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

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

Morning Folks!!

Now I see the numbers and now I can say without doubt that the entire landscape of the domain industry is about to have a dramatic shift. The single biggest shift EVER! An earthquake.

There is no question in my mind that folks are about to shift their TRUE type in traffic to Frank or one of the new companies using Frank's feed like Domain Power and another company set to make an announcement next week.

NEVER have so many domains and so much traffic shifted to one specific entity in this short a time with so much more to come. NUMBERS! That traffic is coming from all these other parking companies and implosion is not out of the question. I'll explain why in a moment.

The mini site has transformed into lead generation, email capture and other models that are taking advantage of the strengths of each individual domain.

The other day I mentioned that your current parking company was “Hosing” you if you have pure type in traffic. Now I can confirm it. Hosed is not the adjective I would use today. Today I would use something much stronger.

So as this unfolds you are going to see some wild stuff going down as these companies scramble to stay afloat. They are going to tell you how strong they are but that may not last long. Their traffic is being gutted as I write this. The BEST traffic. They are watching the OIL come out and they are about to be stuck with the mud. Slow moving mud with limited traffic.

A company can only lose about 35% of their business before they collapse. We are going to see some very aggressive marketing while they FIGHT for survival. Some may not make it and the ones that do will be smaller and weaker. NO DOUBT!

Stay tuned. All I know is NUMBERS and the NUMBERS are about to bury the greedy. Wait til you find out how much this shit is costing you. You are going to KNOW things you don't want to know. Let's see how many will still carry water for these companies once the truth is known.

If you have PURE type in traffic you will be STUNNED by the numbers. Domainers have taken back control of their industry and there are going to be some very unhappy folks!

What will those companies say when you have a domain making .86 cents a day and then starts making $30????????? Sorry we have been screwing you all this time?? Sorry we were getting fat on YOUR traffic??? Sorry we were taking MOST of the payouts?? Sorry but we are FRIENDS?? BULLSHIT!!!

Now obviously this is the most extreme case right now. But the increase overall is staggering. So....

Sorry guys, you got away with it long enough. It's OVER BABY!! Enjoy the mud.

And if you don't believe it.....see what I wrote back in 2009 when I suggested that an event like this could and WOULD do! I am sure I suggested it even before that. Why?? Because I have seen it happen before.

'One new solution by any of these companies has the power to disrupt the entire sector. It could put companies out of business virtually overnight. The market is fragile and no sponsor could afford a mass movement of traffic and survive.'

And here is a classic from 2008. I described the event. but as always, it is the timing. So here we are NOW. Just 2 or 3 years off schedule. ;-)

And for the record, I don't want to see anyone go out of business. But I do enjoy seeing the oil separated from the rest of the mix and having the existing companies get paid FAIRLY for the service they provide. Will it be too little too late? Certainly is not up to me.

Have a GREAT Day!!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

What do you do when the .com version of a domain is registered and is not for sale? Do you look for something different or do you choose another extension?

HTFJYRTZYSXW

For me, it depends. If the name lends itself naturally to another extension, then I will register that. Which are my favorite default NON dotcoms? Well depending on the particular domain name I may go for .org, .tv, .me and once in a blue moon, a .co.

I have said for many years that .org is the #2 extension and it leapfrogs over the .net which has no identity. As time goes by I like .tv more and more. I own Rick.tv (a recent present) and Golfing.tv, Bloopers.tv among others.

My only objection to it 10 years ago was that there were still .com’s laying around to get registered with type in traffic that would provide the income to buy as many .tv’s as you like. Just a strategy and TIMING which is always the key.

I have a number of domains with a .me extensions. Some with other partners. Like Meet,me, Date.me, Love.me and Marry.me. Some on my own like Rick.me, Wager.me and also a few last name and first names with a .me extension.

Most extensions are worthless to me. They are a segment of a smaller and smaller pie by population. I want to cast the widest and most targeted net I can. Most extensions limit that and the groups get smaller the more .whatevers there are.

So come in 500 new extensions. While registrars may find profits, domain investors will likely find liabilities. Without massive National and International television advertising the average guy on the street will not recognize or use any of them. So they become .meaningless.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

Did Bing do something that puts Google on their heals?? Youbetcha!

Bing has made an announcement that might prove to be the biggest blow ever dealt to rival Google.

'In short, search for something on Bing and, if you have activated Facebook results, you will see which pages, products and websites your friends like and recommend -- very high in results, no matter if that website routinely ranks first or dead last..'

http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2011/05/16/bing-forever-changes-search-and-SEO.aspx

So for those that did not believe Bing could make an impact, please read my 3 posts on Bing since their inception in 2009 and see who got what right.

Also PCWorld.com just came out with their take on things.

Tis is just the first of many new changes and challenges to come for Google by the likes of Microsoft, Facebook, Apple, Groupon, Living Social, Twitter and a host of others. By the Fall you will make no mistake the war these folks will be waging.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

What happens when you are a refinery and all the oil is pumped out and all you are stuck with is mud? Well the Domain Industry may soon find out. Frank Schilling now has a new Parking Company with a direct Google feed to make you more money IF and ONLY IF you have PURE TYPE IN TRAFFIC. Oil, Gold, the best traffic. HTFJYRTZYSXW

'A no-frills domain monetization platform, for experienced type-in traffic operators.'

I think for the FIRST TIME we will see what happens when you really filter the traffic to have only the best. No domains where the traffic could be anything other than PURE type in traffic. It took the crappiest payouts ever for the BUST to really happen and now we are witnessing it in real time.

If you have that pure type in traffic we all know and love, then you will soon be going thru Frank and his new venture at InternetTraffic.com. I don’t even have to pitch it for him. He does not even have to pitch it. He just has to do it and he has and this is a really good thing for a lot of us.

'You WILL make significantly more money here.' Frank Schilling

Congrats to Frank for breaking away in a big way and perhaps turning the tide as this may significantly change the industry landscape in the coming months and years. The NUMBERS will tell the rest of the story and the NUMBERS may disrupt a lot of PPC companies in our space and how they do business. Especially WHEN folks find out that they have been getting hosed!

Be patient, there will be a floodgate of domainers lined up to open their accounts this week and start earning 'Significantly more money'. Each account will be pulling their traffic away from another parking company. The BEST traffic! The most profitable traffic. How much business can a parking company lose and still be viable? And remember, they won't be 'Bleeding' traffic. There will be a mass exodus and more of a rupture.

And it does not stop there. There are more options and other solutions coming our way. I know folks that are quietly working on big things. All I can say is in a few months things are going to be very different around this industry and you will finally get a BILL for your friendships when you see the difference in earnings. Then maybe folks will understand who pays for what and wise up. How much does YOUR friendship cost? I'll be your best friend too if I was making 50% or more on YOUR payouts!!! On your traffic. On your BACK!

And let's hope the takeaway from this is that Yahoo and Google finally see the difference between Mud and Oil and pay out accordingly. I think we can agree that Frank can represent the best interest of domainers and our valuable traffic better than the likes of some companies in the space that may have driven a wedge between Yahoo, Google and domainers in the past.

This is a really great day for old line domainers that have and believe in Type in Traffic. It may be a really bad day for some others that try every trick in the book to get more traffic regardless of the quality and pretend both are equal.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

When you are free to think and go where others need permission, it removes limits of what you can achieve. How you can change things. How we as domainers have the POWER to change our own destiny.

There are some wonderful things about to happen to our industry. Why? Because domainers are taking back their own destiny. I have several cases in point.

You have to start your day with 2 things. Both are your health. The obvious one and then your financial health. If you have those, life is good. You also have future health. One you may exercise your body, the other you need to think and exercise your mind.

How to change things? By organizing and having likeminded people do something very specific that have a great impact and a goal oriented result. Read that one again because that may just end up being the focus at TRAFFIC this year. That’s the equation for those that understand what I mean by that.

Domainers are being challenged and that is a blessing in disguise. It all starts with an idea and there are many folks working on new ideas and I like them all.

Whether you want to accept it or not, income is your report card. You don’t have to compare to mine or Bill Gates or anyone but your own income. Up or down? By how much? What’s your monthly nut? When you track EVERY single monthly payout and truly know what your nut is then you know whether you are on the path. But you have to count everything. And then add 10% to cover the stuff you missed or are unexpected.

Your business plan may be challenged in times like this. But this is how you grade what you built. Built to last or is it washed away? If it is washed away like those houses along the Mississippi, then look at it as an opportunity to get a fresh start and start over with what you have learned. You can start over as soon as you do the thing I have said since the get go. “Make sure your FIRST domain purchase is a winner” Build on a winner not on a loser.

If you have 10,000 names and make no money, dump the 10,000 names for whatever and know you now have $75k or so to get that FIRST domain name. Get one that makes $8/day and start there. That’s just a starting point and a direction and that puts you ahead of 90% of the universe.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz