Epik Recent Innovation Glitches

[dande]

Everyone knows I'm a strong believer in Epik platforms and would like to see them succeed. Make no mistakes about it. There are many positives about Epik but one or two bad negatives can destroy the whole thing. The purpose of this thread is not to condemn but to trigger a discussion.

Late later year, I moved some of my domains from Uni to Epik in hope of better days. But after nearly a year of no inquiries nor reasonable sales, I decided to test the lander, trying to see what potential buyers use to see, and what I discovered truly horrifies me.

1. A buyer will click on "Buy Now" button and the first thing he sees is a warning that his domain will be delayed for 60days before transferring to another registrar. To a Domainer, that's not a problem. To an end user, it's a huge turn off, capable of destroying a sale.

2. If the buyer managed to scale the first huddle and continued with Signup. After signing up at Epik.com he will be required to verify his email. The person will head to his inbox looking for email from Epik. On getting to the inbox or spam folder, what he will see is FederatedIdentity.com. Another big confusion capable of turning away good number of potential buyers. How is the new customer suppose to know that FederatedIdentity is the same as Epik?

The FederatedIdentity (to me) is a completely Bogus Innovation.

3. Now, if the buyer did scale yet the huddle and clicked on the verification link, the page below is what he will get.

To continue the signup all over again!

At this point, even the most serious buyer will give up and start looking for alternatives.

4. But, if his life depends on the domain and he continued with the second signup. After filling the form and clicked the "Save Settings", the whole process will simply end there. There will be no redirection to the domain transaction he has been going through all these troubles for. He's
simply gonna start the process of searching for the domain name all over again. God help him if he's an impulse buyer and has forgotten the name.

I'm of the opinion that Epik is not concentrating on what matters most. They want to be everywhere at the same time. Thereby, sacrificing users experience and good conversation rate.

I believe sales are going down the drain before of these. I still have so many things to complain about the platform but let me leave for others. If you've noticed anything, pls share it on this thread.

 

[Samer]

I don't use all their little side things but I am sure there are those who do. For the ones I use I am glad they have them. I am glad they try to innovate and create new things they think will be useful, even if they don;t end up working out. Yes they are a small privately held company, they have nothing near the marketshare of Godaddy or Network Solutions, they can't afford to be complacent and stagnant like Godaddy IMO and they do some real good stuff outside of just being a registrar.

100%; NameLiquidate is success; example. Theyre not “side projects” too! Anonymize.com is an actual product.
More Privacy product than Dynadot, NS IMO..

Just all-around registrar 100% own services;
Better than “global brand” GD imo... (for me)
i like company full 100% control of its services
“side projects” is unfair mischaracterization imo

Great catch

 

[bmugford]

Apple's market cap is now about about $2.2 trillion. Godaddy is about $14 billion. Spot the difference?

This is where Apple started:

Show attachment 165818

One of the things that did make Apple great was vision. The other thing was enthusiastic early adopters.

Lord-willing, we too get to do something cool.

Yes, the the difference is domains don't have the market size of consumer electronics.

In fairness you can also thank Microsoft for Apple still existing. It was only their loan in 1997 that saved them from complete failure. Without them they would have never even made it to Act 2, which is what they are today. Despite them being visionaries, their business was shit.

With that said, it is a massive outlier example. You realize 99.999999% of companies that started in a garage are not Apple right?

Brad

 

[7363824]

Yes, the the difference is domains don't have the market size of consumer electronics.

No but I would say domains have a bigger market that this new idea of a personal computer did in the 80's.

And it's not just Apple, look at any successful company in any industry. They are all innovators, they all diversify beyond just 1 thing. It's not guarantee of success but not doing is is almost guarantee of failure.

 

[Samer]

I love it!

Apple and Tesla’s wondrous innovative culture.
Godaddy could learn a thing or too...
Godaddy seem content like; Ford GM FCAU..
Be the innovation you want to create..
epik embodies that spirit; We COMING 4 GD !! Soon See”empowerment”more than buzz word
Epik all day!!

 

[branding]

I love it!

Apple and Tesla’s wondrous innovative culture.
Godaddy could learn a thing or too...
Godaddy seem content like; Ford GM FCAU..
Be the innovation you want to create..
epik embodies that spirit; We COMING 4 GD !! Soon See”empowerment”more than buzz word
Epik all day!!

I would say NL is their biggest innovation. Everything else is already being done.

 

[bmugford]

Apple and Tesla’s wondrous innovative culture.
Godaddy could learn a thing or too...
Godaddy seem content like; Ford GM FCAU..
Be the innovation you want to create..
epik embodies that spirit; WE COMIN FOR GD

Sure, innovation is good. But not all "innovation" is actual innovation.

There have been countless products and services that were innovative and failed due to lack of demand, or they were not quite as innovative or game changing as they were hyped to be.

Silicon Valley is littered with the carcasses of these companies.

You could argue grow your core business. Get that dialed in, then start branching out.

The total market size for domains is nowhere close to consumer electronics. That is not even debatable.
How many people have a mobile phone, computer, tablet, etc. It is from need.

How many people need domains? Not as many, and even if everyone did the cost is far lower than the consumer devices. Hence, the potential market size is far smaller.

Comparing GoDaddy to Apple is silly.

Brad

 

[7363824]

I would say NL is their biggest innovation. Everything else is already being done.

Being done, yes, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for Epik to do it better. Take Anonymize their privacy service, been done before, but AFAIK only Epik is able to be used at any registrar.

Sure, innovation is good. But not all "innovation" is actual innovation.

There have been countless products and services that were innovative and failed due to lack of demand, or they were not quite as innovative or game changing as they were hyped to be.

Silicon Valley is littered with the carcasses of these companies.

You could argue grow your core business. Get that dialed in, then start branching out.

The total market size for domains is nowhere close to consumer electronics. That is not even debatable.
How many people have a mobile phone, computer, tablet, etc. It is from need.

How many people need domains? Not as many, and even if everyone did the cost is far lower than the consumer devices. Hence, the potential market size is far smaller.

Comparing GoDaddy to Apple is silly.

Brad

Every company has its failures. You don't know what is going to be a hit or a dud until you get out and do it, but the key to success to to be quick to adapt. I think Epik does that well.

 

[Silentptnr]

I appreciate the user experience feedback.

As stated above, the landing pages are not impacted. We'll fast-track a review of the guest user checkout experience whereby capture of an email address and payment info is early in the checkout for a guest user.

As for the larger topic of why have "Single Sign On", I believe the upside outweighs the downside. Technically, it is an impressive feat. Allow me to explain why I think it is useful.

With SSO, we now have not only a unified sign on but also unified checkout and unified cloud wallet with Masterbucks.com. This opens up many possibilities for movement across applications.

It also opens up interesting possibilities for partner integration, e.g. allowing a parking company to pay out parking income in Masterbucks on a daily basis with funds that can be used to buy domains.

Worth noting that as of today, Apple is worth more than the entire Russell 2000 combined. This shows the power of platforms and ecosystems. This matters to individual domainers more than meets the eye.

Our goal is to empower. Single Sign on will make it possible to accrue reputation and verified identity in one part of the ecosystem and use it another.

Rest assured that we are reviewing the marketplace feedback closely and will make a swift move to make that as frictionless as possible for 1st time users.

Perhaps you could white label the sign on feature so it is frictionless. Sounds like there may be a long term goal of licensing the product. By creating a white label version, it would be transparent.

Of course, this is separate from a simple guest checkout process.

 

[dande]

As for the larger topic of why have "Single Sign On", I believe the upside outweighs the downside. Technically, it is an impressive feat. Allow me to explain why I think it is useful.

With SSO, we now have not only a unified sign on but also unified checkout and unified cloud wallet with Masterbucks.com. This opens up many possibilities for movement across applications

The technology is good. The FI domain name is the problem. Why not put that infrastructure on Epik sub-domain, something like Id.Epik.com, Account.Epik.com, Secure.Epik.com, etc? The FederatedIdentity.com could be set as a redirection for now until it gains popularity. Same as Google did with Gmail.com until recently.

It is important to note the majority of the issues I raised exists mainly on "Buy Now" setting. If your domain is set at "Make Offer" only, you have no problem.

 

[Rob Monster]

You realize 99.999999% of companies that started in a garage are not Apple right?

Brad

Yes, of course. That is why they are called Unicorns.

Our single sign on and cloud wallet are part of an architecture that connects and empowers. It is architected to enable a range of applications and services to all connect seamlessly. Today, Epik is the only company in the world that has connected all of this under one roof in a single enterprise:

• Registry
• Registrar
• Resilient hosting
• Content Delivery Network
• DDoS mitigation
• ISP, ASN, BGP, and IPv4/v6
• Anycast DNS
• SSL/TLS provisioning
• VPN

For the domainer, we do also have the most complete framework for powering the domain value chain:

• Value: https://appraise.epik.com/
• Hold: https://registrar.epik.com/
• Acquire: https://marketplace.epik.com/
• Pay: https://masterbucks.com
• Finance: https://domainequity.com/
• Protect: https://dnprotect.com/
• Sell: https://escrow.epik.com/
• Liquidate: https://nameliquidate.com/

In short, we elected to connect the entire data delivery stack and built it around the domain name value chain since most digital enterprises will start with a domain name and build out from there.

Why do most people buy at Amazon? Largely for convenience. They don't need to take a risk saving identity, payments, preferences or shipping details in more than one place.

Success models like Shopify do prove that there is power in creating ecosystems that lift up small enterprise. Their market cap is now $136 billion. Overstock is about $3.5 billion.

Platforms and ecosystems are hard to build but offer much value when they co-create abundance and connect the vast pool of time, talent and treasure that still remains highly fragmented in the world.

Nobody said it would be easy but Lord-willing we get to work on it at a time when small enterprise, including small domainers, are struggling to compete against winner-take-all.

 

[Samer]

Yes, of course. That is why they are called Unicorns.

Our single sign on and cloud wallet are part of an architecture that connects and empowers. It is architected to enable a range of applications and services to all connect seamlessly. Today, Epik is the only company in the world that has connected all of this under one roof in a single enterprise:

• Registry
• Registrar
• Resilient hosting
• Content Delivery Network
• DDoS mitigation
• ISP, ASN, BGP, and IPv4/v6
• Anycast DNS
• SSL/TLS provisioning
• VPN

For the domainer, we do also have the most complete framework for powering the domain value chain:

• Value: https://appraise.epik.com/
• Hold: https://registrar.epik.com/
• Acquire: https://marketplace.epik.com/
• Pay: https://masterbucks.com
• Finance: https://domainequity.com/
• Protect: https://dnprotect.com/e
• Sell: https://escrow.epik.com/
• Liquidate: https://nameliquidate.com/

In short, we elected to connect the entire data delivery stack and built it around the domain name value chain since most digital enterprises will start with a domain name and build out from there.

Why do most people buy at Amazon? Largely for convenience. They don't need to take a risk saving identity, payments, preferences or shipping details in more than one place.

Success models like Shopify do prove that there is power in creating ecosystems that lift up small enterprise. Their market cap is now $136 billion. Overstock is about $3.5 billion.

Platforms and ecosystems are hard to build but offer much value when they co-create abundance and connect the vast pool of time, talent and treasure that still remains highly fragmented in the world.

Nobody said it would be easy but Lord-willing we get to work on it at a time when small enterprise, including small domainers, are struggling to compete against winner-take-all.

Amazing.

I dont disagree any of this.
Epik escrow is my particular favorite;

The problem remains... about that FederatedItentity name....
It's been a long time since our last naming contest ;P (i tried lol; even maintain FI subsidiary)
I think, unless steps are taken, FI will be deterrent imo... You have a good thing going! Reconsider;

Use the NamesCon poster posted here; and drew "Outrage" it was bright and colorful, not like 8 syllable Federated Identity
Self-sabotage; Amazon + Google syllables added together, still falls multiple short FI...

"Alphabet" is also 3 syllables,
Parent Company of "Google"
"Apple" is 2 syllables.

 

[7363824]

[*]Value: https://appraise.epik.com/

Is this new? I didn't know about it but it seems nice. I'm not big on automated valuations but I do like some of the domain details provided. Would be nice to see this as an API too.

 

[Silentptnr]

I think that Epik should dedicate a team member to user testing.

There are definitely glitches that could be easily remedied. For example, on the "free appraisal", if a user not logged in, they reach the Free Appraisal page, enter a domain name, then the results page gives a message..."To continue using our free WHOIS service, please login or create an Epik account."

It should say something like please login to use this tool or something. People might get frustrated when it says free, takes you to the page, let's you enter a domain, then no results and a message in red talking about using Whois. It should be professional.

 

[Samer]

I think that Epik should dedicate a team member to user testing.

There are definitely glitches that could be easily remedied. For example, on the "free appraisal", if a user not logged in, they reach the Free Appraisal page, enter a domain name, then the results page gives a message..."To continue using our free WHOIS service, please login or create an Epik account."

It should say something like please login to use this tool or something. People might get frustrated when it says free, takes you to the page, let's you enter a domain, then no results and a message in red talking about using Whois. It should be professional.

I appreciate that epik said it’s “free”
they have to say it’s free somewhere.
Maybe less wordy; but “free” is essential imo

 

[Silentptnr]

I appreciate that epik said it’s free
you have to say it’s free somewhere

Yes, free is great but my point was that for most people it is confusing and not cohesive. How did I end up on a page with a red message about Whois service. This was for a free domain appraisal.

On GD, you go to the free appraisal page, put in a name, logged in or not, and get a GV. The free version on Epik should be as easy. Otherwise, it seems gimmicky. The only other thing on the appraisal result page is the option to add a pro appraisal to cart for $399. Just saying.

 

[bmugford]

The only other thing on the appraisal result page is the option to add a pro appraisal to cart for $399. Just saying.

Lol. I would love to see what a $400 "pro appraisal" looks like.

Brad

 

[Recons.Com]

We'll review the marketplace checkout to see what friction can be removed. A large checkout upgrade is already in progress.

As for the typical checkout, see here:

https://laptopcomputers.com/

Or visit any Epik landing page. No signup is required. Just checkout and done.

As for the conventional marketplace, if the user is logged in, they are logged in automatically. However, if they are first time user, the guest checkout should be more frictionless.

Fine there, point taken. We'll see if we can fast-track an improvement there this week that avoids the needs for invoking the SSO for guest checkout in the marketplace as we do on the Landers.

As for the Single Sign On, it is a pretty compelling idea when you understand the bigger picture of what is being built in terms of the Epik ecosystem.

Focus on the good. It is not easy these days but your soul will thank you if you try.

@Ala Dadan @Sumeeth @vitigo

Single sign on is supposed to make things easier, not harder. It is buggy, messy, confusing.

On top of that, I cannot understand how a domain registry owner and domain investor could come up with such a clumsy brand for something that begs for nice and short.

FeDeRaTed IDenTiTy is not only 17 letters, which might be fine with great popular combo, but it also has a ridiculous number of syllables with 8 (!). I have hard time recalling any well known brand with even 6 syllables, let alone 8.

Epik should have been the basis for your SSO. When anyone creates an account on any of your sites, that data should propagate through, not mess like this.

Oh, did I mention, I had hard time even logging in with FI?

 

[Silentptnr]

Epik is a cool name. I think all the peripheral brand names somehow don't strengthen the epik brand.

I think epik creates products. They should bear the epik name.

I dont think the epik brand hurts those products.

 

[dande]

FeDeRaTed IDenTiTy is not only 17 letters, which might be fine with great popular combo, but it also has a ridiculous number of syllables with 8 (!). I have hard time recalling any well known brand with even 6 syllables, let alone 8.

Important to add that people with Fedophobia will run away at the sight of Federatedidentity. Sounds like something that involves sending the users identity to the Federal Government.

 

[7363824]

Important to add that people with Fedophobia will run away at the sight of Federatedidentity. Sounds like something that involves sending the users identity to the Federal Government.

 

[Silentptnr]

Plenty of information out there about FI. It's not new. It's actually a technical term. A generic of sorts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federated_identity

https://selfkey.org/what-is-federated-identity-management/

Anyway, whatever the name, sso can be a good thing, just think it could be more transparent to the sign in process. A good start towards a sso solution.

*Edit: I think it's all the more reason to name this solution something like epik. Maybe a subdomain like sso.epik.com.

 

[Rob Monster]

Plenty of information out there about FI. It's not new. It's actually a technical term. A generic of sorts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federated_identity

https://selfkey.org/what-is-federated-identity-management/

Anyway, whatever the name, sso can be a good thing, just think it could be more transparent to the sign in process. A good start towards a sso solution.

*Edit: I think it's all the more reason to name this solution something like epik. Maybe a subdomain like sso.epik.com.

Yes, you got it. The domain is category-defining.

As you might be aware, there are companies raising huge warchests to compete in this space. It is still a wide open market with no obvious contender.

Now imagine all the types of sites that still need to be built, and will use various types of CMS solutions that will also need some type of login.

The reality is that most consumers are not looking for yet another login to someone's random Wordpress site. So, the ultimate goal is to empower the little guy while customers control their data.

For those not aware, I have been working in the background on SSO projects since 2007. It remains a wide open market despite billions of dollars of venture backing in various efforts in this arena.

 

[Silentptnr]

Yes, you got it. The domain is category-defining.

As you might be aware, there are companies raising huge warchests to compete in this space. It is still a wide open market with no obvious contender.

Now imagine all the types of sites that still need to be built, and will use various types of CMS solutions that will also need some type of login.

The reality is that most consumers are not looking for yet another login to someone's random Wordpress site. So, the ultimate goal is to empower the little guy while customers control their data.

For those not aware, I have been working in the background on SSO projects since 2007. It remains a wide open market despite billions of dollars of venture backing in various efforts in this arena.

As a domain asset, i love it.

 

[Recons.Com]

I don't think the field is wide open, if you, @Rob Monster, have an ambition to offer it beyond your own projects.

People have option to use FB, Twitter, Amazon, Linkedin, Google for that. Much more trusted, recognizable names than Federated Identity. And even Open ID, which is specifically built for this project and not associated with a corp, like Federated Identity is with Epik.

It is also hurting Epik's core business. I could be a typical example, when I logged in to Epik on days to renew the name, got surprise encounter with new FI system, had huge problems logging in and instead of renewing ended up transferring out to GD.

One buggy registrar in Godaddy is enough for me to deal with.

 

[Recons.Com]

Plenty of information out there about FI. It's not new. It's actually a technical term. A generic of sorts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federated_identity

https://selfkey.org/what-is-federated-identity-management/

Anyway, whatever the name, sso can be a good thing, just think it could be more transparent to the sign in process. A good start towards a sso solution.

*Edit: I think it's all the more reason to name this solution something like epik. Maybe a subdomain like sso.epik.com.

Yeah, they should have named it Federated Identity Management, and got a domain FederatedIdentityManagement.com ) Even more category defining ) Might want to call it a category-killer

The name is for sale with Epik lander with "make an offer" lander. I am sure the owner is following Rob's mantra of shooting for the moon )))