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

Morning Folks!!

Perseverance!!

I think the last time I saw despair online and specific to the domain industry was before there was a domain industry. Maybe around 2000 when things crashed. Then around 2003. At that time it was serious! The net was the enemy to brick and mortar and they tried to kill it. Put a dagger through the heart if they could! It is not as serious today, however a widespread amount of domainers are in despair, scared, questioning every move and most likely their bills are more than their income.

The LAST thing to do is give up on your valuable domain names. Stop listening to all the bullshit spewed by every guy and his sister about this or that. IF you have good and solid domains, take a deep breath, you will be fine. Things are going to change.

In business and in life it is all about overhead. Do you have a spreadsheet that lists EVERY SINGLE recurring and non recurring expense? Do you know EXACTLY how much it costs you to wake up in the morning? What's your 'Number'? If you don't have your 'Number'.....you are without the tools to navigate through what has been going on and what is yet to come.

So on one hand you have the financial burden as payouts are lower and on the other hand you have umpteen thousand extensions coming your way. Extensions that have little relevance in your life even tho some are jumping overboard. They are likely not to have any meaning for 5-10-20 years in a success!! If at all.

What makes things worse right now, is that the last 2 weeks of July and the first 2 weeks of August is when then entire world is on vacation. Just a fact folks! That is the heart of the summer holiday time. What makes it even worse is the Olympics is very distracting so it works as a double whammy. Sprinkle on some political and financial fear and you have what we have.

August 15th is when things starting to change each and every year. Why? 3 words. Back to School. So vacation turns into focus on getting the kids ready for the school year and it takes until mid September before the business minds come back to play.

So you add all these things up and add to that a soft economy that folks are scared may unravel, gas prices back on the rise, taxes about to skyrocket, an election with unknown results, a civil war in Syria, Egypt still not settled, Iran and Israel a spark away from launching WW3. Then add the 40 things I did not mention.

I have written earlier this summer that the next few months will be the most uncertain and unsettled times in many of our lifetimes. But Iook past that mess assuming we get survive December 21st I think it is.

So I see very unsettling times for now. But when I look past this mess and to next August 9th, I see much calmer seas. I see a reshuffling of what has value and what is considered a liability.

Cash, Gold, Diamonds, Oil, Real Estate, Com. Investment quality .Com. Income generating .Com. You can build an empire around one .com domain name. They have yet to connect the single most important DOT! The overhead of 1000 stores vs the overhead with one .com. Some will open stores because of their .com and some will be closing stores because of their .com.

In the history of the world, there has never seen anything like .com. Nothing in history had billions of folks building .com. Good luck repeating that! To lose faith in .com now is like giving up at the Olympics. I did not see Phelps give up after that huge loss. So to lose faith in what you believe in because it is going to be challenged by 1500 wannabees is just hysterics from where I sit.

Step back and look at the dynamics. We had a false start last spring. Things looked like they were about to get better and people reacted and then we found out it was a mirage and things sunk again. When things sink, folks go out of business and those in business are mostly concerned with preserving it as opposed to expanding it. So when things turn in the right direction, you will see more new businesses, better funded businesses and a general expansion as opposed to the contraction we are seeing now.

What is the cost of renting/building/owning a real world store with all the overhead? That's the value of any domain in demand in my book. And .com just reinforces your brand no matter what that brand is.

In despair? Then figure a way to 'Poll Vault' mentally and financially over the next 5-6 months and you will see what I see. Just make it that far and you will see clarity.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!

First please keep in mind that we only have 2 hours or less and maybe 100-125 slots. Maybe less depending on what we are confident will be of interest and sell.

A slot can be one domain or a group of domains.

If I have 100 slots and sell 100 domains at $100 each that is a gross of $10K
If I have 100 slots and sell 100 domains at $1000 each that is a gross of $100K
If I Have 100 slots and sell 100 domains at $5000 each that is a gross of $500K
If I have 100 slots and sell 100 domains at $10,000 each that is a gross of $1M
If I have 100 slots and sell 100 domains at $20,000 each that is a gross of $2M

So I approach it this way. I put domains in 3 groups plus the Guaranteed Placement

1. Not considered. (Domains with little to no value or mean nothing)


2. Considered. (Domains that mean something and have a price in line with the market)


3. Automatically in (Absolutely going to sell and bring in a few thousand)

So once I eliminate the domains that are not going to be in the auction and have chosen the ones that are definitely going to be in the auction, I have a really nice list of domains I will consider.

Does a “No Reserve” have a better chance than a domain for $5000 reserve? It may. But not in all cases. I am going to balance the chances of a sale with the volume of that sale. So a domain with no reserve that is going to sell for $100 is really not going to be in our auction.

At this point I have 6 domains that fall into category #3. Those 6 domains will be posted on the TargetedTraffic.com Website as early as today once the contracts are all signed. Once folks see the quality of just these few and the prices attached, will encourage an entire new wave of entries.

So I want to thank guys like Adam Dicker who is putting a one word domain in the auction with no reserve because he understands what an auction is and how to create interest. The game is having as many domainers target your domain before they ever walk into the room.

Now let me take some time to talk about #2 that affects many of you. You have submitted some GREAT domain names. Very impressive and your pricing has been very competitive. My job is to sell 100% of all the domains that are in the auction. 100%. Aim for the sky. That is what I am aiming for. We all know anything over 50% is really a good outcome, but I am still aiming for 100% and I am pretty confident, given what has already been submitted, that this is doable. Now of course I can only control the “Guaranteed Placements” to some degree. But even those must have some chance of actually selling.

Once I get through my picks and assuming there are any open slots left, I am going to reach out to a few friends to help me pick the remaining domains and check over the ones I have picked.

Credibility is built and I am going to be as transparent as I can in this process as I was last year. We are not an auction company. We are not brokers. We are not registrars. We simply put a special auction together once a year and twice next year because we have an audience that enjoys it as part of the show. It is part business, part social and part entertainment. That equals a good time because of our very qualified audience. Because our audience buys for the long haul. Because FUN for US is getting a GREAT domain at a GREAT price!

The reason there are so many good domains out there other than the economy is many of us have culled through our lists over the past year and some just don’t fit in our future plans. Some very nice ONE WORD and MEANINGFUL domains that may be oddballs or in an area we just don't focus on. That is what we are getting. ALL will sell. No question. Some have reserves. But the prices are inline and these guys are smart enough to pay attention to what actually makes an auction. A majority of the bidders coming in the room will want to bid on these domains and THAT is what makes an auction.

I am taking 100% responsibility for this auction. It’s all on me. I have stated my goals. A bit lofty of course. But the two things folks seem to look at is percentage of domains that sell and the total volume of those sales. Because of the economy, volume may not be as high as we would like. That means we MUST hit it out of the park when it comes to the percentage sold. That directly correlates with how exciting it is and having a fun time.

More importantly it will be a real barometer on the industry because there will be premium names and there will be bargains. LOTS of bargains. Those with cash are going to be buying. When I list my first few domains you will see what I expect and what you can expect as well.

I am also considering one more option. I have several domains that have been submitted that are GREAT! However they are not cheap or I am just not sure if they will bring the reserves. They may or may not make the final cut in the live auction. So for those domains, we are offering to list them on the TargetedTraffic.com website and give them some exposure prior to the auction with the understanding it may not make the final cut but we will do what we can to either sell or gather the interest to make it to the auction. I won’t be listing 100’s of domains. So far there are about 5 domains that I would classify in this group.

So that is where it stands after our first 48 hours. Last year was not easy to get good domains at prices that would sell. This year that is not the problem. I am aiming for 100%. I am sure some will put me down if we end up at 75%-80% and even for aiming so high to begin with. So even more motive for me to nail that 100%. And it won't be 100% with $100 names. Not even $1000 names. Most names will fall in the $5000-$10,000-$25,000 category. A PREMIUM auction that actually has PREMIUM domains and does not look like a drop list or a list with end user prices!

If you have not heard from me yet, don't fret. I will be contacting those today or tomorrow that I think have a real shot at selling. If I don't contact you, I appreciate your submission and in most cases it will be because it just won't do what we need. The Industry needs a winner in October and that is EXACTLY what we will do! If you submitted a true premium and not selected, it will be a reserve pricing issue and don't hesitate to rethink and lower the reserve. It is not my job to tell you to sell something for less. It is my job to set the criteria and hope you can assist me in my goal of 100% sales.

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

PS: Submissions will remain open until the slots are filled and you will be able to see how we are doing on our website starting tomorrow when the site offically opens with a new updated feel and easier way to navigate our pages.

Morning Folks!!

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz

UPDATE:

Evening Folks!!

Sales and Auctions are about current conditions of the market. Last year it was difficult to get good names at attractive prices even starting as early as we did. This year it is exactly the opposite. Even though we have not opened submissions and have not even considered the ones we have gotten, I can tell you that folks want to sell and have been sending in domains for months. Quality domains at attractive prices is the way to get an exciting auction. Unfortunately none of those counted because we have not opened the auction process until TODAY!

The domains chosen will either be on the 'Guaranteed Placement Program' as described below or picked by us based on most saleable and most reasonable. I will tell you right now, that unless it is a truly PREMIUM domain, don't submit a domain with a high reserve in 2012. The competition for the slots will eliminate you from the get go. Even 'Guaranteed Placements' have to have reserves in line with current market conditions.

If you don't need to sell, the auction format we have is NOT designed for you. This is basically a WHOLESALE auction, not RETAIL, as the bidders are primarily other domain investors. The market is soft and to be honest, it may be in your best interest to wait for the next pop. Nobody is forcing you to try and sell when things are not that good. However if you are really aggressive and want to turn some of your gems into cash, then that can happen because we have a focused and qualified audience and this is going to be an exciting auction.

My goal is to have a down and dirty auction that moves faster than most can keep up with. If there is no opening bid in the first 10 seconds. GAME OVER! NEXT Domain!

We always go back over the list of domains at the end of the auction if somebody reconsiders and wants to bid. But no more BORING auctions and the way to fix the boredom is to move this puppy at warp speed.

We run a clean auction that you can have confidence in and we proved that last year. The rest is up to the audience, the market and the wallets. What we offer is the single most qualified audience in the business and an open and transparent auction that domainer or auction house alike can participate in.

Your job as a seller is to have a better domain and a better price than the next guy. An auction is about multiple interested parties. The only way that happens is when several folks walk in the room all targeting the same domain name. The bids give the value and when you see who is bidding that allows others to bid with more confidence. That is the psyche behind any auction.

As for bidding, it is either live in person or live over the phone or pre-bids or prearranged text. So we have multiple options for serious bidders. Complain away. But it works and this is the way we do it. Everyone knows in advance and every bid has a person there or on the phone for all to know. Everyone has to be pre-registered to bid regardless so it's a much smaller issue than some like to make of it.

Until we can be assured that an online auction will run without flaws and 350 people in the room won't have to wait and have things slowed down, this is the way we will handle it and nobody is forcing anyone to participate if they don't want to.

You can send your entires to me starting TODAY. Do not send domains that you are advertising all over the place or you are not ready to commit to the auction. Not interested. Don't send me a list of 1000 names. I won't even look. Howard will be in touch and send you a contract once we decide.

Because of the amount of submissions, you will only hear from us if we are considering placement to sign a contact. Reserves MUST be included. Domains will be judged against other submitted domains for quality and price. We reserve the right to reject a 'Guaranteed Placement' on any domain name. If so any up-front money will be refunded.

Please don't get mad at me if your domain is not selected. With a limited amount of slots and unlimited supply, my job is to be very choosey. It may have nothing to do with the quality of your domain, it has to do with how that domain stacks up next to the others. Auctions today are 24 x7 and countless amount going on at once. The ONLY thing that will make this auction a success is the domain names available.

Most won't follow these rules so let me be very clear from the get go, unless the domain actually has a 'No Reserve' price, domains with no prices, no reserve prices = no consideration and I don't do valuations. I will just tell you if a domain is too high for the market and/or the auction. But I don't do valuations and anyone submitting a domain with an apprasial won't even be considered. I am going to talk about appraisals at TRAFFIC and who they are designed to HELP and who they are designed to HURT.

If you want to see good domains with lively action than you need to set some standards and rules. Nobody is forced to participate. Last year we gained back the confidence of running a CLEAN auction. This year we will reap the rewards of patiently planting the seeds and building on what needed to be done.

An auction is about bargains THIS YEAR and in THIS market. Send your BARGAINS Here. We invite brokers, auction houses and domainers to submit domains or even reserve a block of spots.

We charge 15% to auction a domain name. Those that want to help with their own sale and marketing, and want a guaranteed placement in the auction, can pay a fee in advance and get a reduced commission rate if the domain sells. They can play an active role by using their own data to make contact with previous interested parties and end users to announce the place and time. of the auction and create a contest.

Commission rates as low as 6% on the sliding scale below. If it is hard to read on your device, Email me and I will send you an excel file. This allows any domainer to take control.

*Auction houses and brokers can participate on an accepted domain name with a negotiated commission split. Can also negotiate a block of slots. However, individual domainers are given priority.

Morning Folks!!

There is a reason there has been a rash of 'Reverse Domain Name Hijacking' decisions in our favor lately. Since there is no 'Criminal Penalty' YET, we have to institute a 'Social Penalty' by circulating their actions to folks that would think it not socially acceptable to be a thief. Eventually there WILL be a criminal penalty and we are going to accelerate that eventuality. NOBODY likes a THIEF! The way to stop a THIEF is to identify them FIRST and EXPOSE them FIRST.

I have reason to believe that there are a number of folks that have targeted a number of my .com domain names by building on other extensions and then thinking that their success would have an impact on gaining the .com. The same flawed thinking that got my buddy found GUILTY of being a 'Reverse Domain Name Hijacker' and I will use at every opportunity to show what I will do with the next guy. It's a promise.

Now let me discuss the 'Premeditation' these others have been using and has gone on for YEARS. Yes years and the dates of course prove it. In each and every case they made the fatal mistake of building their success on a NON .com and are now paying the price. Or they found a .com with words in front of it and trying the same method. They believe their success gives them more leverage to STEAL your/my domain name. They believe their belated trademarks give them some sort of special rights when in FACT it just PROVES the premeditation of their hijacking attempt. Proves Bad Faith.

I may even begin to list those GENERIC domains I own here as a way of letting these PRICKS know what they are in for. A preemptive shot.

So this is a public warning to those would-be hijackers. Anyone going down this road with ME, will regret that decision for the rest of their lives. PERIOD! I will use the FACTS to make sure their deeds follow them for the rest of their lives. PERIOD! I will do everything legally to disrupt their business if they try and disrupt mine and in EVERY case, they have much more to lose.

It's definitely not a threat. It is just a warning that should have already been heeded by others after the SaveMe.com decision. Poke this lion again and see what I learned from the last episode. Let's just say it is the difference between peeing on an electric fence and peeing on a bolt of lightning! Neither are pleasant, but even a total idiot knows one is worse.

SaveMe.com case was a gift. A gift that allowed me to demonstrate what could and would happen. A gift that will protect you and me from these potential predators in the future by making them aware of the 'Social Penalty' that they WILL pay until a criminal penalty is in place. I am gathering together a list of EVERY case of 'Reverse Domain Name Hijacking' and I am going to start to circulate that list the best I can and there will be fallout. NMPD. (NOT MY PROBLEM DUDE)

Many would think I would be satisfied with a big win. I just see it as the FIRST in a series of stepping stones that will lead to an understanding of what 'Reverse Domain Name Hijacking' is and an eventual Criminal Penalty. A felony. Grand Theft!

I have actually been advised by multiple attorneys going back YEARS saying that I have a basis to preemptively file suit against these companies because I can show their infringement when they knowingly registered the .whatever to impede on my .com with rights they never had. I am a live and let live type of guy. But if that is what it takes to keep a predator away, then that is what I am PREPARING to do! They can go after my domain, but in return I am going for their entire business and their futures just for starters.

.Com domains are a TARGET because when somebody builds their empire on the wrong extension, they eventually regret it and get mad and when they get mad they lash out at the .com owner. Why? Because .com extension has GREAT VALUE to them and they made a POOR business decision and they REFUSE to take RESPONSIBILITY for that POOR decision. Well when they make the second bad decision by trying to HIJACK property that does not belong to them, that will be a decision they can never fix and that gives ME control of their 'Good' name.

I can't help the FACT that I look at a 'Reverse Domain Name Hijacker' in the same way I look at a child molester. It may not be what most would agree with, but it does not change how I see things. That's what brings out the passion in me to stop this practice because it affects folks that can not defend themselves, that can not go after them for 'Reverse Domain Name Hijacking' and have to lay down and let folks STEAL their assets. Their family business. Their livelihood. That's BULLSHIT!

The only way to protect our assets is shining a spotlight on these people, cockroaches and companies and let their own customers decide their fate. Their own business associates. Their own friends and family. They are some of the most despicable people on earth!

Here are a few since my last post LISTING THESE

2 Decisions here of REVERSE DOMAIN NAME HIJACKING:

Mindo.com and Sha.com

http://www.thedomains.com/2012/08/03/2-udrp-panels-finds-reverse-domain-name-hijacking-today-on-mindo-com-sha-com/

Here is another case. All these just within the last 30 days:

etatil.com

http://www.thedomains.com/2012/07/17/1st-udrp-finding-of-reverse-domain-name-hijacking-for-turkey-the-case-of-tatil-com-vs-etatil-com/

And here is the decision and a host of other folks found GUILTY of 'Reverse Domain Name Hijacking'

http://www.ricksblog.com/2012/06/márcio-mello-chaves-labled-a-reverse-domain-hijacker-in-savemecom-case-.html

None of these cases are black and white when compared to the SaveMe.com hijacking and they still came away with a RDNH decision.

In my next post I will tell you how I really feel. :-)

Don't miss the presentation at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. when the 2012-2013 'Poster Boy' for 'Reverse Domain Name Hijacking' is unvelied at 9:30 AM at the Ritz Carlton.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!

Morning Folks!!

'Mediocre' would be the word I would describe myself for the first 50% of my life. I never gave 100% of myself on about anything I was ever graded on.

Somewhere along the way that changed. I learned how to strive for excellence in everything I do. No matter how big and no matter how small. Actually the smaller stuff is just as important. Maybe more important. A grain of sand can bring the biggest machine to a grinding halt.

But I was not taught excellence in any school I attended. I was taught excellence by the Olympics. I realized the difference between winner and loser. Between champion and 2nd place. I realized that while much of the Olympics is physical, more of it is mental. I also realized that the last guy in an Olympic race is still a champion. Still has the mind of a champion and will react like a champion.

I then followed a number of Olympians throughout their lives and saw how almost all were successes in everything they did and it all came down to one word. 'Discipline'. That's the common thread. The pursuit of excellence only goes through the intersection of 'Discipline'. Training your mind not to fall victim to human nature.

Olympians are disciplined. They win in their mind and their body follows along. It is seldom the other way. Giving 100% even in a loss is more gratifying than being mediocre. 'The thrill of Victory. The agony of Defeat.' Such a powerful set of words that describes so well what it is all about.

I never feel guilty when I fail. I only feel guilty when I fail because I did not give 100%. Or I failed and did not learn something along the way. Or I failed for doing something stupid.

The only thing that makes you a loser in the Olympics is bad 'Sportsmanship'. Same in life. No excuses for that one. Badminton anyone?

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

PS: The one person I thought had the most raw talent at the start of these games and had a chance to make it big, won gold last night. Way to go Gabby!

Morning Folks!!

This was posted on Facebook the other day and sometimes it just hits the nail on the head. I am sure we all have people like this in our lives. If not, draw your own conclusions. :-)

Askhole
- A person who constantly
asks for your advice,
yet always does the opposite
of what you told them

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

Next to the Bandit Berkens 'Goodwill Ambassador Award' that will be given for the first time, the Hall of Fame is our last category for nominations and one of our most prestigious awards. Each year two people are inducted. These are your nominees for 2012. Congratulations and Good Luck to all!! Well done!!

If you feel somebody deserving was left out of any category, make sure YOU nominate them in 2013 and make sure you read THIS POST!

If you want to VOTE, you MUST be on our mailing list. Send a note to trafficawards at earthlink.net. You MUST include your full name and company. Voting instructions will be mailed out later this month.

The following have already been inducted to the DOMAIN HALL OF FAME: MONTE CAHN, RON JACKSON, RICK SCHWARTZ, MIKE BERKENS, RICK LATONA, DAVID CASTELLO, MICHAEL CASTELLO, FRANK SCHILLING, YUN YE, SCOTT DAY, SAHAR SARID, HOWARD NEU, ADAM DICKER

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

Good luck narrowing down to one on this list! I am happy to post this year's nominees for DOMAINER OF THE YEAR!!! I know most of you all personally and you should all be very proud of being nominated by your peers. You are all winners and I think the list basically speaks for itself. The award will be presented on October 9th in Fort Lauderdale at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Congratulations and GOOD LUCK!!!

Past Winners Include: Richard Lau 2004, Frank Schilling 2005, Rick Schwartz 2006, Kevin Ham2007, Rick Latona2008, Mike Berkens 2009, Gregg McNair 2010, Frank Schilling 2011.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz