discuss If Domainers Could Have One More Thing....

[Bob Hawkes]

I thought it would be interesting to discuss what additional resource would make life easier or more productive for domainers. This could be a new database, tool, type of marketplace, transaction process, promotional opportunity, etc. It might even be some new feature of NamePros that you would find really helpful.

So wave that magic wand! What do you want?

While this is partly to have fun imagining what we could have, I hope that ideas will emerge that someone will run with and a new product will be born.

Not so long ago our industry did not have resources like Efty, Dofo and the brandable marketplaces, and imagine the impacts those have had.

If it is a feature on NamePros you have in mind, I am pretty sure someone is listening to all the threads for good ideas to make our community even better!

The ideas can be as simple as adding a new feature to some marketplace or as complex as a totally new type of product that links domainers and end users.

I have a few ideas that I will share a bit later in discussion, but look forward to hearing ideas that other people have.

Bob

 

[UmerK]

That gives the whole drop market to 1 player (DropCatch) and 2 bit players (SnapNames & NameJet).

Perhaps I was not as clear as I should have been in that post;

What I basically meant was that bot queries to catch the domains wouldn't be allowed which would mean you and I would have same chances of getting the domain on drop as anyone else for the normal reg fee.

 

[Name Trader]

Perhaps I was not as clear as I should have been in that post;

What I basically meant was that bot queries to catch the domains wouldn't be allowed which would mean you and I would have same chances of getting the domain on drop as anyone else for the normal reg fee.

How does that work? How does a domain get released back into the available population without the bots getting wind of when they will be released?

 

[Bob Hawkes]

Thank you everyone for all of the interesting ideas! Those who have not posted yet, please share your idea!

OK this one is complex but the idea is a software platform template (open source or commercial) that an end user can use with their domain name to have a personal presence on the web. I know that the companies that sell hosting all offer some sort of rapid web presence software, but what I have in mind is a step up from that, and is geared specifically for INDIVIDUALS as your place on the web, and not company or organization site.

There is a lot of backlash now against how much influence the social media giants have, privacy issues, their profit from your content, and their ability to take it all away in a heartbeat. This would be a solution you would use as your long term site for your content. It would of course be good for domainers, ultimately, as it would increase use of domain names.

Here are some of the features I would see as necessary

• work out of the box with a minimum of technical background needed
• work with any domain name registered to you
• come with some system of authentication so people will know the site is authenticated as a person, and is not some malware or bot site trying to push some agenda.
• provide a site for personal information you choose to share, like a FB page, but with easy controls on what only approved people can see.
• ability to link to sites using the same personal software - you control completely your personal network.
• there would be various sections that you could choose to use or not. For example, a section called My Resume, great for those in the job hunting phase.
• A section on My Thoughts that would be a blog type section
• A section My Photos and My Videos.
• A section Personal Projects (maybe if running a little craft project)
• My Causes for either promoting or sharing things you believe in.
• My Recommendations for things like the books you liked, movies, sites, whatever.
• An easy way for you to do your own ads, if you wanted, and to financially benefit from them.
• etc.

But the key idea: my content, my ownership, my control on my domain.

What do people think? Obviously a huge project with many stumbling blocks, but I think the time is ripe for people to take back control of their online content, forever.

Bob

 

[garptrader]

This has been touched on by others but I will add a few comments. There is a huge disconnect between what companies spend without question on other types of business expenditures - travel, IT, legal, exec bonuses, meetings, advertising, etc and domain names. As investors we obviously want end users to get it - low five figures is no big deal to brand a business for the next decade when you spend that much monthly on lease space or legal fees or IT costs.

Regarding a domain fund, I mentioned this back around 2010 and people reacted I had too much time on my hands. There are some potential complications - how does one address potential UDRP filings against an individual domain in the portfolio? How does the fund decide on domain pricing, offer acceptance, negotiation, rejection? What if a domain's value could be optimized via development? Who makes the development decisions? Would 100% of domains in the fund be automatically renewed or would it be possible to drop some but bid on and acquire others? It seems like the fund might require an administrator at least part-time.

 

[Michael Cyger]

Here are some of the features I would see as necessary

• work out of the box with a minimum of technical background needed
• work with any domain name registered to you
• come with some system of authentication so people will know the site is authenticated as a person, and is not some malware or bot site trying to push some agenda.
• provide a site for personal information you choose to share, like a FB page, but with easy controls on what only approved people can see.
• ability to link to sites using the same personal software - you control completely your personal network.
• there would be various sections that you could choose to use or not. For example, a section called My Resume, great for those in the job hunting phase.
• A section on My Thoughts that would be a blog type section
• A section My Photos and My Videos.
• A section Personal Projects (maybe if running a little craft project)
• My Causes for either promoting or sharing things you believe in.
• My Recommendations for things like the books you liked, movies, sites, whatever.
• An easy way for you to do your own ads, if you wanted, and to financially benefit from them.
• etc.

I've thought about this same idea.

What about https://about.me/pricing? It has *most* of your requirements, but would you pay $7 a month for it?

WordPress would do it all, but it's not easy nor standardized to get up and running quickly.

 

[Bob Hawkes]

I've thought about this same idea.

What about https://about.me/pricing? It has *most* of your requirements, but would you pay $7 a month for it?

I have actually now and then been directed to people's about.me sites but had when writing above totally forgot about it. You are right it does a fair amount of what I have in mind. While $7 a month is not a ridiculous price at all, especially with a free plan option and 2 months free, far fewer will use it at the price. I think the idea only takes off if large numbers use it. That is the advantage FB has that everyone knows it.

Ideally our idea works best if it is either open source and free or a company or organization offer it free either as public service seeing PR benefits spillover or seeking occasional donations as in Wikipedia model. Another possibility would be a fairly robust free forever model coupled with subscriptions for certain features that only some people would use.

You wondering once on Twitter about something similar undoubtedly triggered as I thought more about it and I should have acknowledged that in the post. Your innovative and creative mind and enthusiastichave, positive and welcoming nature has sparked so many positive things in domaining and beyond @Michael Cyger.

Thank you.

Bob

 

[tvanrijt]

I would love it if all domainers could have common sense.

I know it can be hard to properly value a domain and a lot of us are respectable, but for every respectable domainer there are at least 10 people spamming everyone with unrealistic prices, crappy domains and no real research if the name would actually be interesting to the person (we all get those emails).

If we all had some common sense, I am sure domainers would have a much more positive image and it might be much easier (and more pleasant) to sell our names at fair prices.

 

[garptrader]

CoinMarketcap.com shows the value of recognized crypto currencies at close to $250 BILLION. They list more than 1300 different currencies but the number one currency Bitcoin is over 55% of the total crypto market cap. Many other cryptos have protocols based on the bitcoin white paper with a few adjustments. Yet long term there is no way we will ever need even fifty. How many browsers do you regularly use? How many social media platforms do you regularly use? How many different email addresses do you use for personal use? Why is so much money pouring into crypto which is still trying to find real world use cases while the concept of paying for aftermarket domains more than twenty years after the internet became mainstream is still foreign?

 

[Bob Hawkes]

You raise, perhaps THE key question @garptrader. Why are domain names not as highly valued as we feel they should be, and I guess the obvious related one, what can we do about it?

I think that if we had more solid and more known evidence of the difference that a quality domain makes that would help. I don't mean in our community, but in whatever trade magazines and sites business owners read.

I think we have to begin the process of excitement about quality domain names, in colleges and universities.

I think a few highly influential people who would say things that the business publications pick up would help.

I think if the idea that domain names are an investment class (see e.g. Escrow.com reports) picks up that would help.

If someone got around the issues involved and an Exchange Traded Product that was a holding of domain names was available, that might help.

Thanks for a great contribution.

Bob

 

[GenericDomainz]

New forum, other one like Namepros, 2-3 new news sites, like domaining.com, 1-2 new big new marketplaces, like Flippa or Undeveloped. There is a lot of domainers, but there should be more serious players in industry, industry should be bigger.

 

[poweredbyme]

A marketplace that accepts payments and pays out only in crypto.
Such a marketplace may charge 1% or less fee and can still make profit.

 

[handpicked]

IMO 'Showcasing is the key'

A website says:*

(1) "World wide, there are about 300 million persons trying to start about 150 million businesses. About one third will be launched, so you can assume 50 million new firm births per year. Or about 137,000 per day. "

If the above (1) were true, then we are either not showcasing gems to entrepreneurs who could have been a potential customer (PS: IMO We don't see so many practical end user sales everyday. Demand and Supply do not coincide)

(2) "Total human population of 40 GEM countries is almost 4 billion out of a world population of 6.3 billion; 63% of the world population is represented in this assessment. Among these 4 billion, 2.4 billion are in the age range of 18-64 years, which approximates the working years in most countries. Among this 2.4 billion, about 12% or 297 million are active in trying to get 192 million businesses past the initial launch and through the initial three years of operation."

If (2) were true then millions of re-branding opportunities exits and It's a cycle (2) falls back to (1) till they succeed.

I wish to see:

(a) 500 top high value names 2019 - assets owned by namepros and extensively showcased on NP and entrepreneurs events.
(b) Domain Academy for entrepreneurs to learn and adapt internet names and branding as a strategy.
(c) Extensive Webinars and Domain names cum branding radio channel for extensive showcasing of available pool of high value digital assents held by domaineers, hosting and internet security.

(* - unverified source just for brain storming and not promoting)

Thanks.

 

[Bob Hawkes]

I wish to see:
(a) 500 top high value names 2019 - assets owned by namepros and extensively showcased on NP and entrepreneurs events.
(b) Domain Academy for entrepreneurs to learn and adapt internet names and branding as a strategy.
(c) Extensive Webinars and Domain names branding radio channel for extensive showcasing of available pool of high value digital assents held by domaineers, hosting and internet security.

Wow! I think your ideas really have the potential to have a big positive impact @handpicked . I really like the showcasing aspect. Just a couple Qs to make sure I understand your thinking.

In (a) do you mean some way of determining the best 500 high worth that some NPs member owns, and then showcasing those? The owned by NamePros made me unsure. Really like the entrepreneurs events angle of it especially.

In (b) do you mean single day workshops for entrepreneurs, or do you mean an online course like Domain Name Academy, but for the perspective of entrepreneurs rather than domain investors?

Thanks,
Bob

 

[Lewstar]

Lower price caps on registrations and renewals

NameSilo is back to $6.99 (for the time being).

 

[Grego85]

I wish more registrars offered quality api access.

 

[tonyk2000]

Domain Academy for entrepreneurs to learn and adapt internet names and branding as a strategy

World wide, there are about 300 million persons trying to start about 150 million businesses

Yes, this would be extremely useful. Simply because many of these persons are in their twenties or so, and they belong to "facebook generation"... they would develop social media pages, or, in some cases, android apps. And use @ gmail email address. Nothing more. They feel little or no need to own a domain, premium or not... Which is one of the global problems of domaining industry...

 

[handpicked]

Wow! I think your ideas really have the potential to have a big positive impact @handpicked . I really like the showcasing aspect. Just a couple Qs to make sure I understand your thinking.

In (a) do you mean some way of determining the best 500 high worth that some NPs member owns, and then showcasing those? The owned by NamePros made me unsure. Really like the entrepreneurs events angle of it especially.

In (b) do you mean single day workshops for entrepreneurs, or do you mean an online course like Domain Name Academy, but for the perspective of entrepreneurs rather than domain investors?

Thanks,
Bob

Thanks Bob for this kind of thread and an opportunity to speak-out.

To answer:

(a) Sorry the confusion, I meant NPs members in my suggestions. I see a lot of NP's have excellent potential names which is not reaching the deserving entrepreneurs (names are Bench-sitting for too long). Imagine the concept of Malls and Stores displaying produce, most visitors see, learn and then buy. Digital assets are in need of a much larger platform IMO. Some voting mechanism at NP can bring out the best domains to showcase. voluntary donations too can be made by the beneficiaries once they feel it has helped them and the industry.

(b) IMO, most entrepreneurs get carried away or fall to misinformation regarding branding and digital real estate like domain name assets, hosting, web development, internet security, copyright, patenting etc., this needs to be done from the entrepreneurs angle as you mentioned, preferably, as a package in an side stall of 100's of entrepreneurs meets happening around the globe. With a day long workshop package. IMO Online courses too have plenty of scope. My 10Hr industrial job is draining me but, I do this as a side.

Thanks for the motivation.

 

[Bob Hawkes]

Imagine the concept of Malls and Stores displaying produce, most visitors see, learn and then buy. Digital assets are in need of a much larger platform IMO.

Thanks for the additional detail. I so like this idea. How would you see the decision re which names get featured? An expert panel? Voting? Do you see a charge for this service? I think if one could get to the point where branding companies, university programs on business startup and branding, consultants, etc. went to it as a go to place to find a selection of great names, it would be a huge asset for everyone (both end users and the domainers, of course). I think it might work best to start slow, with a smaller set of names everyone would agree are worthy, and insist on first class presentation of those names. I think it has to go beyond a logo and name, to the sort of presentation you would see in a gallery or something, with an intriguing one or two sentence lead in to the domain, beautiful graphics, some key objective data, etc.

Bob

 

[handpicked]

How would you see the decision re which names get featured? An expert panel? Voting? Do you see a charge for this service?
Bob

I suggest to implement a 'Showcase' Menu Item in the 'NamePros Top Menu Header Bar' after the 'Chat' with 2019 as a menu pull down when clicked lists 500 of the top futuristic brands that could sell at minimum of 5K$ or more chosen by approving panel at NP just like brand-able domains being accepted at BB etc., to submit to the said panel the name has to garner enough weight in terms of votes prior to elevation. This list can be extensively promoted on various platforms like entrepreneurs meetup's etc., will also get more promotion to the site as well. I liked your concept of 'Beyoind Logo' yes, the pitching has to be done like a startup pitch to garner votes that could lead to elevation. Thanks.

 

[Marceden]

I thought it would be interesting to discuss what additional resource would make life easier or more productive for domainers. This could be a new database, tool, type of marketplace, transaction process, promotional opportunity, etc. It might even be some new feature of NamePros that you would find really helpful.

So wave that magic wand! What do you want?

While this is partly to have fun imagining what we could have, I hope that ideas will emerge that someone will run with and a new product will be born.

Not so long ago our industry did not have resources like Efty, Dofo and the brandable marketplaces, and imagine the impacts those have had.

If it is a feature on NamePros you have in mind, I am pretty sure someone is listening to all the threads for good ideas to make our community even better!

The ideas can be as simple as adding a new feature to some marketplace or as complex as a totally new type of product that links domainers and end users.

I have a few ideas that I will share a bit later in discussion, but look forward to hearing ideas that other people have.

Bob

Bob, please let me know your ideas to create the website. As mentioned i have the domain 5gdomainsales.com How would you suggest setting this up. My idea was either as a directory or auctions