If you haven’t heard already, Owen Frager is getting ready to launch GrandNames.com . Owen will be focusing on the Small Busniness market with specific "call-to-action" domain names for under a Grand!
Personally, I love the idea and with the masterful marketing Owen Frager has done over the past 20 years, sellers should expect to See Active Buyers! Good domains at attractive prices. I see it as a win-win for the seller and the buyer.
For sellers, these sales are not the Out of the park sales, but sales that keep positive income flowing and should leave you room to purchase several more Call-To-Action domain names and follow the process many times over.
I asked Owen a couple questions from a "Domain Sellers" point of view and below are the answers.
I am interested in joining GrandNames.com/vip but would like a little more info.
$16.95 to sign up. This gives you 5 free listings on the site etc. ($100 value)
That’s just one benefit. But you also get a $100 coupon to apply as a discount to any “house” name during the 48 hours VIP only pre-launch event as well as first shot to buy any listed name before the site opens to the public
You also get my private newsletters- which talk about trends and strategies and often promote opportunities of the subscriber base- a few samples attached (note on the bottom sometimes I list the subscribers- so you can understand what I’ve built privately that I am now opening
Does this mean each domain listed on GN will cost the seller $20?
Yes- $10 to list and $10 success fee once sold- listings will be for 3 months- but the VIP offer covers 6
There will also be a $20-50 option for me to write an ad, add graphics and use RSS feeds to deliver to end-users in powerful search-rich 132 character summaries that are pulling for me. You can then link your domain to this page as an alternative to PPC
When paying to list a domain, is this a "Listed until Sold" type listing? Can a domain be removed and you will have a "credit" to list another domain?
No
Any "monthly" fees besides the sign up $16.95?
No- this is introductory only. The member base will be invited to forums and webinars and serve as advisors to make the site deliver what customers expect
Does GN’s handle the domain transaction? Payment (in/out), transfer domain to GN and GN get’s the domain to the customer?
For phase one it will simply trigger an email to put the prospect in direct contact with you to close the sale
Phase 2 will add paypal or escrow.com option
I am purposely keeping this small because I don’t want to end up another robotic monster like Afternic or Sedo
My concentration is on moving the needle away from speculators towards people who have the motivation to start a business and don’t make domains the center of the universe
That includes Hollywood and Madison Ave contacts I have from over 20 years working with them
Here is some more information into Owen’s adventure with GrandNames.com:
I created Grand Names specifically to fix what’s wrong with the domain selling process, listing your name with us offers exactly what you’re looking for:
• Better and more qualified customers
• A site and process designed to sell
• Lower cost — and higher profit — to you
Selling a name here opens your inventory to large numbers of prospects you typically won’t have access to through traditional domain name sales. Our prospects tend to be marketing and advertising decision makers with whom we’ve developed relationships over the past 20 years, through our personal and professional contacts, proprietary subscription products and a blog that attracts tens of thousands of the who’s who in business every month.
These are higher educated marketing and advertising executives with taxable disposable income to offset, or under-performing investments to replace.
They’ve heard about the domain dream but always believed they’d missed out.
Your priced-to-sell name listed on GrandNames.com may be just what they’re looking for. Here it’s priced to get their attention.
We’ll list your name at the appropriate asking price — under $1,000 — and that’s exactly what a buyer will pay, directly to you.
Domain pioneers Michelle Miller and Ron Jackson have both told me they think, with the under $1,000 positioning and SMB end-user focus, I hit on a concept that is good and fitting for economic and market trends.
I believe the stock market and corporate America will be key to our success.
As more people lose money in stocks they will look to alternative investments.
And as more people lose jobs or take early retirement only to find out they are not ready to retire then I believe these people will turn to the Internet to build businesses using of course we hope one or more of our select domain properties.
That’s the trend I am tapping into where I hope to find new blood AND new life for domain name sales. So far reaction from my friends in corporate is very positive. Right thing at the right time.
Here are also two current press-releases about GrandNames.com
http://www.grandnames.com/press_release.html
http://fragerfactor.blogspot.com/2008/07/grand-names-com.html
I look forward to working with Owen & GrandNames.com and just signed up for the VIP. I have a good deal of Call-To-Action domains that I am willing to price at or below $1K and want them to be put to use! How cool would it be to see your call to auction domain in a world wide media advertising campaign!!!
Your post is helpful as well and thank you for posting it.
