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

Morning Folks!!

The #1 problem people in business have is they would rather do it FAST than do it RIGHT. I have been in board meetings for some 40 years. I can tell you that almost each and every meeting had 3 flaws. The first flaw was they worked too fast and the 2nd was indecison and the 3rd was wrong decisions.

I say here is the roadmap to 'Work Smarter.'

I have said for many years that if you leave New York and you set sail to London and end up in Africa, your mistake was NOT when you landed in Africa. It was BEFORE you set sail from New York in most cases. Failure happens EARLY on.

So few seem to be able to get their heads around something as simple as that. Failure comes before you start in MOST cases. Poor planning, wrong direction, working fast. Not understanding the results of each step and why there was a result.

Decisions come with time. Not too much time, but time. Quick decisions without thinking of EVERY possible ramification is a failure in the making. A perfect recipe for failure. The FIRST thing you need to do in success is get the recipe right. Do things the right way. Failing to do that results in failure. You must exhaust all avenues.

People often want quick decisions from me. I slow that train right down. I like to sleep on things. I may need a few days and maybe not. But each decision should be made when needed and not before unless you are 100% comfortable with it. When folks rush me, I just decline whatever it was. Life is not like buying a car with a salesman pressuring you. You get to take a deep breath and KNOW that YOU are in charge, not them.

I have been involved in a number of businesses. Businesses grown from an idea. I can tell you that nothing happens overnight. It is a long marathon. As I say in the title, it takes 18-36 months to make a solid business and grow it and get it on a solid foundation. But folks are always in a rush and their time line is so much shorter than reality dictates and that leads to many disappointments. They outsmart themselves by taking shortcuts and skipping steps. It's the bullet train to failure. But the same people always say the same thing....'I will do it right NEXT TIME,' when they still have the POWER to do it right THIS TIME.

As I explain here you don't use a CLOCK in business. You don't measure by time. You measure by milestones.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Afternoon Folks!!

So I am watching the evening news last night and they interview Annie Leibovitz the famous photographer and when asked what camera folks should buy, I was surprised she said the iPhone. She loves her iPhone and I am still amazed how many have yet to make the leap. Here is a phenomenal photographer suggesting the camera she loves is the one so many of us love as well. She said something like I always have it, I have my wallet pictures very handy and just love it.

My wish is for all you poor lost souls that have not experienced using an iPhone nearly 5 YEARS since it was introduced need to get one for the holidays. It's time. You can thank me later. :-)

Here is the segment

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

Howard and Barbara have been in Las Vegas for the last 2 weeks scouting for venues and dates for a return in either 2012 or 2013 or both. No decisions have been made. There are solid reasons to go to Las Vegas and also solid reasons to wait. With your help we will weigh both sides and come to a good decision.

So what say you? Can't do it without you, so it really becomes up to you. 2012 may be too soon and 2013 may be a smarter choice.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

What happened with O.com is very significant. I mean O.co. Now that we have new facts I have stated the obvious in my last 2 posts. Here and here. But there is more to it than just is seen with the eye. There are huge ramifications and how it plays out is anybodies guess.

The equation has changed in that we have some clarity. We have seen that even with a multi-million dollar campaign, spitting in the wind is not going to work unless you really have something they really need and want and then take the time and energy to learn something new.

Human nature is a very difficult thing to change. This is a big day because new information that is broadly disseminated is what this is all about to begin with.

The birdie in the mine died. We proclaimed what it would mean if this was to happen and it has happened. They can try and put a happy face on this, but that dog won't hunt. I am writing a lot about this because how important it is. How the result is likely to change thinking. How reinventing the wheel may not be the smartest thing. There is a lot of things to discuss and digest. Much of it was done last January. But now that we have facts and reality to base things on instead of gut, everything changes.

This is a seismic shift. Does it mean .co has no value? No. But it does mean it now has less value. The days and weeks ahead will determine if the INVESTOR market in .co remains viable. The registry will still sell .co, but as investors, investors in domain names, this party is likely over. It was very weak to begin with judging by all the drops. But this is a bell weather of what might be coming. .Whatever did not have a good day. However, dotcom had a GREAT day!

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

As was reported yesterday, the grand experiment of O.co has crashed and burned to put it bluntly. After a huge advertisng budget they found out the hard way that overpowering .com is going to be no easy task.

I think this just verify's what I saw and said back in January. 'A failure here and you can expect the value of .com to rise once again along with skepticism with any and all other new extensions.'

This was a very costly experiment and it obviously did not go well. The only ones surprised are the folks at Overstock.com. The canary DIED!

A crash this early is pretty spectacular. It is not good news for the .co registry and may be a turning point. Between this and the numerous decsions going against the .co owners, it may be safe to say that their best days are behind them and .co for domain speculators may be over. This is VERY bad news for .co domains and the viability without owning the .com counterpart. It also means that .whatever MUST have the .com version if they want to brand ANY other extension.

A big day for .com and a possible funeral for .co.

.Com is now the undisputed champion of the world and now there is PROOF beyond doubt. RIP .Whatever before you are even BORN! The value of .com went up EXPONENTIALLY today. Dot com REMAINS King and 1000 challengers will all need the same thing. The .com counterpart or BUST!

There are new FACTS in town and these facts stand while speculation collapses. What you thought you knew now has to be re-evaluated because of what they said:

'Mr. Johnson said customers responded well to the O.co advertising, but after watching the spots, 'a good portion' of those who sought out the website went to O.com, instead of O.co.'

FACT! Right from the horses mouth. Only idiots ignore FACTS once they are no longer ignorant of them. New facts, new outcome and new results.

Rick Schwartz

Evening Folks!!

Less than a year ago I said this about Overstock.com and O.com and the confusion that would happen.

'O.com I mean O.co or Overstock.com has done one thing so far, caused confusion and they are likely pissing away a lot of money by not owning O.com which of course is associated with Oprah not Overstock. And right now neither of them has it. It does not resolve.

My point is this is a test. This is a canary in the mines. I don’t know which way it will go. But I do have a hunch it will be more difficult than they expect with a lot of blow back. So far, the winner on this one is the ad exec putting this grand experiment together. There will be a lot to learn here. Some you may want to copy and some you may want to avoid.

Is confusing your customer a good thing? I guess we will find out. The unknown is how many folks will go to O.com to find nothing and then just say what a bunch of idiots never to return. A real risk.'

http://www.ricksblog.com/2011/01/my-take-on-ocomi-mean-oco-and-other-new-extensions-and-their-fate.html

Today they said: 'Confused? So were customers. Mr. Johnson said customers responded well to the O.co advertising, but after watching the spots, 'a good portion' of those who sought out the website went to O.com, instead of O.co.

Is there an ECHO here??

http://adage.com/article/news/o-overstock-backs-o-change/230983/

Rick Schwartz

Morning Folks!!

This is simply one of the most valuable posts I have EVER made. Today you can plant the seeds of success in a purposeful way. Whatever did not work for you yesterday is now behind you. If you read this, if you study and understand what I am saying, you will turn frustration into success. With this single post and the links I have to some of my key posts over the years, you can be a top tier domainer.....TODAY.

When Berkens and I get together sometimes we talk about how many people keep telling us how wrong we are. How we do this wrong and that wrong. I mean too funny. We compare notes and stories. Like I said, too funny.

A few weeks ago there was a specific comment about one of the domain names in our auction having no value. Well in fact it did sell and it does have value. But the guy pointing to that particular domain never did an ounce of legwork to find out. The domain was ThermalScanners.com. I thought it was a good domain name. Berkens picked it up for $2K. So there is an example.

Go Google Thermal Scanners. They are medical devices and scanners and some can run into 6 figures. But of course this domain has no value according to this domainer. If that was Mike's first purchase, he would be LIGHT YEARS ahead of most. So the path is not difficult. What is difficult is the discipline to stay on the path despite all the naysayers on the sidelines. The discipline say no to a low ball offer. Buy diamonds or buy glass. It's the same effort and the price is not that different when you know what to look for. If you don't know what to look for, you have two choices. Learn or walk away. There are more ways to make millions in domain names than any other industry I have ever seen and it is open to all for a very low entry fee. Below is just the most simplistic way. It gets you there each and every time. It just takes time and discipline and keeping your eyes open for all types of opportunity without losing your direction and being distracted.

1. Don’t quit your day job. You will need to finance your first few domains


2. Read #1 again and again and again. Don't quit your day job until it interferes with your earning capability.


3. Learn here and Learn here what makes a domain valuable and why somebody else would want it. If nobody can ever think of it, probably not going to be very valuable.


4. Buy a domain for $1000 or buy several if you can.


5. Sell that domain for $10,000. How do you do that? Read #3 and Here and Here. (Give yourself 6months to a year)


6. Take that $10,000 and either buy (10) $1000 domains or (2) $5000 names or (1) $10,000 name.


7. Take that domain or those domains and turn the $10,000 into $100,000.


8. Take $10,000 and go pay something off.


9. Take the $90K and repeat #6.


10. Have the patience to realize that this may be up to a 3 year journey. But when you get to #9 and do what you did in #6, you will be more adapt at it and you will turn your domains quicker.


11. With $900k in your pocket you can repeat #6, quit your day job and in 3 years you can be a millionaire. Maybe less if you are really good at #3.


12. Are you asking yourself the right questions? Here are my top 20.

That’s the simple, no brainer, anyone can do it, road map. Now all the clowns come out and tell everyone why that does not work. BULLSHIT! It will work, it does work and it will work everytime if you get #3 right and understand how you really need a rifle today, not a shotgun. It takes patience and 3 years. Less if you figure it out. If you still don't think you can do it or you think it is too late, then READ THIS!

This single post and the links I have will turn you into a first class domainer. Many if not most will just discount and reject it out of hand. What else is new? But this is simply one of the most valuable posts I have EVER made.

Good Luck!

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

Evening Folks!!

We have turned from a TIME BASED society to a PRODUCTION BASED society. But few know or even see that. So let me point it out. I did not know it until today myself so no worries.

But think about it, in the past you were paid to sit at a desk or an assembly line for 8 hours and just do your job and not slow things down. That formula does not exactly bring out the best in us. You become a government worker. Doing just enough but never too much. I don’t blame them, it is the framework that was built 100 or 200 years ago that no longer works and is not that effective.

Today many jobs are production based. In sales it is all production based. You don’t sell, you don't produce anything, you earn nothing. So you learn how to sell or get a job like I described. Now many jobs are production jobs. You get paid on your output. Whatever it is we measure like that and then that allows folks to work at home when they want to work and when it fits in. It's flexible and that flexibility makes folks work smarter and harder and become more productive.

In a very short amount of time, most people learn to be much more productive at home or in their private office as opposed to the 9-5 company framework. Business and the world need to sync up.

Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz