Introducing Afternic Boost: More domain visibility, more domain sales

[GoDaddy]

We are thrilled to announce the launch of Afternic Boost, the new program that can contribute up to a 10% increase in sales performance for participating portfolios!*

We have been experimenting with how to drive more exposure for Afternic domains on GoDaddy, and we're thrilled to announce that these experiments yielded impressive results. As a result, we're rolling out Boost as a standard inclusion for all Afternic sellers starting September 4, 2024.


Why Afternic Boost Works:
We listened to your feedback and developed Afternic Boost to address your need for greater exposure on GoDaddy. Here’s what Boost provides at launch:

• Suggested search results: Your domains will gain higher placement in GoDaddy’s suggested search results, making them more discoverable.

• Verified Badges: Boost Fast Transfer domains will feature "Verified" badges on exact-match searches, aiding visibility.

• Verified Lander Badges: Eligible domains using Afternic’s Buy it Now and Custom Landers will display verified badges. Boosted domain names that aren't opted into Fast Transfer will display a "Premium" badge on Afternic's Buy it Now and Custom Landers.

• Targeted Email Marketing: Our targeted email campaigns will match your domain names with potential buyers at GoDaddy.

As the world’s largest domain registrar, GoDaddy offers a massive, continuously growing audience of domain shoppers. Afternic Boost leverages this vast customer base, ensuring that your domains are seen by a motivated, pre-qualified audience.




What You Should Know:

• • Boost begins on September 4, 2024. All Afternic sellers will be automatically opted in to Boost, ensuring your domains gain maximum exposure.
  • Additional Commission: To support this enhanced service, an additional 5% commission will apply for Boost customers from September 4, 2024.
  • Flexibility: We understand that one size doesn’t fit all. Therefore, you can opt out of Afternic Boost at any time from today (August 7, 2024) if it doesn’t align with your strategy by heading to afternic.com/account/boost.

Investing in Success:
Think of Afternic Boost as an investment rather than an expense. Online marketplaces, such as Amazon, Facebook, and Zillow, offer sponsored listings to increase sellers' exposure in search. Similarly, Boost allows domain investors to enhance their visibility in a digital marketplace, and the results are that Boost can contribute up to a 10% increase in sales performance for your portfolio*.

Next Steps:
Experimentation with Boost will continue through the month of August. On September 4, Afternic Boost will be automatically activated at the account level, optimizing your portfolio's visibility.

If you decide Boost isn't right for you, you can easily opt out. We recommend remaining enrolled to continue benefiting from enhanced visibility across the GoDaddy platform.


If you have any questions, read the launch blog post, or head to Afternic’s Help Center, where we’ve got you covered.

Want to learn more about what Boost offers? Head to our blog.

*Individual results may vary. Based on internal data of GoDaddy aftermarket sales from January 2024 through June 2024.

 

[davidc1]

No it is not for everyone, when I chk by your link it is still down, there is even a dashed (eva-sci,com) one which is upper shown.
edit: note that I list it on Dan not having it with Boost on Afternic!

Let's see if sales drop next days...
Edit: they test imo

 

[DomainNature]

Not sure what I m waiting for, we should stop using everything that is owned by Godaddy, let their ship sink with Dan to be it's last heavy weight in the pile of acquisitions.
Don't forget that the more you feed the beast, the more it will grow and poop, and so on, like my Goldfish in aquarium.

 

[Future Sensors]

Don't forget that the more you feed the beast, the more it will grow and poop, and so on, like my Goldfish in aquarium.

 

[Future Sensors]

An answer to that will require some tricky language. LOL.

Here is an earlier discussion about the “Verified Domain” badge from when Afternic was still testing these features.

https://www.namepros.com/threads/afternic-official-thread.1295231/page-33#post-9092364

Now that the test phase is over, it is unacceptable for the mouse-over on the “Verified Domain” badge to indicate that the domain is Fast Transfer-enabled, while other domains that are also Fast Transfer-enabled do not receive the “Verified Domain” badge.

Please fix @GoDaddy

 

[Future Sensors]

Evaluating GoDaddy’s TLD Offerings for SMBs

https://www.namepros.com/threads/evaluating-godaddys-tld-offerings-for-smbs.1334107/

 

[Bannen]

Ok so I have not opted out, I am willing to try stuff and see and can always opt out later.

I own TechTemps.com I purposely put in TechTemp.com because I know if someone searched my exact name it would show. I want to see the boost in play. So it seems TechTemp.com available for $12,995. Below it are TechTemp in other cctlds and new gtlds, I do see my TechTemps.com in 11th position.

So I think it needs to move up to top 3 to be worth the boost. I always use a computer a lot of people in the world use a phone, smaller screen so even harder for the name to be seen as many might not scroll down as much. It is the first day so we will see what happens but it would be nice for the boost to have you top three.

I get mixed results:

1. First, I put in 'techtemp'; of the 40 results listed, your techtemps dot com did not show up anywhere on the page. I am in Canada, so I got many poor 'recommendations', many with a .ca on the end, like 'TheTechTemp.ca' etc.

So it is important to note that, while it might 'sound good on paper' to have your domain show up as an alternate keyword when people search VERY similar keywords... that might only work in the U.S. In other countries around the world, the search results might entirely ignore your own very-close-match-domain, in favor of listing a bunch of ccTLDs of wherever the searcher lives. In fact, your domain may show up on the GD results page to similar domains... only when those similar domains are searched in the U.S.! Which means the rest of the world, even when searching 'techtemp', may never see your TechTemps dot com.

I invite domainers from countries other than the U.S. to type 'techtemp' into their Godaddy search field, and see if 'TechTemps' dot com appears anywhere on the results page. This is a good experiment.

2. Then I put in 'TechTemp.com', the singular WITH EXTENSION. That brought entirely different results. There were still a bunch of bullcrap other extensions as suggestions, and some .ca's, but your domain TechTemps showed up in 10th spot on the results page.

Interesting that typing in 'TechTemp' and 'TechTemp.com' bring entirely different results.

That being said... most people do not search the term with the '.com' on the end. They just type in the name 'techtemp' without the .com, and see what results come back.

Special note that it does not matter that your domain is seen when we search for your EXACT term (TechTemps with the 's'), because that is supposed to happen; what Boost is supposed to be about... is to get our domains to pop up in a good spot when someone searches a similar term.

That didn't happen when I searched for your term. In the first search, without .com extension, yours didn't even show up -- in a results list of 42 recommended names! -- here in Canada; in my second search, with the .com extension, your domain showed up in 10th position, after a bunch of crappy domains and crappy extensions.

Since you are still opted in to Boost, I consider this a very weak showing for your almost-exact-match-domain.

P.S. The owner of TechTemp dot com is going to owe us all a big favor, for putting their domain in the limelight. Ha

Double P.P.S. I see I kept switching temptech/techtemp around; hopefully I've edited it so all are now correct!

 

[Sammy Jakes]

Afternic is always working to give you more ways to increase the number of domain sales you make, and that latest initiative is Boost. This is an investment to help increase exposure and visibility through GoDaddy, Afternic landers, and email campaigns.

What if I am not using other landers outside afternic's designated landers?

 

[VivifyDomains]

Actually this is one of the better search/boost results I've seen. If I continue to see these sorts of results I may reconsider opting back in. But will need consistency and a much higher percentage of these sorts of results.

However - although you say you're opted in, your result doesn't show a verified badge (which is a staple of the program). Are you sure you're opted in? Was this screenshot taken on Sep 4 (or before)?

The screenshot is just from yesterday but I get the same result today as well. The badges are there on the lander, are you not seeing them on your end?

 

[Recons.Com]

The screenshot is just from yesterday but I get the same result today as well. The badges are there on the lander, are you not seeing them on your end?
Show attachment 262228

Hopefully, they remain.

the lander should be optimized according to the best performance regardless if a seller is part of boost or not. It would be an idiotic decision by the platform to suppress sales and give up 75% to blackmail into getting another 25%.

 

[Future Sensors]

to blackmail

Finally, someone brave enough to say it out loud.

 

[Garet]

It would be an idiotic decision by the platform to suppress sales and give up 75% to blackmail into getting another 25%.

If the badges actually have been proven to increase sales, eliminating them would suppress sales (by some percentage) for names that are not opted in for the so-called Boost. My impression is this is exactly the decision that has been made. It does not feel inconsistent to me with the GoDaddy way of thinking and doing things.

I never understand how they seem to arrive at the conclusion that good business (fixing bugs, treating people with respect, etc.) isn't also profitable business. Gimmicks are not superior to doing things well.

 

[equity78]

I get mixed results:

1. First, I put in 'techtemp'; of the 40 results listed, your techtemps dot com did not show up anywhere on the page. I am in Canada, so I got many poor 'recommendations', many with a .ca on the end, like 'TheTechTemp.ca' etc.

So it is important to note that, while it might 'sound good on paper' to have your domain show up as an alternate keyword when people search VERY similar keywords... that might only work in the U.S. In other countries around the world, the search results might entirely ignore your own very-close-match-domain, in favor of listing a bunch of ccTLDs of wherever the searcher lives. In fact, your domain may show up on the GD results page to similar domains... only when those similar domains are searched in the U.S.! Which means the rest of the world, even when searching 'techtemp', may never see your TechTemps dot com.

I invite domainers from countries other than the U.S. to type 'techtemp' into their Godaddy search field, and see if 'TechTemps' dot com appears anywhere on the results page. This is a good experiment.

2. Then I put in 'TechTemp.com', the singular WITH EXTENSION. That brought entirely different results. There were still a bunch of bullcrap other extensions as suggestions, and some .ca's, but your domain TechTemps showed up in 10th spot on the results page.

Interesting that typing in 'TechTemp' and 'TechTemp.com' bring entirely different results.

That being said... most people do not search the term with the '.com' on the end. They just type in the name 'techtemp' without the .com, and see what results come back.

Special note that it does not matter that your domain is seen when we search for your EXACT term (TechTemps with the 's'), because that is supposed to happen; what Boost is supposed to be about... is to get our domains to pop up in a good spot when someone searches a similar term.

That didn't happen when I searched for your term. In the first search, without .com extension, yours didn't even show up -- in a results list of 42 recommended names! -- here in Canada; in my second search, with the .com extension, your domain showed up in 10th position, after a bunch of crappy domains and crappy extensions.

Since you are still opted in to Boost, I consider this a very weak showing for your almost-exact-match-domain.

P.S. The owner of TechTemp dot com is going to owe us all a big favor, for putting their domain in the limelight. Ha

Double P.P.S. I see I kept switching temptech/techtemp around; hopefully I've edited it so all are now correct!

Thanks man, yeah someone else on X said they were in Canada and my domain did not show. Maybe it's impossible, but I think we need to have the same shared environment. If that's impossible it's not really a consistent boost.

 

[sg08]

Dynadot shows Afternic FT disabled right now. I guess they are boosting on wrong way.

 

[boziffous]

Dynadot shows Afternic FT disabled right now. I guess they are boosting on wrong way.

I noticed this yesterday on a lot of my domains at Dynadot. When I look on Afternic it shows the same domains as being Fast Transfer enabled still.

 

[Lox]

Sept 4
(* indicates possible transaction /sale)

	from NS	to NS
2,239	domaincontrol (GD)	afternic
1,826 *	afternic	domaincontrol (GD)
1,793	afternic	domaineasy
2,462	sudos	afternic
3,223	afternic	dan
3,269	domaincontrol (GD)	cloud flare
4,007	cloud flare	domaincontrol (GD)

 

[D Haynes]

I get mixed results:

1. First, I put in 'techtemp'; of the 40 results listed, your techtemps dot com did not show up anywhere on the page. I am in Canada, so I got many poor 'recommendations', many with a .ca on the end, like 'TheTechTemp.ca' etc.

So it is important to note that, while it might 'sound good on paper' to have your domain show up as an alternate keyword when people search VERY similar keywords... that might only work in the U.S. In other countries around the world, the search results might entirely ignore your own very-close-match-domain, in favor of listing a bunch of ccTLDs of wherever the searcher lives. In fact, your domain may show up on the GD results page to similar domains... only when those similar domains are searched in the U.S.! Which means the rest of the world, even when searching 'techtemp', may never see your TechTemps dot com.

I invite domainers from countries other than the U.S. to type 'techtemp' into their Godaddy search field, and see if 'TechTemps' dot com appears anywhere on the results page. This is a good experiment.

2. Then I put in 'TechTemp.com', the singular WITH EXTENSION. That brought entirely different results. There were still a bunch of bullcrap other extensions as suggestions, and some .ca's, but your domain TechTemps showed up in 10th spot on the results page.

Interesting that typing in 'TechTemp' and 'TechTemp.com' bring entirely different results.

That being said... most people do not search the term with the '.com' on the end. They just type in the name 'techtemp' without the .com, and see what results come back.

Special note that it does not matter that your domain is seen when we search for your EXACT term (TechTemps with the 's'), because that is supposed to happen; what Boost is supposed to be about... is to get our domains to pop up in a good spot when someone searches a similar term.

That didn't happen when I searched for your term. In the first search, without .com extension, yours didn't even show up -- in a results list of 42 recommended names! -- here in Canada; in my second search, with the .com extension, your domain showed up in 10th position, after a bunch of crappy domains and crappy extensions.

Since you are still opted in to Boost, I consider this a very weak showing for your almost-exact-match-domain.

P.S. The owner of TechTemp dot com is going to owe us all a big favor, for putting their domain in the limelight. Ha

Double P.P.S. I see I kept switching temptech/techtemp around; hopefully I've edited it so all are now correct!

UK search results for techtemp doesn't show techtemps.com in the search results but does show techtemps.ccTLD so the system is aware the plural is a close match. In fact the search results don't show techtemp.com until 18th!

A search for techtemp.com returns the exact match as the 1st result and the plural as the 12th.

A search for techtemps gives the exact match .com at number 17.

A search for techtemps.com gives the exact match as the 1st result and important to note that this is the only time in all the searchs it's shown the "verified" badge in the results (on mobile).

 

[D Haynes]

I get mixed results:

1. First, I put in 'techtemp'; of the 40 results listed, your techtemps dot com did not show up anywhere on the page. I am in Canada, so I got many poor 'recommendations', many with a .ca on the end, like 'TheTechTemp.ca' etc.

So it is important to note that, while it might 'sound good on paper' to have your domain show up as an alternate keyword when people search VERY similar keywords... that might only work in the U.S. In other countries around the world, the search results might entirely ignore your own very-close-match-domain, in favor of listing a bunch of ccTLDs of wherever the searcher lives. In fact, your domain may show up on the GD results page to similar domains... only when those similar domains are searched in the U.S.! Which means the rest of the world, even when searching 'techtemp', may never see your TechTemps dot com.

I invite domainers from countries other than the U.S. to type 'techtemp' into their Godaddy search field, and see if 'TechTemps' dot com appears anywhere on the results page. This is a good experiment.

2. Then I put in 'TechTemp.com', the singular WITH EXTENSION. That brought entirely different results. There were still a bunch of bullcrap other extensions as suggestions, and some .ca's, but your domain TechTemps showed up in 10th spot on the results page.

Interesting that typing in 'TechTemp' and 'TechTemp.com' bring entirely different results.

That being said... most people do not search the term with the '.com' on the end. They just type in the name 'techtemp' without the .com, and see what results come back.

Special note that it does not matter that your domain is seen when we search for your EXACT term (TechTemps with the 's'), because that is supposed to happen; what Boost is supposed to be about... is to get our domains to pop up in a good spot when someone searches a similar term.

That didn't happen when I searched for your term. In the first search, without .com extension, yours didn't even show up -- in a results list of 42 recommended names! -- here in Canada; in my second search, with the .com extension, your domain showed up in 10th position, after a bunch of crappy domains and crappy extensions.

Since you are still opted in to Boost, I consider this a very weak showing for your almost-exact-match-domain.

P.S. The owner of TechTemp dot com is going to owe us all a big favor, for putting their domain in the limelight. Ha

Double P.P.S. I see I kept switching temptech/techtemp around; hopefully I've edited it so all are now correct!

As a comparison I searched one of my own names that's also a plural and isn't in the boost...

When I search the singular my plural is 20th in the results.

Same result when I search the singular.com

A search for the plural gives my exact match as 19th

A search for plural.com returns my exact match.com at 1st with a smaller "premium" tag.

Worth noting that the singular is not for sale so I guess that might have some effect on results.

 

[D Haynes]

I've tried with a few searchs of my names and it looks like the extra 5% gets you from 17-19th to 12th. Thats pretty much it. The badges are a nonsense and won't make any difference on mobile searchs.

 

[Recons.Com]

I've tried with a few searchs of my names and it looks like the extra 5% gets you from 17-19th to 12th. Thats pretty much it. The badges are a nonsense and won't make any difference on mobile searchs.

The problem is not what you get for 5% extra commission. The problem is what they will take away from you in case you don't agree to pay it.

 

[Future Sensors]

I've tried with a few searchs of my names and it looks like the extra 5% gets you from 17-19th to 12th. Thats pretty much it. The badges are a nonsense and won't make any difference on mobile searchs.

Disappointing.

I guess the 12th position is still below the promoted ".sucks" TLD option in the total overview?

 

[phaethon]

Disappointing.

I guess the 12th position is still below the promoted ".sucks" TLD option in the total overview?

That could actually work, as the end user will check some other options that will most likely suck and buy yours...if he makes it to 12 and finds yours..

 

[Future Sensors]

That could actually work, as the end user will check some other options that will most likely suck and buy yours...if he makes it to 12 and finds yours haha..

That’s an interesting perspective, thank you. I believe a serious SMB owner that's looking to name their company, would likely lose interest quickly upon encountering al these irrelevant TLDs.

 

[DomainBanana]

GoDaddy may think squeezing an extra 5% in commissions from sellers earns them more money, but have they considered the hidden costs?

1. Loss of trust
2. Resentment
3. Customer attrition
4. Increased regulatory scrutiny
5. Long-term brand damage

Send your thoughts on the Boost to: [email protected]

 

[Future Sensors]

Fellow investors,

One day after Boost took effect, the poll has reached 100 votes. Voting remains open for some while.

https://www.namepros.com/threads/poll-will-you-participate-in-the-afternic-boost-program.1333652/

 

[Bob Hawkes]

If the badges actually have been proven to increase sales, eliminating them would suppress sales (by some percentage) for names that are not opted in for the so-called Boost. My impression is this is exactly the decision that has been made.

I can't get my head around their thinking. I think it is reasonable that the badges would help sales. I like how they look on the landers, and will help trust. If they increase sales, GD/Afternic would make more sales, and would make more commission, if all who qualify have the badges. It is not like an extra cost really. How does it make sense to throttle the badges for those who do not agree to higher commission rate, and therefore GD/Afternic make less commission?