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discuss .Online Domains - Why 3,634 and counting

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ThatNameGuy

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NamePros member @DirkS has requested that I provide an explanation for why I've registered over 3,600 .online domains in the last six months, so here goes;

First and foremost I'm a visionary. I've started dozens of business in my life. I'm 73 years old, and I started my first business while still in college in 1970. Sure I could just be saying this, but if you have doubts I would strongly suggest that you check me out.

Having learned about this industry just over three years ago I've found the .com extension for most new business names to be both unavailable and unaffordable. I've learned that if I were to start a new business today it's unlikely the name I choose for my business would be available or affordable.

Most important, like zip codes and area codes there are literally hundreds/thousands of alternatives, and .Online just so happens to be one of the alternatives. What initially attracted me to the .Online extension was when NamesCon Online (aka NamesCon.com) made the decision to have Radix (aka Radix.online) be a sponsor. Radix then created the domain NamesCon.online to compliment/match NamesCon.com.

When I realized how the .online extension matched up with names like Reservations.online, Shopping.online, Learning.online and Domains.online, I just knew i was on to something:xf.smile: Note that names like Reservations.com, Shopping.com, Learning.com and Domains.com are not only "unavailable", even if they were available, they'd most likely be "unaffordable"

Ironically about the time I noticed the .online extension, Go Daddy and Radix partnered and made .online domains available for a first time annual registration fee of .99 cents, and an annual re-registration of just 49.99 thereafter.

I've spent over a thousand hours in the last six months buying mostly one and two word .online domains, so if you were to add my time to the approximate $4,200 I've paid Go Daddy, I have over $20,000 invested in my portfolio of 3,634 domains.

My critics will say things like, you'll never be able to afford to renew all your domains at 49.99 each to which I have a twofold answer; #1 i don't need to renew a single domain and #2 whose to say the renewal fee isn't negotiable:xf.rolleyes:....as a businessperson I've learned that pretty much everything is negotiable.

Of importance to me is the fact that "if" my .online domains were .com domains my portfolio would be "valued" at over twenty million dollars. Yes, that's $20,000,000 or 20M:xf.smile:

Now is where the rubber meets the road meaning, how do I plan to sell these domains? I just started listing them with the likes of Go Daddy where my current pricing ranges from a low of $199 to $999 and I'm looking to have an annual renewal of $99.....remember, everything is negotiable.

I plan to experiment with financing, leasing/renting and licensing my domains. I also plan to form a "users group" where end users actually have an interest in promoting the .online extension to the world.

Few domains and especially .online domains will sell themselves:xf.frown: Thus I plan on having an "outbound" sales/marketing team who share my vision to make .online both available and affordable.

Finally, I owe a bit of gratitude to the monopoly Verisign for confirming my suspicions about the nature of the .com beast. While the beast is slowly dying, alternative solutions are ready, willing and able to take over.

Thank you!
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
NamePros member @DirkS has requested that I provide an explanation for why I've registered over 3,600 .online domains in the last six months, so here goes;

First and foremost I'm a visionary. I've started dozens of business in my life. I'm 73 years old, and I started my first business while still in college in 1970. Sure I could just be saying this, but if you have doubts I would strongly suggest that you check me out.

Visionaries don't have any need to call themselves visionary. They show they are visionary via their ideas and actions.

There is nothing visionary about hand registering thousands of domains in some obscure extension.

When I realized how the .online extension matched up with names like Reservations.online, Shopping.online, Learning.online and Domains.online, I just knew i was on to something:xf.smile: Note that names like Reservations.com, Shopping.com, Learning.com and Domains.com are not only "unavailable", even if they were available, they'd most likely be "unaffordable"

Yep, even in obscure extensions top quality single word terms can have some value. But, you don't have 3,600 domains of this quality...so it is apples and oranges.

My critics will say things like, you'll never be able to afford to renew all your domains at 49.99 each to which I have a twofold answer; #1 i don't need to renew a single domain and #2 whose to say the renewal fee isn't negotiable:xf.rolleyes:....as a businessperson I've learned that pretty much everything is negotiable.

I actually believe that insider renewal agreements like that are against the ICANN RAA. As far as I know any discounts have to be offered to all registrars. I don't think a private agreement like that is compatible with ICANN policies.

You have been registering these for months now. A lot of these are going to be coming up for renewal in the near future.

Of importance to me is the fact that "if" my .online domains were .com domains my portfolio would be "valued" at over twenty million dollars. Yes, that's $20,000,000 or 20M:xf.smile:

You could say that about any extension or product.

If my Flowers.cc domain was a .COM it would be worth $5M+! If my Nissan Altima was a Ferrari it would be worth $350,000. If my Casio was a Rolex it would be worth $25,000.

It makes no sense. It is silly argument to make.

Now is where the rubber meets the road meaning, how do I plan to sell these domains? I just started listing them with the likes of Go Daddy where my current pricing ranges from a low of $199 to $999 and I'm looking to have an annual renewal of $99.....remember, everything is negotiable.

What? You don't get to sell a domain via GoDaddy then set the renewal price. If the domain sells you will no longer have control of it.

I plan to experiment with financing, leasing/renting and licensing my domains. I also plan to form a "users group" where end users actually have an interest in promoting the .online extension to the world.

Few domains and especially .online domains will sell themselves:xf.frown: Thus I plan on having an "outbound" sales/marketing team who share my vision to make .online both available and affordable.

Finally, I owe a bit of gratitude to the monopoly Verisign for confirming my suspicions about the nature of the .com beast. While the beast is slowly dying, alternative solutions are ready, willing and able to take over.

Thank you!

There is nothing inherently special about hand registering thousands of domain names.

You still need to turn that into a viable business model.

Good luck.

Brad
 
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Interesting...
Any offers or sale within the past 6 months?
 
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Visionaries don't have any need to call themselves visionary. They show they are visionary via their ideas and actions.

There is nothing visionary about hand registering thousands of domains in some obscure extension.



Yep, even in obscure extensions top quality single word terms can have some value. But, you don't have 3,600 domains of this quality...so it is apples and oranges.



I actually believe that insider renewal agreements like that are against the ICANN RAA. As far as I know any discounts have to be offered to all registrars. I don't think a private agreement like that is compatible with ICANN policies.

You have been registering these for months now. A lot of these are going to be coming up for renewal in the near future.



You could say that about any extension or product.

If my Flowers.cc domain was a .COM it would be worth $5M+! If my Nissan Altima was a Ferrari it would be worth $350,000. If my Casio was a Rolex it would be worth $25,000.

It makes no sense. It is silly argument to make.



What? You don't get to sell a domain via GoDaddy then set the renewal price. If the domain sells you will no longer have control of it.



There is nothing inherently special about hand registering thousands of domain names.

You still need to turn that into a viable business model.

Good luck.

Brad
Brad....sorry I had to run an errand before I had a chance to address your critique of my vision for .online vs. .com, but here goes;

Visionary; A visionary is someone with a strong vision of the future. Since such visions aren't always accurate, a visionary's ideas may either work brilliantly or fail miserably. Even so, visionary is usually a positive word. Martin Luther King, Jr., for instance, was a visionary in his hopes and ideas for a just society.

Brad, if it were not for visionaries you wouldn't be reading this right now, and I wouldn't be keying a response. If it were not for visionaries, the letters that make up the words I'm typing wouldn't exist either. As I've said many times, life has taught me there's ALWAYS A BETTER WAY!

With regards to my registering 3,600 .online domains, "if" I'm right there's MILLIONS of dollars to be made registering single and two keyword domains where there's NO .com either available or affordable. You can forget the Ferrari's and the Rolex's, they're part of the moth ball fleet.

As an entrepreneur and successful business guy all my life I'm sure I understand the risk vs. reward business model slightly better than you ever will.

You may recall me saying that most everything in life and in business is negotiable, and unless you know what I've already negotiated or what I intend to negotiate with the likes of GD and Radix you're barking up the wrong tree.

The last thing for anyone reading this to remember, i'm not looking to sell domains to other domainers. I could really care less what other domainers think....and that includes you Brad. I'm only concerned with what "end users" think, and having been an "end user" myself I'm confident I can relate:xf.smile:

Thanks for the encouragement Brad.....good luck to you too:xf.wink:


 
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Interesting...
Any offers or sale within the past 6 months?
Sam....didn't i say I just started listing them at GD? It's as though I'd been thinking about selling my house for six months, and I just hired a realtor who put their sign in my front yard. Patience is a virtue my friend.
Staytuned.online:xf.wink:
 
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meh, think .web will put .online out business lol
 
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Have you made any sales in the last 6 months? I mean how many names have you sold from the 3600 names?

Edit: Never mind, you haven't sold any.
 
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Have you made any sales in the last 6 months? I mean how many names have you sold from the 3600 names?

Edit: Never mind, you haven't sold any.
see my response to Samxui:xf.smile:
 
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This must be a fun hobby for you..... More power to you...
 
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Gotta love the way the OP keeps discovering a new route to riches.

Head shaking reading for just about all of us, Still, like a comedy skit the posts always make for a little light relief from the mundane domain stuff. Waiting on the next project.
 
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I like .online.

At one point a few years ago, I had over 1,000.

Now, I have maybe 10.

Why the decrease?

High renewal cost
. Same reason I don't hold a lot of .tv's, despite really liking that extension.

I did sell a small number of .online's to end users (generally mid $xxx each).
But there wasn't enough interest to justify renewing/transferring a large portfolio.

I would sell as many as you can before expiration, and then focus on renewing your very best only (and get a second opinion on what the 'best' are). Sounds like maybe you're listing on Afternic now, so that's a good step certainly in making them easier to find.

Namecheap may be your best bet for carrying a portfolio of .online. Renewal is "currently" on "special" at $19.88, though I'm sure that could increase anytime.

GoDaddy is probably cheapest to register, but is soo ridiculously expensive to renew. (The word "just" doesn't belong in front of $49.99 here. Dynadot and Porkbun are both under $30 I believe.)

Good luck!
 
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Gotta love the way the OP keeps discovering a new route to riches.

Head shaking reading for just about all of us, Still, like a comedy skit the posts always make for a little light relief from the mundane domain stuff. Waiting on the next project.
Thanks revisiting....glad to see you're revisiting my thread:xf.wink: Question? If you owned a winery on the Pacific coast and you wished to sell wine online, would you consider PacificWine.com if it were available and you could afford it? How about PacificWine.online if it were available and could afford it?

Actually they're both available.....the .com for $5,000 and the .online for .99 cents. How about if PacificWine.com wasn't available but PacificWine.online was.....keep in mind you're selling wine online. Thanks in advance:xf.smile:
 
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Thanks revisiting....glad to see you're revisiting my thread:xf.wink: Question? If you owned a winery on the Pacific coast and you wished to sell wine online, would you consider PacificWine.com if it were available and you could afford it? How about PacificWine.online if it were available and could afford it?

Actually they're both available.....the .com for $5,000 and the .online for .99 cents. How about if PacificWine.com wasn't available but PacificWine.online was.....keep in mind you're selling wine online. Thanks in advance:xf.smile:

Your business model essentially requires a complete reinvention of the wheel.

At some point PacificWine.com will find a buyer in that range. Good (2) word .COM with end users always have demand.

The problem with your tired argument is there is nothing special with .ONLINE vs other options. Why not .net, .org, .us, .biz, or the hundreds of other options? .COM is valuable because there is only (1) and it is the best.

After that nothing else is special for a (2) word average brand in lesser extensions.

Brad
 
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I like .online.

At one point a few years ago, I had over 1,000.

Now, I have maybe 10.

Why the decrease?

High renewal cost
. Same reason I don't hold a lot of .tv's, despite really liking that extension.

I did sell a small number of .online's to end users (generally mid $xxx each).
But there wasn't enough interest to justify renewing/transferring a large portfolio.

I would sell as many as you can before expiration, and then focus on renewing your very best only (and get a second opinion on what the 'best' are). Sounds like maybe you're listing on Afternic now, so that's a good step certainly in making them easier to find.

Namecheap may be your best bet for carrying a portfolio of .online. Renewal is "currently" on "special" at $19.88, though I'm sure that could increase anytime.

GoDaddy is probably cheapest to register, but is soo ridiculously expensive to renew. (The word "just" doesn't belong in front of $49.99 here. Dynadot and Porkbun are both under $30 I believe.)

Good luck!
Thanks zinzinatti....does that make you more of a Bengal or a Buckeye? Your post was very informative and helpful.

Something I'll share....if you were to buy a .online domain today from GD, when you go to check out you'll see where it says "Renews at $29.99/yr". Remember also what I said about everything is negotiable...well i know for a fact things like renewal rates are negotiable "if" you're successfully marketing a registries domains.

And yes, i just started listing my domains at GD, and the owner of Alter.com is after me to start listing my domains with him, and I think I probably will.

Thanks again for your comments, and if there's anything I can do to help just send me a PM and I'll do my best.
 
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Your business model essentially requires a complete reinvention of the wheel.

At some point PacificWine.com will find a buyer in that range. Good (2) word .COM with end users always have demand.

The problem with this tired argument is there is nothing special with .ONLINE vs other options. Why not .net, .org, .us, .biz, or the hundreds of other options? .COM is valuable because there is only (1) and it is the best.

After that nothing else is special for a (2) word average brand in lesser extensions.

Brad
Oh there's something "special" about selling anything "online".....maybe not to you, but to an "end user" whose business is totally "online" it's a BIG DEAL once I tell them so. And Brad....have you ever been a member of a "users group" for anything you've ever done? Do you understand the concept? If not I'll share with you how they work.
 
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Oh there's something "special" about selling anything "online".....maybe not to you, but to an "end user" whose business is totally "online" it's a BIG DEAL once I tell them so. And Brad....have you ever been a member of a "users group" for anything you've ever done? Do you understand the concept? If not I'll share with you how they work.

I buy domains. I sell domains. I don't need some paradigm shift for my business model to work.

In the Pacific Wine case the buyer is infinitely more likely to just hand register the .net than pay a premium price for the .online.

Every website is online. Redundant.online.

It's probably time to stop talking about what you are going to do, and start actually doing it.

Best of luck!

Brad
 
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I buy domains. I sell domains. I don't need some paradigm shift for my business model to work.

In the Pacific Wine case the buyer is infinitely more likely to just hand register the .net than pay a premium price for the .online.

Every website is online. Redundant.online.

Brad
Who said anything about a "premium price" for a .online domain? If i'm selling wine "online" Brad....i'm sorry, but even if I own the the .com, I also want to own the .online extension. That's just me though, the guy who Rob Monster says could sell ice to an Eskimo:xf.smile:
 
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I like .online.

At one point a few years ago, I had over 1,000.

Now, I have maybe 10.

Why the decrease?

High renewal cost
. Same reason I don't hold a lot of .tv's, despite really liking that extension.

I did sell a small number of .online's to end users (generally mid $xxx each).
But there wasn't enough interest to justify renewing/transferring a large portfolio.

I would sell as many as you can before expiration, and then focus on renewing your very best only (and get a second opinion on what the 'best' are). Sounds like maybe you're listing on Afternic now, so that's a good step certainly in making them easier to find.

Namecheap may be your best bet for carrying a portfolio of .online. Renewal is "currently" on "special" at $19.88, though I'm sure that could increase anytime.

GoDaddy is probably cheapest to register, but is soo ridiculously expensive to renew. (The word "just" doesn't belong in front of $49.99 here. Dynadot and Porkbun are both under $30 I believe.)

Good luck!

I'm not sure if you got my response about Go Daddy's published renewal of just $29.99 a year for .online domains? While even that's pretty high for someone like me who owns thousands of .online domains I've also learned that even renewals are negotiable.

What I can assure you is "if" Go Daddy doesn't make good on their published renewal fee I'll be suing them for all they're worth similar to another law suit that's in the works regarding another .online claim.

On another note, I registered a dozen more .online domains yesterday representing the largest wine producing states in the US like ArizonaWines.online. Note, the wine industry in each of these states is big enough to support a business named "Arizona Wines"

Good luck to you too(y)
 
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I'm not sure if you got my response about Go Daddy's published renewal of just $29.99 a year for .online domains? While even that's pretty high for someone like me who owns thousands of .online domains I've also learned that even renewals are negotiable.

What I can assure you is "if" Go Daddy doesn't make good on their published renewal fee I'll be suing them for all they're worth similar to another law suit that's in the works regarding another .online claim.

Still talking about some lawsuit eh? I am sure GoDaddy, a multi-billion dollar company with an army of highly qualified lawyers is really quaking at the thought.

Also, GoDaddy is not going to negotiate any private discount just for you. Good luck with your $30 renewals.

You are essentially paying almost 4x the price of .com renewals for an extension with virtually no resale demand.

Brad
 
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Thanks revisiting....glad to see you're revisiting my thread:xf.wink: Question? If you owned a winery on the Pacific coast and you wished to sell wine online, would you consider PacificWine.com if it were available and you could afford it? How about PacificWine.online if it were available and could afford it?

Actually they're both available.....the .com for $5,000 and the .online for .99 cents. How about if PacificWine.com wasn't available but PacificWine.online was.....keep in mind you're selling wine online. Thanks in advance:xf.smile:

wouldn't that make your investment obsolete tho ? you are investing as a reseller in the aftermarket world meaning you will be asking just as much as the .com so the .99 cents argument is invalid
 
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wouldn't that make your investment obsolete tho ? you are investing as a reseller in the aftermarket world meaning you will be asking just as much as the .com so the .99 cents argument is invalid

Pretty much.

The end user would more than likely just register the .net or some other extension than pay a premium price for some obscure extension.

I couldn't imagine putting this much time, energy, and resources into an extension with almost no aftermarket. Even if it did take off, it would only be for the cream of the crop single word terms, like with .io.

Brad
 
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Still talking about some lawsuit eh? I am sure GoDaddy, a multi-billion dollar company with an army of highly qualified lawyers is really quaking at the thought.

Also, GoDaddy is not going to negotiate any private discount just for you. Good luck with your $30 renewals.

You are essentially paying almost 4x the price of .com renewals for an extension with virtually no resale demand.

Brad
i could sue you too, but you don't have deep pockets and I doubt you carry E & O or professional liability insurance. I don't even care if I win as long as the publicity for .online makes a few headlines and industry news. btw, who says I've been negotiating with GD about renewals? Could there be more than one deep pocket playing this game:xf.rolleyes:
 
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i could sue you too, but you don't have deep pockets and I doubt you carry E & O or professional liability insurance. I don't even care if I win as long as the publicity for .online makes a few headlines and industry news. btw, who says I've been negotiating with GD about renewals? Could there be more than one deep pocket playing this game:xf.rolleyes:

You can sue anyone for anything regardless of merits. Probably time you try to focus on turning some of your domain theories into domain realities.

Have you already given up on .realty? I remember way back last year when you were pushing that extension. What happened?

Brad
 
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wouldn't that make your investment obsolete tho ? you are investing as a reseller in the aftermarket world meaning you will be asking just as much as the .com so the .99 cents argument is invalid
NO....you missed the point. If I was starting an online wine business on the Pacific Coast i'd register PacificWine.online for .99 cents long before I'd pay $5,000 for PacificWines.com.

btw, no one owns PacificWines.online, but you or anyone else could own it for a buck. I have plans to make .online an affordable alternative to .com. Why? Because it is, that's why:xf.smile:
 
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