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.

 

[Future Sensors]

If GoDaddy’s AI were truly effective at suggesting relevant domains to SMBs, leveraging its massive training database of past sales, it could potentially eliminate a significant portion of the poor-quality Afternic inventory. Be careful what you wish for...

 

[bmugford]

I understand the metrics. All I'm saying is that one bucket may have gotten 10.2% or 10.342% and their legal said ok to use it to say "up to 10%". When in actuality the myriad test buckets had results of +.00007%, +1.2%, +.7% and + 10.2%. And so they can say up to... but it's really not the case. It simply cannot be with the results we are shown. Those landing pages cannot result in a 10% lift on anything other than cross marketed exact match TLDs.

The fact that GoDaddy uses "up to 10%" makes me believe the actual results weren't so great.

If the results were great, I think we would have got more than just vague claims. You know, like actual quantifiable data.

They were certainly below 10%, but by how much?

When even the stated best case scenario results in GoDaddy getting 70% of the extra revenue and you getting 30%, it's not real appealing.

Brad

 

[Future Sensors]

Oh really, but they say boost is there since january 2024.

We’ve observed these badges in various forms, it’s clear they were conducting extensive testing. This testing even led to domains becoming completely invisible from certain countries during the test phase. At that time, the ‘Boost’ label had not yet been introduced, but it's clear that it was done in preparation for the launch of Boost this month.

 

[NameGroove]

If GoDaddy’s AI were truly effective at suggesting relevant domains to SMBs, leveraging its massive training database of past sales, it could potentially eliminate a significant portion of the poor-quality Afternic inventory. Be careful what you wish for...

I'm all for effective Ai. If that means some of my lower quality names disappear so be it. I'm not in the business of selling junk. A truly effective ai would allow us to more easily drop underperforming names and promote higher quality ones for businesses and consumers. And that helps everyone. A rising tide...

 

[inforg]

I opted out of boost. I was checking today, just to see what impact it may have. I found that for my .com domains, when a person searches an exact term without tld, that my .com domain showed up as the top choice. However, for my .org domains, they did not appear at all in the list. Would be interested in knowing from someone that is opted in, what position if any that a .org would appear in.

 

[Future Sensors]

I’d love to hear more positive stories from people who have chosen to continue using Boost. I’ve set aside the next few hours just for hearing success stories.

 

[D Haynes]

I’d love to hear more positive stories from people who have chosen to continue using Boost. I’ve set aside the next few hours just for hearing success stories.

Unfortunately "success" in context to the Boost program is no only completely unlikely but unquantifiable and unprovable so you might as well do something productive with your time.

 

[bmugford]

Unfortunately "success" in context to the Boost program is no only completely unlikely but unquantifiable and unprovable so you might as well do something productive with your time.

In fairness, he didn't say success just for domain owners.

They could be success stories about GoDaddy getting an extra 5% for nothing.

Brad

 

[D Haynes]

In fairness, he didn't say success just for domain owners.

They could be success stories about GoDaddy getting an extra 5% for nothing.

Brad

I'm mean it's entirely likely this isn't a success story for GD either.

 

[Future Sensors]

I'm mean it's entirely likely this isn't a success story for GD either.

That completely depends on their definition. And now things get really interesting.

 

[D Haynes]

All they're doing is puting worse names in front of potential buyer that they're way less likely to buy which equals less sales in the long run.

 

[bmugford]

I'm mean it's entirely likely this isn't a success story for GD either.

What, the majority of large portfolios opting-out so they are left with fewer (likely lower quality) domains to "boost"?

Brad

 

[D Haynes]

What, the majority of large portfolios opting-out so they are left with fewer (likely lower quality) domains to "boost"?

Brad

And lower quality domains to offer customers.

 

[bmugford]

And lower quality domains to offer customers.

Dude, they have been promoting .sucks and .foo...Do they really care about quality?

Brad

 

[D Haynes]

Dude, they have been promoting .sucks and .foo...Do they really care about quality?

Brad

Yeah I get your point lol

 

[Future Sensors]

Yeah I get your point lol

The strength of effective marketing lies precisely in repetition.

Why is GoDaddy promoting .sucks and .foo...Do they really care about quality?

 

[D Haynes]

The strength of effective marketing lies precisely in repetition.

Why is GoDaddy promoting .sucks and .foo...Do they really care about quality?

It's a very short sighted strategy though isn't it. It's not sustainable. No longevity.

 

[NameGroove]

You guys are cracking me up!

And you made me realize this really isn't in the best interest of GoDaddy. As more of the top sellers opt out the remaining names have less quality. Couple this with the current state of their Ai who can't choose a similar name to save its mechanical life, alongside GoDaddy's insistence of promoting .sucks, .foo, et al, and consumers will be presented with more and more low quality crapola. And that cycle ensures GoDaddy loses market share (which ultimately will be a good thing for the industry as they'll lose dominant control).

 

[Future Sensors]

You guys are cracking me up!

And you made me realize this really isn't in the best interest of GoDaddy. As more of the top sellers opt out the remaining names have less quality. Couple this with the current state of their Ai who can't choose a similar name to save its mechanical life, alongside GoDaddy's insistence of promoting .sucks, .foo, et al, and consumers will be presented with more and more low quality crapola. And that cycle ensures GoDaddy loses market share (which ultimately will be a good thing for the industry as they'll lose dominant control).

I’m not entirely sure about the last sentence, but I agree with the rest.

 

[Future Sensors]

Just Commission (probably dropped by Godaddy)

Lol.

 

[Recons.Com]

Lol.

I knew you'd appreciate it )

 

[NameGroove]

I’m not entirely sure about the last sentence, but I agree with the rest.

You think it's good on registrar has dominant market share?

 

[Future Sensors]

You think it's good on registrar has dominant market share?

My remark specifically pertained to this part:

"And that cycle ensures GoDaddy loses market share"

(not to the additional information in parentheses)

 

[rh2000]

The strength of effective marketing lies precisely in repetition.

Why is GoDaddy promoting .sucks and .foo...Do they really care about quality?

Looks like I need to start investing in .sucks and .foo domains. I didn't even know these existed.

 

[Future Sensors]

This thread has been a great success, garnering nearly 1,000 posts and close to 40,000 views.

Thank you for initiating this engaging discussion @GoDaddy.