Afternic - Official Thread

[GoDaddy]

Hello NamePros!
By popular demand, we have launched a dedicated feedback thread for Afternic, the GoDaddy-owned domain name marketplace.

We have created this thread as a way for you to tell us what works, what doesn't work, and what features you'd like to see at Afternic (please be constructive with your feedback). We're looking forward to hearing from the domain investment community to help us shape the future of Afternic.

We will also be sharing Afternic product updates in this thread.

Please note that this thread is not meant for support. Please email our support team at [email protected] for assistance.

 

[domainer8888]

But, as always, they also planned for their standard issue: DBs not being available most times. For that case, they always have something like "if timeout within xx seconds, then populate with standard value". The standard value can be something like "Singapore" for visitors location or "zero" for the visitor number.

 

[enterscope]

Get off your a$$es and add .now support to Afternic you dummies.

 

[GoDaddy]

I wish @GoDaddy can be more open about how exactly they did some of these A/B tests because the results are hard to believe.

Hope they can do a blog post about some of their tests in detail like how showing 0 visits in search path for all domains increased sales and how they concluded that indexing properly in search engines didn't increase sales.

Hi @Janoss,
Absolutely. I'll look at how we can best share more insights into some of these experiments. In the meantime, there are some useful posts from our team explaining experimentation culture, and a view into some of our internal experimentation tools, here and here. Hopefully you find these helpful.

trying upload Csv folio. just filled required 2 columns.

it tells me invalid format... is there a bug? my Names are as links... could that be it..

Hi @alcy, inserting your names as links is likely the issue, but Afternic's live chat support can certainly help you out.

For anyone baffled by James new-found skill to spin, sugar-coat and confuse matters and wanting to know the reality, here is what is happening:

GD experimented with showing data vs no data and, depending on your faith in GD's "ability" to make truly scientific a/b tests, concluded that showing data helped.

So they hooked up DBs carrying those numbers to search pages to spit out the figures when someone searches. But, as always, they also planned for their standard issue: DBs not being available most times. For that case, they always have something like "if timeout within xx seconds, then populate with standard value". The standard value can be something like "Singapore" for visitors location or "zero" for the visitor number. Of course, the "geniuses" didn't figure out that they could've put "N/A" in this case (or choose a country without extra 9% tax as in the case of Singapore).

Now, for visitors, it has been showing "0" for long time and I don't know if anyone saw anything positive there (pun intended) ever. So, apparently, they have cached the traffic values from a static table that is being created from actual DB, but probably cannot complete the cycle, so again it is always zero.

To clarify, @Recons.Com, the data isn't sourced from Afternic. The visitor stats echoes data at GoDaddy Auctions, combined with third-party backlink and referral data. If you'd like more specific information on the sourcing, I can look into that. As for the original test, displaying zero data was certainly a surprise winner, but this is why we test hypotheses.

Afternic visitor stats could indeed serve as a valuable source of truth for domain insights on Afternic-listed names. I'll pass this suggestion along to the team. Thanks for your valuable feedback!

Get off your a$$es and add .now support to Afternic you dummies.

Hi @enterscope,
Afternic can certainly add .now to the TLD list. However, until GoDaddy's main platform supports .now registrations, there might be some limitations in terms of distribution and lander usage. For now, you would see distribution on platforms where .now is available, and you can utilize the Request Price lander. Let's touch base with the Afternic team to explore this further.

 

[NameGroove]

Hi @enterscope,
Afternic can certainly add .now to the TLD list. However, until GoDaddy's main platform supports .now registrations, there might be some limitations in terms of distribution and lander usage. For now, you would see distribution on platforms where .now is available, and you can utilize the Request Price lander. Let's touch base with the Afternic team to explore this further.

Even though there would be limitations, some marketing is better than none.

There are ~13,000 registrations & there have been >$90,000 in 7 retail sales on this TLD, many on Atom. Perhaps this will help your team decide to add .now and give data points towards @GoDaddy starting to sell .now.
As you can seem these are excellent numbers for a new TLD that launched just over 9 mos ago.

 

[NicTraders]

The visitor stats echoes data at GoDaddy Auctions, combined with third-party backlink and referral data.

So what are you saying here - 'Visits' signifies visits to the GoDaddy Auction page for this domain, and would ignore visits to the lander? That seems rather confusing when your hint says

So... you're estimating that a domain with 18k backlinks would receive precisely zero traffic every month? Please help me understand this as it all seems rather spurious to me.

 

[Recons.Com]

To clarify, @Recons.Com, the data isn't sourced from Afternic. The visitor stats echoes data at GoDaddy Auctions, combined with third-party backlink and referral data. If you'd like more specific information on the sourcing, I can look into that. As for the original test, displaying zero data was certainly a surprise winner, but this is why we test hypotheses.

Afternic visitor stats could indeed serve as a valuable source of truth for domain insights on Afternic-listed names. I'll pass this suggestion along to the team. Thanks for your valuable feedback!

James, the focus should be a) showing the data that helps sales and people justifiably doubt that showing zero somehow helped sales; b) making sure, if data is shown, it is TRUTHFUL. And apparently, it is not, as it shows zero even for names with lots of visitors. And, if you are unable to provide truthful data (the numbers don't match your own data from Afternic lander stats), then you should HIDE it completely until you can reliably provide that info.

and if you really meant that the data is sourced from GD Auctions, well, that is plain ... pointless, meaningless, confusing, weird. And I am trying to choose softer adjectives. Not all names are bought there and any normal person would understand "visits" as visits to the domain lander, not visits to GD auction. Why not to ebay??? And if you insist that it should be there, then make it clear: "Visits to Godaddy Auctions".

 

[Jannes]

Our hypothesis was that by adding data insights like GoDaddy Auctions, we'd increase the conversion rate of aftermarket domains through GoDaddy search. Through a statistically significant experiment, we did increase the conversion rate.

Interestingly, we did tested two versions. 1: hide "zero" values, and 2: display "zero" values. Both increased conversions for aftermarket names, but displaying "zero" values performed the best, with the biggest increase in conversion rates in this statistically significant experiment.

the data isn't sourced from Afternic. The visitor stats echoes data at GoDaddy Auctions, combined with third-party backlink and referral data. If you'd like more specific information on the sourcing, I can look into that. As for the original test, displaying zero data was certainly a surprise winner, but this is why we test hypotheses.

So if "zero" was a winner, why the current discrepancy between GD Auctions and GoDaddy search then (the former shows "N/A")? Only the Auctions team wants the shown data to be truthful?

Assuming that showing "zero" really increases conversions, and forgetting the moral aspect, what could be the reason(s) behind it? I understand that correlation may be good enough for GD, but you must have some hypotheses (and hope for gaining insight) after your experiment produces a surprising result. For instance, are there people who interpret the zero as meaning that the domain is fresh, virginal, a blank slate for their brand, so they actually appreciate it? Or do they not care about the number (or it's only a mild negative) but appreciate the sincerity and the "honest" (sic) 0 makes the whole thing seem a bit less salesy? Etc.

 

[DrJacoby]

So if "zero" was a winner, why the current discrepancy between GD Auctions and GoDaddy search then (the former shows "N/A")? Only the Auctions team wants the shown data to be truthful?

Assuming that showing "zero" really increases conversions, and forgetting the moral aspect, what could be the reason(s) behind it? I understand that correlation may be good enough for GD, but you must have some hypotheses (and hope for gaining insight) after your experiment produces a surprising result. For instance, are there people who interpret the zero as meaning that the domain is fresh, virginal, a blank slate for their brand, so they actually appreciate it? Or do they not care about the number (or it's only a mild negative) but appreciate the sincerity and the "honest" (sic) 0 makes the whole thing seem a bit less salesy? Etc.

Or perhaps it was a 12-year old intern who designed, performed and evaluated the experiment.

 

[Eagle Domains]

Get the Afternic Search marketplace Up like Before & Focus your Efforts on Selling Aftermarket Domains too @Afternic @GoDaddy

 

[Altetra]

I see many sales begin to happen on Afternic, do I feel it right?
I did not get anything from Atom, zero results till now, no single inquire, my own website and gets more offers.

 

[alcy]

I see many sales begin to happen on Afternic, do I feel it right?
I did not get anything from Atom, zero results till now, no single inquire, my own website and gets more offers.

nah
it's all just illusions.
there are no pattern in bitcoin or stock or domains. but some spend lifetime looking for it

there is just u.. sellable vs nonsellable name... a lander.. ans marketplace...

when gd auction closed domain sales dropped 60% for 70% people...

now the order of sales best to worse is..

lander
afternic with bin
atom
sedo
the rest

dan marketplace was useless for 99% people for direct market sales.

as are most other markets.

godaddy auctons was best for most. so of course gd killed it.

 

[DomainRecap]

I really wish Afternic brokers would stop exhuming old zombie leads over and over and over, and instead concentrate on working NEW negotiations. I have several outstanding from last week, including one I accepted an offer on, yet all I see hitting the top of my Lead Center are Stalled negotiations from years ago.

As GoDaddy is paywalling Self-Brokerage, I am giving serious thought to "Hiding" all my domains on Afternic (to still protect against fraudsters) so potential buyers are forced to place their Offers elsewhere.

 

[Brian L.]

@GoDaddy It would be awesome if you could enable the lease to own option on .US domains at Afternic. I was informed by Afternic support that the .US TLD isn’t supported for some reason.

 

[DomainRecap]

Leads cannot be loaded at this time.

 

[AEProgram]

Leads cannot be loaded at this time.

Stalled?

 

[wwwweb]

Leads cannot be loaded at this time.

Your not alone, seems to be a current issue for many.

 

[NorthernDomains]

Your not alone, seems to be a current issue for many.

Confirmed.

 

[GoDaddy]

Leads cannot be loaded at this time.

Hi @DomainRecap, we're sorry about that. This has now been resolved.

 

[King]

4 days, no email, no call, no response, lead re-assigned to another "David"

 

[ISD Domains]

4 days, no email, no call, no response, lead re-assigned to another "David"

Show attachment 277733

This is simply unacceptable! Whatever the reason is..
Happens here as well every now and then.
Leads are currently slow anyway, we don’t need brokers slow either.