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

High Noon Folks!!

The traffic for headlines on Domaining.com is gaining steam. Seems like in January there were a wave of New Year's Resolutions and blogs and blogging. The result, here it is noon and there are already bloggers poised to fall to the dreaded page 3 and 4 and maybe even 5 or 6 before it is all over. What does it look like this time next year?

The clutter is not just here and it is not just in domaining. If the Internet were physical you would be seeing more crains than you have ever seen on the net at one time. It's gonna get damn crowded and those folks will now be competeing more and more to the same folks. That's a potential problem that will likely benefit us before the ad war ends and the casulaties are declared.

The one I am looking at is the war between Amazon, Wal-Mart, Target, Kmart, Sears, Pennys, etc. One or more of these companies are ether going to suffer a large setback and somebody is going bye-bye! I don't know which one. The weaker ones I think are about to get much weaker.

We are in a different period. The audience is growing online but not in the way or the form of the past even if more numbers are coming online. Much is because of the buying power the last BILLION folks getting online have as compared to the other billions. Hint. It will be less. Each billion before them had greater and wider buying power. That does not mean the first billion had the most buying power. That's a different equation. Could be further down the line.

The pool of searches may not grow as in the past. But the pool of folks trying to sell to those searchers are going to get to the ridiculous point. Millions all trying to be #1 on Google. 1st page on Google. That leaves 99.99% LOSERS.

Meanwhile back to Domaining.com and the countdown to burial on page 3 starts right now. :-)

All eyes on 1800 new gTLD's and the epicenter could turn out to be right here.

We are all such whores for whatever we are whoring. Domaining.com is the front line in our little pond. The whorehouse for domainers. (Francois, that's a compliment) My mind sees things just a little differently than normal folks!! lol

Point is, this space is heating up and this is just the start. Add 1800 gTLD's and we'll be on Page 3 before 6AM. It's coming folks!!!

I think we may have to write a song about it next! 'The way we were'?

Rick Schwartz

btw, ads on the left looks good and will draw more attention to the advertisers.

Morning Folks!!

When I post I post for 2 of us. You and me. Mostly I focus on you but it is also a diary for me. A public statement by me with a time stamp that may become more valuable in the future than now or in the past. It is easy to bend with the wind and blow whichever direction it blows that day. Not so easy to stay true to your course with the pressures and temptations nagging at you along the way.

I use this space to plot my future and look at where I have been. I use it to demonstrate all types of different things and it is always on the record. It becomes my public list of goals. And since my goals occur over years not minutes it is important for me to leave a trail of crumbs for those that follow behind you and me. There will be more to read these past posts in the future than actually occurred in the past. That would be my biggest personal goal of all. I think that is what drives me to write this stuff.

I once had a living room and that did not quite work out the way I envisioned. It zapped me of energy instead of the other way around. I guess the difference is I chose to go on stage instead of sitting on the sofa. So I use my little soapbox right here to say whatever, whenever and hope I provoke some deeper thought that leads to deeper answers and circulates to a wider audience.

I know many an end user that will end up here. I know folks that I negotiate with that will end up here. I know folks I never met or heard of will end up here. And I know people that have big ideas will end up here. Here or JointVentures.com or TRAFFIC or someday hundreds if not thousands of sites I can point to and say I have a small interest in this one or that one.

I was thinking this morning I have employees working for me that I don't know, never met and may never meet. I don't even know how many. Possibly already in the hundreds. Physical employees. I have partners throughout the world. I have relationships with people in about every country on the globe. The more remote they are the more important the Internet is to them.

This medium is finally coming of age. WE are finally coming of age. Sophistication does not happen overnight and many of us don't have all the talents required to do it ourselves. Especially me. My talents are very limited and since that is the case I must focus very heavily on what I do know. What I saw then and what has unfolded now. The tools we have now that were either not available then or could cost millions to make.

This is the start of getting it right not the end. This was the hardest part to get right and no schmuck coming can change the course that has already proven not only to be the right course, but land is in sight and his outdated thoughts and ideas have little value where we are going.

Most likely those characters have already been washed away. For example. Just think of all the folks you have not heard a peep from. What happened to all the guys with 250,000 name portfolios? Those guys that popped up in about 2005, 2006, 2007 trying to duplicate what Frank did and found they were late to the game.They played it with quantity over quality. Where are they now? Any of the smart ones trimmed it down about 99.9% and then took those dollars and bought gems instead. We may hear from several of them right here. Give me 10 GREAT domains and there is no limit. Give me 250,000 meaningless names and I will show you a lot of recurring bills. $2 million+++/year. With that budget, you can be a real champ!

It takes all these years to see a pattern develop. A picture develop. A future to develop and then to materialize. This is Star Trek. We have gone where no man has gone before and I try to leave my 'Captains Log' right here in full public view. My goals clearly started and met. Maybe not in the time line of others but when you don't quit, you don't get defeated. I would rather do it on the stage with billions watching because it just might be that added pressure that gets me over the hump of failure to the sunny side of success. So I thank everyone for that added energy!

What I know and what I have said for a few years now is we will all start being pulled away from this hub as each of us begins to pursue different goals and different orbits. We have seen it slowly happening for years, but sooner than you think we will be sheared apart because while we may have acted as a wagon train to get from the east to the west, we have reached the point of the destination and soon we will all scatter with new directions. It's inevitable. It's already in motion but it will be greatly accelerated as each of us start to land on long term projects that will change our destiny.

The recession many thought would last 5 months is now 5 YEARS old. And that makes the time ripe for progress. Many will fold but many more will sprout. That's what bad times do and you need challenging times to move folks out of their comfort zone. We've all been moved. lol

So this is all for my satisfaction and my reference and my log. But it can be your treasure and that is what makes me feel the best. I know folks will come down this road for many years into the future, or at least that is my hope. My single biggest goal. The one that will likely take a lifetime to achieve and even then just a few pages of trillions and trillions and even more than that. The domain name is so important because it is one of the few factors that can help you stand out, make you easier to find and then have an endless use of space to do whatever you like and whatever you can dream of.

In the real world a successful business will have the EXPENSE and BURDEN plus all that time involved of moving many times in the course of their success. Not so with the domain name. It's a one time expense whether you are Apple.com or RicksBlog.com. It can never be out grown, but it could be divided or expanded.

I believe that a willing mind and a willing heart will find something I said over the years to be life changing. So cheers to you! I also know writing for all these years has changed my life too! So cheers to you again for reading this crap I got flying through my mind on any given day.

But I sure as hell LOVE Mondays!! It's the day when all the slackers have to show up and do something and that makes my time more useful as we accelerate into the future. ;-)

Rick Schwartz
Captains Log
Star-date 01-14-2013

Morning Folks!!

I look at a business as loading a gun and then firing it and then hitting your target. If you don't have the proper items in the proper order or you have elements missing, that gun can't fire let alone hit the target. So there are certain steps in a certain order that a business has to do to have success. Once I see a business not doing this, FAILURE is guaranteed.

Progress is about putting one foot in front of another and just doing that while folks on the sideline SCREAM for you to move faster or do this or that. Sorry, I filter out the screams. I have a destination, I have a map and I have the tools to achieve what I see.

Later this year we expect to open up an affiliate program for JointVentures.com. A very lucrative affiliate program. One that will have recurring revenues during the lifetime of a lease. We are working on many things and one by one they will come to be as we build this platform from scratch right in front of your eyes.

Best part is it is completely transparent. We know what the deal is, you know what the deal is and the end user knows what the deal is. The numbers are all out in the open. It's just a great formula that works and time will prove it.

More to come!

Have a GREAT day!

Rick Schwartz

Afternoon Folks!!

If you know the right questions, then you not only know the right answers but you may also know the outcome. So let me show you how simple it is to figure it out.

So we have 1800 .whatevers coming to market.

Question #1...What happens if they are all a success?

Question #2...What happens if they are fail?

Question #3...What happens when some succeed and some fail?

Question #4...How many will succeed and how many will fail?

Question #5...Which ones will succeed?

Question #6...How long will that success take to be known and achieve?

Question #7...How many of the 7 billion people will go there?

Question #8...How many of the 7 Billion will be confused?

Question #9...How many new .com millionaires will be made by the .counterpart?

Question #10...How much more will a great domain name be worth regardless of extension?

Question #11...How much will it affect the overall landscape of things in the next 12 months?

Question #12...How much will it affect the overall landscape over the next 2 years? 5 Years? 10 Years?

Question #13...Are there any examples already out there that could give insight?

Question #14...What are the other similar examples and how long have they been around?

Question #15...Which of those have been successful?

Question #16...Which of those have failed?

Question #17...How many predicted success at the beigining?

Question #18...How many enjoy success today?

Question #19...Do you know the difference between a successful registry and a successful domain investment?

Question #20...How many NON .com domains have fetched over $1 Million? $750,000? $500,000?

Question #21...How many .com domains have fetched over $1 Million? $750,000? $500,000?

Question #22...What exactly is the NEED, WANT, DESIRE that is actually being demanded by the consumer?

Question #23...What is the NEED, WANT, DESIRE from those wanting to market .whatever and why exactly is the consumer going to respond and embrace?

Question #24...Is 800 synonymous with the phone? Is .com synonymous with the Internet?

Question #25...If .TV can not breakout in some 15 years and .TV seems like a natural extension that would be easily adaptable, why would .whatever have a better shot?

Question #26...If we agree that .mobi has virtually no value after 6-8 years and all signs point south, why would someone RISK building their empire on something that has the power to become a GHOST town?

Question #27...What do folks do when they are confused?

Question #28...What do you do with the unintended email you as a .com owner WILL get when folks make be sending sensitive information?

Question #29...If you are the .com domain owner and you receive constant email addressed wrongly and you are both in the same business would you use that email to benefit and grow your company or pass it on to the .whatever owner?

Question #30...If you are the .whatever registry or the .whatever owner, are you gonna be pissed at the .com owner when he/she negotiate like deuces are wild and they have 4 of them in hand?

Question #31...If you are an end user and you spend $10 million on an advertising campaign and then learn that over 60% of all your efforts are going to the .com owner and his business is thriving and yours is not, what would be your next move?

You guys can ask the other logical questions 32-35.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

When I approach a business I approach it in a deliberate manner and long term. I know the difference between urgent and who gives a shit. Prioritizing may be my single greatest strength. I know what has to be done first, second and third and by then usually the other things just fall into place or there is more than enough time to address them.

I have watched many a company come and go because either the timing was wrong or the formula was wrong. My companies have many things going for them whenever I start one. Most importantly, I am not dependant on the entity to eat and survive. That allows me the luxury of taking my time and playing a different type game.

The audience I am targeting may be the single smallest group in domaining and thus in any other sector of business of any industry in the world. But that small group understand what they own and the potential they have when matched with the best partner. They have patiently kept their portfolios in tact waiting for the future. My vision MAY be their vision and I am banking on it that it is.

Unlike a broker or others, I could care less if a deal is made. I only want to attract the smallest of audiences. The ONE person or business uniquely qualified to pull something off that is very big. I don't waste my time or the time of others with undervalued offers or folks that don't see what I see.

Now I am not dissing brokers. I am showing the difference in mindset in this particular game. I would be dissing myself if I was. Selling a domain via a broker and turning it into cash is a great thing. What we are trying to do and JointVentures.com is instead of the immediate cash, which some may need, we are looking for long term revenue streams. Long term upsides. Long term participation in the assets WE DISCOVERED and are somewhat attached to. We want to share in what we initially saw and THAT is the difference and where I come into the equation.

I have never made public all the moving parts in the candy.com deal. 1 part cash, 1 part finance, 1 part interest, 1 part royalty of 2%. I tried like hell to get 10% of the company through the entire negotiations. I was able to get nothing in the initial deal. But in the years that have past I have been able to acquire 7.5% of the entire company. I also just exercized an option in December for an additional 2.5%. So I got 10% AND 2% royalty.

But here is a part I don't think I have ever made public. If candy.com were to sell at some point, I get to share on the upside of that sale to the tune of 20%. Total payouts in 2012 will be $250k. That is before we get to my 7.5%.

Yup, Could have sold it for $500,000-$1,00,000 when I got it. But I look at the world differenty. My mission is to build LARGE revenue streams that last a lifetime. Being patient for a return 10x-100x or more.

Meanwhile I see folks sell their assets much below what some domains are actually worth. I measure domains in a way my target group does. As a unique piece of a very important puzzle that has the ability to unlock millions of dollars in added sales and to hurt your competition while doing it. IF you have category defining names. Basically one and 2 word domains that define a category or product or service as I have defined over the past 30 days right here on this blog.

Property.com deal was largely based on the Candy.com deal. It took nearly 2 years to make that deal a reality. Some of the 'Moving Parts' are different but the starting point was the same. These deals take months and sometimes years to negotiate. Especially ground breaking deals with formulas that are much more intense than selling a domain for less than the real future value of the asset. Punchbowl.com and Luv.com also come with future upsides.

These deals only work on certain domains that I have defined over the past weeks. And of course it is not an easy process. But it is getting easier with each passing day and the coming rise and fall of .whatever will seal the deal for leasing great .com domain names.

Not all deals can get done like this. But each case requires a custom formula that incorporates the things most important to buyer and seller. I am a 'Chemist' when it comes to these formulas because they are always multi-dimensional. But finding the right partner, with the right mindest, with the passion and energy to do something BIG is really the game. Really the big hurdle. But they are always out there. Their ideas bigger than their wallets and are willing to share the prize to get their shot at reaching the stars. It's much more than selling a domain name. It's getting your shot to hit the big time.

I simply realized that I could be one of those moving parts if I can bring to worlds together and hammer out a deal not only agreeable to each but each party walking away excited and satisfied because a seed of the future has been planed and the chances for germination are quite high. Many of you have much better domains than I have. I'll be blunt, I want to share in your income of that domain for the rest of my life. I am willing to invest my TIME to that end. Simple. I see that big an updside by bringing those two wrold's together.

At the end of the day my job is to transform a category defining domain name from making $10/day to making $100/day, $1000/day and being part of a blossoming business and not just the ower of the domain name. This is not small ball looking for 10% or 20% increases. This is about transforming your domains, ONE BY ONE, into long term leases, businesses, joint ventures and other options I am able to negotiate on your behalf with you setting the boundaries. I just need you free listing and you don't have to do a single thing different with your domain name. Just wait for an email from me.

So 2013 marks the start of a long journey that will change how many of us do business in the future. I wish it was a formula that would work universally. It can only work for certain domains. So instead of trying to sell a valuable domain to domainers, transform it into an annuity. Into a long term or even permanent income producing asset. I can only use the best domains out there to do this. The more category defining, the more leverage.

The future is not about chasing the past but being way early for a future present. Plan for a future day and be there before others know that they too will be there. Not rocket science. Just a shortcut to the future. I am uniquely qualified to pull this off because to me it is simply repeating what I have done except with even better domains than mine and the patience and passion to negotiate like it was my own.

I am fishing for big game. It means we go home empty handed MOST of the time. But when we return with that BIG ONE......the whole town turns out and a new day dawns.

Have a GREAT day!

Rick Schwartz

Afternoon Folks!!

Rockies.com sold for $1.2 Million this week. Nets.com is up for grabs at $5 Million and pokes fun at the NY Nets. Cowboys.com now has a value somewhere in between. Except for one teeny weeny problem. Cowboys.com is now making money! We now have this dating site and it's making money!! Who knew this was such a big niche in th heartland?

So now it is not about a domain, it is about a business. A business not a domain and that changes everything IF we wanted to change anything at all. Now I am writing this as an individual, not as a member of the group that bought it. So I am only a minority stake holder in all this and don't speak for anyone but myself.

It's no secret we are getting quite a stream of traffic. Most of which is type ins and Alexa can't measure type ins. I'll get back to you with how many stadiums worth we get. But it's impressive.

Who knew there were so many gay cowboys? It would lead one to believe that if you were to go a certain stadium in Texas, you might want to be just a wee bit cautious. There have been rumors swirling around there for years as I recall.

Not that cowboys.com have anything whatsoever to do with that football team with a very close name that their attorney/rep thought they were buying for $275 instead of $275,000. They actually won the bidding at a LIVE major industry auction, but when it was all said and done they backed out of the deal and our little group ended up with it after that HUGE FUMBLE at a cost of $370,000.

A fumble that has been written about and laughed about for years. Come on?

Anyways, no point here. Just some random thoughts over 5 years later. Shows human nature and how tough folks make it. In football you can recover a fumble. Here too. But then again I am sure noting has one to do with the other etc. etc. etc.

I guess that would establish the value of Cowboys.com domain only being worth somewhere between $1.2MM on the very low end and $5MM today. And just like salaries, who knows what the value will be in another 1, 2, 3 or 5 years as we move into this new orbit. Different markets command different values. The more comparisons, the more you can demonstrate value. The more our business makes, the harder it is to herd cats and have agreement between all owners to do something different.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Mornng Folks!!

THIS is what it is all about. This is the parallel I have followed. This is the parallel I won't abandon. This is it and why something so simple is so hard for MOST to get their heads around. Been happening for a THOUSAND years!!!

This guy made a 150X return in 33 years by saying
'No' a lot!
But my most recent sale was much more than 150X.
Now I would much rather have his larger sale with more dollars.
But with that said, the last domain I sold was $150,000 with
a cost of $70 and took about 14 years.

THAT is the parallel. I got a little over 2000X. But I still like his DOLLARS a bit better.

M equation is better and I can duplicate many, many, many times. Plus the domain earned in excess of $25,000 over the course of 14 years.

http://www.vosizneias.com/121301/2013/01/09/brooklyn-ny-williamsburg-real-estate-developer-turns-1-million-investment-into-150-million

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Afternoon Folks!!

I am a soloist in life. Most of my business ventures are done on my own. Only a few times in life have I had a partner. I was a slave to a few owners before then. Howard proved that a partnership could work well if the 2 dance well together. Danny Welsh had some talents I have very rarely seen in my life. I knew he would be able to not only fill in my weaknesses, but make those weaknesses my greatest strengths. So we have dovetailed well and in the months ahead you will know why we teamed up. Danny is a nice guy, but he is also brutal. Brutally honest with what he sees and does.

I think you might get a sense for him by the way he answers questions in a really detailed manner. So the following is an actual email set of questions and the responses. And since the questions are so universal, and many have asked the same things, I thought it best to post it.

1. I guess really what my question(s) boils down to is, if I tie up my names with you guys for 1 year, are you going to be doing active outbound sales calls and lead gen in order to bring a lease/sale/jv deal on them?

Danny: YES. That's my job. Get more interested inquiries over to Rick, filter them to pass along only those that may be more qualified and let him do his thing with negotiating. You don't know me, but marketing is why I'm here at the table. Hundreds of references I can give you. Frankly, I'm ITCHING to get this necessary but unappealing part of the process over with so I can get on with the 12 month task set before me to market these properties in a way befitting a 6 and 7 figure asset.
2. Anyhow, I love what you guys are doing and I'm not in need of a 'fast fix', I just don't want to tie the names up for such a long period of time without knowing that they are being put to work, so to speak.

Danny: Don't look at it as 'tying up'. Look at it as attempting to unleash a great domain name to become a great business. I can show you annual parking income on a set of 100 domain names I represent for Rick. Turn one into a lease and it can out-perform the other 99 in the next 12 months, with nothing but more upside down the road including annual built-in increases, possible buyouts, possible equity share royalties etc. We're whale hunting. Don't give us anything to work with that you expect you can make something great happen for without us or without any effort in the next 4-24 months. Let me put in the work, and we WILL. Our efforts will either fly or die but it will not be for lack of effort or vision.

3. In the end, you guys are taking on a whole lot of domains for this venture and like you said, some good, some bad and some great.

Danny: Not as many as we could. 30,000+ submissions and 95% totally unsuitable in timing for what we're trying to do. Combing through the remainder to find the ones that we can make a stand behind that we believe can make corporate America and the press sit up and take notice this year...was not a job for the marketing guy (me) but the seasoned domain investor. When Rick took that job on himself I was very glad! The bottom line is, we don't need to make bad deals or take quantity inventory. Scale planned for my operation was for 100 domains of Rick's, now we'll have 400 domains represented this year . It will take some ramp up but it can be done.

4. I'm trying to understand how individual names from that great pool will be highlighted to appropriate buyers.

Danny: Direct targeted marketing via multiple media using plans spearheaded by me and carried out by a team (caveat: as mentioned, the team WILL have to grow to scale our planned 2013 operations to represent 400 domain names instead of the 100 of Rick's. That's my #1 priority in coming weeks). Marketing for your properties will be targeted to companies that should be interested and may be qualified to get a 5 figure per year deal to use a 6 or 7 figure value asset. Primarily niche targeted is easier, as you know. It's no secret who ought to want a certain domain name. I'll be going to those people with a custom 'angle' designed mostly just to get the news into the hands and minds of the right people. Rick gave ONE example of 100+ on his blog with a blurb about our plan for SoccerBalls.com as an example. The rest I'm sorry but I'll have to keep those to myself.

5. Can you give me any examples of names which you have successfully leased under your model? Rick's personal past and current leases have ranged anywhere from $400 to $125,000/mo. So you can set your own price range and so long as Rick thinks it's reasonable we will work for that. No recent deals you'll be reading about on the higher end of that spectrum but the $1000/mo deals are 30-100x parking and more so for me that's plenty of empirical evidence. How much does a domain make parked? How many multiples will $3000/mo lease to start be if we succeed?
6. Obviously, I'm well aware of the Candy.com and other JV deals you (Rick) have done, but I'm more interested in the lease model and successes on that front.

Danny: Read the Ricksblog.com over the next few weeks. Transparency is key, I agree. Just know that Rick isn't dumb and wouldn't jeopardize his reputation without proof these deals have become MUCH easier to negotiate and begin in recent months than EVER before.

7. Will either of you be in Santa Monica for WebFest?
Danny: Not unless my mentor and partner goes, which I'm doubting. See you at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. in Vegas!
Danny: Thanks for your time. I'm a nice guy but business is business. It's a better use of my time to reassure a guy who's a player that this is THE game he wants to be in for 2013-4, than respond to hundreds of non-qualified inquiries. What you get with me is a guy who'll do both and treat them equally as important in how I communicate with them. Within reason, anyway. Come 2/1 all this is over and I can run to the market and shout what we have to the end users that want your very best assets, let them know the terms under which they can get their hands on the one they want and change their destiny forever.

Morning Folks!!

Guys, all I can say is this nails it. When I say we've turned the corner and the mainstream is being attracted far faster than they ever could have been chased, this is what happens. The waiting and the 20 year plan is shifting on a tipping point as we speak. This is so exciting! Let me have Danny Welsh, my partner with JointVentures.com share a a few things with you in his series of posts that will articulate and then demonstrate what we see unfolding before our very eyes and it is happening RIGHT NOW!....