- Joined
- Feb 20, 2003
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Here are a couple I came up with, feel free to add your own.
1) Thinking domaining is a M-F 9-5 job, it is definitely not for you if you don't expect to work at it nights and weekends. If you hire staff make sure they also understand this. This includes web designers and programmers.
2) Thinking the first offer you get for $500 or $1000 is a good offer just because you paid $7 for the domain. Learn how to negotiate and be a salesman. Without the ability to sell/negotiate you are doomed in this industry.
3) Do not start buying names from drops just because they have good stats. They must be brandable or resalable.
4) If you have a sizeable portfolio, 95% of your revenue will be generated from 5% of your portfolio. Make sure those are renewed 5 years in advance. Do not renew your best 5% month to month.
5) Make sure you understand parking is just a temporary solution until you find time to develop each name. To be successful, each domain will need to be developed as a separate business with a business plan and a marketing strategy or it will not be successful.
6) You wouldn't take financial advice from a bum in the street so don't take domain advice from the same bums. Do not take advice from people that start a blog to promote how great they are and have no proven track record selling anything. It's not about what they bought because any idiot with money can buy something, it's about how much profit they made from their original purchase.
7) You will not sell a domain above 5k by chasing end users. To get these sales, they must come looking for you. Make sure your whois information is easily available and that you have a contact us link on all your names for sale.
8) List your domains for sale on multiple sales sites but pricing should reflect what you want out of the domain. If I want to net $1000 on a domain, list it for $1100 on Sedo, $1200 on Buy Domains and $1300 on Go Daddy. This is because Sedo charges 10%, Buy Domains charges 20% and Go Daddy charges 30% for premium listings. Stop worrying about commissions you may pay if you get out of it what you want.
9) When you sell a domain make sure you delete it from all sales venues, do not leave it up.
10) Take half the money you make off a domain sale and bank it, the worst thing to have in any business is zero cash flow, without cash flow you are doomed and may miss the next bargain.
11) Don't get into domain thinking you will be the next Frank Shilling or Kevin Ham because you probably won't be.
12) Don't get into domaining because you think it's easy money without work, that is simply not the case. The most successful people work 24/7 regardless of how much money they have, they just love the industry.
13) Remember that in the gold mining time, the people that made the most money were not the gold miners. The people that made the most money were the people selling picks and shovels.
14) If you didn't read this until Monday see point 1.
-=DCG=-
1) Thinking domaining is a M-F 9-5 job, it is definitely not for you if you don't expect to work at it nights and weekends. If you hire staff make sure they also understand this. This includes web designers and programmers.
2) Thinking the first offer you get for $500 or $1000 is a good offer just because you paid $7 for the domain. Learn how to negotiate and be a salesman. Without the ability to sell/negotiate you are doomed in this industry.
3) Do not start buying names from drops just because they have good stats. They must be brandable or resalable.
4) If you have a sizeable portfolio, 95% of your revenue will be generated from 5% of your portfolio. Make sure those are renewed 5 years in advance. Do not renew your best 5% month to month.
5) Make sure you understand parking is just a temporary solution until you find time to develop each name. To be successful, each domain will need to be developed as a separate business with a business plan and a marketing strategy or it will not be successful.
6) You wouldn't take financial advice from a bum in the street so don't take domain advice from the same bums. Do not take advice from people that start a blog to promote how great they are and have no proven track record selling anything. It's not about what they bought because any idiot with money can buy something, it's about how much profit they made from their original purchase.
7) You will not sell a domain above 5k by chasing end users. To get these sales, they must come looking for you. Make sure your whois information is easily available and that you have a contact us link on all your names for sale.
8) List your domains for sale on multiple sales sites but pricing should reflect what you want out of the domain. If I want to net $1000 on a domain, list it for $1100 on Sedo, $1200 on Buy Domains and $1300 on Go Daddy. This is because Sedo charges 10%, Buy Domains charges 20% and Go Daddy charges 30% for premium listings. Stop worrying about commissions you may pay if you get out of it what you want.
9) When you sell a domain make sure you delete it from all sales venues, do not leave it up.
10) Take half the money you make off a domain sale and bank it, the worst thing to have in any business is zero cash flow, without cash flow you are doomed and may miss the next bargain.
11) Don't get into domain thinking you will be the next Frank Shilling or Kevin Ham because you probably won't be.
12) Don't get into domaining because you think it's easy money without work, that is simply not the case. The most successful people work 24/7 regardless of how much money they have, they just love the industry.
13) Remember that in the gold mining time, the people that made the most money were not the gold miners. The people that made the most money were the people selling picks and shovels.
14) If you didn't read this until Monday see point 1.
-=DCG=-