Domaining.com was listed this morning for sale, which did surprise me a bit. I wanted to speak directly with the domain name owner Francois to get some facts about the domain name being listed for sale with the $3,000,000 offering price.
Here are some question and answers directly from Francois, the owner of the domain name and website Domaining.com .
Q.) Will the website be included with the sale of the domain Domaining.com?
A.) It’s a pure domain name sale, in other words the price in PremiumDomains.com is for the domain name ONLY. But I also encourage potential buyers to buy the site and pursue what we started, even if it’s just a minor of the services the buyer will provide.
If the buyer wants the site, they should offer a "PLUS", they can decide on the value of this "PLUS".
I can already tell you this "PLUS" will be shared at 50/50 with our bloggers as I estimate they deserve half of our site success.
Now know I will not sell any site without get the guarantee the buyer will protect the privacy of our members… In all cases know I will take $100k of the domain sale that I will fairly distribute to the bloggers that made domaining.com the great place it’s today, it’s my way to say thanks!
Q.) Domaining.com is a pretty popular brand, how much did this play a factor in your pricing of the domain name for sale?
A.) 100%
Q.) When did the site Domaining.com start?
A.) Don’t remember the exact date, I think this next January the domaining.com site will be 2 years old.
Q.) If the domain and site Domaining.com sell, how do you think this will change the way bloggers feel that currently are in the Domaining.com feed?
A.) If the buyer purchase the domain and the site then I guess its because he wants to continue what we started, promote our industry. So I think they will take care of the bloggers.
Q.) If Domaining.com doesn’t sell, do you think this will have a negative effect on how users of Domaining.com feel towards the site?
A.) The audience of domaining.com are domainers for +82%, they are people which their main business is trading domains, so I don’t think they will feel outrageous. I also try to flip my own investment.
Q.)Your offering price is $3,000,000 for Domaining.com . That would be tied for the 2nd highest reported sale this year with the Candy.com sale. How does that make you feel?
A.) Happy because this will offer a more secure future to my family.
Now it’s always the same, it’s difficult and sad when you sell something you have worked with for years. Now having living something similar I can tell you the second part only last for a couple of months.
Q.) Domaining.com is a great service that benefits the whole domain industry. Do you have any other big projects in the works related to the domain industry?
A.) I have for years the ambition to create/market/manage a free advertising service.
I think it’s something that is missing today.
Domaining.com is currently listed on PremiumDomains.com . I want to personally thank Francois for all he and Domaining.com have done for Dotweekly and the domain name industry as a whole and for taking the time to answer the above questions.
If or when the domain name and site do sell, we will all have to play it by ear and hope the new owner can continue on the effort to bring domaining to mainstream and provide a great service in the process at Domaining.com!
If you are interested in purchasing the Domaining.com domain name, please use the PremiumDomains.com link above to inquire.
Mike
Thanks to both of you for quickly publishing an interview that will hopefully answer alot of questions. It was a bit shocking to hear that domaining.com is for sale since it’s such a popular industry outlet.
BullS
The next Q is…how much $$$ can you make from this domain name?
Jamie Zoch
@Mike,
No problem. I figured people would have a good deal of questions and I hope I asked Francois the proper ones most will have that are looking for answers. Secondly, I’m glad I was able to fix my comment problem on DotWeekly so my readers can make comments again
Jamie Zoch
@BS,
It all depends on the plans the new owners would have. I could see Domaining.com being like a central hub for domaining in general. Lots of tools that deal with domains, registrar, auction service, forum, aggregator that is in place now.. just all things domaining all in one place. The one thing that Domaining.com holds are a good deal of eyes each day that are domain specific. Members and partnerships with some of the largest domain related sites with the Domaining.com logo included like Escrow, Afternic etc. Domaining.com can make money with the good start in branding and traffic it already has.
Domain Development
@Jamie
Thanks for doing the interview, very interesting.
Great point about the Candy.com sale!
steven
The asking price is laughable.
This site can be duplicated very easily and has been by various people.
The traffic is only about 22K people a month with about 90% being the same people month after month.
The model is broken if he thinks he really has a brand and people are loyal to domaining. He needs to charge bloggers to be listed on the site. Without his site, how many people would be going to all these different blogs who as a result of domaining sending traffic, they are able to sell advertising.
I know some bloggers write articles and get paid to promote just because the advertiser know they will show up on the aggregators sites.
Again, 3 million is laughable.
300K….who knows.
30K….make a lot of sense.
Jamie Zoch
@Steve,
Domaining.com is really a two way street for the site and bloggers that are listed on it. Domaining.com wouldn’t be what it is today without the bloggers that provide it content. The blogs that are listed on Domaining.com wouldn’t be what they are today without Domaining.com’s traffic they provide.
~
As for the price, business model, branding etc. everybody has their own opinion and I respect yours. One thing that you are wrong about is the traffic. Compete.com is not accurate and likely where you got that 22K number. I have used compete numbers in the past but no longer do after looking into the stats vs true stats a little while back. If you compare DotWeekly.com to Domaining.com, DotWeekly numbers are higher. I would bet Domaining.com’s traffic is higher then mine.
Scott
@Steven – Laughable is right. I’m still laughing!
matt
If I buy it, does that mean I can remove all the frager factor spam?
Jamie Zoch
@Matt,
Do some research on Owens posts. Look at them very closely and dissect them. Learn from them. He doesn’t care about people with change in their pockets, he likes people that have money rolls in their pockets.
BullS
Anything and everything on the internet can be copied!!!
If you don’t do it, someone will DO!
compete and other traffic web tools are a bunch of BS..just like any websites..BS!!!
Francois
Steven, it looks you did not read, it’s the domain name that is for sale 3 millions dollars, not the site. So all your speech makes no sense here.
…
Yes Bulls, everything on the internet can be copied, except the name!
And this is why the name can sometime be so valuable.
yaron
again, Francois is doing a great service for NameBee.com…
I think this time they should send him flowers.
lumpenfolk
@steven
I am one of the copiers – I threw together http://DNyap.com as a news aggregator in a couple of hours, then added a directory, eBay listings, etc.
I would happily pay $3,000 for domaining.com, but not more.
- Paul
Snoopy
“The asking price is laughable.”
Agree, especially with the site not included, I suspect the domain itself is worth very low 5 figures. Doesn’t make much sense to try and split the two up given most of the value is due to development.
steven
Francois,
My speech makes no sense? What are you not understanding in dream land or to translate so you better understand in french “votre rêver”
I do not mean this rudely but the idea you think there is a chance in hell to get anywhere near millions for the name is INSANE and IMO makes you look foolish.
I do not know you and this is not meant to be rude so please do not take it that way. Just my perspective on the reality of the name selling.
How many know what domaining is? I will be generous and say 5,000. You think each person that knows domaining is worth $20 at just 1 million? 3 million? come on….
Jacob
I think he’s definitely not going to get anywhere near 3mm for that domain. I think he would be very lucky to get even 500k. People can dream though I guess
dnClips.com - More than just domain feeds
Its a great name. But the reach for that name is very narrow. So I doubt if I will ever pay that amount. Anyways, good luck to Francois.
Joe
interesting price
lumpenfolk
@steven – right now (as an example) NamePros is claiming 161,135 members, so I think your estimate is a bit low.
- Paul
lumpenfolk
@Francois – BTW, greatest respect to you. I love Domaining.com and visit several times each day (our feeds are different). We say “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” (extra respect because English is not your 1st language).
- Paul
Francois
Wake up guys, we are the industry that glorify internet names value, and this is simply the name of our industry!
I see more frustration in all these comments than anything else. Yes the tag to get this name involves most could never afford to buy it, but it’s not a reason to complaint. You should be enthousiast and relay how a your industry name worth!
I know domaining.com will sell for +3 millions and I am sure at 1000%.
I turned down a 2 millions offer I received without any negociation. Maybe the buyer will not push his offer to my reserve but no problem, another will do it. If not now, further and he will have all is life to think about the opportunity he lost.
pier0
“I turned down a 2 millions offer I received without any negociation.”
This is exactly what I would say if I had a domain priced at $3 million, but with all due respect that any one can turn down a $2 million offer without any negotiation seems unlikely to me…
Adam
Maybe this is all for show and Francois has made created a publicity stunt and a deal with a news media outlet like the “Balloon Boy” did.
Jay
Francois, you always make me laugh, way to go homeboy!!
Domain Developer
@Francois
“I turned down a 2 millions offer I received without any negociation.”
Quick, go to escrow and close the deal!