Best Time For Fractional Domaining?

This blog has been on hiatus for awhile as I have had to come to grips with the fact that I simply cannot accomplish everything I'd like to do all by myself. My ambitions are too great and my time and resources are too short to continue to go it alone.

That realization and recent happenings have brought my attention back to the idea and potential benefits of Fractional Domaining... I'm thinking that now might be the best time for getting involved in fractional domaining that there's ever been. (I know I made a similar statement in my last post a long time ago, but I feel even stronger about it today and am personally beginning communications with other parties about creating mutally-beneficial opportunities.)

The economy is making it tough for some domain owners to sustain and develop their portfolios by themselves, and that financial pressure might just be enough to make fractional ownership deals inexpensive and attractive enough to get done -- providing the seller with an infusion of cash and a chance for more profitable development.

Finding a good partner may just make a great deal of sense -- and it could be the difference between success and profits or your survival.

Yesterday's .CO extension public launch caught my attention, interest, and participation much more than other extensions have. I believe Internet users will perceive and regard it similarly to the .COM extension once they become aware of it, making now a great opportunity to acquire generic .CO keyword domains for development and for branding -- especially for keywords where the .COM version has not yet been developed.

And, as I personally learned after checking WHOIS following my successful .CO acquisitions via pre-release ordering, now seems to be a good time to find out contact information for new .CO domain registrants (before some decide to make their information private). These new registrants may be interested in your same-keyword .COM, or you may feel they have a stronger keyword .CO that would better promote your brand. Regardless, some of these new entrants surely are looking to carve a niche and may be a good partner as either a fractional buyer or seller.

Also, right now you may be able to acquire one or more premium keyword .CO domains and feel that it is best to work with a partner who has the knowledge and financial resources to quickly and properly develop and monetize them.

Whatever you decide, it might be worth a few minutes thinking about since it could open your mind to new possibilities for you to pursue either jointly or solo.

Note: Coming soon... my Domain Name Power Blog.

Is Fractional GeoDomaining or Fractional Domaining On Your Agenda?

With various geodomaining- and domaining-related conferences up and coming, is Fractional GeoDomaining or Fractional Domaining on the meeting agenda or on your own agenda? Why/why not?

With the current economy the way it is, is the idea of Fractional Domaining now more or less appealing to you?

Would the possibility of teaming up your domains with the expertise and resources of proven successful domain developers for mutual benefit interest you?

I think the current environment is ripe for dealmaking. I know I am interested in exploring possibilities for my own domains with serious players. Other domainers may also be more approachable now about Fractional Domaining deals than they have ever been.

Unsure? Start a conversation about Fractional Domaining possibilities and hear what comes back! Whether you work out a Fractional Domaining deal or not, you may get ideas for other mutually-beneficial collaborations or for worthwhile things you can do on your own! Or, maybe you'll get referred to another potential player who is a better fit for your domain(s) or who has domains you may be interested in obtaining a fractional interest in yourself.

Who knows?... Fractional Domaining might be a worthwhile strategy for you! Consider adding it to your agenda!

Sunday: Revisiting and Going Beyond "The Domain Game" With David Kesmodel...

I am looking forward to guest hosting the DomainSuccess Gratitude series chat on Sunday evening, December 14th, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time, when I will be revisiting and going beyond "The Domain Game" with Wall Street Journal reporter and author David Kesmodel.

Readers of the Fractional Domaining Blog may remember the interesting and insightful 4-part interview I had with David in June. On Sunday evening, we will revisit his pioneering book about domaining's early key players and events, and we will explore current challenges and opportunities for domainers. The chat is sure to be enlightening, as Kesmodel, by nature of his research, occupational purview, and contacts, has unique perspectives on where the industry has been, where things stand now, and where it's heading. Plan to attend! For more details, visit:
http://fragerfactor.blogspot.com/2008/12/gratitude-presents-david-kesmodel-live.html.

Call For The Best Domain-Related Blog Posts...

I invite members of the domaining community to point me to domaining-related blog posts that you feel are the most insightful, informative, helpful, and inspirational about domaining and about living a successful life.

Once collected and reviewed, I plan to create an anthology (with each blog post writer's permission, of course) that includes inspiring and helpful information for domainers.

Bloggers are welcome to point me to their own posts as well, especially if the posts have generated positive feedback from readers.

Kindly send URL's to me at nvoron (at) voron.com . Please include the words "Best Domaining Blog Posts" in the Subject line. Thank you.

BTW, thanks to those individuals who have replied to my request for domaining-related interview subjects. If you have not replied yet, feel free to do so.

Would Selling A Fraction Of A Domain To A Great Marketer Interest You?

It could be a great WIN-WIN... Your undeveloped or underdeveloped domain(s) matched with the development, monetization, and marketing skills of a great marketer... If you sold fractional interests -- even majority interests -- in one or more of your domains to a great developer/marketer(s) in exchange for some upfront cash, some continued equity, and ongoing income based upon the success of the sites, would it be better for you than having the domains remain as they are or than selling the domain outright?

Or, if you are a proven site developer/marketer who has a successful track record of monetizing sites, would it be worth it to you to acquire fractional interests in some great domain names (and having to share the fruits of your efforts with the seller) versus perhaps having no chance to acquire -- and benefit from -- the names at all?

As domainers talk about reducing the size of their domain portfolios, opportunities to arrange WIN-WIN fractional deals could emerge -- especially if either the seller or the potential buyer suggests such a scenario. For sellers, accepting less cash upfront could ultimately lead to more cash down the road than would have been possible otherwise. For buyers, spending less upfront for acquisition of single domains or domain groups could enable them to leverage their budget and skills over more Internet properties, leading to economies of scale and greater opportunities to bring in new revenues.

No matter whether you are a seller or a buyer of domain names, Fractional Domaining is something you may find is worth considering.

Domaining-Related Interview Subjects Sought...

For upcoming blog posts and/or other writing projects (possibly books), I am seeking to identify potential interview subjects on a variety of domaining-related topics. If you have background, experience, ideas, opinions, helpful hints, and/or suggestions related to any of the following topics and are willing to be interviewed (via email and/or phone), please contact me at nvoron (at) voron.com and include the words "Domain Interview" in the Subject line. Also, let me know what topic(s) you are most interested in discussing and why.

Initial domaining-related topics I am interested in include:

• Building An Internet Brand
• Call-To-Action Domaining
• Cluster Domaining
• Domain Acquisition
• Domain Auctions
• Domain Development
• Domain Investing
• Domain Leasing
• Domain Monetization
• Domain Sales To End Users
• Domaining Resources
• Fractional Domaining
• Geo Domaining
• Social Networking and Domaining
• Subdomaining
• Trend Domaining

Feel free to suggest other topics that you are familiar with that you feel are important to the domaining and business communities.

Thank you!

Fractional Domaining... Call For News

If you have news to share regarding Fractional Domaining-related activities, feel free to send it my way! Email: nvoron (at) voron.com . Please include the words "Fractional Domaining" in the Subject line.

Thank you.

What Will It Be?... A Fraction Of A Winning Bid, or 100% Of A Losing Bid?

What will it be? For some bidders at this week's domain auctions, forming a fractional domain ownership group may be the only way to mount a successful bid for a coveted premium domain. But will bidders even consider Fractional Domaining as an option? Will they simply concede defeat and perhaps miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire a top-notch domain?

Domain prices may not seem so high if you only have to pay a fraction of the bid price (as a member of a fractional ownership group). And although fractional domain owners share an interest in a domain, "x" percent ownership may be preferable to zero percent!

Will Fractional Domaining significantly impact the bidding at this week's auctions? We'll see!

Is Fractional Domaining even a topic of conversation at this year's major domain industry gatherings? It should be!

What do you think?

Domain-Inspiring Blog Offers Insights To Acquiring Quality, Low-Cost Hand Registration Domains...

Following-up on Fractional Domaining Blog's recent 4-part interview with Scott Griffes, here is my personal review of his informative, domain-inspiring, "must read" TrendDomaining.com Blog for domainers...

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In the coming months and years, Scott Griffes is going to help some domainers -- both newbies and experienced -- to acquire valuable domain names. In fact, he's already doing so -- I acquired the domain HypermilingTips.com after he wrote a posting, "New Green Term Perfect for Domains, Mini-Sites", about "hypermiling" in his TrendDomaining.com Blog. That domain name was among more than 3 dozen hypermiling-related domain names Scott had researched and let his readers know were still available for hand registration at the time of his posting!

Sharing his research about trends with his readers is what Scott regularly and generously does -- and that's what makes him special and his TrendDomaining.com Blog a must read!

Readers of Trend Domaining will realize that not only does Griffes offer domainers and fractional domainers the secret to acquiring quality, low-cost hand registration domains, but Scott also provides helpful insight to identify and target unused, undeveloped, and/or undervalued after-market domains that could possibly be acquired at a decent price.

Will YOU be one of those he helps? My friend, the good news is that YOU decide that! Your success is up to you. You can tune in or tune out to his blog -- it's your choice -- and you decide how you will proceed after you digest his insightful postings about current and future trends and the opportunities they present for domainers.

I have found that Scott's blog postings are always eye-opening and interesting to read because he regularly identifies, describes, and explains trends and their potential significance to domainers. His fresh and unique content truly sets him apart from many other domain industry bloggers!

In my view, TrendDomaining.com is the leading resource for domainers who recognize the potential value and opportunities the identification of trends offers for domaining success.

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Scott Griffes is too modest, says he was "shocked" when he received my email asking for an interview... Of course, why should anyone be interested in learning about a blue collar "Joe Domainer" who has only been blogging for a few months about some strange topic he calls "Trend Domaining"?

The answer is because they would be smart, because he has a lot to offer to domainers... for F-R-E-E, even! Scott is very generous. He reads and reads. He researches. He takes notes. He notices current trends and identifies what he sees as future trends. And then he shares that research with his blog's readers -- sometimes even with a selection of specific trend-relevant domain names that he has identified as immediately available for hand registration! It's great stuff, and that's why I wanted you, my blog's readers, to know about his Trend Domaining Blog!

Maybe Scott is even too generous... When I asked in our interview whether he ever regretted not registering any of the domain names he listed as available on his blog himself, HypermilingTips.com -- yes, the one I registered -- was the one domain he mentioned! Gulp! (Scott, I'll be talking with you about some creative possibilities for it!)

But Scott's generosity is building him a loyal following, myself included, and could benefit YOU, too. After all, domainers know that the saying "you snooze, you lose" is very true and very real. He (or she) who hesitates in acquiring a domain may lose that opportunity forever or may have to pay much, much more to acquire it than they otherwise would have if they had grabbed it when it was first available to them. If you learn about upcoming trends -- or get inspired by that knowledge to predict your own -- you may be able to acquire good quality, or even premium, domain names relevant to those trends before others do!

Is it too late to be successful as a domainer starting with a low budget? Think there are no more quality domain names available for low-cost domain name registration? I don't believe it's too late when you keep a watch on emerging trends both on your own and via TrendDomaining.com and brainstorm appropriate applicable domain names!

The formula is simple: Identify trends and then register the best available generic terms associated with those trends that meet your acquisition objectives.

Just understand that there is an element of risk involved with any domain investment, and any given trend may not fully emerge as you anticipate and/or you may need to wait months, years, a lifetime -- or eternity -- for a trend to be fully recognized by the marketplace. The are no guarantees, and you should use good judgment when making decisions about how much you can afford to invest and how/where you invest your money.

Regarding Fractional Domaining and trends, in Part 3 of our 4-part interview, Griffes mentions that Fractional Domainers should be paying attention to the same trends as other domainers, but adds, "The difference is that with fractional domaining you can better get in on the category killers and not settle for synonyms and related keywords. And the payoffs could come quicker as it takes money to make money..."

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I personally look forward to reading Scott Griffes' TrendDomaining.com Blog for many reasons, besides the fact that his postings are always interesting reads. I read it for:

• Information
• Inspiration
• Ideas/Suggestions
• Scott's research/insights relevant to GeoDomainining
• Occasionally, a list of immediately available names that can be hand-registered

Will your reading his blog mean he will identify every major emerging trend for you? Surely not! Will it mean that you can expect to be hand-fed trend-relevant hand registration-available domains every time he posts? No, not nearly. Will his predictions and suggestions always, 100 percent of the time, be correct? Likely not, but his track record has inspired my confidence -- and my enthusiastic readership and recommendation.

Look at the topics of Scott's many blog postings, look at the trends he has identified to date -- hypermiling, astronomy, personal solar power, virtual mannequins, day trips, and so many others... Think about those trends -- what ideas do they stir in you? Do they inspire totally new ideas for you or new ideas that you can apply to what you are currently doing? How much would one idea be worth? How much would one resulting good quality or premium domain registration be worth to you?

At his site, Scott also offers links to many helpful tools for domainers and Fractional Domainers. (In our interview, he mentioned NameBio.com and City-Data.com as two resources that he believes Fractional Domainers would find especially helpful.)

TrendDomaining.com also now offers periodic "Free Unique Content" for readers to adapt for use on their own web sites... and Scott has plans to add even more helpful tools and resources in the future.

I am pleased to recommend Scott Griffes' TrendDomaining.com Blog to you. Visit his site, get acquainted, share some comments (he loves reader feedback), and enjoy one of the best bargains available for your continuing domainer education!

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A personal note to readers: An unexpected emergency room visit, followed immediately by a 2-night stay at the hospital, delayed my efforts to complete writing and publishing this site review when I had originally planned. I hope you feel it was worth waiting for!... And, I am okay, finally feeling better rested and able to complete getting my thoughts written.

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I hope you find this site review to be helpful! Your comments are welcome!

-- Neal

Part 4 of 4: 'Trend Domaining' Presents Insights, Opportunities For Domainers, Fractional Domainers

Today we conclude Fractional Domaining Blog's 4-part interview with Scott Griffes of TrendDomaining.com with discussions about the reception his blog has gotten from the domaining community so far; his plans to offer additional tools and resources to benefit his web site visitors; and how Trend Domaining's readers can help him to help them.

Don't forget to join me at FractionalDomainingBlog.com tomorrow for my personal review of TrendDomaining.com!

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Neal R. Voron, of Fractional Domaining Blog:

Q18: Does your audience seem to appreciate your blogging efforts? What feedback have you received so far?

Scott Griffes:

A18: Absolutely. I have received just about all positive feedback on content, design and layout. In fact, I would like to get some good criticism as to help me identify my blogs weak spots. The most common compliment is something along the lines of “very informative and interesting.” I’ll take that any day.

The best feeling is seeing people cite an article of mine as a source to prove their domains value when it’s for sale.

Neal R. Voron, of Fractional Domaining Blog:

Q19: What additional tools or resources do you plan to create and offer to your audience?

Scott Griffes:

A19: I’ve been toying with the idea of offering a loaded Excel document that helps you manage your domains and mine for new ones. I already do this for myself, I just have to clean it up (I’m sloppy).

I also plan to go in-depth on all the tools on my tools page and perhaps add a few more. I personally used and vouch for every tool there; I’m not listing any for affiliate sales alone.

Neal R. Voron, of Fractional Domaining Blog:

Q20: How can your blog readers help you to help them?

Scott Griffes:

A20: I’d like to know what they would like to see more of, or less of. More focus on mini-sites and niches? Is it too hard to access archives, or do you not even access those? Though I do have some commenters, what’s stopping all those hits from actually commenting on the articles?

I’m really open to any ideas. Please don’t hesitate to drop me an email: scott at trenddomaining dot com.

Neal R. Voron, of Fractional Domaining Blog:

Q21: Any additional thoughts you might wish to share?

Scott Griffes:

A21: I’d like to thank you for your time and the opportunity to share my thoughts and ideas on a more personal level.

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(Neal: Scott, you're welcome... The Domaining and Fractional Domaining communities look forward to learning more from you about current and future trends!)

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I hope you enjoyed our interview... Many thanks to Scott Griffes for sharing his insights with us!

See you tomorrow with my personal review of TrendDomaining.com!

-- Neal