When Richard Kershaw and Stephen Pavlovich bought the Wish.co.uk domain name in a Sedo auction for around $12,000, they knew it would be critical to the growth of their “day experience” e-commerce business (think Groupon without the expiration issue). In a mere 12 weeks, they had purchased the domain, developed a website, signed their first supplier and sold their first product.

Little did they know the domain name would allow them to “punch above their weight” and take on the big-box e-tailers, while still being small, nimble and flexible via a part-time contract staff. Press coverage of Wish.co.uk belies its size too, thanks in part to the company’s domain name and the PR agency it hired.

Michael Cyger May 21, 2012 18

Developing websites is no easy task. But when you do it for every one of your 9,500 domain names, you start to get a system down.

In fact, David Wieland built his own system – named Prebuilt.com – from the ground up so he could be more efficient in website development. Now he’s offering his system to other domain investors too.

Michael Cyger May 14, 2012 15

Ask three domain name investors for a valuation of a domain name you are selling or thinking of buying, and you are likely to get three different answers – maybe even four.

Enter Dennis Lastochkin, a technical genius who in just six months created a sophisticated valuation engine that is likely to remove most of the subjectivity from domain name appraisals.

Michael Cyger May 7, 2012 41

Ammar Kubba was not the original founder of Thought Convergence, but he can now be found at the helm of the service provider whose revenue is “in the 8 figures.” Thought Convergence helps domain investors monetize their assets, individuals buy and sell domains, and businesses research domain names on the Internet.

In this interview, Kubba describes the twists and turns of his domain career, and how business acumen, strategic risk taking and a passion for learning have helped him navigate decisions and build successful companies.

Michael Cyger April 30, 2012 24

Most developers build a site, increase readership and then sell advertising space. Unless you own an ultra-premium geographic domain name like FrenchRiviera.com, in which case the brand alone is enough to set up meetings with some of the most exclusive potential advertisers in the region.

Toby Hardy bought FrenchRiviera.com in 2009 and, in partnership with Fred Mercaldo at CitiesPlanet.com, is turning it into the ultimate online destination for the rich and famous who visit cities such as Monte Carlo, Cannes and the like.

Michael Cyger April 23, 2012 14

After three failed attempts over a period of several years to gain approval through the ICANN system for the new top-level domain .XXX, most people would have thrown in the towel. Not Stuart Lawley, who started as a minority investor in ICM Registry at the time of the initial ICANN application and eventually became its CEO and chairman.

Through his vision and indefatigable spirit, Lawley brought the registry to life and extraordinary profitability. Listen in as he describes how the new TLD .XXX generated $25 million in its first three months and what his aspirations are for future growth.

Michael Cyger April 16, 2012 7

More than 500,000 businesses are registered in the United States every year, with magnitudes more being contemplated and planned. As technology advances, more and more businesses are focused entirely online or at least need to be found online.

What do startups and entrepreneurs need to know about domain names? Find out in this interview with domain name veteran Steve Jones, including:
* The trends of premium domain name pricing and desirability
* Options for determining domain name valuation range
* The best way to initiate negotiations with a domain name owner
* Options for buying the “best” domain name for your business, product or service
* Why domain name owners are not motivated, and what to do about it
* Alternatives to premium domain names, including country codes and domain hacks

Michael Cyger April 9, 2012 12

Bill McClure is not a newcomer to the domain name industry. Years ago he bought and built FlowersDirect.com and eFlowers.com and then sold them to FTD. Over his many years of acquiring, building and selling businesses, he has learned one simple fact: You can always trust your family.

Listen along as Bill discusses how he targets markets, how much he purchases domain names for, how he develops them, and what kind of leaders he is looking for to continue building more businesses in the future. If you are an entrepreneur or passionate about e-commerce, this is a must-see interview.

Michael Cyger April 2, 2012 16

It’s relatively straightforward to build a geodomain into a directory or blog. But where most people fall short in making their venture a successful business is the sales process.

That’s because many would-be entrepreneurs loathe the idea of selling advertising, directory listings and leads. Shane Wells, on the other hand, loves to sell. His enthusiasm for sales (and his success) speaks for itself – he went from $50,000 in sales to more than $250,000 per year in sales. To help others be successful, Wells shares the strategies, tactics and tips he uses for selling advertising and services at his geodomain-based Internet marketing company.

Michael Cyger March 26, 2012 11