz.com
get-tubemate.in
wonderful points altogether, you just won a new reader.
What would you recommend about your put up that you just made a few days
in the past? Any sure?