Comments on: 2008 Goals and Beyond http://www.elliotsblog.com/2008-goals-and-beyond Domain blog featuring domain investing strategy, domain valuation, and domain development commentary from Elliot Silver, founder of Top Notch Domains, LLC. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:08:42 +0000 hourly 1 By: Greg http://www.elliotsblog.com/2008-goals-and-beyond#comment-1311 Greg Thu, 20 Dec 2007 05:08:21 +0000 http://www.elliotsblog.com/index.php/2007/12/19/2008-goals-and-beyond/#comment-1311 Cool to see buywhatever.com referenced. I actually registered that domain name in 1999 when in college, but let the Network Solutions papers go unpaid and lost it after about 3 months...no money in. I had not thought of the domain in some time, until now. A couple others I always liked were crazydays.com and 2 I know Frank Schilling has now imow.com and foosballtables.com - wish Frank would send foos back my way...I keep the Network Solutions $70 invoice paper in my file as a reminder of bad business decisions, learning curve, and when I was so poor that $70 was a lot of money. Great blog Elliot! Cool to see buywhatever.com referenced. I actually registered that domain name in 1999 when in college, but let the Network Solutions papers go unpaid and lost it after about 3 months…no money in. I had not thought of the domain in some time, until now. A couple others I always liked were crazydays.com and 2 I know Frank Schilling has now imow.com and foosballtables.com – wish Frank would send foos back my way…I keep the Network Solutions $70 invoice paper in my file as a reminder of bad business decisions, learning curve, and when I was so poor that $70 was a lot of money.

Great blog Elliot!

]]> By: Tommy Butler http://www.elliotsblog.com/2008-goals-and-beyond#comment-1308 Tommy Butler Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:15:38 +0000 http://www.elliotsblog.com/index.php/2007/12/19/2008-goals-and-beyond/#comment-1308 <p>Hi Elliot</p> <p>Congrats on the new name and good luck with developement<br /> been also agree with mini sites as been doing that also.<br /> Take a tip when builing your mini sites make them same brand as your main site.<br /> samples<br /> www.glasgow.com/glaasgow is our new launch site early Jan<br /> but have also rebranded our other sites<br /> www.glasgowrestaurant.com<br /> www.glasgowrestaurant.co.uk<br /> www.glasgownightlife.co.uk<br /> www.glasgowbar.com<br /> www.glasgowpubs.co.uk<br /> www.glasgowclubs.co.uk</p> <p>you get the idea any for info elliot just ask</p> <strong>***UPDATED BY ELLIOT***</strong> Good idea - Thanks, Tommy. Have a good 2008. Hi Elliot

Congrats on the new name and good luck with developement
been also agree with mini sites as been doing that also.
Take a tip when builing your mini sites make them same brand as your main site.
samples
http://www.glasgow.com/glaasgow is our new launch site early Jan
but have also rebranded our other sites
http://www.glasgowrestaurant.com
http://www.glasgowrestaurant.co.uk
http://www.glasgownightlife.co.uk
http://www.glasgowbar.com
http://www.glasgowpubs.co.uk
http://www.glasgowclubs.co.uk

you get the idea any for info elliot just ask

***UPDATED BY ELLIOT***

Good idea – Thanks, Tommy. Have a good 2008.

]]> By: Michael Castello http://www.elliotsblog.com/2008-goals-and-beyond#comment-1307 Michael Castello Wed, 19 Dec 2007 22:49:27 +0000 http://www.elliotsblog.com/index.php/2007/12/19/2008-goals-and-beyond/#comment-1307 <p>Good outlook and very attainable. I am encouraged by the “little guy” taking on big corporate. Developing is what I have been trying to accomplish since 1995. Some projects have been very successful and some not. It is so important for our industry to make strides in developing domain names that help build out the internet one brick at a time. We then draw away power and money from the search engines by placing content within our own real estate in definable ways. That real estate truly explodes in worth once we get the preferred "qualified" visitor. Qualified visitors are those that view a site with the intention of finding specific information, then buying from advertisers that offer what they are searching for. I would much rather go to Daycare.com to find information on starting or finding a daycare, buy insurance to protect that business and then advertise my daycare on Daycare.com to further my business. Search engines send visitors in several directions but Daycare.com would move those qualified visitors right to the paying advertiser and other verticals like subscription membership. </p> <p>I hear many domainers mention that they only buy domains and are not developers. When I started in this business I was not a developer. It is not something that you need to take a college course for. If you can write an email or use a word processor you have the power to develop a site. Whisky.com undeveloped was getting just 200 hits a day. With a page created a day it is now at 2000 to 3000 qualified visitors and this took less than nine months. This is something advertising agencies will come to understand as being a positive for future marketing strategies. We need to rid ourselves of the old standards of clicks and hits. The surest standard is what revenue an advertising client is making from a site. Only then are those advertising dollars justified. Showing stats of thousands of visitors does not cut it. Making them profit does. </p> <p>The general public needs to find quality information on quality sites. That will enhance the brand that IS “domain names”. We need to be careful not to create markets within markets. Domainers buying names just to have to other domainers buy them has a limited life. It could create its own bubble. Developing names is the long term future. It does not have to be a premium name, a .com or a huge site. It just has to have a good idea and memorable name with content.</p> <p>I enjoy reading your blog. Happy Holidays</p> <strong>***UPDATED BY ELLIOT***</strong> You are 100% right - and I think everyone should take your words of wisdom to heart. You and your brother have built highly successful websites and have shown that with a good domain name and intelligent strategy, you can create highly successful brands. If you produce a product that is well received by the intended audience, they will return as happy customers - and they will tell their friends. This will increase the value of your site to your advertisers, to your visitors, and ultimately to your bottom line. Thank you for reading my blog and for posting a well written comment. I wish you much continued success. Good outlook and very attainable. I am encouraged by the “little guy” taking on big corporate. Developing is what I have been trying to accomplish since 1995. Some projects have been very successful and some not. It is so important for our industry to make strides in developing domain names that help build out the internet one brick at a time. We then draw away power and money from the search engines by placing content within our own real estate in definable ways. That real estate truly explodes in worth once we get the preferred “qualified” visitor. Qualified visitors are those that view a site with the intention of finding specific information, then buying from advertisers that offer what they are searching for. I would much rather go to Daycare.com to find information on starting or finding a daycare, buy insurance to protect that business and then advertise my daycare on Daycare.com to further my business. Search engines send visitors in several directions but Daycare.com would move those qualified visitors right to the paying advertiser and other verticals like subscription membership.

I hear many domainers mention that they only buy domains and are not developers. When I started in this business I was not a developer. It is not something that you need to take a college course for. If you can write an email or use a word processor you have the power to develop a site. Whisky.com undeveloped was getting just 200 hits a day. With a page created a day it is now at 2000 to 3000 qualified visitors and this took less than nine months. This is something advertising agencies will come to understand as being a positive for future marketing strategies. We need to rid ourselves of the old standards of clicks and hits. The surest standard is what revenue an advertising client is making from a site. Only then are those advertising dollars justified. Showing stats of thousands of visitors does not cut it. Making them profit does.

The general public needs to find quality information on quality sites. That will enhance the brand that IS “domain names”. We need to be careful not to create markets within markets. Domainers buying names just to have to other domainers buy them has a limited life. It could create its own bubble. Developing names is the long term future. It does not have to be a premium name, a .com or a huge site. It just has to have a good idea and memorable name with content.

I enjoy reading your blog. Happy Holidays

***UPDATED BY ELLIOT***

You are 100% right – and I think everyone should take your words of wisdom to heart. You and your brother have built highly successful websites and have shown that with a good domain name and intelligent strategy, you can create highly successful brands. If you produce a product that is well received by the intended audience, they will return as happy customers – and they will tell their friends. This will increase the value of your site to your advertisers, to your visitors, and ultimately to your bottom line.

Thank you for reading my blog and for posting a well written comment. I wish you much continued success.

]]> By: rich http://www.elliotsblog.com/2008-goals-and-beyond#comment-1306 rich Wed, 19 Dec 2007 21:24:26 +0000 http://www.elliotsblog.com/index.php/2007/12/19/2008-goals-and-beyond/#comment-1306 Sound advice! Your first four items are in tune with my own goals for 08 (I have another geo name I am developing). On the note of hybrid development - I recently discovered Amazon astores, and it took me less than an hour to make this: http://vacuumretailer.com/ I think it'd be a great alternative to parking for buywhatever.com or whateverstore.com domains. One more goal for 08 is to add some indexable content :) Cheers - rich Sound advice! Your first four items are in tune with my own goals for 08 (I have another geo name I am developing).

On the note of hybrid development – I recently discovered Amazon astores, and it took me less than an hour to make this:

http://vacuumretailer.com/

I think it’d be a great alternative to parking for buywhatever.com or whateverstore.com domains.

One more goal for 08 is to add some indexable content :)

Cheers
- rich

]]>