Some domainers have been around for years while others are just learning how to spell GoDaddy however it doesn’t matter if you are young or old in this industry, even veterans have made mistakes over the years.

Somewhere around 2004 I dropped my .com (alandunn.com) for reasons which still baffle me today. This mistake not only cost me losing my name but also any blind date I go on is difficult since there is a much prettier version of me and someone who actually knows how to cook located at the site today.

Domaining is a small community and one where many of us have good times and bad times. There are certain groups who play more with others, some who live in a different country every six months for residency (tax) reasons, others who think they know everything but are willing to sell their soul for $100 and then of course, the crazy people who comment on blogs and need therapy.

However there are certain elements of domain investing which are common to all and securing your own name .com is important. I stopped blogging a while ago since it’s extremely unproductive and Elliot, Michael, Andrew and Shane do a much better job. However I couldn’t help but share some of the mistakes or missed opportunities other domainers also had over the years.

Michael Robertson

All around cool dude from the other side of the pond. Most will know him from being one of the faces of Fabulous over the years and is now part of DomainGaurdians.com – However I think when Michael sleeps he dreams of raising $100 million in venture capital money like the real Michael Robertson

http://www.michaelrobertson.com

Hang in there mate!

Brian Gilbert

For those who know Brian Gilbert (and his lovely wife of 12 years Charlotte) its rare not to find great joy in his presence. His laughter and knowledge of the domain sector space is one most domainers would envy and both of the Gilbert’s are just all around genuine people. However the real Brian Gilbert is proud of his work with “The Queen of Clean” and her Vapamore Steam Cleaning System. I know there is a bad joke here somewhere.

http://www.briangilbert.com/

Elliot Silver

Author of ElliotsBlog.com and one of the nicest guys you can meet in the world, Elliot has been around for a while. Many of us are addicted to this little guy’s blog more than coffee however did you know the real Elliot Silver is a yoga Jedi and around 6 feet tall!

http://www.elliotsilver.com

http://web.me.com/elliotsilver/Yoga/photos.html

Craig Snyder

Another great guy in the domain space and GM of Oversee but even this Navy Seal didn’t acquire his own name. The real question however is who would win in a battle – the Craig Snyder we know from a Navy Seal team or the real Craig Snyder who celebrated building his own forging hammer last year?

http://craigsnyder.com/2010/hammer-time

Jeff Kupietzky

President of Oversee, $17 million in sales the last quarter, millions of domains parked, a Harvard education yet… can somebody buy his name as a present please.

www.jeffkupietzky.com

Any other domainers you know where the .com is used by an “impersonator”

Seriously we could all use one especially with the amount of pointless chatter in this space. Let’s not talk about domain names, SEO, development or another one of Rick Latona’s dumb quotes about the state of the industry. Let’s just focus on how cool these angry birds are!

Car insurance never stops and 360 Quote LLC has done it again with the purchase of AutoInsurance.org for $440,000.

If you remember 360 Quote LLC purchased a number of car insurance domains last year including CarInsuranceComparison.com and a string of GEO related insurance names.

Joel Ohman, founder of Domain Superstar, runs 360 Quote LLC and is one of the few domainers we love to see acquire names since they actually get built with relevant content worthy of the money spent.

Congrats !

and no … this was not over priced. A fair deal for both the buyer and seller.

Media Options was responsible for brokering the sale.

In my opinion 2010 will go down in history books as the year when many of the world’s best names were acquired at prices never to be seen again. Why? Since almost all of the key purchases this year have been made by developers and end users.

This is vastly different than prior years since if these names ever get sold again they will be sold based on a business value and not just a typical domain valuation.

While many domainers were spending time trying to cherry pick dropped names or pay $50k for some name hoping only to find a willing buyer who will pay 200k many brokers, developers and investors were targeting the very cream of the crop on the aftermarket and have succeeded in making 2010 the year of some of the most valuable domain purchases ever. Take for example just a sample of the names sold in 2010 – note that almost all of these were private transactions and not on dropped lists or even showcase auctions:

Legal Domains

• DivorceLawyers.com – a private sale currently in Escrow.com
• PersonalInjuryLawyers.com – UK law firm

Travel Domains

• LasVegasHotels.com – private purchase by Swiftrank PTE Ltd.
• BostonHotels.com – private purchase by Swiftrank PTE Ltd.

Holiday Domains

• BlackFridaySales.com – the rumcake dude

Insurance (ok – some way out of the budget for many domainers)

• AutoInsurance.com – private deal (unconfirmed)
• CarInsurance.com – Quinstreet
• Insurance.com – Quinstreet
• Insure.com – Quinstreet
• HealthInsuranceQuotes.com
• CarInsuranceComparison.com
• HomeOwnersInsurance.com

Health / Weight Loss

• WeightTraining.com
• HowtoLoseWeightFast.com

Gambling

• Slots.com
• Poker.org

Games

• CookingGames.com
• Boardgames.com

Cell Phones

• Ringtones.com

Even sex.com was sold but odds are that domain will be another dud imo and belongs to some group who will just change the DNS every 3 months looking for a better rev share from PPC.

I could go on and on about the wealth of premier domain names that have been scooped up by people who understand development and then ask why anyone is buying 95% of any of the junk sales reported every week but this is what makes a fascinating industry. Domainers every day watch trends and try to chase patterns but when in fact most of the money made by development is in lead generation.

From finance to shopping to games – the internet mainly revolves around 15 or 20 key lead generation verticals and when you understand that then you will NEVER have to chase any pattern.

Most developers know the good names by heart while many domainers still only understand whats catchy at the moment. How many times have you heard somebody say insurance is hot in the last 6 months?

Well… duh … insurance has been hot since 1999. So are credit cards, weight loss, mortgages, hotels, holiday names and other categories in the top list.

Frank Schilling said it best a couple years – only about 2% of all names registered mean anything so let me give you a couple life lessons for 2011

• If you can’t name the top 2% then consider ignoring all drop lists for a couple weeks and go back to domain name 101 school and learn what makes a good domain.
• Stop following trends – you should know the core names almost off the top of your head and while trends have a place how can you really pick a good name from a new batch if you don’t understand the ones already around?
• Ignore weekly sales reports. They are fun but no one has been able to find logic in them since 1941 and no one ever will.
• Spend money on good names. Do not spend money on 100 mediocre ones. Buy 1 good one.

There is also life outside of America. I have heard many comments about people looking at some domain buys and then doing a Google search saying well hey – this name gets no traffic since it doesn’t show up in Google. Oh my ….

Names with international appeal like SydneyHotels.com do not need Google USA Page 1 to be successful. While a Google US search may not show SydneyHotels.com favorably yet it’s already on page 1 of Google.com from almost all locations outside the US.

Names like LasVegasHotels.com have been (by far) some of the best acquisitions EVER with thousands of direct type in traffic every month. The new owners have a site that is continuously being upgraded and now in its 3rd version.  If you compare this site’s look, feel and functionality now versus the way it looked pre-acquisition earlier in the year using the history tool on Archive.org I think everyone will agree development like this undoubtedly makes a more valuable asset having undergone professional development.

I could go on and on but the fact is some of the best domains in the world are finally getting developed by people who can develop. Not mini-sites or these mass development services but people with actual development budgets and link building skills.

Finally… the future has begun -)

According to MarketWatch.com Quinstreet has purchased CarInsurance.com for $49.7 Million.

The Press release reads QuinStreet purchased all outstanding shares of CarInsurance.com, Inc. and related entities for $49.7 million in cash.

This is not just a domain name sale but I will be happy to hear from anybody who thinks so for the pure entertainment of it all.

View the full story here

I totally forgot about this until someone contacted me this morning. Around 4 or 5 years ago when we had a large real estate network operating online I got a call from one of our affiliate sources saying that we just earned $21,250 from a lead referral.

It was a simple text link saying “Commercial Mortgage Rates” or something like that. People email me every so often to verify this or someone from c-loans.com will ask if its ok to give out my information and its always a nice reminder why you should incorporate content of all sorts within your site, even if its just a single page on a closely related topic.

I am certainly not recommending adding content about weight loss on a mortgage site but if you have a site on apartment rentals why not take the time and develop a little content about home loans, commercial buildings and personal finance.

You never know how much a click can be worth.

I rarely post articles about products to use but earlier today I was told about Scribe SEO and can say for sure this will be some of the best money you ever spend learning and testing your content for SEO quality work.

Basically what Scribe SEO does is provide an automated tool for scoring your content pages (according to current SEO standards) all from within your wordpress control panel.

The first step is to obviously view the Scribe SEO WordPress Demo and see if it works for you. Installation is a simple WP or Joomla plug-in (like all other plug-ins) and then anytime you click on a post or page to edit you opt to analyze it for a SEO score with a simple click of a button.

Take for example one page we produced today. Once the article was finished we pushed the SEO score button and it came back with results like below (click on image to view full results). The results also provide suggestions about Keyword Analysis, possible keywords to change, alternate keywords, tags and SEO best practices.

View a Scribe SEO WordPress Demo here and see how it easy it is for yourself to have content scored quickly. Anyone developing seriously using WordPress or Joomla can take advantage of Scribe SEO.

Check it out!

I love the original Google Adwords keyword tool but looking up a particular set of keywords yesterday posed a lot of questions about whether or not the data from (a) the original version is dated or (b) the new Adwords version pulls data from a different dataset.

Take for example the keywords “auto car insurance”

These keywords really make no sense as logically one would search for auto insurance or car insurance yet for years the keywords “auto car insurance” had an exact match of 100,000 +/- using the Google Adwords keyword tool.

Yesterday I broke down and used the new version to double check some stuff for a client and low and behold the new tool  … you know this one…

Shows an exact match now of only 3,600!! Quite a drop.

Many other examples exist where the data is not a just little off but drastically changed in the new GAKT vs. the old one. So which one do you use?

One of the best suggestions I can give is use common sense. If you are buying a domain based on keywords that are never used in a particular order in everyday language than most likely people are not typing it in – at least not 100,000 of them.

You can always double check keyword data other ways instead of just relying on GAKT data. For example, when a keyword set is showing 100,000 exact searches a month and the # 2 result is not showing any traffic on compete or other places then Google data is most likely wrong. On the other hand if you find exact search keywords where the results are low and do some digging into the percentage of traffic being driven by the same keywords from a first or second place SERP listing you may just find a pretty good domain to negotiate on with an unsuspecting owner.

I also won the Google lottery today and realized just how much of a mind reader Google is since when I logged in to the new GAKT version today and was asked to verify a word well the G team certainly summed up my thoughts about the new tool with one word.

Sergey and Larry – please tell me the lotto numbers for Saturday!!

What a great video to display Google’s evil powers to the world. Too funny .. and if you are a DAD you must watch the second one.

DAD’s -- Ya, we serious rock with style LOL!!

There are well over 100 conferences annually for online development. Whether it’s the Search Marketing Expos, the Affiliate Summit or something else most domainers still only attend domaining conferences which barely breathe any life into domain name development.

Sure – there are lots of domains around which “could” be worth $1 million or more with the right development but for the last decade most domain owners have been living inside the parking closet so when it comes to attending Rob Monster’s EPIK development conference do you even know what questions to ask?

There is no doubt Rob has put a tremendous amount of time, money and energy into building a conference worthy of starting to build a bridge between domain ownership and development for interested parties however does this mean simply by purchasing a conference pass and showing up you will get all the answers?

Sadly no.

The amount of success any conference attendee will have is based on two things.

One is the promoter’s ability to attract a crowd, choice of events and access for attendees to immediate tools which can help improve the goals for which they are attending – Rob has done this!!!

The second is what YOU do.

Yes, quite likely if a conference is deemed great by the majority and you fly home thinking it was just another expensive party then you failed as an attendee. The conference did not fail you.

So next week when domainers gather in hoards to attend a conference produced by one of the most successful people online gather your cheat sheet well in advance and look around for answers to these questions about development:

# 1) Find SMARTER People

Remember the words “If you want to play chess never play someone you can beat”

This is critical to maintaining your seek for knowledge during the EPIK conference or any other. Sure, there are a lot of people around you can have drinks and make new friends with and its ok to do this but don’t stand in the corner talking to another guy who has never developed hoping to find the magic formula for online success. Try to get an attendee list and hit people up who have more experience than you. Chances are you are not going to know their names from the domaining world so don’t be afraid to Google them even if you’re 10 feet away. It’s not considered stalking yet.

# 2) Narrow Your Domains Down

Instead of solving the Mass development issue, identify the most interesting group(s) of your domains and try to speak in more defined discussions. Think about the difference between these 2 conversations “I have 3,000 names – how can you help me develop them” or “I have 200 real estate names – any ideas how to get these online”.

Not only does this show the beginning of a plan vs. needing someone to hold your hand it actually helps people who have experience in that sector want to speak with you more. Most development lessons can be carried over from one sector to another.

# 3) Give Rob a Hug

It would be kinda funny to have 1,000 people give Rob a hug over a couple days so this tip is for my humor more than yours (Please report any hugs given below)

# 4) Expectations

Do you know it can often take six months or a year to fully realize the SEO value of a domain name previously parked? Ask others about general expectations about rankings and when to start seeing traffic results.

# 5) Affiliate Revenue Options

At a developers conference they are bound to be people making money through affiliate programs so ask about what programs are good AND what programs are bad. Get contacts at these companies since direct payouts are a lot more than simply signing up online.

# 6) Mingle and Mix it up

Do not stay in a small circle. When you register its possible to meet a few people right away and simply stay in this group all weekend. Mingle and mix it up. A few minutes of charm will get you a long way and you can always call everybody next week. Meet as many people as you can. Of course, if you meet an incredible sexy blonde probably a wise idea to just leave the conference altogether or stay up in your room for three days – certainly no judging here.

# 7) How Much Money do you need?

Money makes the world go around or does it? Many developers start out with just a few hundred dollars and parlay money earned into thousands and then more. Part of attending a developer’s conference will also be to manage or create cost expectations for development. Ask about the different options for development. You can always upgrade your site design later. Find a balance between your budget and the options available.

# 8 What da heck is Web Development?

Seriously, this is not a joke question.

A lot of domainers think mini-sites are domain development but they are really not to any respectable developer. Inquire about the elements of development including web design, content production, link building, revenue generation and more. Ask questions like “Who writes the content”, “What platform should I use”, “How do I build links” and more. There are many SEO experts who are familiar with every aspect of building out a name attending the EPIK conference.

Buy them a drink and get some answers or buy them a case and maybe get them all.

# 9) Stand Tall – Do Not be Shy?

It’s ok to respect other people because of their accomplishments but at the end of the day we all put socks on and eat breakfast the same way. Do not be afraid to speak to anyone. In fact the best way to approach someone you feel shy about is to comment on a particular project they own or have built, compliment them and then ask a question about web development and that particular project. Trust me, people love to talk about themselves.

# 10) Schedule a Future Call

Ask people if its ok to schedule a longer call after the conference. A lot of people run their lives by blackberry and calendars so if you find someone who seems interesting enough to have a conversation with then politely ask to schedule a chat in the future. Once the meeting is scheduled then you can slowly make your way to next guy and don’t worry – they will do the same.

Conferences are not only fun and practical but one of the reasons why people fly thousands of miles a year to attend conferences is because they have a formula for extracting the information they want from the attendees. You should do the same.

Have any more tips … feel free to post them here.