They Mystery Behind Go Daddy and ePerks.com

Last week I started a forum thread over at NamePros regarding the recent death and removal of the infamous, old-school instant domain appraising tool we all knew as: Leapfish.com

The old Leapfish site all of a sudden now seems to be directed to the homepage of a company known as ePerks.

Not alot is known about ePerks except that they provide real estate, car and home improvement deals & incentives, and are owned by a division of Brabus Ventures.

The fact that Leapfish is no longer around is not the mystery. The top choice in domain appraising tool support nowdays is Estibot.com and the exit of Leapfish from the domain game is not exactly a surprising shock to anyone.  So what's the big mystery? The buzz in the domain industry is the obvious similarity between the Go Daddy logo and the ePerks logo that has people suggesting a possible affiliation partnerships between both companies.

Below are a few forum threads I found while researching that suggest there are others out there  who have heard this "rumor".

YahooAnswers

PropertyMaven

Yesterday'sTrucks

ContractorTalk

As far as I can tell right now, Go Daddy is in no way, shape or form affiliated with ePerks.com. There is no domain-related information on the new leapfish site and the whois for both names does not indicate a similar owner. Other that forum "buzz" this seems probably to be false.

But don't get me wrong, The ePerk's logos definitely resembles the cartoonish Go Daddy guy logo right down to the sunglasses, but that simply may be coincidence or bad market branding.

But the fact that the owners of ePerks decided to buy a well-known domain industry appraising domain name and have it link to their own homepage  is what has me scratching my head. Did they want the traffic? If so, why use the targeted traffic of a domain appraisals site and forward it knowing that 100% of that traffic will bounce because of an unrelated topic. Maybe there's more to it than this?

HHmmm... seems I may have to pull out the ol' detective hat and do some rooting around. 

If anybody else has heard anything or finds any other information, please post it here for us to see. Thanks in advance.

I'll be back to post my findings.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Rudy

Logistik Labs - The home for FREE Domain Tools and News

How Much Market Share Does Your Domain Registrar Have?

Every so often, I pop on over to RegistrarStats and  check out the lastest changes in the market share of the top domain registrars. 

It's a quick and simple way to see exactly which registrars are selling the most domains and exactly how much marketshare they have over the other registrars in the domain industry.

It seems the Scottsdale, Arizona based Go Daddy, is still miles ahead of any other domain registrar with a current stat of 21,720,000 domains. Enom is in second place with 8,100,000 domains. 

Current as of 11/18/2007

1. Go Daddy 21.72 Million

2. eNom 8.1

3. Network Solutions 6.7

4. Tucows 6.0

5. Melbourne IT  4.8

6. Shlund + Partner  3.6

7. Wild West Domains 2.7

8. Moniker Online Services 2.6

9. Register.com 2.5

10 PublicDomainRegistry 1.8

11. Key-Systems GmbH 1.3

12. Intercosmos Media 1.2

13. OnlineNIC, Inc. 1.1

14. Dotster 1.0

15. DomainDiscover 1.0

Stats courtesty of RegistrarStars

New Hot Trend: Domain Selling Using Video Presentations

Flipping through the TV channels, I ran across the ever-popular QVC channel, which as everyone knows, is a home shopping channel that allows viewers to buy assorted products over the phone or Internet as they are being "showcased". I sat and watched for a minute or two and thought, "Wouldn't it be funny if the show began selling premier domain names or maybe even bulk name listings?" Imaging visiting a website that shows live video streams of domains that are being sold for a set price or maybe even recently expired domains that are fresh on-the-block and ready for new owners. This all seemed outrageous to me at first... then it all sank in.

If domain names are called "virtual real estate" why isn't there a market for domain name owners to "showcase" their domains as actual real estate sellers do? If someone is selling a home, do they just list the house address & price and list it as that. Nope, they list the address, show the amenities, age of house, condition of house, house size and all that relevant stuff to help them sell their home to a potential buyer. Why would we not do the same things for our "virtual real estate"? It would be sort of an "open-house" for your domain.

As I sat there watching QVC, I noticed that with each item being presented, the host would explain the benefits of owning the item, explained the pricing, showed the features and did his best to make the viewer feel that this is an item that they can't do without. Don't you wish you had that chance with the last domain name you sold? With this idea you could. Each short presentation (maybe about 1 minute in length) could display detailed stats associated to the domain being sold such as price, brandability, backlinks, traffic stats, PageRank, future market trends, potential market interest, website inclusions, register info and overall appeal of the domain being sold. This would benefit the seller by allowing them to show-off their domains and possibly ask for a higher price than if they just listed the name for sale on some stagnant webpage. It would benefit the buyer because they would know exactly what they are buying and all the mandatory information needed to justify the purchase as needed. Seems to be a win-win situation. Better pricing because of more detailed selling information.

It's Friday and I may be crazy... but could this be an actual possibility for a new trend in domain selling? Is it that outlandish to imagine a website that people submit their short domain presentations to and have potential buyers watch their clip and make a buying decision?

I know, I know... the whole entire thought seems crazy and absurd, and that's why I flipped the channel. But I'm still intrigued. As a matter of fact, I switched back to the QVC channel and let a flood of ideas flow into my head. Could this have legs? Could this possibly be a new, updated way to sell domain names in today's marketplace? Would you be up for it?
Consider this "testing the waters".

Send me a message here with your opinions/feedback or visit DNIO.net for more information on possibly being part of the beta phase of this new and exciting endeavor.

Cheers,
Rudy


Never doubt that a small group of of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.

Vint Cerf Sees Government Control of Internet Failing

"Attempts by governments to create a controlling agency for the Internet are likely to fail", Dr. Vint Cerf, one of the founding fathers of the World Wide Web, said on Wednesday.

Read more of the Reuters article.

Rudy

Rick Schwartz Interviewed About Cowboys.com Purchase

Darren Cleveland, CEO/President of Recall Media Group, interviews Rick Schwartz

Found this on YouTube. This interview was done at the Cowboys.com Owners party on Oct.26, 2007.  Darren Cleveland, CEO/President of Recall Media Group, interviews Rick Schwartz, investor in the cowboys.com domain purchase.

 More domain videos can be found at LogistikLabs.com 

More videos by Recall Group Media can be found at their YouTube channel.

SnapNames® Open for Domain Name Auction Submissions

Today, SnapNames has released a press release to inform the domain industry that they are now accepting submissions of premium domain names for auction in at their debut SnapNames Live auctions scheduled for January 2008.

Two SnapNames Live auctions are scheduled for DOMAINfest Global, a premier domain name industry conference and marketplace running from January 21-23, 2008 at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood, California. SnapNames has promised a collection of exceptionally valuable names. 

"We were the first to offer an organized aftermarket for domain names," said Sudhir Bhagwan, SnapNames CEO. "Our systems are time and volume tested, providing rapid sale and delivery in a fully transparent auction format. Our quality of service is the best in the industry. As a result, we remain a primary destination site for top buyers."

The SnapNames Live Auctions will be a simultaneous, real-time, online bidding format to allow a greater number of auction bidding participants and to helps to ensure maximum visibility and bidding contention for seller inventory.

Interested parties may submit domain names for consideration at www.snapnames.com/live.

More info can be found by emailing liveauctions@snapnames.com.

Press Release

Rudy

Domain Forums Are Vital To The Domain Industry

Throughout my 8 years in the ever-changing domain industry, there are only a few things that have remained constant: One, is that the shorter the domain name, the more value it is perceived as. Second, cybersquatting has always been an issue since the beginning.

...it's just that we didn't have a name for it yet. Thirdly, quality domain names are steadily decreasing every minute of the day. And lastly, if I needed advice, tips or just general knowledge on anything domain related, I could always turn to my pals on my favorite domaining forum and get straight, free, no-nonsense advice 24 hours a day...everyday.

The last one is the one I want to talk about today.
Domaining Forums. The lifeblood of our domaining industry.

Use any search engine to look for domain forums and as you can see, there are no  shortages or lack of choices. Some are geared more towards "domain newbies" while others are so exclusive and professional that you can only become a member by invitation-only. Don't believe me? Check out Rick Schwartz's private  Targeted Traffic Forum.

Either way, forums were created with one thing in mind: To allow groups of people to assemble and interact with open discussion on a certain topic or topics. Domaining is no different. We have forums for the sole purpose of allowing domainers to virtually congregate and conversate. Some of the more popular domain forums are NamePros, DNForum, & DomainState. There's even some quality forums dedicated to foreign or international domainers such as AcornDomains and IDNforums. 

One similarity between all these forums is the fact that they all can be used to monitor the pulse of the domain industry and serve as a educational, positive resource for all domainers. Whether you utilize these forums for their marketplace appeal for selling or buying domain names, or if you visit to stay current on developing trends or domaining news, both serve a major purpose in our industry. 

I remember when the only way you could chat about domaining was being able to find an obscure thread on some obscure webmaster site and hoping the people chatting didn't think you were a moderator that was sent to close down a thread because it was not relevant to the forum.  But even back then, when the niche of domainers was just beginning and you didn't flinch to spend $90 on a 1 year registration, one thing amplified over time: domainers help other domainers. It's a competitive industry but the same quirky friendliness and passion that began back in the day radiates just as strong today.

I'm constantly impressed by the simple one-sentence conversation threads that are always evolving on today's domaining forums. It's not hard for anyone to see that our industry is expanding and becoming more aware and knowledgeable about the power of domains in today's world marketplace. What started as a weekend hobby developed in to a thriving emerging industry that is taking a lot of people by surprise.  Ask Adam Dicker, owner of the previously mentioned DNforum. Adam was recently hired by Go Daddy to become their Vice President of their Domain Name Aftermarket. What better person to steer the Go Daddy aftermarket than the owner of the most popular domain forum in the world? He's informed, he has connections and he has a steady stream of information being relayed throughout this forum. He's a wealth of knowledge because of his forum.

Just like Adam Dicker's DNforum, friendly criticism, honest opinions and the passion towards domains is what fuels the current domain forums of today. I'm noted a few threads I've found over the past few days that are really worth the read. Stay informed, utilize the forums and see you in the threads.

Rudy

NamePros thread: Best Links For New People Entering This Industry

DNForums thread: 21 Must Read Domain Industry Blogs

DomainState thread: Developed Website Feedback Forum

AcornDomains: Tracking down a co.uk registrant with incorrect contact details 

DNForum thread: Am I Already Too Late In The Game?

IDNForum thread: The First $1 Million Dollar IDN

Go Daddy's First Attempt At Signature Auction Fails Terribly

Now that Go Daddy's first Signature Auction is over, people all over the domain industry are scratching their heads and gasping over the lack of domain names sold during their inaugural 3-day auction.

Here's the breakdown:

The only 2 domain names to sell were:

VirtualServer.com (SOLD for $20K)

Apartments.mobi   (SOLD for $23.5K)

The buzz in the domain industry is that the reserve prices were way too high for most of the domains being offered and the quality of each domain was questioned. Analysts say the domains that were being auctioned by Go Daddy were not exactly premium names.

Will Go Daddy continue to offer Signature Auctions in the future? That's the question on everybody's mind. Maybe they could have Danica Patrick & Amanda Beard auction the domains in bikinis? Just a thought. 

More details about each domain name being offered can be found here: 

Go Daddy Signature Domain Names

You Might Be A Domainer If...

... you think .mobi is a whale.

... on your job application you list cybersquatting.

... you can recite GoDaddy promo codes from memory.

... you've named one of your kids Alexa.

... you think "tasting" has nothing to do with food.

... you've appraised your own name.

... your main source of income is Adsense revenue.

... your Sedo rep sends you holiday cards.

... you consider "traffic" a good thing.

... your company's CEO is not as important as it's SEO.

... you own a "Vint Cerf for Pres" shirt.

... you have a diverse portfolio, but don't own any stocks.

... you consider new visitors to your home as unique.

... you've registered a LLLL.com that doesn't even make sense.

... you'd rather register a domain than register for class.

... you consider Whois a social network.

... you still refer to Zuho as SwapNames.

... you're not a lawyer but can recite trademark laws from memory.

... you own some sort of iphone related domain name.

... your backlink quality is more important than your quality of friends.

... two words: ICANN

... you've ordered chips & Dotsauce.

... you knew GoDaddy before he was even a father.

... you've been in a fistfight because someone has dissed your Pagerank.

... you've registered a celebrity's name.

... you consider parking nothing to do with an automobile.

... you're favorite quote is "may the Rick Schwartz be with you."

... you've posted over 1,000 posts in any domain forum.

... you trust Estibot more than your girlfriend.

... you've registered a misspelled word...on purpose.

... you cried when all the LLLL's were gone.

... you don't know a country's capital, but you sure as hell know thier .cc

And the last reason You Might Be A Domainer is....

...you have a bracelet that says "What would Frank Schilling Do?"

Dermabrasion with eggs

Thanks in advance to everyone in the domain industry. This is the beginning of my new blog that is going to be dedicated to the pulse of the domain game. Please check back if you have time and keep up the great work!
Rudy

Kevin Nealon (Saturday Night Live) wins domain from squatter

I was doing a little research on recent WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) dispute claims and ran across this one filed by actor Kevin Nealon.

Seems he registered KevinNealon.com in September 1997 and let the renewal expire. It was re-regged in February 2007 by someone else which prompted a dispute claim in August 2007.

The WIPO stepped in and awarded Kevin Nealon his domain name because of bad faith use.

Very surprised this didn't make it to any press or newspapers.

Check out the actual WIPO case decision here:
http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisions/html/2007/d2007-1225.html