Best & Worst of 2007

[Bampa]

Here are a few of mine. Feel free to add categories.

Best new idea: --- Bodis

Worst Customer Service: --- Bodis (by far)

Best Parking Co. (for me) --- Fabulous

Biggest Surprise: --- A $5 click from sedo LOL

Ongoing Trend: --- Unbelievable crap names people register

Good Luck to all in 2008!

 

[johname]

Best domaining thing for me in 2007 was getting a Parked.com account

 

[vbigdeli]

Best thing for me when happend that Yahoo allowed PPC traffic for parked domains.

+Rep added.

 

[matt_bodis]

At least we got the credit for having best new idea. And we are improving on our idea for the next version.

I will admit myself, our customer support was horrible in the past. Although, our customer support now is a lot better. Hopefully our existing members will take notice over time. Also, our tools are improving each day, so we can much easily and faster assist any clients with any problems, etc etc.

 

[NP41215]

At least we got the credit for having best new idea. And we are improving on our idea for the next version.

I will admit myself, our customer support was horrible in the past. Although, our customer support now is a lot better. Hopefully our existing members will take notice over time. Also, our tools are improving each day, so we can much easily and faster assist any clients with any problems, etc etc.

Hey, Matt:

Considering the very limited resources at your disposal -- time, money and manpower --- and how much you've accomplished in such a short time, and your unceasing efforts to make things better, you've done marvelously IMO and deserve a lot more credit and commendation than you've been given.

I've no doubt 2008 will be a much, much better year for you and Bodis, and domainers who are in the Bodis parking program.

Just A Suggestion For Improvement: It would be great to have a search box for keywords for the non-customized domains as has been available for customized domains.

I think having that search box will significantly improve visitors' lingering time and their click rates, and might even encourage future re-visits. Without a search box, visitors would feel confined if the none of the links on the landing page are what they are looking for and seeing no search box to find what they want, many will simply leave without clicking anything. Whereas, if the search box were available, some will no doubt key in the word(s) they want and do search(es).

Hope adding this keyword search box won't be too much of a burden to implement for the automatically generated landing pages, as it should significantly improve visitor experience by encouraging searches and thus boosting parking revenues.

Happy New Year to you and all!

Regards,
NP

 

[awegrzyn]

Matt has a brother as a superior advisor that will dig him out of any hole.

 

[matt_bodis]

Keep digging.

 

[evilopinions]

I might add :

Best customer support : Parked.com

Most Dramatic thread : Bodis (People showing love and then some hate and then some love again)

A revolution :New Sedo thread

Best Copyrights : Netmeg

Best party : Namepros christmas party

Best day : Today.

Best improvement : Namepros tabbed browsing and new server.

 

[BizBot]

Here's one:

Worst Domain Registrar: Registerfly

 

[firefly]

People wanting to buy parking accounts

 

[vbigdeli]

Worst Parking Company : Klickerz

 

[Adventure]

Best Parking & Domain Brokerage: Sedo/SedoPro: Our domains are doing extremely well with Sedo. The reasons I like Sedo:

1. A full page of search results, with every parked domain getting a 1-page lander. You don't have to beg for a 1-page lander.

2. A sharp-looking landing page. I use Phoenix Blue with an appropriate photo match.

3. Fantastic ads (with a proper keyword selection), which provide a real service to advertisers and web visitors. I treat the parked pages like websites. Yes, they are all ads, but they are a unique resource. Many advertisers provide products and services to a very narrow market, and could never afford the thousands of dollars needed to place print ads. I never use pop-ups, encouraging visitors to return.

4. The ability to set your own "Related Links". Visitors clicking on a related link are then brought to another FULL page of search results on the more targeted subject. Parking revenue on many of our domains have more than doubled after I set Related Links.

5. The ability to mark the parked pages "For Sale", with a link that brings them directly to the sale page. The Sedo brokerage team is fantastic! Domain industry professionals as well as outside buyers are confident using Sedo's escrow service.

6. The German ownership of Sedo brings international expertise to the business. Their teams in Köln (Germany) and Cambridge (US) are the best in the business, and it is a pleasure working with all of them. The Sedo website and landing pages are in multiple languages, encouraging sales. They are also opening a new office in the UK.

7. Sedo has its name and link on the parked page. In the unlikely event that a web visitor has a problem with an ad appearing on a parked domain, they can be contacted. Their addresses and phone numbers are on the website. They are not anonymous.

8. Direct Deposit of parking revenues and domain sale proceeds. I never even have to go to the bank.

9. Honesty in all business dealings.


Happy New Year to all! ---Ed

 

[michaelg314]

Bodis does have terrible customer service. I submitted an application months ago, followed up with them, and never even received a "we are reviewing your email". But I'm sure Matt will improve this with time.

 

[rbedell]

Best New Idea: Domain Distribution Network
Best Parking Company: Parked and Fabulous
Best Secondary Market Company: Sedo
Best Customer Service: GoDaddy
Best Registrar: GoDaddy
Best Domain Blog: Frank @ Seven Mile
Best Fun: Finding those great (and rare) domains that are still unregistered

Worst Idea: .mobi
Worst Customer Service: Moniker
Biggest Waste of Time: Searching through the mountains of absolute crap domains that people register and drop or are trying to sell.

 

[likepeas]

Best New Idea: Domain Distribution Network
Best Parking Company: Parked and Fabulous
Best Secondary Market Company: Sedo
Best Customer Service: GoDaddy
Best Registrar: GoDaddy
Best Domain Blog: Frank @ Seven Mile
Best Fun: Finding those great (and rare) domains that are still unregistered

Worst Idea: .mobi
Worst Customer Service: Moniker
Biggest Waste of Time: Searching through the mountains of absolute crap domains that people register and drop or are trying to sell.

got to agree with you on that one. :hehe:

 

[Adventure]

Two additions:

Best Name Catcher: SnapNames.com
Most of the very best names in our portfolio came from SnapNames, and we have a very modest budget. Their people are top-notch.

Best Registrar: DomainDiscover.com
DomainDiscover has live 24-hour service, a fantastic computer system, great rates, and superb security.

---Ed

 

[tetrapak]

Although, our customer support now is a lot better. Hopefully our existing members will take notice over time.

Yes it is. I was pleasantly surprised that two of my problems were solved on the same day within a few hours! Great stuff.

 

[trlsker01]

My Worst of 2007: Being dropped by Bodis for low quality traffic.
My Best of 2007: Being approved for an account with Active Audience with less than only 80 domains!

 

[infoduma]

Best: still finding hot keyword rich .com names