Continuing our year end series previously featuring past DomainSuccess.com guests, Skip Hoagland, Bruce Marler and David Carter.... we present journalist extraordinaire, eyes and ears of all things domain, and proud bobblehead model-- Mr. Ron Jackson of DnJournal.com.
One of the good things that happened in 2009 was…
That many domain owners, prompted by the decline of PPC revenue, started thinking seriously about ways to diversify their income streams in an effort to end their dependence on Google and Yahoo. In response to their concerns, a number of entrepreneurs created a variety of new platforms aimed at solving this problem. While no one has found the “holy grail” (better monetization of large domain portfolios) to date, it is encouraging to see so many people working on finding it and I am reasonably confident that, given the inherent value of highly targeted traffic and category defining domain names, someone will eventually succeed. If and when that happens, it will produce great wealth for those who provide the solution and much improved returns for domain owners.
One of the things I won’t be sorry to say goodbye to is…
The Great Recession of 2008-2009. It displaced a lot of good people in our industry as companies were forced to cut back. I am hopeful that putting this downturn in the rear view mirror will open up opportunities for those people to resume the good work they were doing.
One of the things I feel I learned in 2009 was…
Complacency is never a good thing. Nothing lasts forever so you always have to be prepared for sudden turns in the road ahead - more so in this business (where change seems to come on a monthly basis) than in any I have ever been involved in. Keep more than one iron in the fire so you always have options if one path is suddenly blocked.
One of the blessings of 2009 was…
Seeing my daughter graduate magna cum laude from an Ivy League university and go on to medical school, bringing her a step closer to a dream she has pursued since she was a child – becoming a doctor so she can help kids who are sick or in pain (she saw one of her nieces die at the age of five from a seizure disorder and decided her life’s calling would be to help other afflicted children). Her drive and refusal to accept anything less than excellence often makes me feel like a loafer – but I am extremely proud of her none the less!
One of my accomplishments that I’m proudest of in 2009 is…
I never really think of anything I’ve done as an “accomplishment.” I think we are all given gifts from God so, even though we may embellish on those gifts through additional efforts of our own, I tend to think that most of the credit for anything that people “accomplish” belongs to a higher power who made it possible. I am more thankful than proud because I’ve been given an opportunity to do something I love to do for a living. That is an incredible blessing for anyone.
As I say goodbye to 2009, I feel…
A lot luckier than I deserve to be! Great family, good friends and getting to work in what has to be one of the world’s most interesting businesses. What more could you ask for?
2010 Thoughts and Preparation
One of the things I’m hoping for in 2010…
Is that someone comes up with a better way to monetize domain traffic that pays domain owners what their traffic is really worth. I have to believe that a click that leads to a $1,000 sale is worth more than one cent. It wouldn’t surprise me to see a new solution come from one of the current parking companies. There are a lot of smart entrepreneurs in those companies and I believe that a lot of them are just as disenchanted with Google and Yahoo as domain owners are. They are capable of being much more than middlemen between the search engine giants and domain owners and I think we will see that demonstrated in the months and years ahead. I don’t think they are going to sit idly by and watch newcomers eat their monetization lunch. They have the name recognition, customer service and technical skills to implement something new of their own that could put them in charge of their own destinies rather than being dependent, as domain owners are, on the whims of Google and Yahoo.
2010 will likely be the year I…
Get out from behind the computer for at least a few hours a week and try to whip myself back into shape. One thing I’ve learned is that sitting in one place for 80-90 hours a week for seven years is a poor recipe for physical fitness!
One of the ways I’ll measure success in 2010 is…
Being able to at least maintain the status quo (in a rapidly changing industry that is not as easy as it sounds!). I have everything I could ask for, so anything else would just be gravy.
One of the things I wish myself is…
The wisdom to seek a little more balance between work and play. I love my work so much that is easy to overlook a lot of the other things that make life worth living. The idea of “stopping to smell the roses” would be a good thing for me to rediscover.
One of the ways I can support my efforts is by…
Ordering myself to get out of the office! The problem is I end up arguing with myself. One voice says “Get out of here and go to the Rays game” – the other says “You lazy bum, you have a story to finish - get back to work!” The voice yelling “get back to work” always sounds more menacing, so it tends to win the argument. See, being your own boss isn’t as easy as some people think!
One of the first steps I need to take in the new year is…
Switch from the December calendar to January!
2 comments:
Owen - What a great blog post you have made here. Ron's comments are both thoughtful and funny. And certainly ring true.
The part about sitting at the PC for so many hours ... sounds very familiar. And of course, remembering to be thankful. Which is eternally important. Thanks Ron and Owen. I needed this post.
"Is that someone comes up with a better way to monetize domain traffic that pays domain owners what their traffic is really worth. I have to believe that a click that leads to a $1,000 sale is worth more than one cent."
I send traffic that makes sales, and I certainly get paid more than 1 cent. These solutions have been available for years. I have to admit I am an accidental domainer- I started buying up certain types domains as one aspect of my existing business. I have been selling on the internet for over 10 years, and many of my sites are little more than links for people to buy stuff. But when people buy I get paid, often in the hundreds of $ plus residuals. Sure, I do some PPC here and there but has never been a focus to build a business ( domain) around. In PPC, it is often better to be a buyer than seller. In other words, I have noticed who pays to place ads on my sites, found who was paying them, and signed up myself.
Domainers are a smart bunch. I don't really understand the reluctance to actually get paid for producing sales. It's no mystery. For every domainer who pooh-poohs any development, search traffic, affiliate sales,etc- this stuff has been going on way longer than "domaining" has been known by the public. People have been making money online for a long time. It seems many domainers are only interested in reselling domains and parking for PPC.
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