Rick and Rick – What they can’t teach you
By Alan on Nov 3, 2009 in Domain Development
First let me say this is not a post about either Rick personally but it’s about the way of thought many domainers exercise in the current industry. The economic variables of today we are forced to work in will certainly bring opportunity to many domainers but this opportunity must be considered more than just buying a worthy asset at cheaper prices than a year ago.
Joel Ohman referenced a quote I made with a great follow article up about his life cycle in the world of business online (note I did not say domain business) and it would be relevant to your future success to read this article to understand exactly how many elements there are to success online.
Real world experience, understanding of the importance of keyword domains, SEO talent, proper development, online marketing skills. For long term success most people need to understand that starting a website should be viewed no less important than as opening a brick and mortar company (albeit with lower costs) and most of us (even I) need to go back to school every now and then to learn about the courses which factor in to the success of a plan.
Although I do say the first is to stop reading domain blogs it is entirely understandable to peak and peruse what fellow domainers are doing but for the most part these blogs are entirely irrelevant to anything affecting your growth as a developer except to understand a little more how much your domain may be possibly worth.
Is that why you read blogs?
to check your domain value every day – note that daytraders have the same addiction refreshing real time quotes.
For some its ok. Buying and selling domains is a business – a semi-respectable business (will delete semi when main street gets it) but its only part of being a domain owner for many.
Taking the next step: Building a Business … is something very few domainers can ever help you with.
Compare it to buying a car.
The car salesman can tell you all day long how great the new BMW 7 Series is compared to a Jag or Mercedes however when you leave the parking lot and come back a week later for advice on how to modify the car for performance, improve handling with come custom work or almost anything related to making the car you just bought better very few – if any – would ever return to the salesman who sold you the car for advice.
Domainers in general continue to return for advice from other domainers about development, planning a business, SEO markerting and more. Granted, the fellowship is nice and there ARE some people who really know a lot but most of these people do not blog in the vicous cycle of blogs on domaining.com or NameBee (take the Castello’s for example – these 2 have done wonderful things but they do not blog and if you 2 are reading – dont do it … way too time consuming).
I remember when I started learning chess many years ago my chessmaster always told me – NEVER play with someone who you can beat.
That is exactly the same concept which should be applied to those seriously interested in development.
Anyone in this space knows one Rick can sell some great names but has admitted time over time he is no developer. Another Rick made the now semi-famous quote “There is no money in web design” telling us simply that his business plan could not work in an industry where 100’s of companies offer similar services at similar prices – who continue to thrive. Truth is “there IS money in web design” however even one of our own couldn’t do it so why take development advice from him.
I’ve always said certain names in this industry have their respective places but the grand illusion of putting these people on pedestals to learn from them for EVERYTHING web/domain/online marketing related is comical at best.
Today’s economy brings a single opportunity to each and every person interested in online marketing to pick up assets at very fair and reasonable price however Success can START with a domain but no way ends there.
You may have noticed (or probably not) that I have removed myself from blogging on any consistent basis purely because of the lack of real knowledge gained every day from domaining blogs and I suggest those domain owners seriously really interested in development do the same. Truth is no one will really miss you but come back with success stories and see how quickly your blog becomes popular again but this time you will have domainers, SEO and end users excited to read about your work.
As your momma probably always said – honey, you have to go to school.
Now would be a good time to start.
Shane | Nov 3, 2009 | Reply
I appreciate your article and opinion but you are missing a key reason why many people read blogs. Entertainment. It’s what we do instead of television or looking at perezhilton or sone other form of entertainment. There are plenty of other things to do with my time but I enjoy it. Reading articles that same “hobby” is something we all enjoy. There is time for work and time for play but it’s up to the individual to seperate the two. Thanks
Alan | Nov 3, 2009 | Reply
Entertainment value – true.
But for many who WANT to make a living online probably a good idea to put entertainment on hold for a while and really learn.
If you were making $1,000 online a month last year and now 12 months later still making $1,000 not much value in entertainment now is there.
Appreciate the point as you are right – for some it is a hobby to read but for many they are actually looking for information … just in the wrong places.
Ron W. | Nov 3, 2009 | Reply
Alan,
Thanks for the insight – probably the best post I’ve read all week!
As a somewhat new member of the domain community, I generally read blogs that are newsworthy & offer fresh ideas that I can use in order to advance my knowledge in this business.
Troy | Nov 3, 2009 | Reply
Alan,
Great post, and I love the irony of a blog post that says stop reading blog posts=).
This industry is going to change, it is going to change in a massive way when domainers stop looking at themselves as a “domainer” but instead as “businessmen” and “businesswomen”.
It seems like the unwritten code of “domaining” is to scream that a domain is basically the only thing that you need for a successful business but how many domainers have actually built a successful business at any time in their lives?
There are many things that need to be focused on when building a business and while a domain is one of those things my point is that it is only one of those things. In addition to the domain other importiant things are SEO and monetizing the domain and business.
So, at the basis there are three things that make a successful online business, a good domain, good SEO and a good monitization stratagy.
Some people only talk about a good domain (most domainers), some only talk about good SEO (SEO’s) and some only talk about a good monitazation strategy, but the people that will make the real money from now on are the people that understand all three and know how to put it all together.
The days of Rick Schwartz style of riches are going away, he was smart and made good money off of domains all by themselves but in the future it will not be enough to only have 1 leg of the three legged stool that is internet success.
Troy
FreeDomainNewsletter.com (FreeDomainNewsletter.com is currently down, I accidently erased it all 2 days ago while uploading some stuff… Argh!)
Esa | Nov 3, 2009 | Reply
Damn, I just wasted another 5 minutes of my life reading your blog. And another 5 minutes submitting this comment. But it was a good post, at least for the entertainment value. Seriously though, surely another provocative post here, but I would have to agree with pretty much everything you said.
I think Francois has created real value to the industry with domaining.com, and I check domaining.com daily, it’s a great site to get an instant idea of what’s hot in the industry by just spending a few minutes to look at the titles. It actually saves time. I usually end up reading 0-1 posts per day. This is the only post I actually read today.
To summarize, I think many people would do well to read your post here and pay attention. Daydreaming (=blog reading) gets you nowhere, and the signal/noise ratio of blogs is generally dismal.
nSathees | Nov 4, 2009 | Reply
How did this article emerged? You had your success story behind you?
website design nyc | Jan 21, 2010 | Reply
Your post is helpful and informative