The Value of Domaining:
Every domain gets some traffic. The more domains, the more traffic. The more traffic, the more profit. The more profit, the more investment. The more investment, the more infrastructure. The more infrastructure, the more capacity. The more capacity, the more inventory. The more inventory, the more deals. The more deals, the more buyers. The more buyers, the more domainers. The more domainers, the more domains.
Domaining drives value!
You are being sarcastic, no? This is like saying that consumerism is great because the more we buy the more garbage we create, the more infrastructure is needed the more jobs we have.
Consumerisms creates garbage creates VALUE!
This kind of practise should be shut down by ICANN or whoever is running the show this week, without domainers in the world, both good and bad none of these companies would ever exist.
What came first. The internet or domainers? I'm glad we have car salesman because without them we'd all be on bicycles.
A business owner does not wake up one morning and decide to get a domain name, he relies on someone who has spent his time searching for the best fit for his company, is our time not valuable?
There are a couple of approaches. A businessman decides he needs a web presence. He tries to register about 20 first choice names. None are available. He finds a domain at an auction or something similar and pays $X,XXX for a domain lovingly picked by a domainer who spent their time finding it just for them!
He contacts a domain broker (not a domainer) who does the above on his behalf at $X,XXX+commission.
He files a UDRP if his business previously existed and hope they win
They pick a decentish name for $8 and go with something that isn't that great. SMALL BUSINESSES DO NOT NEED BUILT IN TRAFFIC. If the site ranks - waits while 300 domainers offer him VALUE ADD SERVICES. New domains. Renew services. SEO Magic. I have a perfect .COM for $3K.
They go "brandable" - whatever the hell that means now - and choose something trendy.
They go ccTLD - that is second tier .US in the US.. or a .biz, or .mobi maybe (if they're mobile). Perhaps .ME, perhaps. For a SMALL BUSINESS it doesn't really much matter.
As far as ccTLDs go.. or second rate gTLDs.. You wouldn't know anyone offering a legal .info would you?
If they want to overpay on a greasy cold hamburger that will give them a heart attack and then turn around and go tell the person who could help them make lots of money to go screw themselves that is their choice.
I personally do not have time for it, I will simply sell to their competition.
And they're morally deficient?
Every domainer here should pull out all domains and hosting plans from Dreamhost but lets face facts here, we all know that is not going to happen don't we?
Why? Specifically what are they doing here that is so offensive ? Suggesting alternatives to your killer portfolio?
Has anyone noticed the bogus comments that only state how great and wonderful the company is? In case you don't already know, when someone is really enthused with a product and no one criticizes there is a distinct stench of bullshit in the air.
This is a side effect of the internets total disregard for IP. How many of these commenting do you think are employees? All of them?
How many of them do you think might be AFFILIATE marketers? How many link to their own sites as great backlink material.. this is the problem and part of what "cloud" computing is really about.
How long do you think it will be until it is deleted?
Doubt it will. I would answer your comment myself if I were them. Not sure what you were trying to tell them?
Domaining is more of a service business. Why does a business owner spend hundreds to have his car detailed, because he doesn't wanna waste his time doing it himself that could be spent elsewhere making money. Why does the bumb on every corner go to walmart and buy a 24 pack of bottled water for $7 and sell each bottle for $1? I recently went to buy my city sticker for my car $75 and saw a line of 15 people outside so i passed it up and payed a $5-$6 fee at the currency exchange as an hour of my time in 90 degree weather was worth more than the $5-$6 extra fee. You don't have to add anything to improve the product as you are selling a convenience/service. Life is short and "Time=Money"
Dealing with a domainer is NOT more convenient than dealing with the registrar. The registrar is selling the water on EVERY corner for 24 pack for $7. You are the Walmart that exists selling it for "something more" than a $1.. and don't offend the hard work I've done for YOU buy offering me less than $10 a bottle.. mkay
I DO understand what you are saying and you're more accurate the higher up the domain chain quality you go. There is a cross over point where the business is dealing with companies who have enough to throw $10,000 K for convenience... a small business startup is usually on small margins anyway. The biggest advantage gained from a great domain is when you're growing - not when you've grown. Once you have a business base the domain is less important then when you're trying to lift off.
I can absolutely positive that I can find under $1000 domains for any local startup business that works for them - the exception comes when you're a purely online business.
Personally I have stayed up till 3-4 in the morning quite a few nights which takes away from being rested the next day and have also cancelled some evening plans with friends on occasion. You should be treating this like a business and compensating yourself for the hours or thousands of domains you sort through in the middle of the night.
I laud your efforts.. but just because you WORKED HARD doesn't immediately translate to you ADDING VALUE
Keyword rich .com domains do have traffic and that traffic is valuable. I have developed domains that don't relate versus domains that describe the product and the descriptive ones always do better in sales/ranking. Google can adjust their algorithm any way they wish but the type in traffic still flows on generics as they don't need search engine results.
Absolutely necessary for a very small marketing segment. Most of the time this is about creating monetization plans for websites. This is an economy unto itself. It's not helping end users. It's why the BEST MARKETING plans for SMB DOESN'T INVOLVE THE INTERNET.
Domainer don't get this last point. The internet is a TOOL and not a SOLUTION.
If a business sees the value in someone staying up crazy hours to secure the best domains that relate to their business then we have a sale. If a business just complains then they probably aren't making much anyway or they would have a budget to secure higher value domain traffic.
I see the value of the registrar selling $8 domains on the corner more than the value of the store selling domains for $1000. You're confusing your personal effort with value.
You're part of the system that has created false economic value. Given that this won't change - if you are a very easy to deal with, very accessible broker of domains your VALUE is that you aren't as shitty to deal with as the rest of the domainers.
If you price not too crazy and make it "affordable" your value is that you're cheaper than that OTHER guy. Your value is a relative to others in your business; however, overall, there's no real actual value.
I take it here everyone LOVES car dealers for the "specials" they can get you?
I bet you all love your health insurance companies for the "extras" they provide matching you to the perfect drug that the companies want.
Judge your business by your sales. When I sell a $7 expired pick up for 1-10k and the business owner shakes my hand and says he appreciates the service that is all the justification I need as I just sold a service.
Again. You're acting as a legitimate business man as a legitimate operation providing a service. The value you have is that you didn't ask for more than they were willing to pay. It's an agreement based on a relative marker. You didn't actually add much other than your shining personality, reasonable and fair pricing.
The businesses that don't get it can keep drinking the haterade as it doesn't effect my cash flow and one of their competitors will see the value. Anyone successful will have haters, ignore the noise and focus on your goals.
There's no haterade. Domainers just don't do a lot for anyone. The majority of value is provided by Brokers, Marketing Specialists and people that actually help connect b2c or b2b with more than just a "name acquisition".
It's a great business for some. There's nothing wrong with the business at all... it's just SOME domainers get very self-righteous about things. That's all. I have no problem with someone like you who is working in what is an established business.. not much different from a normal day to day salesman with a product.
Domainers just sell products. They don't create. They don't add value. They just sell products - they take on some risk that the product is sellable. It's an economy... it works VERY WELL at Medium Large business but not so well for the small guys.
Much like cars, healthcare insurance, business insurance, legal assistance, capital investments and loans, and everything else that costs too much for small businesses to get off the ground.
//No more on this from me. Maybe to comment if I disagree strongly on a comment on this... or if someone makes me change my perspective and I change my mind... etc etc... but the horse is BEATED TO DEATH.
---------- Post added at 10:38 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:31 AM ----------
Forgot to add:
At the end of the day - real financial capital and creating cash flow is the main hindrance to SMB... domains are just a speck on the landscape..