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

Good Afternoon folks!!

Just wanted to list a few updates since March.

TRAFFIC at Disney World was not the biggest TRAFFIC but it was certainly the best by all accounts of people that were actually there. Here is the DNJournal review. Many others have blogged and written about it as well.

Whizzbangsblog
DNZoom
NPR covers the auction
Acro's take
DomainNameWire
DomainNews Interview at TRAFFIC

It was quite a magical week and we expect to be back there in early 2010 after shows in New York in September, Australia in November and then just 2 scheduled USA shows in 2009. One in Silicon Valley and then back to New York City. The costs to put on shows like this and the costs involved in coming to TRAFFIC are both very high. We know it is out of the reach of the part time or casual enthusiast, but I hope in time they too will have good fortune and be in a position to attend.
We do our best in bringing price levels down the earlier you book. So we hope that helps folks reach the level this conference was designed for. Those that dislike our pricing don't understand what we try to do and try to create and ultimately have been successful accomplishing. It is something money can't buy. Only faith in being able to see and then seize great opportunity when it passes in front of you is the price of this ticket. Folks that come to TRAFFIC don't really 'Pay' to come. That's a myth. They get 'Rewarded' with money making opportunity. They get 'Rewarded' by making face to face deals with ones in positions to make those deals. They get 'rewarded' with dividends at each and every corner. So that is the truth as well as the secret of what happens at TRAFFIC. We create a very special atmosphere and circumstance and then bring great people together that are focused on business and enjoying life. Like this speech given by Dr. Kevin Ham. Then we wrap it up in a very personal non traditional trade show mindset. It's like getting concierge service because we try and accommodate each and every attendee whether they are in need of special meals or need anything out of the ordinary, we get it done!

And getting it done is what we did when it comes to 'Transparency.'

The board of advisor's of TRAFFIC have officially adopted the  'T.R.A.F.F.I.C. TRANSPARENCY SEAL OF APPROVAL.' You can read the details and qualifications here.

The 'TRAFFIC WALL OF SPEAKERS'  is a page I put up on Sunday as a tribute to every speaker at TRAFFIC since our inception in 2004. See how many folks you know. Look at the quality of who we have had come and share their stories. Isn't that what this is all about? Sharing our stories? No  two  are alike. No two have the same result. Just the unique domains we own and the unique story behind them. The way in which each and every one of us climbed the same mountain. Each forging a different path.

Hope you all have a GREAT and safe summer! See you in New York City!

Rick Schwartz

Good Afternoon folks,

Many of you have wondered why I have
remained so silent on the Snowe Bill. What am I supposed to say at this point?
It isn't like I did not see this coming and I stated so very publicly back long before the Snowe Bill even emerged. I really can't say any more so all I can do
is wait for events to unfold and reprint my words from the DNJournal article I contributed to at the
beginning of the year that says it all. Pretty frustrating when you see this stuff
coming years away and then few pay attention until crisis is on the
doorstep and even then most say they will just leave it to others to take care of.

But party on like a ship of fools my
friends. My gift is seeing things before they materialize. But hey, don't pay
attention. Don't believe it. Don't do anything. But I promise you that some day
in the next 3-5 years (Maybe much sooner) I will point to THIS POST and
let you know that there was an opportunity to avoid it but you were too busy
laughing at what I suggest. The laughter no different than the day I
'Wasted' my first $100 and bought a domain name. So I am quite
used to it.

Morning folks!!

In our recent survey one
of the things you told us is that you want the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. show open to more domainers. We
always hear if you drop the price it will open the show up to more people. The
balancing act is doing that while keeping the quality of the attendee high as
well as the service and food we provide. Howard and I decided to find out if this is
actually true or not and will run this experiment because  of a one time circumstance at the Orlando show.

In order to get the
entire convention center at the Grand Floridian hotel, we were
required to reserve more hotel rooms than we were actually going to use. The facility was so good and would allow us to do so many types of new things, we decided we would bite the bullet on those rooms to get that venue. Instead of having those rooms sit empty while we are still paying for them  we decided to try this offer based on your feedback.

Here is the deal:
If you are a domainer that has never been to a T.R.A.F.F.I.C. show because of
the expense, Howard and I will pay your hotel room in Orlando to prove what a
value TRAFFIC is. We are so sure you will find it to be a turning point in your
careers and your business that Howard and I will pay the $269/night exclusive
of all taxes and fees and associated room charges at the Grand Floridian for up
to 3 nights. That's an incredible offer. This is limited to the first 25 people
that reply by midnight Friday, March 14th. This is only available to first time
TRAFFIC attendees and is not valid for new personnel of companies, groups or
associations that have been to TRAFFIC.  If, when you leave TRAFFIC, you agree that
TRAFFIC was a real value and good investment of your time, then we request that
you join the ICA at the $295 level. This is completely voluntary on your part,
but that is what we ask in return to helping you get to TRAFFIC if, and only
if, you find it to have been a great value.
If you have been previously invited, just go register on the website as usual and then send Howard and email telling
him you are a first time attendee. He will send you instructions once we
coordinate with the hotel. If you need an invite, there is a link right here.

Hope that can make the difference for some. See you all in Orlando!

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

At each T.R.A.F.F.I.C. show Ron
Jackson sits in on about every seminar and event that is held at TRAFFIC. I
have no idea where he gets the energy to do that. Then what is more incredible
is his talent to give a play by play and unbiased review of each and every
event and give you a true flavor of what has transpired. It is a vivid
description that only folks like Phil Rizzuto or Ralph Kiner could give. But
somehow Ron has a gift that few truly have. It brings me back to each event and
each moment and I am sure others will testify to that.

As a side note, when I read the story Ron wrote today, I noticed he had some Superbowls in his history. I wrote the comparison with 2 baseball announcers before I knew that. So pretty interesting of the unintended overlap. Wrong sport, but you all get the idea.   

Below are links to
several other reviews. Independent thoughts and conclusions of what they saw
and how they participated I'll just end the way I ended my own blog post last week and then some other thoughts.

'I will let others review the success and
accomplishments of TRAFFIC X, but Howard and I walk away knowing we gave it
everything we had and hope we added value to everyone's business and the
industry in general. Like I have said since day one.....'When you bring
GREAT people together, GREAT things will happen.'

The only thing I can add is that TRAFFIC is filled with opportunity. Some folks seize opportunity, some folks ignore opportunity, some folks would not know opportunity if it smacked them upside the head. The magic of TRAFFIC is the opportunity that is flying thru the air in an invisible manner. But folks that recognize opportunity also create opportunity. It is the one thing that is so hard to capture. Howard and I supply those conditions because that is our goal and then it is up to the attendee to make it into something life changing. That is why so many come back each and every show and so many travel from outside the USA to attend.  TRAFFIC provides something that money can't buy. The magic is in the quality of those that attend. They provide the energy and the ingredients. What Howard and I do is funnel that energy and refine it into conditions that bring and nurture opportunity. Together that moves everyone in the industry forward. Friend or foe, everyone has benefited.

Traffic Stories and
Reviews

Dnjournal.com 

Conceptualist.com Sahar's take on 'Value'

Conceptualist.com Observations by a first time attendee that won a ticket from Bido.com

Whizzbangsblog.com Learn why Michael Gilmour flys half way around the world to come to TRAFFIC

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

Morning folks!!

In September
2006 .mobi was released. I did not think much of the extension. Just another
dotcom wannabe.  I laughed as most are still doing and moved
on. Then about 3 weeks later another thought occurred to me and I made a quick
about face. What did I see? If I tell ya, I’d have to kill ya. But at that
moment I saw something that would allow only a very NARROW but hugely
successful amount of .mobi’s that could change the world. Besides the obvious
company names and trademarks that would be snapped up by their respective companies, I identified less than
10 generic domains that could have great value in the future. The one that led
my list was Tickets.mobi. It joined flowers.mobi which was also in the list.
Why? Well, let’s look at how these two industries were transformed by the
internet, perhaps more than most or even all others. 20 years ago when I would
call 1-800-FLOWERS, I bought stuff but would never see it. The Internet changed
that. I finally had a visual to go with the dollar amount. That transformed the
buying experience for millions. Same with tickets. Before, you would call an
800# and got what you got after cross examining the operator on the other end
of the phone line. The Internet gave me the visual and now we can all see the
exact seat we get.

So as I sat
and identified the industries that could once again be transformed by .mobi,
the list was short and narrow. But like other things, IDEAS come about and that
short and narrow list is likely to fatten up.

For example, last Tuesday night, Jim McCann said they were working on a system that you will
be able to send a “Virtual Bouquet” to someone sitting in a nightclub you might
be at. So never discount how things can be transformed by a new idea. Will that
happen at flowers.com? No.They have a separate site for that. Today a dotcom.
Tomorrow……who knows. Especially when matched up with GPS or as a default
extension. Do any of us know how this will unfold? No. But it does not stop
folks from putting blinders on and actively rooting against something. Step
back folks. Don’t be guilty of the same things others have done to you. Open minds
seize opportunities that closed minds will never see.

Now that I got the #1 .mobi I have aimed for since
day one, (Tickets.mobi) it will be interesting to see how the old guard
domainers learn I am a big .mobi fan. (No surprise for some) I see it as the
next best extension to dot com and really nobody needs to agree with me. The
more folks disagree, the more I know I am on the right track. So save the
naysaying for 5 years not 5 minutes. Then we can discuss why so many of my good
friends missed such a winner. They will just say…..”Damn, Rick was right again.”

Here is the
reality. In 5 years the domain may be worth between $0 and $60,000. It may also
be worth between $60,000 and $60 million. I decided to place my bet on the
latter. Place your bets where you may. At the end of the day, I will trust my
gut more than any other set of factors. My gut says this will be a $60,000 loss
or the single biggest payday of my life. Only had that feeling a few times before.
Porno.com, Men.com, Candy.com, Property.com, Tickets.mobi. So then the question
becomes: “Why did I buy flowers.mobi for more than tickets.mobi? The answer is
pretty simple. Flowers.mobi was the only other .mobi released that was in my
top 10 list and since tickets.mobi was not yet out there, I wanted a foot in
this door. Porn.mobi was also on the short list as is sex.mobi and some other obvious
ones. Domainers will not decide if .mobi hits or not. Businesses across the
world will decide. They may see it as a way to capture another market. Another generation. They may see things we don't see. The thing that will decide the future of .mobi is not domainers. It is businesses across the world and advertising dollars spent. 
btw, the FIRST question that Jim McCann asked me was 'What did I think
about .mobi?' I told him it is too early to tell. The answer won't reveal
itself for 3-5 years. What folks did not know when he was there is that Jim
McCann was the LONGEST domainer in the room. He started in 1992!! While others are still struggling with their initial sites and online presence, here we have Mr. Cutting Edge himself and his focus comes down to one word, 'Mobile'! Their focus for the future is the mobile, on the go, younger audience. Will that help .mobi? Stay tuned!

Have a GREAT Day
Rick Schwartz

Every once
in a while somebody will find an old post of mine and that happened this
morning. Thank you Owen! This post as you will see was written on July 4,
1998. There was no domain industry. As you can see, I am still trying to sell
the concept that the Internet was here to stay and just how important it is. So
this is an interesting perspective from nearly 10 years ago. My goodness, look
how the universe has changed in the past decade. What “Orbit” were you in a
decade ago? Think back to that time and what was different. Look how the world
has transformed itself in this decade. This is extremely timely as the new proposed law will change the life of every person that owns one or more domains if passed. We have come from total obscurity to being the #1 asset to legislate away from the current owners. Don't know what I am talking about? Read what Mike Berkens has to say after you read the following post. Now maybe folks will see the reason to support the Internet Commerce Association. 

From July
4th 1998........
Morning All!!
This is my 3rd annual July 4th post on domains.
Second on Ynot - and I believe the first was on Jonathans OLD board.
The first year they laughed me off the board
The second year they began to see what I saw
The third year I would like to show you where this 'Domain train' is
ultimately going.
First of all you MUST visualize a domain as a PHYSICAL piece of property, land,
undeveloped land.
Second you must realize that it is a MULTIDIMENSIONAL object because of
'Product branding' and WORLDWIDE address.
Third you must realize the special 'Uniqueness' ALL domains
inherently have.
Fourth......it is FREE to get to and hopefully EASY to remember and SPELL.
Fifth and MOST important, you must realize just how VALUABLE that real estate
REALLY is.
I have said one thing numerous times since I started down this path.....and 3
years later......I believe it stronger than ever!! 'The price of domains
(Electronic realestate) will go up faster than ANY other land EVER known to
man' I had made $0 at the point that I BELIEVED that statement to be true.
When I talk about domains I talk of PRIME domains. Not some of my silly
'cams' or 'gos' or 'starts' or other such veins.
(That is for down the road)  I am talking
corner properties in Manhattan, Beverly Hills, South Beach.
1 or 2 word domains that are TARGETED to a SPECIFIC group of people.
So where do I see myself at this point.......
I see myself in Times Square and I own a few corners plus a BUNCH of land on
42nd st.
When I arrived.....it was like a ghost town....it was barren and empty and MORE
than scary.
Today......I hear the sounds of a MASSIVE construction project underway. Trucks
and cranes and banging and digging and everything else you can imagine.
AND IT HAS EXPANDED!!
Those sounds are being heard in other geographic regions as well. It's not only
Manhattan!!
They have expanded to KANSAS if you were talking in domain terms, and with new
highways opening up in the form of different extensions......things get even
more interesting!
THIS is the year that the mainstream WILL figure it out. I started this journey
expecting it to be 4 or 5 years down the road before it hit. That would make my
ultimate predictions come true in the next 18 months.
So What will happen??
First of all how many of you would have imagined a year ago that the board
would have soooo many postings in references to domains....buying, selling,
trading? That IS significant.
I believe that the 'Multi national' companies of the world may begin
to see what I see. When that happens....AND IT WILL HAPPEN.....you will see a
significant amount of buying going on and the prices will go thru the roof! I
see numerous domains that will become next to priceless BECAUSE they WON'T be
for sale. THAT will cause other domain prices to rise.
Location! Location! Location!
I always believed it was a lot easier for a crummy restaurant to be successful
in a prime location with built in traffic than a GREAT restaurant that nobody
is able to find. Doesn't mean the GREAT restaurant won't be
successful.......but it DOES MEAN:
that he MUST be MUCH BETTER!
that he has to work MUCH harder!
that he has to give them a reason to go out of their way!
that he will always look down on the guy with the great location!
BUT
At some point......the GREAT restaurant may want BOTH!
The BIG money IS coming! REALLLLLLLLLLY Big!
I believe it. I believed it in 1995. And I believe it stronger on THIS July 4th
than any other!
I remember last July 4th when I said to friends and such that a company's
website address would appear in every commercial, every magazine ad, every
billboard and at some point in time will become MORE important than even their
800 number. Guess what - yes, they laughed at me. I got more than a FEW raised
eyebrows.
I would say on THIS July 4th that ANY company without a presence on the net is
LOSING BUSINESS and their competition is gaining it! It indicates a company
with little foresight and if you were an investor in one of these companies I
would say it was time to change.
Keep your eyes on Disney, Microsoft, and some OLD GIANTS, plus a few unknowns
to lead the hottest race you have EVER seen. Look at the domains Disney and
Microsoft are buying up RIGHT NOW.
The BIGGEST factor!
Let's say Sears decides to build a store in Osh Kosh......It costs them $25
million, takes them 2 years to build after 5 years of planning.
VERY SLOW......VERY EXPENSIVE!
And if they get it wrong.....Ha ha!!
Now if Sears decides to build NUMEROUS websites TARGETED at different groups of
people they could take that same $$$$ and do some SERIOUS damage on the net!
AND they can do it overnight!
WHY did I stop advertising my Dirty phone numbers in all those magazines I was
in back in 1996?
Cuz on the net I could take it and turn my money around in days and I no longer
had to wait 6-9 months to get a return!
Maybe others will come to the same conclusion......If they follow the
$$$$$......then there isn't a doubt in my mind.
Sorry for the Long and Boring post......But I LOVE tradition!!
Have a happy and SAFE 4th!!
Rick Schwartz

Morning folks!!

Just off the red-eye
flight from Vegas and today we start working on the Orlando show in May. Before
I collapse I just wanted to thank all those that came and supported T.R.A.F.F.I.C. We
had one hell of a week!

In the coming days you
will read reviews from folks that were there. The seminars focused on
Transparency and with the help of some of the top monetizers in our space, we
are on the verge of publishing our standards that will help define things and
make it easier to compare different programs.

The highlight of the
show was the speech by Jim McCann of 1800flowers.com. What few in the room knew
when he came to give his talk was that Jim was the singles longest domain
holder in the room. A 'Domainer' since 1992. The flowers.com have
multiple websites and web businesses and they are aggressively expanding.

The surprise of the show
for many was Dr. Kevin Ham. (Ieft in picture next to Frank Schilling and myself. Picture courtesy of DNJournal.com) Kevin spoke at the very first TRAFFIC in 2004 and
has remained very quiet until a few weeks ago when he asked me for some time to
speak at TRAFFIC which I was happy to agree to. He told me 'There was
something he needed to say.' That was all I needed to know because as many
were about to find out, Kevin was much deeper than just the 2.0 story.

Kevin got up early on
Wednesday morning and without notes, gave a MOVING 50 minute talk about things
more important in life than the almighty dollar but at the same time just how
passionate he was about reaching new goals, bigger dreams and feels like he is
barely scratching the surface. I was watching, some were close to tears.
Including Kevin. Including me. Including many. The most moving part was when he
talked about 'Value' and put things in perspective when comparing
things of value next to each other talking about the value of his children
and asked what number do you put on their value. Not even billions would come
close to their value. Money may make us comfortable, but life is short and one
has to keep things in the right order. He talked about Ben Stein and how much
his speech at the first TRAFFIC in 2004 was an inspiration as Ben talked about
spending time with your mother and father while there is still time.

Dr. Ham ended his talk
to a standing ovation. A really warm standing ovation. That only
happened three times before at TRAFFIC. The first standing
'O' was in 2004 and that too was for Kevin.

So when folks talk about
the VALUE of going to TRAFFIC, listening to Kevin was priceless. I am sure
everyone there would agree that his words were worth the price of admission 10x
over. Sometimes the biggest value is found in an unexpected place and
time.

I will let others review
the success and accomplishments of TRAFFIC X, but Howard and I walk away
knowing we gave it everything we had and hope we added value to everyone's
business and the industry in general. Like I have said since day
one.....'When you bring GREAT people together, GREAT things will
happen.'

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

In a few minutes I am off to Las Vegas and TRAFFIC. But before I go I would like to share the message that will be inside the printed show program. Whether you attend or not, it's something to readas we are going to have a very interesting 2008.
Hi Folks and Welcome to
Las Vegas and TRAFFIC WEST 2008.

This is the 13th year of
my 20 year plan. It may be a 20 year plan, but the finish line does not happen
the minute you hit 20 years. It is a process that happens over time and many
things have to fall in place for this to happen. As I see it, 2008 is THE most
pivotal year in this industry. The entire future of our space will be
determined in the next several months. If the domain industry rises to the occasion,
then the 20 year plan is right on track and it will be a great ride. If not,
the consequences won't be seen today but the ride to the 20 year mark will be
rough and unpleasant and you had better have loads of lawyers on staff.

This is the year that will
determine if your destiny is going to be in your hands or forfeit to those
predators that want what you have because the value of domains has
skyrocketed into the thousands of dollars, and in many instances in the
hundreds of thousands and even millions. Just because the market has
yet to recognize it does not mean that we can surrender what we believe
due to the ignorance of others. That ignorance will transform itself into
a monster unless folks grasp what is a natural phenomena. That is why you
have to look back at history to see what will unfold in the future. That was
why we had Steve Forbes as a speaker.  As an historian, he understands the
threats to take over our assets as has happened in the past. That is why we
will hear from Jim McCann who is a walking history and may have fought some of
the battles we are yet to see.

Some tell me I should
not say things like this. I am the most optimistic person you will
meet. That optimism does not mean I am blind to reality. Blind to threats.
Blind to bad weather just because the sun is shining today and all is well. I
know this industry is very charitable. If you want to continue to be able to
give and provide, then fortify your own livelihoods by supporting the
organization that may be the only thing between us and the predators that will
surely come to get our assets; not in the marketplace, but  rather resort
to the courtroom where they can outspend and out wait you while making your
lives miserable.

On the other front is
transparency. Payouts with no rhyme or reason. The numbers don't lie and
we are seeing things that are troubling. Like I have said several times in the
last few months....'We count our change when we give a $20 at McDonalds
and don't do the same things when BIG money is at stake. Personally, I think
that is insane and lazy and I could go on and on.

Recently someone posed
this question:

'When will all
these companies stop treating us like mindless 'traffic' and more
like 'partners' or at least offer those of us interested this respect?'

My answer:

'That's an easy one....When DOMAINERS show up and demand it. For years we have done nothing to protect
our assets. THIS is the chance to press for concrete changes. With a unified
mind and purpose, there is strength to demand transparency and
accountability.  Without it, there is no reason why any change to increase
our income should take place. Only domain owners themselves can demand their
fair share.'
So, while things are still good, we are entering some uncertain economic times.
We have real challenges and in the coming months we will see if domainers are
up to the challenge.

Thanks for coming to
TRAFFIC. Howard and I along with our wives and Ray will do everything we
can to provide the tools and relationships you need to achieve whatever dream
you carry with you. When you bring GREAT people together, GREAT things can
happen.

Rick Schwartz
CEO and Co-founder
WORLD ASSOCIATION OF DOMAIN NAME DEVELOPERS, INC