Yep and can get them on closeouts all day long (biz's, info)
These comparisons have been discussed before, blanketing the new extensions with the same outlook as those past ones. It makes sense to heed, but I don't let it dominate my choices in strong pairings.
and
@Joe Nichols you asked for some meat here's mine:
I have about 200 new gTLDs. Average renewals are about $10/year.
My gTLD inquires are not down they are up, this year at about 30. Out of those, about 5 of them being for the same names as previous years. The last four years, my gTLD sales have remained the same, they range from 3-5/year and selling between 1-5k. This year I am at 3 sales, selling between 1-5k. Like Wolf, I tend to reject XXX offers on names that, frankly, I worked hard to acquire so deserve much more. And they will get it. I do have names that are listed for low xxx on my site, have not sold one, ever.
Zero outbound, no third-party marketplace listings. All my work has gone into developing my own showcase site. I believe with a proper foundation, is when you start to expand and explore more aggressively.
I am not driven by past sales results when it comes to new G's. I am driven by strong combinations and what they can do to represent a person or business, whether it be bricks and mortar or online or both. I don't need previous sales data to tell me what to do. My hustle is the love of a good name, no matter the extension. The name's lifespan in my portfolio is based on numerous factors:
- has my outlook on its usage viability changed, regardless of keyword strength?
- is the domain still as strong as I believed it was when I first acquired it?
- am I seeing real-world usage, and if not, why? Can this change? Can I help drive this change?
- will my year-over-year renewal rates be worth eating if the name flops in the end?
Generally I look to the extension itself and its demographic potential/popularity along with brand viability, with renewals playing a large part because I like to have a diverse spread, and having all my capital tied up in $100+ renewals would negatively affect that option. Not to mention I was never a fan of supporting the premium pricing tiers. And as
@lolwarrior likes to preach, finding a strong name that you can secure for many years in advance I think is well worth the risk because it really gives the name time to percolate for the right buyer.
My heart and soul has been put into my portfolio site (if you don't already know genuine.domains), I think there is evidence of how a new G can be taken advantage of to represent yourself. If you don't like it than maybe its not your cup of tea, but I recommend keeping an open mind to an evolving world, sometimes people surprise you.
I think all the twists and turns people put onto .coms can get awfully boring and silly, regardless of whether they sell. The names I invest in are names I would stand behind to use for my own. I mean, if we're willing to take risks on regging tens if not hundreds of names in .com that you will end up dropping 99% of them in a year, why not branch out and try something worthwhile that you'll stand behind enough to renew, because you stand behind the name?
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@JB Lions I was disappointed to your hinting at "marketing" as if I'm a chump. Thanks. For clarification, "slow and steady rise" was in reference to usage, ie websites, discussions, etc.
Real world usage in my eyes is a driving force in new Gtlds becoming a more common commodity, not sales data. Why? Because sales data is skewed by domainer to domainer results, and doesn't necessarily equate to an end user footing.
