A good topic to blog about that michael brought to light.  A very complex one as well that can determine the performance of your site and future growth.  There are so many details to think about other than just putting a simple logo up and calling it a brand.  Most do not get it, but I will do my best to gather all the facts for geopreneurs to “Get It.”   This is the first of many posts to come on branding your geo domain, so bare with me if all your questions are not answered.  Future posts will be done on Trademarking your brand. 

Brand - A trademark or distinctive name identifying a product or a manufacturer. 

Why would you want to spend the time and money to brand your geo domain? Afterall, people already know the name of the place and are only looking for information, not a business front, Right?  Nothing could be further from the truth.   A brand is needed to build consumer trust and keep them coming back to your site.  It is 100% psychological. Have you ever visited a site expecting to see a logo/branding element and not see one?  What did you do, you probally left and found a site with a brand meeting your search requirements.  Human nature is strange, hence the word psychology, we are always looking for proof of legitimacy on the internet and daily life. Whether thinking consciously or unconsciously, we all do it.

Thinking outside of the box and implementing your brand to pertain to what visitors expect to see on your geo domain will improve the overall user experience.  A positive experience leads to sales, clicks, word of mouth advertising, and growth.  All generating untapped revenue streams.  Geo domains are some of the easiest domains to brand, but you have to do it smartly to unleash the streams.    

Top 4 Things to consider when branding your geo domain logo and site:

-Color
-Culture
-Creativity
-Revenue Streams 

More to come in future posts.

Steve 

I wanted to take the time to say Merry Christmas to all of you.  This is a time for reflection on life and to be grateful for the things you have and to set goals for the things you want.  Although we may not be where we want to be at this point in life, be grateful for your family, health and friends.  Great things come to those who work hard and are patient.  May you and your families stay in good health this holiday season. My best wishes and prayers go out to my brothers and sisters in Arms currently deployed in combat.  Please say a prayer for their safe return home to their loved ones if you have some time.  

Godspeed,
Steve 

.com, .net, .org, .mobi, .info, .tv, .travel, .co.uk, .de, .eu, .us, .cc, .ca, .it,  etc…etc….

Makes my head spin just thinking of all the different domain extentions available, with only more to come in the near future.  It is impossible to be an expert in the effectiveness of all these extentions.  The good news is that there are people who are experts/knowledgeable in one or more of these extentions. 

Bottom line: .Com is prime realestate at this time.

Now that we have gotten that argumentative fact out of the way, which keeps so many from learning effectively, I ask geopreneurs to share your insight on your geo domains and the extentions you have chosen to use as your vehicle to build your empire.  While everyone is free to voice their opionion, I ask that you keep an open mind and keep argumentative comments to a minimum and see how other geopreneurs are making it happen.  (See details below for submission info)

Honestly, I could care less which extention is better.  Readers of this blog are only interested in learning successful strategies being used and innovated by geopreneurs.  There are way too many domain sites that already do a great job being closed minded and bashing every extention other than .com.  

Bottom Line:  There is more than one way to skin a cat!

SimplyGeo.com is a blog that was established to exploit the geo niche and provide a vehicle for geopreneurs to learn, mentor, coach, network, and teach individuals with the same business goals in life. Strictly a neutral place for geopreneurs striving to grow and learn.     

Collectively, we can help each other build an empire, improve an empire, exploit the geo niche, and most importantly create a network of geopreneur professionals. Everyone has something to bring to the table on the SimplyGeo.com Blog! Even if it is silly! This blog will be composed of user generated content, so get busy and put something together for our readers.

Experts/knowledgeable geopreneurs, please write a post covering the strategies you are using.  Contact me for post details and requirements.  

Send email to info @ simplygeodotcom 

 Please help the blog grow! Post in forums and any other places there may be a hidden or potential geopreneur.  Additionally, subscribe to the feed and link to us.  This niche has been neglected for too long and now we have a place to communicate among like minded professionals, whether new to the industry or a pioneer! 

Godspeed,
Steve

Looks like Google.com may have purchased this domain for $7,000.  The name used to be on PPC I think, but now points directly to Google.com (SaltCay.com).  The whois still has not been updated and currently has privacy set.  If  they did acquire the name, it simply reinforces their lack of complacency as annotated in past posts.  This name only has 8,730 search results on google.com with quotes. The value of Geo domains is going to grow rapidly in the upcoming years as more people get online and search for their desired interests. If a name/place like this with very little search results, publicity, and only 100 inhibitants sells for $7k, what are other geo domains that have it all going to be worth?

Related: 

I registered a couple of names on 4 December after reading an article from the top travel magazine Concierge.com on the World’s sexiest beaches.  I registered CapreraIsland.com (#1 on List) and PigeonPointBeach.com (#8 on List) that are locations visited mostly by the wealthy.  Found out that Pigeon Point Beach is the most photographed beach in the world where the big guys in the swimsuit industry par-take in their photo shoots. I was stunned to find them available.  Currently, there have only been 3 visits since registration, but I suspect these will be seasonal names and traffic will increase during the summer months. The sale of SaltCay.com has helped me place somewhat of a realistic value on these two domains.

There are thousands of names still available to register in the geo niche, that is what is so nice about this niche. The key is to conduct detailed research before purchasing a name, so you can determine if their is commerical value to the name/place.

Godspeed,
Steve    

 ***UPDATED*** 

Here is a list of geo domain sales that occured this past week.  A very slow week because of the holidays.  This will be updated when DN Journal publishes their sales stats this week. 

Thanks,
Steve

geo-pre-neur(s)   an individual who earns revenue or makes a living thru the use of a developed  geographical (Geo) domain, such as PalmSprings.com or DallasHomes.com.  Additionally, one who purchases and sells geo domains in the aftermarket.  Also referrered to as a domainer. (General discription, more to be added)

In today’s society of the “ME” trend, it is essential to meet an individuals wants and needs to be different and belong to something.  You have Youtube.com, IPOD, and Myspace.com that fill this need daily.  Almost everyone in the domain industry who owns 5 or more names is called a domainer.  A domainer is a general word used to identify an individual who purchases and sells domains. In addition, an individual who earns revenue utilizing their portfolio of domains thru PPC. That is the general overview of the term anyway. 

AssociatedCities.com and city.com owners exploited the geo niche with the GeoDomain Expo over the past 2 years.  This niche will continue to grow and it is essential for a term to be created to distinguish an individuals passion in the domain industry whether part time or full time from the general term domainer.  

Please add your definition of what the term should mean in the comments section. How often do you get a chance to be apart of branding a term for an industry? I will complile all the data and create a variety of definitions. Then I will set up a poll for readers to vote on.  The winning definition will be submitted to wikipedia and other internet outlets to brand the term geopreneur on the internet.

Take part in your industry Geopreneurs!   

Thank you for your help,
Steve

Jeff, over at Domainbits.com, has created a very useful tool for domainers seeking information on the industry.  Jeff has created a domain search engine using google.com. He has taken out all the advertisements and irrevelant links usually present when using google.com.  This is a cool tool to find targetted information of interest. Give it a try to see how it works. More Here