(Interact with Fred on Geodomainer.com)

This week, we bring you the GeoView with Fred Mercaldo, owner of Scottsdale.com and Tempe.com. Fred is a proven business professional and owner to a variety of businesses. His other companies include Hospitality Tee Times (HTT), Butts In Seats Marketing, LLC which includes their brands LunchClub.com and DineSmart.com, and OutingSource, LLC, a golf and technology company in partnership with PGA Tour player Chris Perry and Desert Golf & Vacation Rentals, a 200 unit luxury property management company in North Scottsdale.(SMO) When did you register your first geo domain and what name was it?

(FM) Although we did a large portion of our golf vacation and tee time business via the internet since the late 90’s, we didn’t enter the geo domain industry until August, 2004. Scottsdale.com was made available to me exclusively from its previous and original owner. He felt that since we were well established in the Scottsdale market, we had an excellent chance of making the site and business successful.

(SMO) Why did you decide to pursue the geo domain industry, instead of focusing a 100% of your time acquiring generic domain names?

(FM) I think, like many of us, registering major city.com names was not a priority or obvious opportunity. All of our other businesses had strong dot com names that properly described us…we always strived for a strong web presence, but I must admit, until the opportunity was presented to me, the geo domain industry was not a priority.

(SMO) Last year at the GeoDomain Expo, Scottsdale.com won best small-medium sized geo site. How has Scottsdale.com grown since then?

(FM) Our “to do” list is always growing and changing. We are in the middle of adding many new features designed to bring our visitors back numerous times each month. We are very pleased with the design and ease of maneuverability on our site. Believe it or not, there are 40,000 pages behind Scottsdale.com, yet we are still scratching the surface with our business directory and partnerships we continue to develop.

(SMO) The Super Bowl was in your area this year. How did this impact the traffic and advertising on your sites?

(FM) It was an incredible time for Scottsdale, as Super Bowl week was the same week we have our FBR Open, one of the most popular events on the PGA Tour. The traffic impact was strong, yet the advertising impact was consistent with other peak periods. We did however have our best month ever for hotel/attraction/travel and ticket revenue.

(SMO) How has development of your geo domains affected traffic and revenue growth over the years?

(FM) Businesses and advertisers are starting to “get it”. First, we had to build it. When we first took over the site, it received 7,000 unique visitors per month…we are now 100,000 PLUS uniques each month. Businesses are actually starting to budget a decent percentage of their advertising budget towards online advertising. We are developing “partnerships” by which a business will sponsor, or “partner” with us in a specific category…we even allow them to sell advertising within their category, and we do a 50-50 revenue share with them. This builds content, brings in new advertisers, and allows our “partners” to offset their costs to us.

(SMO) Since becoming a member of AssociatedCities.com, how has the geo domain industry grown?

(FM) We have been a member for over 2 years now, and I was fortunate enough to be elected to the Board of Directors this past year. With all of the responsibilities in all the ventures we have, Scottsdale.com and the future of Associated Cities is what I’m most fascinated with. I get to interact and work with The Castello Brothers, Dan Pulcrano and his Boulevards group, Josh Metnick of Chicago.com, Skip Hoaglund of Atlanta.com and MyrtleBeach.com fame, Sean Miller of NewYorkCity.com, Barry Hodge who is responsible for the incredible success of Richmond.com, Jessica Bookstaff of Durango.com and PigeonForge.com…these people are among the most talented and brilliant executives in our industry today. They are all visionaries, and they all share a strong work ethic. Their accomplishments are impressive. I am now firmly committed to the Geo Domain industry, and with these and many other “partners”, I predict that this industry is just scratching the surface of where we will be in 5 years time.

(SMO) What added features do you plan on adding to your geo domains in the near future?

(FM) We added Tempe.com last year, and recently purchased FountainHills.com last October, which we are in the process of developing. We continue to add daily editorial content, along with the most complete Event Planning calendar available in our market. We are in a unique position with Scottsdale.com…it is both a major city AND a vacation destination. So besides continuing to build local content, we also must concentrate on our out of state visitors, which make up 50% of our traffic. Along with many interactive services designed to have our visitors more “involved” with us, we may actually launch Scottsdale.com Realty in the coming year…maybe one of the first times a “brick and mortar” business evolves from an actual website rather than the other way around!!!

(SMO) What role do you think geo domains will evolve into as the internet continues to grow and more consumers come online?

(FM) Steven…that’s a great question. I continue to look at declining print advertising revenue at major newspapers, and wonder exactly what our world will be like in 10-15 years from now. Because of the Internet, we have become impatient and spoiled…not willing to wait until the morning paper to find out information…we go directly online. I expect this to continue, and major Geo Domainers have a serious responsibility to accommodate our customers, both advertisers and viewers, in order to maximize our potential.

(SMO) What are some future goals and where would you like to be in 5 years with your geo domains?

(FM) Regarding our geo domains, my goal is to have our Scottsdale.com and Tempe.com brands dominate our market for everything media related. I embrace what David and Michael Castello have told us…that we “own the brand” in each of our cities, and we need to take the responsibility seriously, and develop our sites to the best of our potential.

In the coming 5 years I would like to play a significant role in helping other geo domain businesses attain profitability. LunchClub and DineSmart are 2 brands that we operate locally, and we are in the process of taking nationally. These are businesses that can easily be incorporated into the day to day operations of most city.com sites, and generate much needed income. We can talk about development of our sites all day long, but if resources are lacking, it becomes a difficult task. I would like to make a difference.

(SMO) Any advice you can give to new Geopreneurs entering the geo domain industry?

(FM) Yes. It is important to have the right people. Everyone needs to go find a “Becky Kelley” in their city. Becky has been an incredible asset in our growth and progress. Also, our technology group includes some of the best talent in the country. Michael Goldfarb and Mike McCallister worked tirelessly over the years to build our sites. Our sales managers, Brett Mitnick and Jennifer Shaw, are also very special and dedicated people.

You need to develop the site properly. Each city has their own specific identity and personality; you must identify exactly what these characteristics are, and build the site accordingly. You must be well financed, dedicated, and patient. Other than that, it’s easy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is important in life to learn from a variety of sources in order to become an educated wise man or woman. This enables an individual to see a variety of perspectives to a common discussion. While successful people offer a wealth of knowledge, same can be said for the average guy on the street if given the opportunity. Those average guys/gals have great input from a different side of the equation that is often overlooked by successful people. Those average people have the hunger, motivation, and determination to see hidden opportunities.

Today, Sahar touched on an important topic, “Who Should You Take Advice From?”. While I do not agree with his way of thinking on this subject for the most part, it is important for an individual to select reliable sources of information for future growth. Not necessarily based on the amount of money one has earned, but based on the knowledge and perspective that one delivers.

There are a variety of blogs that are available to learn from in the domain industry. The writers of those blogs take the time everyday to provide content and different perspectives to a crowd in a multifaceted industry. They do not do it because they have to, but do it because they want to. No one is forced to read what they write or take the advice they offer. The best part about any message a blog delivers or advice given, is you get to determine its value to achieving your goals.

In his post, Sahar uses a variety of examples as to why you should not listen to unsuccessful people in a profession. What he does not realize is that the guy who is not a good cook offering advice, may be one who enjoys eating and knows how to prepare outstanding meals. The fitness trainer analogy given, the fat person, could currently be undergoing fitness training and recently lost 150lbs, and so would have great advice to offer someone who is trying to loose weight. etc, etc, etc, to all the other examples given. You can not discount someones experience and advice based on success.

In his post, he states you should only listen to proven successful people to reach success in his opinion. What I say is, Successful people make stupid mistakes and stupid comments all the time. We see this all the time in corporate America, the domain industry, and society. Many become self centered because of their accomplishments. These same people who are self centered believe they are above everyone else who has not achieved success in their eyes.

So should you listen only to successful people’s advice and ignore the “unsuccessful”/average people? Absolutely not, what is important is to shift through the content and absorb what is of value to your game plan. Just because an individual is successful, it does not mean they have all the answers. The bum on the street just might surprise you with the amount of knowledge they have, if you only give them an opportunity to share it. There is a key word, opportunity. Without it, no one would ever become successful and everyone depends on it even after becoming successful.

That is what it comes down to, give people the opportunity and do not judge people based on what they own or have, but what they have to offer that is either worthless, useful, or priceless. You just might learn a thing or two from the no name man/woman in the domain industry that helps you discover a successful revenue stream.

Think Outside the Box. Successful people definitely have value to deliver, but to discredit those who are not successful in “their eyes” to an industry, is unprofessional, selfish, and delivering a hidden agenda.

I can guarantee you the next billion dollar company coming to the internet is being planned by unproven, average people, who were given opportunity. This is the key trait to success, OPPORTUNITY. Listen to what people have to say without passing judgment, they just might amaze and inspire you.

Well, I finally got around to using Seesmic to deliver this “cheesy” blog post. I didn’t want to get prettied up for the camera, so please excuse the roughness. It is quite an easy tool to use, but I must say that it is a little uncomfortable recording yourself. It is so much better having someone else record you!

As you can tell, I am not Oscar worthy with this presentation. I just wanted to show readers that it is another great tool made available to share knowledge.

Yesterday, we launched GeoDomainer.com and had a very good turnout for the first day. You will find a variety of apps and features on the site. Experiment with them and find which ones work best for you. We will be adding several more in the weeks and months to come. I wanted to remind readers that this site is still under development. So, do not be alarmed if the layout changes from time to time. We are just experimenting in the back ground with different ideas. You do have the option to change your own layout as well.

We feel GeoDomainer.com will deliver a unique and valuable user experience when conducting domain business transactions on the internet. Additionally it is an effective way to communicate globally with like minded professionals. Have fun experimenting with GeoDomainer.com and continue to add content to your profiles. This is your personal web address on a great name.

 

We are happy to announce the launch of GeoDomainer.com, an industry social network.  We were going to wait until next week to launch this service, but we figured it would be best to let users figure out how to use the functions and apps on the site during the weekened.  Most professionals are very busy during the week and do not have much time to try and figure out functions.  It feels great to release another piece of the geo domain network.

There is still alot of work left to do, so please excuse the current condition.  We need for users to add content and build it as they seem fit.  This tool was created for industry professionals to interact, communicate and network in a targeted community.  We feel you will find it very useful in your future business transactions.  Please help us build the content up and submit recommendations via email of apps you want to see added.  We will be adding several more in the weeks to come.     

If you have already signed up with the other social network recently announced, I have great news.  You can sign in with the same user name and password.  All you will have to do is update the profile for GeoDomainer.com.  It is that easy!  Now you have an elite name to associate your user profile for the domain industry.  Everything is in a name on the internet and this is your opportunity to promote yourself as a certified professional.

It is a great way to show your validation in the domain industry by pointing potential clients to your user profile and letting them see who you are associated with.  Now others can get to know everything about you professionally, before conducting business and vice versa.  This enables a safer transaction for both parties and helps create an industry with quality standards. 

I have blogged in the past why this social network was needed in the domain industry.  Please get the word out and let all friends, clients, and business associates know about GeoDomainer.com.    Additionally, please spread the word thru all the forums and blogs. We want this to social network to explode with professionals! 

We hope that you will enjoy GeoDomainer.com and we will continue to add the apps as they are completed.  We just added Chat today, so feel free to start communicating.  Some additional features you can do is promote your myspace.com, linked.com, and facebook profiles with GeoDomainer.com.  Go ahead and mess around with the functions and have some fun. The site is empty right now, but as users sign-up and use the site, you will see alot of the apps and functions come to life and fill the site up.

Thank you once again for all your support!
The SimplyGeo Team  

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UPDATE:  There is a problem with some users not being able to upload a .jpg photo.  To fix this, you will need to open these images and save them as .jpeg files (even if the file is already in .jpeg format). This should restore any corrupt aspects of the file.  Sometimes user photo files are corrupt and will not be allowed to be uploaded.  Let me know if you still have any problems, but this should fix the problem.  Thanks.

Things have been a little hectic this week and I have not been able to complete all the projects I had planned.  I am so glad the weekend is here.  I have been communicating with Philip Corwin and Michael Collins from ICA this week.  We will be publishing their interviews in the weeks to come that will assist domainers in understanding ICA’s goals and vision.  I believe there is a great deal of confusion among domainers, as well as skepticism. These interviews will help clear any misunderstandings about ICA.

Next week will be a very busy week.  I have been completing several interviews from industry professionals for your reading pleasure.  Additionally, we will launch our social network next week.  Our programmer has added some great apps that will assist professionals in networking and communicating.       

Ironically, yesterday a social network site was published by Randy Charach for the domain industry.  The funny thing is he is using the same company we signed up with the beginning of March.  Great minds think alike,

It is great to see the industry moving forward and people trying to build a unified front in the domain industry.  It is imperative that domainers continue to implement new tools in the industry that will enable professionals to interact and network.  

Our next project that we will launch is GeoBuilder.com.  Alot of hard work has gone into this service, that will help alot of geopreneurs.  There is still alot of work to do, and it is very time consuming.  This is the time I wish I had a magic wand!

If you come across an interesting article, feel free to send it my way.  Thank you for your continued support. 

Steve 

Another week has past, and it is time to list the geo domain sales.  There were not many sales on the .com side of the house, however, ccTLDs continued to do well.  Last week I said I would include ccTLDs and IDNs in the listing.  After experimenting and seeing how time consuming this was, I have decided to drop that idea and provide a rollup of all sales with a link to DNJournal.com for your review.  I will continue to list .ccTLDs that can be used to compare prices with similiar geo domains.

A total of $115,446 in ccTLDs were sold, for a grand total of $133,771 in geo domain sales.

This article was submitted by a fellow reader.  The bad times continue for traditional print media with circulation taking a drastic plunge.  The Audit Bureau of Circulations show significant declines for every major New York paper with the exception of the Wall Street Journal.

Traditional media companies are trying a variety of strategies to improve circulation and revenue.  The new generation of consumers want fresh content, and the only place they can access this content on demand is on the internet.  Additionally, it is free and convienent.  It will be interesting to see how traditional media continues to evolve during this hardship.

I personally have not bought a newspaper in over 2 years.  A strategy that they have not tried is making the print publications completely free.  This could have a positive effect on revenue streams.  Sometimes you have to give away things for free to reap large rewards later.  The hard part of this equation is that advertisers are starting to prefer advertising on the internet than in print publications.  It is cheaper and more effective in the long run.  Traditional media will have a hard time with transformation.

Thanks Brian for sending this.

(Via CrainsNewYork.com)