Back in 1996, before Google and around the beginning of Yahoo, a friend called me and told me I should get involved in the inter world web net thingy.
I registered some domains for my own business and a few more that I thought might have a value. The registration costs were over £100 then, so I didn't go mad. Shame really.
My main business website since then has been www.teambuilding.co.uk. In those days we were a small operation turning over about £300k. This year that figure is £3m and the main reason is our web presence.
In 1996 the site to get onto was Altavista. We had relatively little competition and kept quiet about it. There was a huge boom post 2000. Now there is lots of competition but our presence has increased and, more importantly, the number of people using search has increased. Most of the old ways, newspaper ads etc, have lost their appeal. The key to search is that is has turned one of the oldest laws on its head: it no longer costs more to get a new customer than to keep an old one.
I saw a van a few weeks ago. The website was www.sofa.co.uk and there was a little bubble coming off it which said 'I wonder what they do?' Generic domain names really open up marketing opportunities. I can put my url on the back of a vehicle and I don't need to say anything else.
If anyone wants to corner their niche or micro-niche then there is no doubt that owning the generic domain is the key. I have proven this and if you have any clients who need proof then put them in touch with me. I have the case study and I'm more than happy to share it.
People balk at paying a few thousand pounds for a great domain and don't understand that it's the key to dominating their market. Where else now can you make such a small investment and turn it into millions (and not risk having your throat cut by gangsters)? Instead people use hyphenated monstrosities or come up with a name like purplemoondust. Can you imagine their clients trying to remember them? "I'm not sure but I know it was something utterly ridiculous."
Let me know if I can help you. The more high profile sales we can make, the better the prospects for all great domains.
I registered some domains for my own business and a few more that I thought might have a value. The registration costs were over £100 then, so I didn't go mad. Shame really.
My main business website since then has been www.teambuilding.co.uk. In those days we were a small operation turning over about £300k. This year that figure is £3m and the main reason is our web presence.
In 1996 the site to get onto was Altavista. We had relatively little competition and kept quiet about it. There was a huge boom post 2000. Now there is lots of competition but our presence has increased and, more importantly, the number of people using search has increased. Most of the old ways, newspaper ads etc, have lost their appeal. The key to search is that is has turned one of the oldest laws on its head: it no longer costs more to get a new customer than to keep an old one.
I saw a van a few weeks ago. The website was www.sofa.co.uk and there was a little bubble coming off it which said 'I wonder what they do?' Generic domain names really open up marketing opportunities. I can put my url on the back of a vehicle and I don't need to say anything else.
If anyone wants to corner their niche or micro-niche then there is no doubt that owning the generic domain is the key. I have proven this and if you have any clients who need proof then put them in touch with me. I have the case study and I'm more than happy to share it.
People balk at paying a few thousand pounds for a great domain and don't understand that it's the key to dominating their market. Where else now can you make such a small investment and turn it into millions (and not risk having your throat cut by gangsters)? Instead people use hyphenated monstrosities or come up with a name like purplemoondust. Can you imagine their clients trying to remember them? "I'm not sure but I know it was something utterly ridiculous."
Let me know if I can help you. The more high profile sales we can make, the better the prospects for all great domains.
