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

Morning Folks!!
It's show time!!
WELCOME to TRAFFIC XV. As with the 14 shows before
this, each and every one has been very special. This is only our second
time in Silicon Valley. The hub of tomorrow. The future of the future.
My prediction is that you are about to see one of the most productive
shows ever. Those with cash, those with overheads that are manageable,
those with a true understanding of what makes times like this the BEST
TIMES, will emerge so much stronger. I can't stress enough that while
times are as challenging as they are, those that rise to the occasion
are rewarded. Many folks I know consider the last few years a time
where anyone could make money. In this period things are a bit
different and you have to go deep in your soul to overcome the obvious
tendencies to clam up, hide and take a fearful approach.
This may not be out biggest show ever, but I will tell you here and
now, just hours before it opens, that you will see an intense show with
a lot of news, a lot of deal making and a couple auctions that will
show there is plenty of life left in what we all do and love. How you
approach the next months will likely determine your futures for the
next decade and perhaps beyond that.
Have GREAT Day!
WELCOME to Silicon Valley!
Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!
These last few posts have been fun to watch others get involved and do
something that is interesting and also rewarding. It is also something that I
do. It is MY regime on exercise. I exercise my GUT. (Not my stomach as
that is a few inches larger than I would like) See the way to hone your
gut is doing what we are doing by predicting something with little or
no consequence whatsoever. But it gives you a chance to strengthen that
part of our beings that few even think about. And after the
fact.....what did we get right. What did we get wrong? What was the
reason for either. In some cases you will be spot on. That is what this is about.
Being 'Spot on' when it does count. So practice is what this is about.
If you want to be good at something it is ALL about practice. And to
practice is real world settings is a much higher standard.
Bottom line, This is how to hone the gut. The gut that can know more in
a split second than a team of geniuses working at it for a year. That
is what gut is all about. Split second decision and knowing it is
pretty darn close to being exactly right.
So just a little reason behind the madness and the obvious and maybe
even a little gift. All disguised as a contest to win something free
and get an award doing it. The real reward is something few will ever
see or understand. I hope this sheds a bit of light on it.
Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

Morning folks!!!
Lots of people talk the talk. But see how few really walk the walk. For those that have made an educated guess about how much certain domains will sell for next week,congrats and a tip of the hat. You have put it on the line. For all those that have not, cat got your tongue? Many of you never had a hard time posting an opinion before, but now that I have asked you do do something on record and for all to see.......
So while 150 have already cast their decisions, I find it hard to believe that others that have never shyed to criticize are either scared to be on record or have no clue what they are talking about.
So here are the 2 links to help you out.
http://www.ricksblog.com/2009/04/guess-how-much-smartphonescom-will-sell-for-and-win-a-free-ticket-to-traffic-new-york.html
http://www.ricksblog.com/2009/04/traffic-announces-appraiser-of-the-year-award-contest.html
So are you the 'Appraiser of the Year' or are you the 'Hot Air of the Year'?
Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!
With the great success of the SmartPhones.com contest, we decided to go one step further.
T.R.A.F.F.I.C. will be giving a new award come the fall at the New York
TRAFFIC Show. The 'Appraiser of the Year Award' will be given for the first time, along with
FREE tickets for you and your significant other to the show, to the domainer that correctly predicts and comes
closest to the following TOTAL sales price of the domains listed below. 3
domains by Moniker. 3 domains by Rick Latona Auctions.
The person in the industry that comes closest to the actual TOTAL selling
price of these 6 domains at the Silicon Valley show will be named….”Appraiser of the Year”
among your peers. You can post your appraisals right here no later than midnight
Monday. In case of tie, the first appraisal posted will be declared the
winner. You can go over the total, but you must be the closest.
So folks, this is a time to show you know your stuff. Plain and simple for those that step up and dare to be on record. How good is your gut? How sharp are your predictions? Are you really as good as you think??
The names are the following:
From Moniker:
Exhibiting.com $1k-$5kReserve
HotProducts.com NO RESERVE
GolfCaddy.com $1k-$5kReserve

From Rick Latona
Shows.com NO RESERVE
SmartPhones.com $50k Reserve
WaterPurifiers.com $15k Reserve
One entry per domainer, IP, or email.
Let the GAMES begin!
Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

Guess how much Smartphones.com will sell for and win a FREE Ticket to TRAFFIC New York.

Okay, there is no question that the doors will be blown off with a $50,000 reserve on SmartPhones.com as announced today by Rick Latona. But by how much?

Post your guess here. 1 guess per participant and/or IP# or all guesses are void. The closest guess wins. It is okay to guess over the amount as long as it is the closest to the actual selling price. Bids must be in by midnight Sunday April 26th.

This puppy, along with a few of the others from both Rick and Moniker will PROVE that things are better than folks think WHEN GREAT DOMAINS come to market.

So what’s your guess? Post now and then........
Also, want to be named 'Appraiser of the Year'? Just predict what 6 domains will sell for at TRAFFIC and YOU will be the 'winner?

Morning Folks!!

Follow smart people's lead or follow fools. That is an everyday choice. I am an Einstein fan. He said 'Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.' I look to the past to get ALL the answers to the future. And looking at the past you look to events and people. If I had one gift that I could give everyone reading this it would be to let them know, understand and HARNESS the powers they possess. The mistaken notions most folks walk around with keep them in a prison of mediocrity. They look to the future to find answers that are already written in history.

Sometimes we sit in our solitude and get a bit detached. Sure, we may read the blogs, the posts, the news, but whether we want to recognize it or not it takes a little something out of us as well. Juice in our batteries sometimes is at lower points than at others. I wonder what the value of motivation is? The value of getting energized. The value of staying out in front. The value of seizing opportunity when there is opportunity.

You may notice throughout my writings, that the word I use often is “Opportunity.” See while some look to make money, I look for opportunity which is a way to make fortunes. Folks, it is time to raise your game and Howard Neu is about to help you.

At each show both Howard and I write a “Welcome letter” to the attendees of TRAFFIC. When Howard sent me his over the other day, it really had a lot of impact and I don’t think it will do it justice sitting inside the program. So I am going to pre-empt his message and print it right here and right now for you to read. The next 90 seconds will energize you and after taking a deep breath, you will understand why our focus is on this one word. “Opportunity.”

“Call me a Pollyanna, but where others see gloom, doom and despair, I see profits, hope and the opportunity to expand and grow. When houses that were selling just a year ago for $1 million and more can now be gotten for under $600,000, THAT’S OPPORTUNITY! When newspapers and magazines are folding and cutting back left and right and the internet is thriving, THAT’S OPPORTUNITY! When more and more people from pre-teen to senior citizens are regularly posting on Facebook and Twitter bringing more and more traffic to the web, THAT’S OPPORTUNITY! When retail establishments are filing for bankruptcy and their competition is selling like mad on the internet because they don’t have the tremendous overhead that goes with brick and mortar establishments, THAT’S OPPORTUNITY! When like-minded serious businessmen and businesswomen who happen to be Domain Investors meet together and network at T.R.A.F.F.I.C., THAT’S OPPORTUNITY!
So Welcome to Opportunity Central! T.R.A.F.F.I.C. has always meant business, and today, more than ever, big business will be conducted here in SILICON VALLEY. It will be conducted in the corridors, the lobby of this beautiful hotel, the restaurants and parties that are planned, because T.R.A.F.F.I.C. means business.
I want to thank Divyank Turakhia and the whole gang from SKENZO who have made this conference possible. Thanks also to MONIKER and RICKLATONA for the premium auctions of first-rate domains. Thanks also to PARKED for our closing party and to all the sponsors and exhibitors who knew how important it is to be here. Finally, thanks to Rick and Alina, Barbara and Ray for all of their hours of hard work to make this conference and expo a success.”
Best wishes to all,
Howard Neu, Chief Operating Officer
WORLD ASSOCIATION OF DOMAIN NAME DEVELOPERS, INC.

So folks.....Nothing I can really add to that. Either you get the message or you don’t. Either you rise to the OPPORTUNITY or you don’t. Either you recognize opportunity or you don’t. Either you do what you need to do to get through this rough patch or you don’t. I have told one story many times over the years. The time I could not afford to fly to Asia. But I could not afford not to go. So I went. I was scared. I was in debt. That risk was the single point that changed my life. I DARED to reach higher than ever at the very time where I could afford it least. Which was why I could not afford not to reach higher than ever. The one thing nobody can afford to do is not listen to Einstein. When the bicycle stops moving, it STALLS. On a bike you fall down. In an airplane you are likely to crash. In business a stall will likely make you go out of business. Give it some gas bub.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning folks!!

Tip of the hat this morning to Rick Latona as he is putting in Shows.com with no reserve. THAT my friends, is an auction! That is what excitement is made out of. Trust the market to set the price. Allow the audience to compete for a GREAT domain name. I predict the bidding action will be the best in a long time.

In my mind there are two types of auctions. Auctions of desperation like a bankruptcy auction and auctions that sell things in demand and of value like an art auction. Too often we have looked like a bankruptcy auction as opposed to an art auction. Domains like this change that. Not having the great inventory was a product of a good economy. Great inventory is a product of this downturn.

Like I stated, I am not into pimping domains. However I will point out the obvious. Both Moniker and Rick Latona have domains that I believe will insure they both break the 7 figure mark and then some. They both have GREAT domains with NO RESERVES! This will PROVE to the industry that it is the VENUE that counts. That it is the inventory that counts. The audience that counts. Also, maybe they will stop blaming the economy for failed auctions. An economy like this makes auctions STRONG not WEAK! It brings gems and bargains to the market. So while the economy is weak, making the link to the past failed auctions are not linked. So don’t believe it for even a split second. Great domains at market prices will always bring sales and lots of bidding.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning folks!!
Is the industry getting weaker? In a word.....YES. The industry is getting profoundly weaker. After 14
years of progress and growth the domain industry has climaxed.....at
least for now.
I don't think anyone would argue that many of the leading sponsors in the
domain industry are weaker than they were a year or so ago when the
industry peaked. So it is time to step back and see where we are. The first thing is never to over react. The second thing is to make a
judgement whether this is a permanent situation or a temporary one. I
can tell you it is permanent to those that don't survive and close up
shop. Others that are weak will sell out to other companies.
It comes down to just a few things. Overhead, income, cash on hand.
Your overhead can destroy even the biggest. Lack of income could
collapse almost any company as we have seen the past months. Cash on
hand is the best way to smooth the path. It is also the best way to
take advantage of the great opportunity out there.
Confidence in the banks and stocks is much better. There was NONE just
a few months back and the confidence we have accumulated can easily be
shaken as things are still fragile. 61% of people have made permanent changes. Look at things differently and when things get better, their habits will have changed. Advertising won't likely heat up
until the fall. There will be some pop as we get into the summer. But
this will be short lived and the summer is likely going to be weak.
That brings us to the fall. The fall brings us to our first report
card. Folks expect things to be better. However when reality sets in,
they will likely get worse. The unemployment rate during last Christmas
season went from 6%-7.5%. It is now over 8.5% and likely to be closing
in on 10% this fall. Michigan is already over 12% with Detroit at 22%. California already
over 11%. Last time I looked, everyone was holding on for dear life out
there on Main St.
Newspapers are going out of business left and right. Some because of
conditions, some because they lost touch with their original mission.
This country is pretty evenly split 50/50 as far as party affiliation.
No business can afford to alienate 50% of the audience like some
newspapers and expect to survive. That has to have some effect on all
businesses in the areas the paper serves. The #1 advertising
outlet.....GONE! One of their biggest marketing strategies.....GONE!
Sure, many believe that will mean an increase in online spending. I am
not so sure. I am of the mind that if you own a restaurant and it is
good, you are going to do better being among other restaurants.
Personally, I am determined to invest in 2 or 3 great domains this
year. I would rather have 2-3 gems than all the crap in the world. This
really is not the time to invest in any thing other than prime. PRIME!
There seems to be a certain amount of desperation out there. Folks
being forced to sell some domains to be able to afford to hold on to
others. That's a TERRIBLE place to be and it is all too common.
We all look at domain values in different ways. But if I would have to
be honest, less than 100 folks on this planet really understand what
constitutes a great domain. Less than 100 folks if I were to give them
my money and ask me to do the best they could with it. I see million
dollar domains selling for $1k, $5k, $10k.....I see domains that have
little hope of even doubling or being in demand selling for much more.
I am not into handicapping the auctions and pimping domain names. But I
can say there are some real gems going to the auction in a few days. I
will predict that Moniker will easily break $1 Million and I expect
much much more. Rick Latona also may break the $1 milion dollar mark.
That will be the first time in history that 2 different live domain
auctions both broke the 7 figure mark at one event. That will
demonstrate that there are still dollars out there when you put GREAT
domains up for auction and have prices low enough where a competitive
auction actually happens. You will see some GREAT bidding action as we
compete for these gems. Real back and forth bidding on real domain
names. THAT is what makes an auction.
So if you want to get to the top and do well at the top, you have to
have the balls to get in at the bottom. The balls to do what most
others won't when most others won't. THAT my friends is how fortunes
are made. The domain industry is not about domains, it is about making
fortunes. My job is not to point out each opportunity. My job is to
point out when the conditions are right for opportunity and putting
together an atmosphere of opportunity. Others put on tradeshows, we put
on life changing events. Some don't think that is worth the added
expense. That is their decision. But when you compare, make sure you
give weight to what is important.
Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz.

Morning Folks!!.
I
keep hearing some folks say that 'All the tradeshows are the same', so
why should I bother going to T.R.A.F.F.I.C.? To a great extent that
has some validity because some parking companies have tried to copy our
model, but sometimes with poor results and then that seems to rub off on us and then hurts the industry when the results are lackluster. But here is the LOWDOWN!
T.R.A.F.F.I.C. is the innovator that has brought 95% of the speakers at
these shows FIRST. That is one big difference. Leading vs copying. T.R.A.F.F.I.C. brought
you Speed Networking FIRST! T.R.A.F.F.I.C. brought you the Live Domain
auctions FIRST! T.R.A.F.F.I.C. brought you the networking parties
FIRST! T.R.A.F.F.I.C. brought you the cyber-cafe FIRST!
T.R.A.F.F.I.C. brought in famous Keynote Speakers FIRST. T.R.A.F.F.I.C. brought you the premium mix of Domain Investors,
Sponsors and Exhibitors FIRST., LAST and ALWAYS! Anyone can follow,
but trailblazing is OUR business. Cutting down trees and obstacles and
forging ahead is what you can expect from T.R.A.F.F.I.C. at every
Conference and Expo. Following on that path is what all the others do after we do the heavy lifting. Then their failures get pinned on us and folks say 'All tradeshows are the same.' Well they are not the same. They are quite different.
So you NEED to see the difference even when that difference is not superficial.
The reason that it is important that YOU come to Silicon Valley is the same
reason that T.R.A.F.F.I.C. is in Silicon Valley for its 15th show. It's
not the most convenient place to hold a show, but it is the right place
and the right time. Of all the individuals, business people and
entrepreneurs in the world, only a select few known as Domain Investors
and Developers know how important timing is to making the difference
between success and failure. It is everything. Nothing can trump
timing. At each T.R.A.F.F.I.C. show you heard from the right speakers
and panelists for the times. If you take a moment to look at the
schedule for T.R.A.F.F.I.C. SILICON VALLEY, you will see once again
that the speakers and panelists are those who will help you grow your
business and make your domains profitable.
T.R.A.F.F.I.C. never
likes to blow its own horn because others do that well. Many times at our expense. Although
T.R.A.F.F.I.C. has been the first at presenting the programs that have
been available to domainers, it doesn't have to be the biggest. But
it always has to be the best. When Howard and I walk away from the
trade show business, we will be satisfied that we hit near perfection
each and every time. Like the Blues Brothers, each time we had a
mission. Each time we defined that mission. Each time we exceeded even
our own expectations. Those are just facts!
TRAFFIC was in
Silicon Valley in 2006 and the domain industry is still running off
those fumes. Going back to the Santa Clara Marriott in 2009 has become
even more important to the industry. There are new faces, new
interests, new motivations, new ways of looking at things due to the
state of the economy and the way that it has affected every industry in
the world including ours. Put all of this together in these economic
times and I can tell you without a doubt in my mind, that anyone
who comes to T.R.A.F.F.I.C. SILICON VALLEY will realize rewards many
times the cost of attending; rewards that will last for a lifetime on
stuff you can't touch or see.
At this show there will be more
folks from Google and Yahoo representing different parts of their
respective companies than ever before. Our
'Mystery Guest' is the Gentleman that invented the very DNS system upon
which we have made our fortunes or earned our livings. Dr. Paul Mockapetris designed the Domain Name System (DNS), which allows users to enter names (such as www.abcd.org) instead of numeric network addresses in order to locate people and resources on the Internet.
His insight alone is worth the trip because without that historical
perspective NONE of us would be in the positions that we are in right
now. We are also fortunate to have as our Keynote Speaker probably on
eof the most exciting and informative speakers since John Reese and
Steve Forbes....KEYNOTE SPEAKER : SCOTT KLOSOSKY - EXPERT ON EXECUTIVE STRATEGIES FOR DOMINATING WITH TECHNOLOGY.Scott Klososky is a thought-leader specializing in helping leaders see the world in new ways. That is what we need RIGHT NOW.

We
disguise T.R.A.F.F.I.C. as a tradeshow, but as you all know, it is much
more than that. Rewind your lives without haveing attended one or
more T.R.A.F.F.I.C. shows and see if your lives and economic status
still looks the same. Take a look at our schedule and you will see how
much thought and time has been put into making each event meaningful.
It
is time for you to make an admittedly difficult decision by getting out
of your comfort zone and making a commitment to yourself that this is
not the time to be idle. This is the time to be aggressive and take
advantage of the opportunities that will be presented at T.R.A.F.F.I.C.
SILICON VALLEY. Have you looked at some of the domains going on the
auction block and the reserves?? If you invest in domains for a living,
these are some of the sweetest domains ever offered at CHEAP prices.
The MARKET will set the price and the bargains can be yours. There will
be two very successful auctions at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. brought to you by
MONIKER.COM and RICKLATONA.COM. Please
don't judge and confuse the condition of the aftermarket and the
condition of the industry with other auctions that just don't have the
ingredients to be successful from the get go. Great domains, great
prices, qualified bidders. Nobody should buy a marginal domain in this
economy. Buy prime and you will be rewarded. Like I have been
saying.....'Buy assets, not liabilities.'
Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

I think for the first time folks are really seeing the power of the Internet. This week a phenomenon happened. Something that catches fire and in an instant a star is born. A worldwide instant celebrity that should teach us all a lesson.

A few days ago nobody heard of this person. And then an ANGEL came. An angel certainly not looking like what you might expect an angel to look like. But an angel none the less. First a bit of laughter and condescension. Then in an instant in barely seconds, she brought an audience to tears. She opened her mouth and an angelic voice emerged. 5 seconds later they and everyone watching were on their feet. Watching in utter disbelief. Filled with emotion….much of that SHAME!

They judged a book by its’ cover. They know better than that but we all did it anyway. It was pretty disgusting, but maybe a moment to look inward.

Susan Boyle of Blackburn, Scotland stopped the world this week. If you have yet to hear what happened…..where the hell have you been?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALQCkizx4UI

Thank you for stopping the world! Thank you for showing the world the TRUE power of the Internet. An overnight sensation. You are a beautiful lady!

Have a GREAT Day!