Stupid domain names... backed by Big Money. - geek/talk: Web publishing business discussion

KidKilowatt · 12-29-1999, 10:27 PM

Ok first .... I was not sure what forum to post this in.. so if you have to move it I understand.

Ok here it is... lately while watching the television, which I don't to all that often. I have noticed a lot of Big money commercials for websites with incredibly stupid names. It's like they came up with an idea... got some venture capital... picked the first web domain that was available...and blew millions on a commercial promoting it. Which is what happens quite often, I know. But can't some of these people put a little more thought and creativity into it??

Ok here are a few examples. http://www.boo.com what do you think they sell?? I saw a commercial on television the other day. They sell sporting goods. Maybe boo means sporting goods in another country I don't know. Then this is really funny. Before I came here, I checked out the website just to make sure I wasn't correct, and their website..... first off.. the first page you go to merely says... this page doesn't consist of anything another page will spawn... which it does in a popup. Then is loads slow and crashes my browser. very strange.

I saw a commercial the other day, and I thought the concept was to put a "P" before what you were looking for and a "Q" after as in www.pbookq.com I have seen the commercial quite a few times, but I can't get the site to come up... anyone else see this one??
Reminds me of those 10-10-10-2233 commercials.... which I will never use... who can remember what any of them are for?? Collect calls, long distance.. geez http://www.very-cool-stuff.com/ubb/smile.gif

Anyone else have any other wierd names connected with merchandise or services that have nothing in common. Or any commercials on television, that point to half done or poorly done websites?? I know we, or at least me http://www.very-cool-stuff.com/ubb/smile.gif have registered dumb domain names before, or come up with ideas that turned out to be flops... but lets face it, we don't have millions in venture capital behind us... so we are only out time and internic fees. But it sounds like lately... venture capitalist are just throwing money down the drain. I am seriously thinking about going after some of it myself.

There are a lot of talented people on this board, who know marketing, web design. Throw a few of us in a think tank, give us some venture capital and I know we could turn out a winner, turn billionaires after the IPO goes public.

I don't know where I am going with this rambling, I guess It just bugs me that some people think that it's just a 1 2 3 process.
Get some money, Throw up a website, Air a commercial and boom the next big IPO. We all know there is a little more to it. I can't really go after this now due to a famliy Illness, but like the article I was reading today... by Margaret Gould Stewart (AngelFire.com) She said "Think small and you'll stay small. So do what you have to do to get the bucks." I just think that some people are thinking big... without putting thought into anything else.

So in closing, to the people on this board, think Big, but please think Smart. And consider combining your talents.

Kid

Questy · 12-30-1999, 12:01 AM

Hi Kid,

Great Post, some good food for thought here. We've had some of these brought up before in the small biz forum. Since these are really business issues, and not technical webmastering issues, I'm moving this thread to the small biz forum, and we'll continue it over there.

Regards,
"Q"

Questy · 12-30-1999, 12:13 AM

Greetings once again kid,

This post does follow some of my recent thoughts. I was soul searching, (and "whois" searching), for that perfect domain name for a website. Then, like you, I began watching all those ads, and then played around with search engines, and then gave up on the idea for now.

I guess the conclusion I came to, is that domain names right now don't necessarily follow any logic, it's just marketing whatever the name is to death so people remember it.

I think of it kind of like 1-800 phone numbers. The first guy who took 1-800-FLOWERS was a genius, but what about the next thousand flower shops? They had to do something else to get folks to remember their phone numbers. Now we have those 888 numbers, so I guess someone jumped on 1-888-flowers, kind of like the .com vs .net, is the .net just as good as a .com? Is a 1-888 number just as good as a 1-800? You have to believe it is. Market like crazy, and hope folks remember who you are, .com, .net, .whatever???

Here's rambling back at you....

------------------
Regards from your forum moderator
..... "Questy"

KidKilowatt · 01-01-2000, 04:56 PM

Ok I stumbled upon an article that explains a little more about what I am talking about, and a little more clearly, perhaps.
http://affiliate.isyndicate.com/fadv...s_barrier.html

The article is not so much about domain names, but rather about Start-ups throwing all their money into advertising, rather than into actually creating a useful website, and a useable website.

I also have a quote from Esther Lowery (Director of Corporate Communications theglobe.com) She says "Internet sites can become household names overnite. And it has everything to do with their advertising budgets and less to do with their products or services. A multimillion-dollar advertising budget will drive hordes to check out your site - once."

The point you can drive tons of people to your site with money, but if you fail to convert them into loyal customers, you just wasted you advertising money. This is even more important for us small web owners, we need to convert an even greater percentage of visitors into loyal customers.

Check out the link above, it's a good read.

Kid

davenet · 01-01-2000, 09:12 PM

Kid,

pbooksq is actually a site, I went to it and it seems to be very well put together. I can only say the name of the "network" of sites (started by piiq.com) is a completly obvious method of getting a domain name secured.

I mean adding a "p" in front and a "q" at the end? Why not make it easier by adding an i for internet at both ends, or e ? but p and q? it makes no sense! IT DOESN'T STAND FOR ANYTHING! AHHHH!!! (sorry)

I understand your frustration... a bit.

KidKilowatt · 01-02-2000, 12:50 AM

Hmm I just thought of a great idea for the next big IPO. How about putting a R and a S after everything and registering all the domains?? RBOOKS RVIDEOS RSOFTWARES RQTIPS
RMONEYPITS Hmm t this looks more obvious than P and Q hehe

oh and just as stupid http://www.very-cool-stuff.com/ubb/smile.gif

funpage · 01-03-2000, 12:09 AM

The domain itself probally doesn't have to be related to the content of the site to promote it. Just look at amazon and yahoo, for example, these are two of the most successful sites on the web, yet they have a name where it has almost nothing to do with their content. Also look in the real world, for example Sears, McDonalds...
Tim

------------------
notboring.com - The most boring place on earth. Not!!!

Questy · 01-03-2000, 02:48 AM

Greetings once again Kid,

I read the article at the link you provided. Sounds very much like something I try to preach here on this forum..

Quoting from thr article:
"Other sites need to work harder on making it clear why users should care when there are ten million other sites to go to. What's in it for me?"

There's a lot to be learned for many of the folks who visit us here.

The link below is basically from an outline I did as a sales seminar many years ago. Check it out, and notice the similarities to the article you mentioned.
http://questy.com/zen/kiss.htm

I don't know who the guy is that wrote this article, but he is simply doing what I try to do on a regular basis, getting webmasters to see where they are missing the boat on basic marketing issues.

Hopefully, in discussions like this, little by little, we'll get folks to see where simple, basic, economic priniciple fit into the realm of webmastering. I only hope that's not too much to dream http://www.very-cool-stuff.com/ubb/wink.gif

Thanks again for you post Kid K.

------------------
Regards from your forum moderator
..... "Questy"

KidKilowatt · 01-03-2000, 04:45 PM

Questy,

I still have that Soap quote taped to my monitor, from one of your post quite awhile back http://www.very-cool-stuff.com/ubb/smile.gif Your post at http://questy.com/zen/kiss.htm makes me think of the www.piiq.com site, I mean after browsing that site for a while, I get the idea that I can build my own shopping page... why I would want to ... i dunno. But they have nothing on their site telling me why I should explore their site in the first place. And I still don't know what the deal is with the "P&Q", nothing draws me into that site. And the boo.com site still has me baffled, why spend money on advertsing a site... that is just poorly put together??

12-29-1999, 10:27 PM	#1
KidKilowatt Registered User Join Date: Jan 1999 Location: IL USA Posts: 291	Stupid domain names... backed by Big Money. Ok first .... I was not sure what forum to post this in.. so if you have to move it I understand. Ok here it is... lately while watching the television, which I don't to all that often. I have noticed a lot of Big money commercials for websites with incredibly stupid names. It's like they came up with an idea... got some venture capital... picked the first web domain that was available...and blew millions on a commercial promoting it. Which is what happens quite often, I know. But can't some of these people put a little more thought and creativity into it?? Ok here are a few examples. http://www.boo.com what do you think they sell?? I saw a commercial on television the other day. They sell sporting goods. Maybe boo means sporting goods in another country I don't know. Then this is really funny. Before I came here, I checked out the website just to make sure I wasn't correct, and their website..... first off.. the first page you go to merely says... this page doesn't consist of anything another page will spawn... which it does in a popup. Then is loads slow and crashes my browser. very strange. I saw a commercial the other day, and I thought the concept was to put a "P" before what you were looking for and a "Q" after as in www.pbookq.com I have seen the commercial quite a few times, but I can't get the site to come up... anyone else see this one?? Reminds me of those 10-10-10-2233 commercials.... which I will never use... who can remember what any of them are for?? Collect calls, long distance.. geez http://www.very-cool-stuff.com/ubb/smile.gif Anyone else have any other wierd names connected with merchandise or services that have nothing in common. Or any commercials on television, that point to half done or poorly done websites?? I know we, or at least me http://www.very-cool-stuff.com/ubb/smile.gif have registered dumb domain names before, or come up with ideas that turned out to be flops... but lets face it, we don't have millions in venture capital behind us... so we are only out time and internic fees. But it sounds like lately... venture capitalist are just throwing money down the drain. I am seriously thinking about going after some of it myself. There are a lot of talented people on this board, who know marketing, web design. Throw a few of us in a think tank, give us some venture capital and I know we could turn out a winner, turn billionaires after the IPO goes public. I don't know where I am going with this rambling, I guess It just bugs me that some people think that it's just a 1 2 3 process. Get some money, Throw up a website, Air a commercial and boom the next big IPO. We all know there is a little more to it. I can't really go after this now due to a famliy Illness, but like the article I was reading today... by Margaret Gould Stewart (AngelFire.com) She said "Think small and you'll stay small. So do what you have to do to get the bucks." I just think that some people are thinking big... without putting thought into anything else. So in closing, to the people on this board, think Big, but please think Smart. And consider combining your talents. Kid

12-30-1999, 12:13 AM	#3
Questy Registered User Join Date: Jan 1999 Location: Slower Lower Delaware, USA Posts: 868	Greetings once again kid, This post does follow some of my recent thoughts. I was soul searching, (and "whois" searching), for that perfect domain name for a website. Then, like you, I began watching all those ads, and then played around with search engines, and then gave up on the idea for now. I guess the conclusion I came to, is that domain names right now don't necessarily follow any logic, it's just marketing whatever the name is to death so people remember it. I think of it kind of like 1-800 phone numbers. The first guy who took 1-800-FLOWERS was a genius, but what about the next thousand flower shops? They had to do something else to get folks to remember their phone numbers. Now we have those 888 numbers, so I guess someone jumped on 1-888-flowers, kind of like the .com vs .net, is the .net just as good as a .com? Is a 1-888 number just as good as a 1-800? You have to believe it is. Market like crazy, and hope folks remember who you are, .com, .net, .whatever??? Here's rambling back at you.... ------------------ Regards from your forum moderator *..... "Questy"* How is losing weight like making money? Believe in Santa Claus

01-03-2000, 02:48 AM	#8
Questy Registered User Join Date: Jan 1999 Location: Slower Lower Delaware, USA Posts: 868	Greetings once again Kid, I read the article at the link you provided. Sounds very much like something I try to preach here on this forum.. Quoting from thr article: "Other sites need to work harder on making it clear why users should care when there are ten million other sites to go to. What's in it for me?" There's a lot to be learned for many of the folks who visit us here. The link below is basically from an outline I did as a sales seminar many years ago. Check it out, and notice the similarities to the article you mentioned. http://questy.com/zen/kiss.htm I don't know who the guy is that wrote this article, but he is simply doing what I try to do on a regular basis, getting webmasters to see where they are missing the boat on basic marketing issues. Hopefully, in discussions like this, little by little, we'll get folks to see where simple, basic, economic priniciple fit into the realm of webmastering. I only hope that's not too much to dream http://www.very-cool-stuff.com/ubb/wink.gif Thanks again for you post Kid K. ------------------ Regards from your forum moderator *..... "Questy"* How is losing weight like making money? Simple ideas, Powerful concepts Why do some people never fail?

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12-30-1999, 12:01 AM	#2
Questy Registered User Join Date: Jan 1999 Location: Slower Lower Delaware, USA Posts: 868	Hi Kid, Great Post, some good food for thought here. We've had some of these brought up before in the small biz forum. Since these are really business issues, and not technical webmastering issues, I'm moving this thread to the small biz forum, and we'll continue it over there. Regards, "Q"

01-01-2000, 04:56 PM	#4
KidKilowatt Registered User Join Date: Jan 1999 Location: IL USA Posts: 291	Ok I stumbled upon an article that explains a little more about what I am talking about, and a little more clearly, perhaps. http://affiliate.isyndicate.com/fadv...s_barrier.html The article is not so much about domain names, but rather about Start-ups throwing all their money into advertising, rather than into actually creating a useful website, and a useable website. I also have a quote from Esther Lowery (Director of Corporate Communications theglobe.com) She says "Internet sites can become household names overnite. And it has everything to do with their advertising budgets and less to do with their products or services. A multimillion-dollar advertising budget will drive hordes to check out your site - once." The point you can drive tons of people to your site with money, but if you fail to convert them into loyal customers, you just wasted you advertising money. This is even more important for us small web owners, we need to convert an even greater percentage of visitors into loyal customers. Check out the link above, it's a good read. Kid

01-01-2000, 09:12 PM	#5
davenet Member. Join Date: Oct 1999 Posts: 27	Kid, pbooksq is actually a site, I went to it and it seems to be very well put together. I can only say the name of the "network" of sites (started by piiq.com) is a completly obvious method of getting a domain name secured. I mean adding a "p" in front and a "q" at the end? Why not make it easier by adding an i for internet at both ends, or e ? but p and q? it makes no sense! IT DOESN'T STAND FOR ANYTHING! AHHHH!!! (sorry) I understand your frustration... a bit.

01-02-2000, 12:50 AM	#6
KidKilowatt Registered User Join Date: Jan 1999 Location: IL USA Posts: 291	Hmm I just thought of a great idea for the next big IPO. How about putting a R and a S after everything and registering all the domains?? RBOOKS RVIDEOS RSOFTWARES RQTIPS RMONEYPITS Hmm t this looks more obvious than P and Q hehe oh and just as stupid http://www.very-cool-stuff.com/ubb/smile.gif

01-03-2000, 12:09 AM	#7
funpage Registered User Join Date: Apr 1999 Location: New York Posts: 876	The domain itself probally doesn't have to be related to the content of the site to promote it. Just look at amazon and yahoo, for example, these are two of the most successful sites on the web, yet they have a name where it has almost nothing to do with their content. Also look in the real world, for example Sears, McDonalds... Tim ------------------ notboring.com - The most boring place on earth. Not!!!

01-03-2000, 04:45 PM	#9
KidKilowatt Registered User Join Date: Jan 1999 Location: IL USA Posts: 291	Questy, I still have that Soap quote taped to my monitor, from one of your post quite awhile back http://www.very-cool-stuff.com/ubb/smile.gif Your post at http://questy.com/zen/kiss.htm makes me think of the www.piiq.com site, I mean after browsing that site for a while, I get the idea that I can build my own shopping page... why I would want to ... i dunno. But they have nothing on their site telling me why I should explore their site in the first place. And I still don't know what the deal is with the "P&Q", nothing draws me into that site. And the boo.com site still has me baffled, why spend money on advertsing a site... that is just poorly put together??