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.

 

[NameGroove]

Thanks for that. Maybe one of the things and let me say I am no expert in structuring how search works for a website. But maybe it's just too many names, that there is no way anyone could ever be satisfied.

Let's take a poplular keyword like Data, well I want my DataSmash.com to be up there at the top, but I imagine there are thousands of names with Data that are boosted that also want that.

I think this plan is just too complicated and too hard to actually get right.

I remember years ago on BrandBucket people would say my name does not show for this search and actually has the keyword but someone else's does. @Chris Hydrick do you remember those debates and were they ever fixed?

The reality of search results like these is that the Top 3 results get clicks and the rest, almost nada. I was a media buyer for years - if you aren't in the Top 3, you may as well not be listed.

 

[equity78]

The reality of search results like these is that the Top 3 results get clicks and the rest, almost nada. I was a media buyer for years - if you aren't in the Top 3, you may as well not be listed.

Agree and that's the problem. A boost will give visibility, maybe a sale happens. GoDaddy would get a commission. But that sponsored placement money is cash in hand. Do not need any sales.

 

[Future Sensors]

Cash in hand, and a lot of opportunity cost/lost.

 

[Jannes]

The reality of search results like these is that the Top 3 results get clicks and the rest, almost nada. I was a media buyer for years - if you aren't in the Top 3, you may as well not be listed.

I don't think it's that bad when people don't search for commoditized information but something unique that would be a perfect/good match for them.

Actually I'd like to see more suggested results. Infinite scrolling or at least a "load more" button.

 

[NameGroove]

I don't think it's that bad when people don't search for commoditized information but something unique that would be a perfect/good match for them.

Actually I'd like to see more suggested results. Infinite scrolling or at least a "load more" button.

You could "want" to see it - but Google has myriad data on this. If it's not Top 3 - it is almost (not quite) but almost worthless.

 

[pb]

You could "want" to see it - but Google has myriad data on this. If it's not Top 3 - it is almost (not quite) but almost worthless.

Yes, well, google is not a place where people look for availability of potential business names. When I tried to look for a cool domain for a company, I did a lot of scrolling.

 

[NameGroove]

Yes, well, google is not a place where people look for availability of potential business names. When I tried to look for a cool domain for a company, I did a lot of scrolling.

I understand, we all have our personal experience. Our personal bias. The things we do and so we tend to see the world through the lens of our own experience.

However, data across huge swaths of populations and billions of searches shows that the Top 3 are the prime real estate. It doesn't make the #11 listing worth zero. But it does make it worth significantly less. So much so, that media buyers across the world fight and wrestle to get into the Top 3 slots. Now as you state, this isn't a true apples to apples comparison. Perhaps small business buyers search very differently when trying to name their company. It can't be ruled out. But I would bet against it. And I did. I opted out of Boost.

 

[pb]

Yes, I also opted out of boost, so my names will appear on #1234 instead of #123, no big deal.
I'm just saying that when people look for a name, they take more just three into consideration. And they definitely scroll past .sucks.

 

[silentg]

Is the boost working or not?

using NameFind (GoDaddy) domain
location: Canada

search: rej.org

search: rej

rej.org is nowhere to be found. Now on GoDaddy auctions page and search for Rej, that's how the boost should be working, search result listing all the possible domains related to the search.

See how Rej.io and Rej.ai is showing as available for registration, they're registered domains. Bug I reported before and still hasn't been fixed.

 

[davidc1]

Is the boost working or not?

using NameFind (GoDaddy) domain
location: Canada

search: rej.org
Show attachment 262661


search: rej
Show attachment 262662

rej.org is nowhere to be found. Now on GoDaddy auctions page and search for Rej, that's how the boost should be working, search result listing all the possible domains related to the search.

See how Rej.io and Rej.ai is showing as available for registration, they're registered domains. Bug I reported before and still hasn't been fixed.

I see it around 10 places to the bottom

 

[silentg]

I see it around 10 places to the bottom

With Boost, it should be shown for all user search

Rej.org is registered with GoDaddy and tested another NameFind .org domain that is also registered at GoDaddy, and it shows up in the search results.

My post was to highlight the reg path search doesn't work properly. Bugs should be fixed, Investors are paying 5% premium and domains are not showing up.

 

[DomainBanana]

My post was to highlight the reg path search doesn't work properly. Bugs should be fixed, Investors are paying 5% premium and domains are not showing up.

It's not a bug, it's just a bad plan.

"Boost" makes no guarantees about names showing up in the search path. Even with Boost, many non-coms that exactly match the SLD will not show in the search.

This is what we're being offered in exchange for a 33.3% commission increase:

• a vague claim about improved results
• UI improvements that cost GD nothing
• no exposure guarantees
• no way to measure exposure
• no way to measure performance

Meanwhile, registry partners paying for promotions likely do get guarantees for search placement and performance metrics about impressions, click-through, etc. No business would pay for vague promises of increased exposure without any data to show what they're getting, but that's exactly what we're being asked to do.

Why would anyone opt in to this?

And why does GD have so much contempt for domain investors?

 

[Mikeyboy]

Anyone seen any improvement with Boost left on?

 

[AEProgram]

Anyone seen any improvement with Boost left on?

For almost 100% of all domainers, domain sales are too random to know if there is a difference or not. There are a few people here that like to act like they make enough sales to know, they will never post any proof, ignore them.

 

[AEProgram]

A few years ago she denied doing any outbound (question 6):

https://tldinvestors.com/2021/11/swetha-2021-interview.html

The only people that think that outbound works for domains over 200 dollars are people that never tried outbound or had luck once with it.

 

[Kyle Tully]

The only people that think that outbound works for domains over 200 dollars are people that never tried outbound or had luck once with it.

Top brokers are regularly outbounding names for 6-7 figures.

 

[AEProgram]

Top brokers are regularly outbounding names for 6-7 figures.

How do we know that pigeons don't poop 24k gold bars? Because we don't see gold all over the street.

The nonsense behind "top brokers" and their methods is ridiculous. There are many "top brokers" where are all the 6-7 figure sales? We should see new ones daily. When we do see them and we read the story, its RARE that it started with a broker doing outbound.

Top brokers are good at convincing people with great names to sign an exclusive broker agreement, and if you are lucky, they are great negotiators. They do what the rest of the industry does, waits.

Do they email a few possible buyers and reach out on LinkedIn? Sure, but that is minimal.

Top domain brokers are like top real estate agents with million dollar listings. They convince sellers to sign and they list it and wait. Most people think they spend all day trying to find a buyer.

By the way, a lot of the sales of top brokers comes from a company that hires them to buy a name "stealthy." The broker doesn't have the name yet but their job is to go and see how to get the name for a good price.

 

[Kyle Tully]

How do we know that pigeons don't poop 24k gold bars? Because we don't see gold all over the street.

The nonsense behind "top brokers" and their methods is ridiculous. There are many "top brokers" where are all the 6-7 figure sales? We should see new ones daily. When we do see them and we read the story, its RARE that it started with a broker doing outbound.

Top brokers are good at convincing people with great names to sign an exclusive broker agreement, and if you are lucky, they are great negotiators. They do what the rest of the industry does, waits.

Do they email a few possible buyers and reach out on LinkedIn? Sure, but that is minimal.

Top domain brokers are like top real estate agents with million dollar listings. They convince sellers to sign and they list it and wait. Most people think they spend all day trying to find a buyer.

By the way, a lot of the sales of top brokers comes from a company that hires them to buy a name "stealthy." The broker doesn't have the name yet but their job is to go and see how to get the name for a good price.

Ok mate sounds like you’ve made up your mind, you’re right you can only sell names up to a maximum of $200 via outbound. Good luck!

 

[AEProgram]

Ok mate sounds like you’ve made up your mind, you’re right you can only sell names up to a maximum of $200 via outbound. Good luck!

Sorry for destroying that outbound fantasy.

 

[D Haynes]

How do we know that pigeons don't poop 24k gold bars? Because we don't see gold all over the street.

The nonsense behind "top brokers" and their methods is ridiculous. There are many "top brokers" where are all the 6-7 figure sales? We should see new ones daily. When we do see them and we read the story, its RARE that it started with a broker doing outbound.

Top brokers are good at convincing people with great names to sign an exclusive broker agreement, and if you are lucky, they are great negotiators. They do what the rest of the industry does, waits.

Do they email a few possible buyers and reach out on LinkedIn? Sure, but that is minimal.

Top domain brokers are like top real estate agents with million dollar listings. They convince sellers to sign and they list it and wait. Most people think they spend all day trying to find a buyer.

By the way, a lot of the sales of top brokers comes from a company that hires them to buy a name "stealthy." The broker doesn't have the name yet but their job is to go and see how to get the name for a good price.

I somewhat agree with this. Top names worth 6 - 7 figures sell themselves to an extent. I feel like the average domainer could be just as successful with the premium names the "top" brokers sell.

I believe there's more skill in picking (buying) and selling more average names on a budget.

A large part of the success of the domaining elite is the network they've built. Its a bit of an "old boys" club I guess. But that's no different to the top of any industry and they've got themselves there so fair play to them.

 

[Kyle Tully]

I somewhat agree with this. Top names worth 6 - 7 figures sell themselves to an extent. I feel like the average domainer could be just as successful with the premium names the "top" brokers sell.

I believe there's more skill in picking (buying) and selling more average names on a budget.

A large part of the success of the domaining elite is the network they've built. Its a bit of an "old boys" club I guess. But that's no different to the top of any industry and they've got themselves there so fair play to them.

Everyone thinks they can sell until they have to

Yes top names sell themselves at some point, but if you want to move them quicker then outbound and actual sales skills can certainly help.

Look at what people like Jen Sale are doing:

“Fast forward to a 7-fig sale I brokered over a decade ago which closed in 72hrs — still my fav deal. I found a name, sold it to an investor and promised I could make them a decent return, flipped it for more than 10X soon after”

If people here can do that, they should

 

[D Haynes]

Everyone thinks they can sell until they have to

Yes top names sell themselves at some point, but if you want to move them quicker then outbound and actual sales skills can certainly help.

Look at what people like Jen Sale are doing:

“Fast forward to a 7-fig sale I brokered over a decade ago which closed in 72hrs — still my fav deal. I found a name, sold it to an investor and promised I could make them a decent return, flipped it for more than 10X soon after”

If people here can do that, they should

Oh yeah don't get me wrong, some people are better salesman than others, there's certainly a skill in convincing someone to part with their cash.

 

[boziffous]

Anyone seen any improvement with Boost left on?

Domain sales are pretty random. Most domainers probably don't have a portfolio big enough to be statistically relevant to determine if boost is helping or not yet. Even if someone had 10,000 names it would probably take several months, if not longer, to determine if Boost is having a positive effect.

 

[Skyvisum]

Godaddy just comes up with boost and it looks like a mind control tactics to make it seem boost is the solution to your sales .It is not .Get a quality name and list with a lander other than afternic and it would sell. Someone just sold a name using afternic lander and it sold on sedo.

Until people realize that they are being programmed and tricked into thinking a fake boost is the solution to their sales,they would keep taking advantage of you .So you mean to tell me all these years, names haven't been selling more without a " fake boost "?

Wake up people .Work smart and don't let them outsmart you .They are killing Dan to show you who is boss .

Use namepros lander now or any other and control your inbound leads and close your sales and keep more in your pockets.

Goodluck with your sales everyone.

 

[Future Sensors]

A large part of the success of the domaining elite is the network they've built. Its a bit of an "old boys" club I guess. But that's no different to the top of any industry and they've got themselves there so fair play to them.

Maybe Afternic should take a page out of LinkedIn’s book and focus more on building a networking platform for domain investors. They could do this for a small annual fee of just 15% of the total appraised value of your domain portfolio. DDC will be included.