SkyDomains

With the year ending, I wanted to end the year on a positive note. I am so happy that I have the opportunity to share this story with you.
I have this domain that seldom gets traffic. It is in an emerging technology category. A technology that might not see production till sometime in 2012. But here is the kicker, Every year since I have owned this domain, usually around Christmas or so, it gets a couple of clicks, usually less than 10 but it is always enough to pay its registration fee for the next year. Considering, I am prepared never the less to hold on to this domain, this added bonus is really exciting.

Last week it got 2 clicks, one for 6 bucks and another for $2.10
Do I hear somebody say “reg fee!” ?

The second story I have happened just last night. I have a client who 3 years ago wanted to advertise on one of my sites, I offered him a great deal but insisted he has to commit to 12 months for the magnitude of work I had to do. I offered to plug him on all my related sites. Here is the problem, he loved the deal but wanted to do month by month. I said ‘No’

A year later he comes back, I offered him a similar deal with 6 months commitment. He wanted to go month by month. I said NO.

About One month ago, he comes back and I answered him like ” Hello Bob, how can I help you this time?” He said the site looked so different that he thought it might have been sold to someone else. We went through the same motions again, and again: No deal.

Last night he wrote me and asked if I will consider selling the website  outright? I told him to make me an offer. His offer was somewhat low. Actually it was not the least offer I have ever received for that domain and it was more than 2 and half times shy of the most offer recieved for the same domain. I told him so and this time sent him a link to Sedo.

We both agreed the domain is a category killer for his product but he admitted he was not there yet. I just think it is great to receive an offer around this time of the year especially since offers have been far in between since the middle of the year.

Here is  wishing everyone a prosperous new year. I wish all my reader will commit this verse from the Bible to heart for the up coming year

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

Do not forget to check back on January 2nd for my BIG annoucement!

Over the Christmas holidays, I was able to accomplish a lot of things at once.  In between the present giving, taking pictures with my daughter on the bike and even taking the family and my mother inlaw out for lunch, I still managed to accomplish my set goals. Give most of my sites a logo face-lift and a major job on two sites.

I have this website that was created initially as a forum for overseas contractors. What I noticed is that as the economy worsened, traffic has improved considerably but sign-up, not so much. It did not take much to figure out that my visitors where not finding what they are looking for.  Some posts on the site will also clue you in that most of the people where coming to look for jobs and not talk about overseas contracts.

The sole purpose of 99% of my visitors was to get jobs overseas.

Over the Christmas Holiday, I re-branded the site to a full fledged job portal. I sent out a mass email to the forum members and as of this morning I already have some resumes uploaded.  I love the new logo and the new look of  OverseasContract Dot Com. I also think that I am providing a service some people really desire during these trying periods.

OverseasContract was originally created while I was serving with the Air Force as a civilian contractor after I had left the service. As a domainer I needed something to occupy my free time and I felt the Contractor community needed a forum. I answered to that call then and I hope I have fully answered to the demands this domain faces now.

I have a BIG announcement to make on the 2nd of January. No it is not a baby or anything personal.
I promise you, it will be worth your time to come back and read this blog on the 2nd. Do not be the last to know

Merry Christmas to everyone from my family to you. Hope  God reveals to you the true meaning of the season. May the upcoming year flourish for you beyond your wildest expectations.

Merry Christmas from the Aladi's

Zara, "The Rune" and I

Christmas is the season of giving so I am guessing it is also the season of recieving. Since for giving to be complete, someone has to recieve. When you run a not wholly commercial site and have a donation button, how do your clients respond? Let me bring the question home: when was the last time you made a donation online ?
I will speak for myself.  I have paid for a lots of software and web services in my time but I cannot remember making a donation to any site . This is in part by the fact that I seldom use free services (with the exemption of WordPress) because I believe that nothing is truly free and one they they will hold one to ransom. 

Anyway, this brings me to the pertinent questions of this post.

1. ) Do you have donation buttons in any of your site?
2. ) How is it working out for you ?
4. ) What is your average take per site a  year on donations?

I have a site that is frequented by a lot of pet lovers especially when they loose them. It ranks most times at # 1  or on the first page for its search term on Google.

I  had the site fee based and participation dropped drastically. It is currently free  with a donation button but I get nothing– Zilch! for donations.

I am not particularly bothered but if I can find the de-motivating factor about my not donating to websites, then I may be able to figure out how to motivate my clients to donate since they definitely enjoying the freebie— or is it really free?

What are your experiences?