2008 and Beyond
It’s wonderful being back after an extended vacation break. I used to scoff at vacationing (vacations are for the weak), but I was amazed that those friends and colleagues who took longer absences around the holidays skated circles around my productivity around March and April of the next year.
I won’t bore you folks with the details of my trip, but suffice it to say, I was glad to get away for the holiday sojourn and will probably spend more time traveling this year.. (business and pleasure).
New years bring new resolutions, new promises — cleaning out old cobwebs, retiring issues and ramping-up for a new cycle of work/changes. One of my resolutions this year is to slow down on the blogging. Charity starts at home and I need to spend more of my non-working time with my wife, kids, family and those close friends and acquaintances in our family’s life.. I just can’t do that, run a domain media co and continue to scribe each day. Since I began SevenMile.com, several others in the industry have joined the blogging ranks .. many of those folks have done a terrific job creating news-sites and the existing journals and periodicals just get better and better. There are even mash-ups now about domaining where we can get the most recent commentary and daily news across many blogs/journals/sites.
I plan to continue to write, albeit much less frequently with more personal, concentrated and in-depth thoughts relating to specific industry affecting issues. I look forward to several such posts over the course of the year.. but I will leave the daily color and roundups to those who do it so much better than I could. It has been fun sharing (daily) and part of me will miss that but hopefuly my personal relationships and biz will thrive with the extra time in what is sure to be a challenging 2008.
Looking back on the predictions for 2007 made in late 2006, many of those thoughts came true.. increased trouble for the most flagrant violators of IP rights, continued consolidation within the industry as the big get bigger, coupled with a spreading of the cottage industry footprint of work at home hopefuls with stars in their eyes; broadening our great industry’s base as it continues to mature.
If 2007 and my winter vacation of the year taught me anything, it’s how incredibly lucky we all are to participate in a space where anyone.. anyone can still “make it” if they have the gumption and desire to dig-in and better their life. There are no defined paths in the domain industry.. and domain names continue to act as the nucleus of all Internet commerce. If nothing in business happens without ‘a sale’, nothing on the Internet happens without ‘a domain name’.. and it’s still an adolescent industry with lots of room for those who want to make a great life for themselves.
The game today is similar, but just a little different. I encourage you to stake your claim this year if you haven’t in earnest and continue to work hard for a few years.. If you adopt that glass half-full outlook and apply yourself, I predict you too will be reciting the words of that Talking Heads song… as you “wake up in a beautiful house”, “find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile”.. and you ask yourself .. How did I get here? 
Have a great year folks…
.
Compelling post, Frank. Uplifting.
I reckon 2008 is gonna be great.
The talking heads riff triggered this one for me:
It’s the end of the world as we know it,..
It’s the end of the world as we know it,..
and i feel fine.
Michael Stipe/REM
.
Frank,
Welcome back. I was going to suggest that you start an email subscription service to notify us when something is posted but then I found the subscription box at the top and signed up. So, that’s a great idea.
Regarding your glass half full comment… why are you such a pessimist? The glass is only one quarter full
Sounds like plan Frank.
Welcome back Frank. As always, you are right on the mark. A healthy and happy New Year to you and yours and may God’s light always shine upon you.
welcome back…here’s to a great year for us all.
Frank. Happy New year. Great quote “nothing on the Internet happens without ‘a domain name’.” People are still just realizing how important domain names are and how valuable they will continue to become as intangible property in the future.
I am sorry to hear you will be blogging less. You input and insight into the community is invaluable. I hope you will accept my open invitation to do vTalk Radio interviews. There is no easier way to have your voice heard and share your thoughts than transcribed internet radio. The internet and domaining community needs your voice!
And BTW, where does someone living on the beach in paradise go for vacation????
***FS*** I went to Laguna Beach my friend
Frank,
Welcome back. Looks like the vacation did you good. Glad to hear that you will be focusing on the important priorities in life, family. All the money in the world can not mend a broken home,or make up for lost time with the kids and wife. I applaud you for your commitment in an open setting.
This was one of the best posts you have done in quite some time IMO(No offense intended). It strikes encouragement, vision, motivation and values all in one post. Excellent words to start off 2008.
Blogs will continue to grow in this industry, as it is the only effective way to communicate among the masses and express your thoughts, giving an individual a voice in this industry (Regardless of Stature). Bloggers will pick up where you left off, but no one in this industry can replace the daily ****FS**** posts that educate and motivate individuals on the level you do.
I wish you happiness and continued success in 2008!
Godspeed,
Steve Morales
Hey Frank,
Good to have you back! Glad you had a great vacation.
Now you’re back, there are a couple of questions I’ve wanted to ask you for a while.. they’re pretty easy and short ones I think.
I’ll start with this one:
Of your domain transactions you do, what percentage are buying, and what percentage are selling? (e.g. are 80% of your transactions buying new domains?)
Thank you!
***FS*** Up until Q4 2007 we sold nothing.. nothing.. In the last months of the year (late Q4) we began engaging the most aggressive sales inquiries on generic names that don’t fit our long term dev profile. So we sell about two or three names a week of those types.. We acquire about 350 names per week so we’re net buyers.
Welcome back!
Sahar
P.S.
ASSISTA is live.. finally!
frank -
when you “acquire about 350 names per week” what is the breakdown between:
1. expired/drops
2. secondary mkt
3. new names (i.e., brainstorming
***FS** almost 100% fall under 1. which is really more like 2. because i’m bidding in registrar created domain marketplaces such as snapnames and namejet.
Hi Frank,
I am happy to see that you are back, It is also nice to hear that your well deserved vacation was great!
Your decisions on cutting down the blogging is based on the number one value, family! Nothing else would have been acceptable,
Happy New Year to you and the Family!
//Thomas
Welcome back, Frank.
I support your decision to blog less. Family and friends are the most important assets a person can have. I have been finding myself again reaching the edge of information overload from the great new blogs out there, as you mention. Limiting yourself to the insightful, thoughtful, more personal messages will encourage others to post the news with more diverse color than a single person can provide. It will also make me even more anxious for your blogs.
I found this comment that you still acquire about 350 names per week quite staggering. I’m curious, how much of the decision-making process, searching, etc. do you have automated?
Regards,
Conor
***FS*** We have databases of search terms and dictionaries which we use to filter them. I’m pleased with the caliber of many .. we could easily ramp up quantity but quality suffers.
In otherwords you are bailing on us.
You got to give till it hurts Frank. We want at least one post a day. I am a SevenMile addict. I need my daily fix.
I suggest you sit down at night just before bed and jot down a few of your thougts.
What happend to Tia Wood and realizing you had to share and all that jazz. C’mon Frank, don’t throw in the towel.
***FS*** I love you Johnnyboy.. all of you.. and am sincerely flattered .. I’ll still write the odd thing.. but so much stuff is out there now.. much fewer secrets.. I am starting to repeat myself on many posts. the historical posts stand and many are as fresh and poignant as the day I wrote them. This isn’t goodbye.. so much as its au revoir.
good to see you’re back Frank!
I should probably thank you and Kevin for not running up the bid on a domain I grabbed at namejet yesterday (eDaycare.com)
‘e’ domains may not be your cup of tea though..
-peter
***FS** I love those.. own eShopping.com and a bunch of others. edaycare.com is a nice little name.
Regarding your glass half full comment..
It’s neither half full or half empty.. the glass is just too big.
Nice to have you back Frank.
Welcome back Frank!
Glad you’re back.
Have a great year.
good to hear you had a nice break. I’m not in this business but I still find the strategy fascinating as how revenue is made.
as long as were talking about songs and how they pertain to business I thought this one might be of interest to you Frank. I remember a song from around 1985 that we used to listen to that of course is no longer relevant as we cannot afford to do so otherwise. That song was “Ignore the Machine”.
cheers to 2008 and all of your future plans
Hi Frank,
Welcome back! The names you have sold…have those been for top end user pricing? Are you considering selling some non core assets to other domainers that you may have beat out originally…LOL?
Thanks
***FS*** To be honest these are typically names which don’t have organic traffic for generic intent things.. I’m not selling the cream so much as if I’m pestered over and over for a truly non critical name. I am just experimenting in different things to see where the road leads (as it relates to name sales) .. Don’t expect a call center and sales floor in the Caymans anytime soon.
This isn’t the first time you promised to blog less
Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with all of your articles.
Seriously though, love your writing and ideas. I think 3-5 insightful posts per week will keep everyone happy.
Welcome back Frank!
Gotta say I probably wouldn’t have entered into this industry in 2007, if it wasn’t for the gems of wisdom layed out by the likes of yourself and Sahar.
Thank you so much - here’s wishing everyone a great 2008!
- rich
Welcome back, Frank! I’ve missed your blogging.
Welcome back Frank, You’re blogs were missed.
Have a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous New Year.
Frank,
Registering 350 names per week is steep and hard to imagine that all 350 names deliver type-in traffic, especially in the aftermarket expired/drops. How many of those actually deliver acceptable type-in traffic? or are they mainly terms that will eventually have typein traffic with time?
Out of all the top domain portfolios in this industry, what would your assessment be on the average percentage of domains that contain very minimal to no traffic at all in the large portfolios? What about the percentage of names that do perform? (A guestimate would be nice) This is never discussed openly, all we hear about is the great names that perform outstanding and cover the entire portfolio. Giving the appearance that every domain delivers traffic and revenue in portfolios.
I find it a very inaccurate statement when big companies divide their total earnings among their complete portfolios, to assign a name with monthly/yearly revenue earned. There is no way that every domain performs in large portfolios, is there?
It would be nice to have a little transparency on this subject to educate other domainers of what they can expect in their portfolios as they build them.
Thanks,
Steve Morales
***FS*** It’s the 80 20 rule basically.. you may have 100’s of thousnads of names, but only tens of thousands ‘perform’ in the traffic ‘volume’ sense.. however sometimes longtail names with little traffic volume (one visit per week or even per year) can be worth their weight in gold. How much is the click that sells a private jet worth? It’s a numbers game.. I only check back to see if the names I’m picking make any money every six months or so.. I buy and buy and buy and then check the trailing revs on a 6 mo moving window.. it’s always been about 6X that I’m paying.. if it ever goes to 20x I will stop buying names and start selling
Damn.
Frank’s back…
Now I’m once again “stuck” reading one of the best blogs on the ‘net…domain or otherwise.
Excellent post - nice personal touch.
Even as a newbie on the blog mill, I can already see it takes a lot more time than one might think. But then, so does a nurturing a family.
While you don’t appear to have been the first to blog domain names, you sure seem to have been one of the most motivational, and therefore not surprisingly, one of the most influential quills on the scene.
I don’t know you, but if Ron Jackson’s piece isn’t a complete work of fiction, I’d like to. Your agility and ability to adjust to the challenges you face is admirable.
I’m going to forgo a farewell and instead encourage you to produce those “personal, concentrated and in-depth thoughts relating to specific industry affecting issues” that you mentioned. I’m sure they will help in forming a new industry; an industry that is already evolving right before our eyes.
Now, in keeping form with the lyrics theme, I leave you with these:
And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll.
***FS*** Thank-you Robert Plant
Indeed, charity starts at home. It’s amazing how much more you discover about your family when you spend good time with them. After all, and whatever we’re told, quality can not entirely replace quantity. Have a great 08.
Hey Frank,
Glad to see you are back.
I think you made an insightful point about the increase in productivity that comes from taking a break. Working hard is important, but working smart is even better.
Looking forward to talking with you at DomainFest.
Thank you for answering my question Frank - I appreciate it. Although I seen to have started an Ask Frank Q&A Session here now
My last question…
If there is a domain of yours I was interested in - how would one go about approaching your company about buying it? How do you like these negotiations to start? This is for future reference.
Hi Frank - Glad to hear that you went to Laguna Beach for your vacation! I’m down PCH in Dana Point and we go there all the time.
Did you stay at Montage by chance? Best new beach resort in town besides the St. Regis. Which was your favorite restaurant?
Thanks again for all the excellent writings on your blog. Time spent with the family is more important though, so at least your priorities are in the right order (unfortunately for us!).
BTW - Do you have any long term plans for your real estate names? Would you ever sell or trade one?
Thanks, Bob
***FS*** Thanks Bob.. I definitely have some plans to dev the RE names.. Restaurants?.. I liked Ti Amo and Hush quite a bit.. Las Brisas for lunch.. the Regis was great. The kids love the sand sculpture at Xmas
Welcome back Frank!!! I just wanted to say that your words are very very very powerful. People listen to your words with all ears. You mentioned the words Laguna Beach and private jet…i bet there was someone on this message board who read that and did a whois check on lagunabeach.com and privatejet.com …hahahaa
You also mentioned snapnames and namejet…i bet their profits are going to sky rocket just because you mentioned that you buy 350 domains per week….you have very powerful words Frank…people are always listening with all ears and will truly miss your daily posts.
Have a great new year 2008!
ummm…i had a question…what do you think about social networking sites?
***FS*** I’m not really big on the social networking.. everything interactive is a social network.. message boards, forums… the word social network as a catchphrase reminds me of B2B.. That said, I like many of the things social networking (the catchphrase) encompasses. Thank-you so very kindly for your compliment.
[…] business and personal time, things are very tight. I am not alone, other top tier bloggers have done the same, or closed up shop […]
Yes, ‘how much is a click worth that sells a private jet’?
Trouble is I didn’t know any of the private jet companies offer an affiliate scheme, nor I doubt are they going to offer a thin/spammy domain $5k a month to advertise.
PS. I own a fair amount of domains myself but part of me still thinks that unless they’re really really premium names there’s a fair chance that they’ll be worth far far far less than the average domainer thinks they’ll be worth over the next 10 years. Simple market understanding here, if 9/10 people think that they’re only going one way that’s normally a good indication to reduce exposure.
PPS. Adding to Marchex here and at every $0.25 down to around $5 - hope they get there.
Frank -
Always enjoy reading your blog! I’m glad you had a wonderful holiday and look forward to hearing what you have to say/write when you do get the opportunity.
Family is way more important than the blog - good for you!
Steve
Hi Frank - Good to see you back!
I agree with the family being first thing, and only makes me respect you more. I think the very thing that keeps some guys away from the idea of blogging, is the commitment needed to generate daily material. As this blog has become more popular, I imagine the pressure to produce quality content has become huge.
I say you do this: forget about expectations! When you feel like writing….write! When you don’t feel like writing….don’t! It’s as simple as that. I think if you do this you will be a lot happier and enjoy doing this that much more. You will blog more based off of inspiration, rather than commitment, and everyone will benefit. That’s not to say you don’t do an incredible job with the daily posting - because you do!
Maybe now I can focus on other things rather than checking this blog fifty times per day to see if there is anything new written
Have a good one!
Hi Frank, Welcome back! I live about 8 miles inland from where you spent Xmas. I cycle thru Laguna Canyon and PCH about once a week. It’s the best! I’m just new to your blog. Found you in the Biz 2.0 domainers article. I’ve been in the web retailing biz for many years. After reading that article I realized we’ve been working way too hard in the wrong segment of the market. We are now playing catch up. Thanks Frank!
Hey! We’re family too! LOL
I am going to show my husband your post and hope he has an epiphany! He will probably tell me he will wait for me to get my private jet first! Maybe after the Affiliate auction….
Welcome back Frank Happy New Year to you, since you are not going to be blogging as much I wanted to ask you one question. You wrote before that you liked Igeo.com like Imiami.com do you think the .net and .org are good investments if you can hand reg the domain ? A lot are taken some geo taken with the I and I-geo.com/net/org
***FS*** I’d avoid in net and org in other ext’s (except big cctlds) unless they are monsters.. go for ecity in the cctld of the country you’re in.. avoid ecompoundphrase or eword if the name isn’t marketable or meaning as a standalone site.
Welcome back, Frank!
We’re all looking forward to your insights for 2008. Yes, 2007 was an interesting year, but I’m confident it’s the first step on the “Stairway to Heaven” for domainers. Ehhh I don’t mean that we’re all going to get to heaven or we’re going to croak…. umm… you know what i mean!
Have a great 2008 and everyone is looking forward to seeing you at Domainfest in a few weeks!
Stephen Douglas
[…] Schilling recently posted his updateafter a return from a great vacation. In a response to one comment, he mentioned that he still […]
Hi Frank,
Nice to see you blog again, your blog is getting popular and everyone is looking towards you for insights into the future of the domain industry.
“anyone can still “make it” if they have the gumption and desire to dig-in and better their life.”
This is really true, i started 2 years ago and i’m already way past 4 figures in generic parking revenue. To me it’s quite incredible as i built my portfolio with no cash, just by flipping names, and keep the better ones.
Frank,
You’re really taking this “slowing down the blogging” thing seriously. I thought you you may crack, itch, scratch and may be blog just a little. But so far, nothing! Good for you. Cheers.
I love this blog. I worked for a registrar for over 8 years and never owned a domain name myself before i left the company in 2007 as I felt that would have been a conflict. Now that I have left, I have invested a nice sum of money on snap, namejet, tdnam and pool and it is all thanks to reading your blog and being inspired.
Hopefully, you will still write a few posts throughout the year. When anyone asks me about domain names with regard to parking/PPC i force them to read your blog from the beginning - it is one of the best resources out there.
Here are some random thoughts I have had about this industry
I hope the marketplace cleans up a bit as it is still very much the wild west. In my opinion, the following are signs of immaturity in this market..
1. domainer conferences featuring parties with strippers, playboy playmates, etc. Cmon, grow up people. It seems very unprofessional and tacky in my opinion.
2. registrars holding back the good expired names. registrars not deleting domains, even when they auction them, is unethical and a conflict of interests.
3. ICANN being completely impotent in regulating registrars.. I hate government regulation but this industry is like the wild west. Imagine there were no regulation on the stock market and no SEC?
what you gonna do now that arbitrage is gone?
***FS*** Arbitrage is only gone for the dumbest and the meanest.. it’s still there for highbrow operators who do it right. For me the disapearance of arb wouldn’t be the end of the world cuz I get organic traffic, but I don’t see it going away.