advice The truth hurts. Let it. Learn from it. Grow.

[The Group]

The first time I asked for a valuation from the community on one of my first domain names, I was shut down. I hated it. It felt awful and I fought the whole way trying to stand my ground. Even though I was wrong, I didn't want to admit it to myself. My ego had taken over and I thought I had re-invented the wheel with registering domain names. Sound familiar? Anyone?

I want to thank those who told me the truth - because that is exactly what I needed to hear when I was first starting and even to this day. When those names didn't do well, I was able to reflect, open up and really take into consideration what the general consensus was on the domain names.

What i'm getting at here is that if you are new to the community and to domain name investing or even if you have been around for a while with no success - do not be offended or let your ego take hold when the vast majority of replies are not to you liking when it comes to valuating your domain names. Take the advice with a grain of salt and apply it to your next purchase. The objective isn't to shut you down, it is merely to inform you and save you a lot of money. A lot of us started by spending money on domain names of no value - we've all gone through that cycle at one point or another. Breath, take the advice, ask some questions and learn. Most importantly, remember, it's all about staying positive and setting goals

 

[AndyM]

Thanks for this thread Ali, I'm getting a real buzz to get right back on it and stay on the tread mill till I win.
I've made mistakes so far, lots of domain names and a lot of new gtld's. I've only been in the game for 6 months and gave up after 2, I'm back now and i'm gonna flip my ass off (not litterely)

 

[sofiapartner]

Ah - OK. I must have missed it. I thought that you are some mighty investor with many years of domaining experience (that is the impression from your multiple posts in the last couple of days). Now I know that you are Flippa Broker. You surely must have good knowledge how to sell domains there. Good Luck.

 

[The Group]

Thanks for this thread Ali, I'm getting a real buzz to get right back on it and stay on the tread mill till I win.
I've made mistakes so far, lots of domain names and a lot of new gtld's. I've only been in the game for 6 months and gave up after 2, I'm back now and i'm gonna flip my ass off (not litterely)

Loving the determination! Remember, if you want to get to the top, you have to be willing to work harder than the ones who are already at the top!

 

[Michelle]

Well then, It "never happened"! I'll just hold off on any interviews and photo-ops until it grows back.

That's not playing fair :p

 

[Kiln Media]

Amen - thanks for the post!

 

[NameFit]

I think it is always better to have put perspective in numbers for domain investors. Below are the observed facts and is true for 2 word generic/meaningful names, when I say generic- there are at least 3 niche markets that a name can well fit the needs.

1. On an average sales are between 1-3% of your portfolio
2. Average selling price of the name is $1000

So if you take these 2 numbers, let us say you have 100,000 names, and you sell 2%, that means you sell 2000 names, averaging about $1000, that means for $2,000,000/year. Considering if you hand reg names, and for 100,000 names, your operating expenses are $800,000/year (if you consider $8 or less for average registration costs). That translates to $1.2M net profit for an an expense of $800,000. which is about 150% returns. That is pretty good!
Note: I am not counting thee parking revenues since that number is relatively low.

Here is the fine point - You must have started about 15+ years ago to have such a portfolio to command that price and sales.

Wonder what others have to say!

 

[shabash786]

Great words Ali, You inspired me a lot. I downloaded your interview with Michael and since there are lots of positive things and motivation in your interview, I watch it time to time when I feel disappointment selling my domains and believe me, every time i watch, I feel new energy and motivation to go ahead. Thanks a lot buddy for sharing things with the people.

 

[Abhijit Kumar Medhi]

The first time I asked for a valuation from the community on one of my first domain names, I was shut down. I hated it. It felt awful and I fought the whole way trying to stand my ground. Even though I was wrong, I didn't want to admit it to myself. My ego had taken over and I thought I had re-invented the wheel with registering domain names. Sound familiar? Anyone?

I want to thank those who told me the truth - because that is exactly what I needed to hear when I was first starting and even to this day. When those names didn't do well, I was able to reflect, open up and really take into consideration what the general consensus was on the domain names.

What i'm getting at here is that if you are new to the community and to domain name investing or even if you have been around for a while with no success - do not be offended or let your ego take hold when the vast majority of replies are not to you liking when it comes to valuating your domain names. Take the advice with a grain of salt and apply it to your next purchase. The objective isn't to shut you down, it is merely to inform you and save you a lot of money. A lot of us started by spending money on domain names of no value - we've all gone through that cycle at one point or another. Breath, take the advice, ask some questions and learn. Most importantly, remember, it's all about staying positive and setting goals

Thanks for the piece of good advice from your own feelings and experiences.I am also very new and I've already registered a few dozens of domain names and sold none of them.Having faced with steep pricing of domain appraisal service vis-a-vis lack of reliability of appraisal services, I have no knowledge of valuation of my domains.Result, no sale so far. Wonder if I pay say $349 for promotion of my domain for sale and $60 ( may be much more) and find that the valuation is $150, what sense does it make to appraise and then promote the domains.Here comes the reliability of appraisal and promotion. New domainers like I are really under great confusion.

 

[Abhijit Kumar Medhi]

The biggest mistake made is buying too many domains. Buy a few and sell them before buying more.

It's really one of the best advices for new investors like me.

 

[Abhijit Kumar Medhi]

Hi. Thanks for your post. It got me even more motivated then i was before getting into this thread.

I have learned many many important things and tools for life while serving the army. Let me share a little experience I had during my trainings..its long, but It has a moral, i promise:

4 months after i was recruited we had this kind of "field week" which i cannot really detail much about it.. But one act was really unforgettable: it was about 4.00 am, the sun was still asleep, our officer who was in charge threw a smoke gas into our "tent" to wake us up.. My balls was freezing as hell and I just wanted to bury myself.. After we checked everybody had woke up we took a walk for about 5 km. then we stopped. Infront of us - 800 meters of dried river (it was in the desert). Across it there was a 600 meter-high hill. The other side was almost invisible. Then the officer spoke: "good morning. Can anyone tell me where are we heading?". One soldier replied: "To the other side of the river, I assume". "That is incorrect", said the officer. "Anyone else?". I was shocked. I thought to myself oh dear lord is he aiming for the top of the hill?. "To the TOP of the hill!" He said with a devilish smile. He then added quickly: "and how are we going to get there?" --- silence. No one dared to give him an idea... But he already knew the answer - " by C R A W L I N G. 20 fresh, spoiled (well, Im talking about myself now) soldiers who sipped hot cocoa under the cozy blankey only 6 months ago are now facing a vast, ruthless, muddy, rocky, thorny, merciless 1.4 km-long road. You name it. I almost pee'd in my pants i remember.. " DOWN TO CRAWLING-STATE" he shouted, oh and we went down... I can still smell the sand haha. I didnt believe it was possible for a human being to do it. Guess what. I DID. 02:24:51 (hours) is the time it took me to make it to the top. I finished last. Every cell in my body was fighting me to stop in every single step i did. But i fought back. And I WON. Didnt recognize myself after looking in the mirror, but it didnt matter to me. I dont care i finished last. TO ME I FINISHED FIRST.

FOLKS, EVERYTHING AND I MEAN EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE. Ive learned it through my own flesh. And i can tell you now.

This is why i keep study domaining. I am 100% sure I will succeed in this at some point. And im confident enough to say ill succeed in life, at one time or another. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.

Thanks for reading, hope it will help some desperate folks around here and keep their head up!

* My sincere appologies for any grammar mistakes made!

Great story! Really great story!Encouraged me a lot.You will definitely be successful.But don't forget to share you successes here.
Thanks !

 

[LoneDeranger]

Great story! Really great story!Encouraged me a lot.You will definitely be successful.But don't forget to share you successes here.
Thanks !

Thank you for your kind words! I'm glad you enjoyed my story, and I wish you the same successes!

 

[Willox Perez]

I LIVE by this.

Love that video, I remember the first time watching it. One thing we all have is 24 hours in a day and the choice of how much work we put into these hours. Out work your previous self and the other guy. The knowledge and skills will come within time as long as you are consistent and focus your time on learning.

One thing that cannot be taught and it is your own personal decision is how much work you put into this.

Going back to the original thread I love the concept that was mentioned about learning from the advice that is given. Best way to look at it is tough love. For the most part we are all positive minded individual and only want the best for ourselves and those around us.

We help each other but there are certain lessons you will only learn from hands on experience. Do not be afraid to test and try but just remember to get in the habit of doing your research on anything before diving into it. The answers are out there.

 

[kavinsmith]

I think this post us very good for learningThe most painful and hurtful thing you can do to someone doesn’t necessarily involve deception; it usually involves telling the truth

 

[BizDev]

Absolutely. There is a famous motivation video saying that people don't really want to succeed, they just kinda want it.. And only if you'll want to succeed as bad as you wanna breathe, then you'll be successful!

Yeah Eric Thomas is his name he's a Great motivational speaker, and thank you for the motivation to.

 

[usernamex]

How hilarious - I just liked posts from a year ago! I didn't notice the year until it was June then AHA it was a bump, yet a thread like this is worthy of resurrection.

Thanks @Zandibot @LoneDeranger and @mhdoc

To make it interesting, what new insight would you add to your previous remarks now a year later?

 

[mhdoc]

The whole Chinese -numeric-Chips thing was in its very early days. Tons of money made and lost in that market since then. I suspect many of the "old timers" like me, couldn't believe those domains had any value and sat out that ride. Lots of opportunity for new guys to jump in and make/lose money

 

[LoneDeranger]

Great story! Really great story!Encouraged me a lot.You will definitely be successful.But don't forget to share you successes here.
Thanks !

Thanks my friend.

Everything I mentioned is and will be relevant to eternity. I'm doing well in domaining so far and i'm always proceeding into the next target I can conquer!

 

[420domainer]

Just have to interject something right here. I am not trying to downplay anyone's inspiration or motivation but I feel I can write something here, albeit controversial, to help understand what is truly inspiring about stories like LoneDeranger's- successfully crawling up unfathomably terrible hills.

For me, the inspiring part is not that he didn't give up FOR something or someone, but just the simple and amazing fact that he did not give up. He was not stopped from his amazing accomplishment even with the incessant feeling in every cell of his body screaming, "Give up!"

There is a tremendous difference between acting with unstoppable motivation because you have thought up a goal in your head, versus being truly unstoppable because you have let go of any limiting goal and therefore nothing is impossible anymore. It sounds like LoneD was acting from a place of unlimited power and not from a place of, "I must get this done to prove myself to myself or another..."
For a simple example of how goals can be a terrible motivator is to look at the unbelievable motivation and inspiration that religious fanatics use to justify their insane goals to annihilate people. Surely these people are not acting from a place of true power but from a place of hatred, ignorance and despair, and their goals are easily justifiable. It is their thinking and goal making and inspiration and motivation which accounts for their brutal and deadly actions.)

Not sure this will be easily digestible for most, but possibly give it a second read- being inspired and motivated is one of the most important things in life, are you absolutely sure you understand what motivation and inspiration actually is, at it's core?

See, this is what I'm talking about- "...only if you'll want to succeed as bad as you wanna breathe, then you'll be successful!"
Humans do not need the goal of breathing, you HAVE to breathe to live. When your goals line up like this, like to not do the goal is to not breathe, then it is no longer a goal but what HAS to happen.
That's what I'm fumbling to say.

 

[GarethUK]

Thanks for the wise words.....I'll brace myself when I ask for thoughts on some of my domains!

 

[DelloHar]

The biggest mistake made is buying too many domains. Buy a few and sell them before buying more.

Is 200-300 domains too many for a newbie?

 

[GarethUK]

 

[DelloHar]

Meaning?

 

[GarethUK]

.....sorry.....it seems a lot but I'm a newbie too!

 

[BML]

Thanks for great post, it's delusion buster.

 

[MR Harrist]

Positive thinking are important! though, personally I don't think positive thinking have corelation between success and stay positive!(just my personal opinion) though, keep moving and learning are the most logical option to stay survive in any business! and personally I don't think anyone have any clue about what he/she talking about! even for domain, biz, relation and etc!

so if someone say bad things about my domain! for sure I will ignore! after all no matter what domain we choose, we still gambling even for ultra premium domain

but I like your post because it encourage domainer to stay positive! and keep wating and waiting for the right price lol!

its just my 2 cents, don't take it personal