Posted in Domainers, Domains, Misc | 16 Comments
Call to Action: Support Domaining.com
A few years ago before Domaining.com, Francois did a few things that turned me off. When he started Domaining.com, he included my site but I declined. After a couple of years, Francois actually emailed me an apology and asked that I reconsider adding my feed. At that point I was observant and although he made a few mistakes he was trying to provide something for the domain industry.
Then I took the time to know more about him personally via Facebook & email interactions. Turns out he is a husband and Father to a beautiful family. I also learned about his struggles with the lack of support from many domainers, even those who benefit from being on Domaining.com. That was made especially evident when he added the donation button.
The truth is, Domaining.com has brought many of us traffic, dedicated readers and even revenue throughout the years. I am ashamed at some of the reactions when being called to help support it.
Domaining.com is a project that has ran for a long time without proper support. I believe it is time to show some appreciation back by either linking to other projects (Valuate.com, BargainDomains.com, PremiumDomains.com, Catchy.com, etc), purchasing advertising space or buying a sponsored headline here or there. Francois is sure to show it back by improving & marketing the site: something that is a win/win for us all.
THE CHEF AND THE PATRONS
The Chef, he serves
A daily domainer feast
And sprinkles hors d’oeuvres
There at their feets
And daily they feast
And they eat and they eat
Day after day, they
Reap the rewards
Of the Chef’s great cooks
They munch and they horde
But for the Chef
It it also a reward
A relationship which consists
Of Create and discard
One day, the Chef
After many years he served
Noticed a decrease
Of meat and hors d’oeuvres
While the patrons, they feast
And took more than they earned
What is left to be fair?
As many returned
The Chef became a little concerned
He gave them numbers
And made them wait
For shrimp or steak
They want on their plates
So all may have
A strip on their plate
But not all were happy
Especially Fat Jake
Fat Jake threw a fit
He hissed and he screamed
He pointed to his belly
Which poked through his seams
The Chef was unfair
And crushed his fat dreams
Or so it seems
“You need me”, Yelled Fat Jake
“Who else will dine and eat?”
“And horde the hors d’oeuvres”
“You lay at our feet?”
All which he said while his pockets
Were lined with chocolate treats
He cried incomplete
The Chef, he then told
A Story so bold
Of a thousand domainer children
All hungry and cold
Each day they fight for scraps
After Fat Jake is full and
Done lining his pockets
For his single household
With a smile and twitch
They turned away Fat Jake
Which in turn left more steak
To the ones who do not take
More than their fair share
There was even cheesecake
And from then on forward
A beautiful relationship of
Fair give And fair take
I can’t tell you how many blogs and sites on Domaining.com would not stand a chance in hell if it were not for Domaining.com. Yet, those blogs have not even added a banner. Shameful!
If some of those pricks would stop blogging about the color of their underwear, I doubt they would have so much traffic. Many try to lend advice but are newbies themselves. They get high off the traffic and think they have accomplished something. Take away Domaining.com and they are sitting ducks.
It’s kind of funny that many of the people that hated Francois in the past seem to kiss his ass today. Ironic, really. It’s a lot like drug addiction.
Step 1: Make domainers / bloggers unwitting mules.
Step 2: Profit from the traffic / views.
Step 3: Buy competition (DNGator)
Step 4: Become big enough to make sure domainers “need” you.
Greed is a horrible thing.
HOW ABOUT A REALITY CHECK?
Francois is far from sainthood as many of us know.
Francois is more self serving than anyone I’ve ever come across.
His tactics are akin to a sicilian assassin.
One of the most objectionable people in the domaining industry.
I won’t even begin to itemise his megalomania re domaining.com
Domaining com isn’t an original idea, Francois didn’t dream news aggregation up, he copied it yet still he acts like he owns the concept and all bloggers listed on his aggregation service.
I’ll be very surprised if you publish any of this Tia but here’s hoping.
Carrying a popular website that barely monetizes in some shape or form is a great financial burden. A man’s personal finances have nothing to do with the fact that there is too much take by the people who benefit and not enough giving back to the project. So what’s your point?
Francois does better out of domaining.com than anyone by far.
Take the free advertising for all this domain related products / services for example.
Jason: since when did manifesting a business idea become a crime? This post was targeted to the individuals who benefit most from the traffic. They know who they are. Yet, when any call for support is mentioned this is the same response. Either people totally missing the point or doing nothing. I hope Domaining.com shuts down one day and becomes a parked page. Maybe then some people will take the time to publish a pitiful little banner in support?
I didn’t say it was a crime.
All I’m saying is I’m so sick of hearing all his gripes.
He gets plenty of benefit from running his site.
What does he want? Every domainer on earth to donate $10 k to his retirement fund?
“All I’m saying is I’m so sick of hearing all his gripes.”
Amen.
I just checked all of the blogs on domaining.com that posted today and yesterday and everyone has domaining.com banners and links, so what’s the point of your call to action if the action has been taken?
Just about all the other blogs have advertising, so do you think they should put Francois above paying advertisers? Blogs create the content that brings people to domaining.com. Without them, domaining.com aggregates nothing. Most of the bigger sites like dnw and dnj probably get a lot more traffic from other sources, so why should they lower advertiser value by putting Franc’s banners above when he adds little value. If that’s not what you’re suggesting, what’s the point since everyone already does it?
Aside from Twitter do you get a majority of your traffic from domaining.com?
I’ll have to keep most my opinions to myself on this matter.
There seems to be at least 1 sponsored post every day, Mike Cohen has a special fund for it I think. That’s $100 a day minimum, often 3 sponsors – $300 a day. This is incredible revenue.
I will say that Domaining.com could be making a lot more money from banner advertising sales. The problem? High expectations. Lower the ad space pricing a little and it will be consistently sold out.
Everyone is trying to make a living here, bloggers and me.
And at the inverse of what I am reading, most months I don’t cover my monthly expenses with Domaining.com and like all the bloggers excepting (probably) DNW, TheDomains and Elliot we are far to make enough to can live of that. Remember Jamie who recently wanted to sell his blog….
This should change? I am afraid that NO.
Advertisers are not numerous, their ad campaigns are short and often punctual an their budget generally low, and if it was not enough because we most share the same audience then they only advertise in the most popular blogs.
This is why I started developping some vertical marketplaces to try to generate some revenue out the advertising channel.
I don’t expect that anyone advertise my sites at no charge.
Nor I estimate bloggers owe me anything, as stated many times we have a win/win relationship.
What I think Tia tried wanted to say through her unexpected post was that maybe the bloggers who most benefit of Domaining.com should have had the courtesy/kindness to join one of the affiliate programs of my marketplaces to land me a hand while trying themselves to generate some revenue. Together it was maybe possible to find a possible alternative to the lack of sponsors.
And I admit, why lie, that I was surprised this not happenned as I set up my affiliate programs in order affiliates get the lion share: 7% when I will get 5% of sales comission and with these 5% I still had to finance the escrow.
Now, is this a tragedy? No. Everybody do what he wants, I see the ones that land me a hand and the ones that take any occasion to try to hurt me, I will support myself the ones that deserve it the most.
Thanks Tia.
Francois,
If everything is as bad as you say it than I recommend that you give us some transparency. Show us factually how much it costs to run domaining.com? Break down all of your monthly expenses so people can really see the proof of it because I will be honest with you, I don’t see why domaining.com should cost all that much to run. Apart from hosting I don’t see what your expenses are.
Regarding your advertising rates, if other companies are unwilling to pay them the they are probably just too high and need to be adjusted, lots of companies do this, it called capitalism. Most Domaining.com users still do not live in a country where people can be forced to pay costs for advertising that they feel will not be profitable for them. You can’t force people to buy your advertising, you can only make it appealing to them. Plenty of other domainers have advertisers paying them so we know that there are advertisers out there if the price is right.
Let me clarify that I am not against someone making money and I think that you should try to make as much money as possible with what you have but if a person is not making money with a business of theirs then the best option is not to complain about it to their “customers”. They should find a way to help their customers.
There are really only three options going on here.
1. You are not making money because Domaining.com simply does not have a business plan that is feasible with making money. I don’t think this is the case, many people make money on traffic such as yours.
2. You are not making money because you simply have not established the business in a way that allows you to make money. AKA your expenses might be too high and they need to be adjusted. This is possible but apart from hosting I really can’t see many places where owning Domaining.com should cost money.
3. You are making money on Domaining.com but for some reason don’t want to admit that and prefer to let us all think you are about to shut down the site.
Again, I challenge you. If things are really as bad as you say with domaining.com then give us the facts… show some transparency… let us see the numbers. Show us what your expenses are, show us what your revenue is. Once I see that then I might start believing you but until then I think you are “crying wolf” with the hope that people will simply start giving you money.
He’s not going to shut it down, he bought DNGator from Acroplex two days after I sent Acro an unsolicited offer. Suppose Mark Fulton (DotSauce) is right, $300 x 365 = $109,500/yr. Even if you reduce that by 1/3rd, it’s still $73,000 for a site that more or less automates itself.
For those of you that prefer to remain as blind and mindless sheep, if you haven’t figure it out by now, domaining is 20% what you know and 80% who you know. It’s largely smoke and mirrors.
Honestly, Francois is a sort of brilliant madman. Greedy, but interesting. Sort of a king of the gray area. Shoemoney would be proud.
Is Francios really Mike Cohen’s father???
Also, if Francios is really so great, can he get the french women to start shaving there armpits please:)
+++BREAKING+NEWS+++
Francois finally found a way to make people pay – either cash or with sanity.
Won’t stop playing the Vuvuzela till he get’s all the monies
http://bit.ly/DomainingVuvuzela
+++BREAKING+NEWS+++