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I'm James Iles: Q&A (Interactive Interview Session)

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Hey NamePros! I'm James Iles, I'm the lead writer for the NamePros Blog, where I've written about 630 articles since May 2015. I also buy and sell a few domain names and I operate as a broker, working with select startups and established companies regarding domain name strategy.

Away from domains, I have also worked as a photo retoucher (of course, I own PhotoRetoucher.com!) for an established portrait photographer. In my spare time, I'm an amateur runner, doing two 24-hour events this year.

Ask me anything! Post any questions here and I'll do my best to answer them :)
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
Why do you think this industry is so toxic? Not necessarily the public figures (writers like Rick Schwartz, Andrew, etc) , but people "in the comments" always want to throw shade. Do you think this is just a part of the anonymity of the internet, or is there something off with so-called domainers (the unsuccessful ones)?
 
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Why do you think this industry is so toxic? Not necessarily the public figures (writers like Rick Schwartz, Andrew, etc) , but people "in the comments" always want to throw shade. Do you think this is just a part of the anonymity of the internet, or is there something off with so-called domainers (the unsuccessful ones)?

Interesting question! I don't think that the industry as a whole is toxic at all. I think there are thousands of industry participants from all walks of life that have differing views, and forum discussions and comment sections are places where these differing opinions are typically aired.

This may have a correlation with Internet anonymity as a whole, I'm not sure. Personally, I aim to be transparent and accountable online - with my full name being used on NamePros, in comments, and on social media.

I went to NamesCon 2019 (my first NamesCon event), and the atmosphere was extremely positive and thoroughly enjoyable. All domainers I encountered were very welcoming.
 
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What were the biggest sales that you brokered.
Thanks
 
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What were the biggest sales that you brokered.
Thankd

Whilst I'm not at liberty to give the exact sales price, the biggest name that I've brokered alone, which happens to also be one of my favorites is Band(.)com, which was a 6 figure sale a couple of years ago.
 
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Interesting question! I don't think that the industry as a whole is toxic at all. I think there are thousands of industry participants from all walks of life that have differing views, and forum discussions and comment sections are places where these differing opinions are typically aired.

This may have a correlation with Internet anonymity as a whole, I'm not sure. Personally, I aim to be transparent and accountable online - with my full name being used on NamePros, in comments, and on social media.

I went to NamesCon 2019 (my first NamesCon event), and the atmosphere was extremely positive and thoroughly enjoyable. All domainers I encountered were very welcoming.

Thanks for the reply. I'm going to my first domain related event this year so looking forward to meeting folks that do this in real life!
 
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Thanks for the reply. I'm going to my first domain related event this year so looking forward to meeting folks that do this in real life!

Hope you enjoy it! One rookie mistake that I made at NamesCon 2019 was not bringing business cards! (Due to last-minute arrangements)
 
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Hi James,
First of all, thanks for contributing to the community.

Simple Question:
What are your favorite niches to invest in?
 
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Hi James,
First of all, thanks for contributing to the community.

Simple Question:
What are your favorite niches to invest in?

I love one-word .COM's, but there is so much competition in this niche at the moment. Two-word .COM's are attractive brands, I always have an interest in imperative or call to action two-worders (I owned & sold StayCool.com and GrabFood.com for example).

I'm currently exploring the possibilities of other TLDs such as .IO and .CO - one-word names in these TLDs seem to be popular with funded startups as lower price alternatives to .COM.

Whilst .COM will remain king, and I would always advocate brands buying the best .COM if they are able, TLDs like .IO look to be giving some great alternatives.
 
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Hi James...

Loved your articles...
Interviews and case studies...keep up the good work... learning a lot.

My question is how much do you value the various appraisal tools...do you check with them before buying or while trying to price your names ?!

What is your portfolio size?

What is your main registrar...and what landing page on your names?

Thanks,
Ravi
 
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My question is how much do you value the various appraisal tools...do you check with them before buying or while trying to price your names ?!

Thanks for your questions! Regarding appraisal tools, they have their value in bulk research, but I don't check them before buying any name or during pricing of any name I own. A gut feel and data from NameBio or DNPric.es are a better guide.

What is your portfolio size?

I have quite a small portfolio at the moment, below 50 names. At one point several years ago it was around 500. I sold off a lot of names last year.

What is your main registrar...and what landing page on your names?

I use Uniregistry or GoDaddy for my names, currently using Uniregistry's market landers - although I have used Efty in the past, and liked their solutions.
 
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Thanks @James Iles

That is very small portfolio...I think reduced to quality ones...

Few more questions...

Do you buy any ngTLDs?

If you can name one person where we can learn a lot from....who it would be ? I mean did anyone was your mentor in starting or you found very reliable...?

Can you name any valuable resource you use on daily basis...apart from well known resources like namebio...dnw...domainsherpa and dnjournal...

What is the highest amount you paid for any domain ? And what is the highest sale price you got till date...

Do you think age tag adds any value to domain name...if it is not any one word/keyword...

Thanks,
Ravi
 
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Enjoy your blog articles and these are well meant curiosity questions regarding your blog per se.

How long after you became involved with domain names did you begin to blog about domain names?

What inspired you to begin blogging?

What blog topic / subject brought you the most positive responses from your readership and likewise, which topic / subject brought you the most negative ( and surely undeserved ) responses from your readership?

And, what is your personal, all time favorite blog article you've penned?

Thanks for all you provide to NamePros!
 
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Do you buy any ngTLDs?
No, I don't invest in the new gTLD's. Although I did broker the sale of a .APP name last week.


Can you name any valuable resource you use on daily basis...apart from well known resources like namebio...dnw...domainsherpa and dnjournal...
DomainIQ. I use it every single day without fail.

What is the highest amount you paid for any domain ? And what is the highest sale price you got till date...
The highest amount I've paid for a domain is $13,000. Unfortunately I can't give the details of my personal highest sale due to a specific agreement with the buyer & broker. Otherwise I'd love to disclose it.

Do you think age tag adds any value to domain name...if it is not any one word/keyword...
I don't believe age matters with regards to a domain's value, even a one-word/keyword.
 
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How long after you became involved with domain names did you begin to blog about domain names?
Great questions! I started blogging for NamePros in May 2015 - I had been familiar with the domain industry, and dealt in a couple of names, but I really started seriously in about 2013, so a couple of years before blogging.


What inspired you to begin blogging?
I've always had a passion for writing, and I felt like I had something to give to the industry - since I'd learned quite a bit from the blogs, forums & industry leaders in the past.


What blog topic / subject brought you the most positive responses from your readership and likewise, which topic / subject brought you the most negative ( and surely undeserved ) responses from your readership?
Inside Interviews definitely get the most response. I know of several investors who reference these articles in their outbound sales & brokerage.

Generally, the comments are very positive or thought-provoking throughout my pieces so I don't really consider anything to be negative. I guess the closest to a negative reaction was probably this off the top of my head.

And, what is your personal, all time favorite blog article you've penned?

I liked confirming the Duck.com sale because it got picked up & referenced in outlets like TechCrunch and Gizmodo, but one of my favorites was interviewing Jason Calacanis (here) when he owned 20.com. It was great to get his insight into a few different subjects. We did a few pieces with Jason.
 
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Appreciate your prompt replies and your candor!

Thanks!
 
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What's your thoughts on ccTLD future?
 
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What's your thoughts on ccTLD future?

That's a difficult question. It depends entirely on the usage rate within each country. The .US extension, for example, is one I wouldn't place much value on - and I can see its popularity decreasing in the future.

ccTLDs such as .CO.UK on the other hand are thriving and are widely used in the UK by local and national brands, giving great awareness of the extension. However, .UK's general release is coming and I believe there may be some headaches for brand owners when that time comes.

From an investment point of view, I don't know local markets well enough to gauge investor and end user popularity
 
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Where is the industry headed in the next 2-4 years ?
 
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Where is the industry headed in the next 2-4 years ?

I believe there’s going to be continued disparity between high end and lower end names - the top 1% will continue to rise, but lower end names will struggle, I believe.

I think we’ll see more rental (rather than lease-to-own) deals occurring too, as investors look to hold on to their names whilst monetising them with end users.
 
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What's your favorite domain which you don't own and why?
 
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I believe there’s going to be continued disparity between high end and lower end names - the top 1% will continue to rise, but lower end names will struggle, I believe.

I think we’ll see more rental (rather than lease-to-own) deals occurring too, as investors look to hold on to their names whilst monetising them with end users.
I was thinking the samething other day!

Classic 1% & 99% divide.
 
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Hi James and thanks for the opportunity.

As a blogger and writing person, what do you think should be the best subject line when we promote domains via email to a potential buyers?

Please give an example

Thanks
 
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Nice to see you. How i can sale my domain name in just 2 weeks? Recommend me any strategy or important points to consider.
 
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This thread is a great idea James! I love your well-researched and written articles for NPs, James. It was an honour to meet you in person at NamesCon!

My question for you is the following. How do you see domaining in 5 years from now? What changes do you see on the near horizon, and do you feel overall the environment will be better or worse. I realize it is a big question, so feel free to answer any aspect you want.

Thanks again for your incredible contributions to the NPs community.

Bob
 
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