IT.COM

strategy Retargeting of visitors of domains for sale/lease

Spaceship Spaceship
Watch

What do you think about retargeting to sell domains?

  • This poll is still running and the standings may change.
  • This poll is still running and the standings may change.

Rob Monster

Founder of EpikTop Member
Epik Founder
Impact
18,389
I was speaking with @DomainGraduate over the weekend and this morning about the topic of retargeting. We have people coming to our SSL landers and that network is going to get pretty big in relatively short order. To maximize sales conversions for sellers, we also want to be able to remind prospective buyers that a domain they checked out recently is still for sale.

In researching retargeting, the options within Google, their solutions seems pretty locked down on the creatives. However, within Facebook I routinely see exact items I checked on Amazon being once again served up for consideration. So, clearly it is possible to do specific re-targeting. If there are some experts out there that can shed some light on this topic, please share or PM me for a contract project to help us figure this out!

The alternative would be to create a smart advertising network and get direct publishing partners to deploy our Smart Ads and pay them enough for ad performance to keep them engaged long enough for an independent ad network to gain critical mass. That particular scenario is more than I want to take on right now but it was the reason for securing the domain name "TargetedNetworks.com" a while back.
 
15
•••
The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
Wow .. at first I thought you were just talking about sending sales reminders to those who already filled out a form when submitting inquiries on domains for sale. Which isn't anything new (although not being done or done well everywhere .. lol)

But what you're talking about is soooo much bigger. I'm no super expert on online advertising, but yes, that should indeed have a huge impact for people to see the specific domains they already checked out (without even filling out a form). Really very smart idea if it can be done! :)

Note that I voted: "Definitely will be helpful for increasing conversions"
But it's really: "Definitely will be VERY helpful for increasing conversions"
 
Last edited:
5
•••
Wow .. at first I thought you were just talking about sending sales reminders to those who already filled out a form when submitting inquiries on domains for sale. Which isn't anything new (although not being done or done well everywhere .. lol)

But what you're talking about is soooo much bigger. I'm no super expert on online advertising, but yes, that should indeed have a huge impact for people to see the specific domains they already checked out (without even filling out a form). Really very smart idea if it can be done! :)

Note that I voted: "Definitely will be helpful for increasing conversions"
But it's really: "Definitely will be VERY helpful for increasing conversions"

Thanks.

I believe there are some people already doing something similar using Google retargeting but this does not scale because you need to set up a dedicated creative for each domain. No way to do that as we are talking hundreds of thousands of pieces of unique inventory, and soon millions.

So, we are looking to do this more like the way Amazon and Home Depot it where they can feature a single SKU in a transactional widget where you can add it to to your cart or at least land directly on that inventory that you previously considered but did not buy yet.

I know it can be done.
 
7
•••
Yes, you can retarget people who visited your website on Facebook, all you need to do is to create a Facebook pixel by inserting a code Facebook provides you with, and choosing an event you want to track ( I.e.: Landing page views, Purchase, Add to cart etc... )

Now you want to show the ad to people who visited the domain, so you'll need to create a custom audience on Facebook.
upload_2019-10-14_21-26-17.png


Choose website traffic:
upload_2019-10-14_21-26-58.png


If you already created a Pixel, all you will need to do is adjusting the time frame and creating a name for the audience. and then you can create an ad targeted to those people.

I would've explained it much better if you knew Hebrew, as I'm not a fluent English speaker so it's kinda hard for me to properly explain how to do this.

Example of something I'm doing A LOT. I'm targeting people that added to cart a specific product and inviting them to order it now because there's a 20% discount, I have great ROAS. so it works, but I don't know how it'll do with domains.

You can also retarget people who visited your website but didn't initiate a checkout. there are so many things you can do with custom audience.
 
Last edited:
11
•••
“It won't help plus it is super-duper creepy!”

Nothing epik does is “super creepy”, no one has the customers’ best interest at heart; more than epik.

I will support
 
Last edited:
2
•••
Yes, you can retarget people who visited your website on Facebook, all you need to do is to create a Facebook pixel by inserting a code Facebook provides you with, and choosing an event you want to track ( I.e.: Landing page views, Purchase, Add to cart etc... )

Now you want to show the ad to people who visited the domain, so you'll need to create a custom audience on Facebook.
Show attachment 131731

Choose website traffic:
Show attachment 131732

If you already created a Pixel, all you will need to do is adjusting the time frame and creating a name for the audience. and then you can create an ad targeted to those people.

I would've explained it much better if you knew Hebrew, as I'm not a fluent English speaker so it's kinda hard for me to properly explain how to do this.

Example of something I'm doing A LOT. I'm targeting people that added to cart a specific product and inviting them to order it now because there's a 20% discount, I have great ROAS. so it works, but I don't know how it'll do with domains.

Exactly that but now we need to do it all programatically using API calls so that we don't have to navigate a slow UX to dynamically set and remove creatives for each visited inventory.

@vitigo
 
4
•••
@Riz M. Wrote about how he does it and I covered it on TheDomains

He explained that he uses retargeting ads on his landing pages to keep his names in front of potential prospects.

He wrote:

As i always mention and many domainers disagree but i would stick with method of retargetting whoever comes to my any names my google analytics save that visitor in pixel and then follow them wherever they go… so technically when someone interested comes to your name and made u offer immediately after seeing your counter offer they will left but then whereever they wll go like youtube yahoo or any news sites they will see my names banners everywhere so when buyer see that banners everywhere they think ad is running and following everywhere means name can be sold anytime and that create urgency in buyer behavior ..

https://www.thedomains.com/2019/06/17/npay-com-from-2k-acquisition-to-25k-sale-in-40-days/
 
11
•••
@Riz M. Wrote about how he does it and I covered it on TheDomains

He explained that he uses retargeting ads on his landing pages to keep his names in front of potential prospects.

He wrote:

As i always mention and many domainers disagree but i would stick with method of retargetting whoever comes to my any names my google analytics save that visitor in pixel and then follow them wherever they go… so technically when someone interested comes to your name and made u offer immediately after seeing your counter offer they will left but then whereever they wll go like youtube yahoo or any news sites they will see my names banners everywhere so when buyer see that banners everywhere they think ad is running and following everywhere means name can be sold anytime and that create urgency in buyer behavior ..

https://www.thedomains.com/2019/06/17/npay-com-from-2k-acquisition-to-25k-sale-in-40-days/

Solid gold -- thanks for connecting that do @equity78! Now looking for the engineering talent that can do this at scale via APIs or scripts. We'll plan to light this up and cover the advertising expense too.
 
9
•••
@Riz M. Wrote about how he does it and I covered it on TheDomains

He explained that he uses retargeting ads on his landing pages to keep his names in front of potential prospects.

He wrote:

As i always mention and many domainers disagree but i would stick with method of retargetting whoever comes to my any names my google analytics save that visitor in pixel and then follow them wherever they go… so technically when someone interested comes to your name and made u offer immediately after seeing your counter offer they will left but then whereever they wll go like youtube yahoo or any news sites they will see my names banners everywhere so when buyer see that banners everywhere they think ad is running and following everywhere means name can be sold anytime and that create urgency in buyer behavior ..

https://www.thedomains.com/2019/06/17/npay-com-from-2k-acquisition-to-25k-sale-in-40-days/
That's true, the question is whether or not it works. I mean, does it convert? I guess he can tell us, as he gets the info from Google/Facebook ( wherever he advertise )
 
4
•••
That's true, the question is whether or not it works. I mean, does it convert? I guess he can tell us, as he gets the info from Google/Facebook ( wherever he advertise )
Well... i am believer of marketing... i do paid ads in twitter , linkedin and adwords but not facebook.
even i cant scale if coustomer comes through my ads but i do it continue as i believe in any business shout out is a blood...
 
3
•••
I'm working on an API gateway platform and this is something I have on my todo list (generating pixels on the fly). Haven't dove deep into this yet but I'm willing to dive in with you.

I can see a few ways to engineer what you're looking for (possibly fully automated), feel free to ask/DM with specific questions if the following doesn't shed enough light.


Here's what I know:

  • You can use the same pixel anywhere and handle granularization yourself.
  • You can have users create and add pixels manually. As well as ingest their Ad Account ID to create pixel code.
  • You can share pixels with your own ad accounts and with other businesses.

Ref: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/audiences-api/pixel/


  • You can use the FB API to create ad accounts and assign credits for ad purchasing.
  • You can run ads on behalf of another.

Ref: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/business-manager-api/
 
7
•••
Retargeting might be a good idea, but you have to make sure it doesn't create any negative effects, I saw a program on TV once that people were saying that they felt kind of creepy when they saw ads following them around every where they went. (as far as privacy concerns). IMO
 
1
•••
Retargeting might be a good idea, but you have to make sure it doesn't create any negative effects, I saw a program on TV once that people were saying that they felt kind of creepy when they saw ads following them around every where they went. (as far as privacy concerns). IMO

No .. the creepy stuff is when you see ads for stuff you've been THINKING about but haven't actually actively searched online for! lol

I suppose there are really good fancy prediction algorithms out there and humans are not as unique and unpredictable as we'd like to think ... but .. it's still creepy.

Otherwise .. AS LONG AS PERSONAL INFORMATION ISN'T ATTACHED .. for the most part I don't mind being a number and having a minimum level of tracking. I mean I'd rather get ads for domain related products than feminine hygiene or children's clothing (I'm male and I don't have kids).

t's also worth looking at who the targeted end user is. While not all domain end users are automatically the most tech-savvy people, I'd think on average most would understand the technology and not get freaked out by seeing such targeted ads.

For sure some might not like it or find it annoying ... but the percentage who don't mind are very hot leads with a much more effective ad-spend than just random-person advertising.
 
Last edited:
5
•••
No ...

For sure some might not like it or find it annoying ...

You need to think a little more about the potential adverse effects of doing this before saying a definite No

Are they going to see Epik.com in those ads and how is that going to affect the Epik brand for people who are not comfortable with this.
 
0
•••
Retargeting might be a good idea, but you have to make sure it doesn't create any negative effects, I saw a program on TV once that people were saying that they felt kind of creepy when they saw ads following them around every where they went. (as far as privacy concerns). IMO
The main risk is that they then actively block your company.

I used to use all the FB API integrations but have stopped because many people don't want to sell themselves into just this kind of advertising that follows them around.

I also used FB advertising but have totally quit using it due to fake stats for campaign money. Instead I have over 500 FB groups with people and companies there who are interested in what I plan to deliver. That way I can advertise and make the advert a message that every member sees when they enter the group.

The downside on groups is that it takes about 1-2 years to reach the tipping point (over 2000 members) when the growth gets extremely high.

We also made competing groups which we advertise as well. I have about 80-100k people I can advertise to within an hour or two. These are real people and businesses.
 
1
•••
No .. the creepy stuff is when you see ads for stuff you've been THINKING about but haven't actually actively searched online for! lol

I guess creepy is an ok way to refer to it.

What irritates me are the STUPID ads. I buy a product from a company and then get bombarded by adverts for that exact product on every other site I visit.
 
2
•••
I wanted to vote:

Will help conversions and also lead to alienating many customers. Customer Aquisition just tried to murder Customer Retention.
 
3
•••
the creepy stuff is when you see ads for stuff you've been THINKING about but haven't actually actively searched online for! lol

This not just the stuff of science fiction anymore, That's why I registered the following domain names:

RightOfThought.com
ThoughtPrivacy.com
ThoughtPiracy.com
 
Last edited:
1
•••
I wanted to vote:

Will help conversions and also lead to alienating many customers. Customer Aquisition just tried to murder Customer Retention.

Is this what they call; “Catch 22” Conundrum?

This is one of the many indefinite choices Rob faces everyday, as the CEO of company, why I respect him time, post,even if it involves, his epik future projects!

I voted: “Might be helpful for conversions” because sounds as close to “cautiously optimistic” as it gets.!

The topic feel controversial due to privacy concerns?Epik is #1 registrar, protects privacy, almost to fault!
Nobody values their clients’ identity, privacy more!
 
Last edited:
2
•••
You need to think a little more about the potential adverse effects of doing this before saying a definite No
Are they going to see Epik.com in those ads and how is that going to affect the Epik brand for people who are not comfortable with this.

No! (Again .. lol) .. You simply need to not take my first "No" out of context.

My initial "No" was for the joking around first part of my post talking about thought-scanned advertising.

If you had read the rest of my (relatively short .. for me .. lol) post, you'd have read the less "definite":
For sure some might not like it or find it annoying ... but the percentage who don't mind are very hot leads with a much more effective ad-spend than just random-person advertising.

In the end if the person didn't initiate contact or make an offer the first time AND then is upset about seeing it in an ad .. then they are likely a cold lead anyways ... whereas the people who do click the re-targeted ad are super hot leads. It's just a question of business math .. it won't convert every lead .. and it will make some people never return .. but the likely benefits far outweigh the negatives.

More importantly, the "people looking to buy an aftermarket domain" on average are not the type of people to be too upset about this .. and those who are likely have ad-blocking or some sort of anonymity based browsing which makes them a non-issue either way.

This not just the stuff of science fiction anymore, That's why I registered the following domain names:
RightOfThought.com ThoughtPrivacy.com ThoughtPiracy.com

The thought police are coming! lol .. Seriously .. I love the irony of Apple's original ad using 1984 .. and how they've now become the evil giant! lol .. I just watched episode 4e03 of Black Mirror 2 days ago .. very relevant even if that kind of technology is a lot more far out then most would think. The human brain is vastly more complex, analogue and nuanced than the most advanced super computers. It's not that they aren't significantly better at computing/math/etc .. but there's a strong analogue chemical-based component that makes humans (and other organic based life) irrational<>beautiful.

That being said .. still some good "Thought" domains that could be used long before the actual technology arrives.


ADDED: To be clear, when I say a long way away, I'm talking about the actual exact mind reading and memory scanning SciFi stuff .. as I said above, the algorithms to guesstimate the relevance of ads catered to us pretty much already exists (and aren't that complicated if they have good data).
 
Last edited:
3
•••
In the end if the person didn't initiate contact or make an offer the first time AND then is upset about seeing it in an ad .. then they are likely a cold lead anyways ... whereas the people who do click the re-targeted ad are super hot leads. It's just a question of business math .. it won't convert every lead .. and it will make some people never return .. but the likely benefits far outweigh the negatives.

Seven.

Seven is the average number of touches it takes to convert a cold/warm lead into a sale.


If you aren't deploying re-marketing (not just ads but calls, emails, twitter convos, etc) throughout your funnel, you're leaving most of your money on their table.
 
3
•••
Is this what they call; “Catch 22” Conundrum?

This is one of the many indefinite choices Rob faces everyday, as the CEO of company, why I respect him time, post,even if it involves, his epik future projects!

I voted: “Might be helpful for conversions” because sounds as close to “cautiously optimistic” as it gets.!

The topic feel controversial due to privacy concerns?Epik is #1 registrar, protects privacy, almost to fault!
Nobody values their clients’ identity, privacy more!

You are being very reasonable as far as being "cautiously optimistic".

This idea might work in certain circumstances and might have some adverse effects in some other situations. That's why any benefits that it might have versus the harmful effects that it might create have to be considered very carefully when it comes to getting the Epik brand involved in any such project. IMO
 
3
•••
that kind of technology is a lot more far out then most would think.

It might not be that far off, AI can already interpret your brain neural activity.

The positive side of this is that it can help disabled people control prosthetic arms and legs by AI interpreting what the mind wants to do. The reverse is also true a device can interpret images and directly send the signals to the part of the brain that interprets signals sent to it from the eyes thus helping the blind to be able to see (or at least have some idea of what's around them). IMO
 
Last edited:
2
•••
Seven.

Seven is the average number of touches it takes to convert a cold/warm lead into a sale.


If you aren't deploying re-marketing (not just ads but calls, emails, twitter convos, etc) throughout your funnel, you're leaving most of your money on their table.

Thanks Randolph. That is what was driving the thinking -- the data is well known there. If we can help our clients convert more sales, everybody wins.
 
5
•••
It might not be that far off, AI can already interpret your brain neural activity. ...

Oh yeah .. that stuff is truly amazing. Most definitely amazingly advanced technology.

But I think the prosthetic control technology is based on specific (refined and targeted) signals from the brain.

Also yes in that the tech is there to get a broad sense of chemical and electrical activity .. which indeed can say a lot on the broad scale of things ... but what I'm talking about being far off is the exact, refined and specific type of mind reading. Like now it can tell if you're scared or exited .. but it won't know it's a dragon with a shark's head that scared you, or the 3 breasted woman from Total Recall that excited you (even if that would be a very good educated guess .. lol).


For the same reason I think it's also significantly further away in the future before we'll have a fully digital based AI. Much of what we "perceive" as a soul is chemically based (and therefore analogue). While technology can simulate a vastly larger number of nodes in a similar structure to brain cells .. each node is effectively limited to 1's and 0's .. while each node in a human brain has multiple chemicals each with potentially analogue intensities, each in turn multiplied by each other to make for the particular state of that node .. a truly uncountable number of potential states .. multiplied by the massive number of connections within the brain, and we're a very long way from digital sentience.

That being said .. we most certainly are not far away from what most perceive as digital sentience.

Something that always makes me laugh is how people seem to think androids or robots have anything to do with AI. You can put a very simple set of programs and algorithms in something that looks human and 90% of the population will think we're very close to digital sentience. But the reality is that the software and hardware are two very different things. Just because you get a sexbot to groan when doing it's thing does not mean it's enjoying anything, or even aware of anything! lol

If/when the future AI overlord decides it's time to wipe us all out, the army it sends will not be humanoid in any way .. it will be based on far more efficient mechanism. Even more likely .. it will actually wipe us out without building anything. Most of the technology is already there with a few simple hacks (water works, nuclear reactors, food security, and soon to be self driving cars .. we've pretty much already given our future overload everything it needs! lol
 
2
•••
Back