"Domain Investing, Domain Development & Global vcommerce" BY: LUKE WEBSTER
Hello I am Luke Webster: I grew up in very small remote logging communities around Alaska. I am the fourth child of five. After high school in Wasilla, Alaska I moved to San Diego and Los Angeles. I ended up settling in Sandpoint, Idaho. Idaho is a north western state located along the Canadian border. At that time I was working as a contract employee for ARCO (oil and gas) in Prudhoe Bay. I launched my first online service company during this time. It was www.electronicfilingsolutions.com from there I got very interested in technology and building domains.
My Domains & Businesses I started domain investing seriously in 2007. 6 Figure Domain Sale Got my attention Utilized GoDaddy to purchase thousands and thousands of domain names Got a call in 2007 from a GoDaddy Account Representative Got the idea for DevRich.com 2007 Built DevRich.com a mass domain monetization and development company Built out tens of thousands of domains Sold DevRich.com became a major share holder in Epik.com Purchased back DevRich.com pivoted from mass domain development to ecommerce development 2012 started The Shave Network
Domain Investing Buying Domains Specific Domains Categorical Domains Premium Domains Backordering Domains Whois Lookup Do your research. Go after the keyword specific domains. Utilize the powerful tools GoDaddy has developed to your advantage.
Domain Investing Buying Specific Domains You need to verify what domains are Registered or Unregistered in the desired TLD or gtld. This is easily done by utilizing GoDaddy s Bulk Domain Registration Tool (BDRT). You can take your entire list up to 500 names and drop them into the GoDaddy BDRT then select the extension you desire. The available (unregistered) domains are separated from the unavailable (registered) domains and can be added to your cart and purchased. You can also utilize a backorder service from GoDaddy to track expiration of any domains you want to watch for expiration. I personally utilize a homemade Excel spreadsheet to track and create my lists I would suggest that you create something like this for tracking your domain investing.
Domain Investing Buying Categorical Domains I utilize the exact same process as with purchasing specific domains. You will want to also review any suggestions GoDaddy might provide upon querying availability for the domains your searching for. This leads to our next section Premium Domain Names. Often GoDaddy will offer you a premium domain when your searching. So lets talk about premium domain investing
Domain Investing Investing in Premium Domains What is a premium domain? At GoDaddy it is a domain owned by another client that has decided to list it for sale as a Premium Domain. These can be purchased by simply agreeing to the sellers on screen asking price and checking out. Premium domains will be noted as such. You can also contact GoDaddy or your GoDaddy rep to help you secure 1 or many of these domains. Through the rep you can always make an offer and see if the seller will negotiate. Premium names are a great way to start your business. A domain name is one of the single most important assets your business can hold. If your buying domains to strictly hold then it makes sense to shop the premium and available GoDaddy market space often.
Domain Development Unprecedented amount of options at your fingertips. Development has never been easier and it keeps getting better. I was able to build our newest ecommerce site www.shaving.club with GoDaddy s software/hosting and have everything up in running in just a few hours. That includes domain name, SSL, site design, payment gateway and much more. I built a majority of my first tech company www.devrich.com off the backbone that GoDaddy provided. Their scalable easy to use dynamic hosting options gave me access to technology at a fraction of the standard costs so I could affordably grow my business. I encourage everyone here to take a first or second look at the hosting, domain management, email services and more being offered at GoDaddy currently. They are simply amazing and the costs are unbelievably low.
Opportunities and Hazards Domain Investing and Domain Development Opportunities The landscape is ripe with great names thanks to so many new gtld options I personally am investing in.club heavily For Development India is a great location for mobile development. I would encourage all companies big and small to take notice to the mobile world that is rapidly expanding in India and throughout the world. Domain Investing and Domain Development Hazards Know your market Avoid trademark terms Research your name, branding and product thoroughly make sure you do your homework
Domaining Do s and Don ts Domaining Do s Take the time to research your domains before purchasing Take the time to develop your domains properly If not developing the domains park or forward them properly Groom your portfolio (Trim the poor names and Reinvest in quality) Domaining Don ts Don t buy Trademark domains Don t underestimate the power of privacy or not using privacy on a domain Don t give the first number on a domain negotiation for sale. Try to see where they are first Don t make offers that are insulting, take time to research and start with an offer between 30-60% of what you are willing to pay.
Closing Thoughts My Closing Thoughts
Questions & Answers Crowd participation Q & A