Thursday, September 10, 2009

Domains Deployed? Redux

There have been a number of inquiries related to the current status of some of the domains as they appear to have already been sold.

As discussed in the August post titled "Are the Domains Deployed?", some of the domains are in use by the domain owner.

Lancets.com for example, is currently deployed on a comparison shopping platform that enables Diabetics to shop multiple online Diabetes Management merchants for the best prices on lancets. In addition, Lancets.com is ranked on multiple search engines and receives visitor traffic daily.

IMPORTANT
Domains are sold without content or hosting. For acquisition candidates interested in the domains wanting to deploy rapidly, the technology platform (with ecommerce and comparison shopping functionality) is available as a separate purchase.

View Domains: http://diabetesdomains.com/

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Toys.com $5.1M > Toys R Us

Earlier this year, Toys R Us bought the domain name Toys.com for $5.1 million dollars. The purchase was for the DOMAIN ONLY.

Known to every American over the age of 6, Toys R Us is unquestionably the dominate entity within the category. In addition to a substantial brick & mortar presence is a highly visible online presence.

The obvious question is why? Why did Toys R Us spend $5.1 million dollars on a domain when, on every conceivable metric, it appeared as though they did not need it?

The answer is quite simple. (hint- see post below)

Friday, September 4, 2009

Business Acumen

Own the domain names that define the category in which you complete. They are unrivaled, one of a kind, strategic assets.

If you don't purchase them, your competition (new or existing) will...

View Domains: http://diabetesdomains.com/

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Concerning Domain Brokers

In addition to conducting business with self-representing parties, I work with domain brokers. If you are a broker representing a client, your compensation for a successfully negotiated transaction will be paid directly to you by them (your client), NOT from proceeds that my client derives from the sale. This condition is non-negotiable.

View Domains: http://diabetesdomains.com/

Monday, August 24, 2009

Domain Auction Announced

The marketing effort generated significant interest from a variety of potential buyers within the niche (our web logs read like the who’s who of the industry), as well as from others desiring to participate.

All were unaware that InsulinSyringes.com, Lancets.com, GlucoseTablets.com, AlcoholSwabs.com and other category defining domain names were available.

This included related medical product domains such as BloodPressureMonitors.com, BodyFatCalculators.com, ElasticBandages.com, VinylExaminationGloves.com and others.

As a result of the feedback received, it was determined that the best way to address the requirements of potential buyers was to offer the portfolios as 2 separate auctions:

Premium Domain Portfolio
InsulinSyringes.com, Lancets.com & like

Consumer Medical Products Portolio
BloodPressureMonitors.com, BodyFatCalculators.com & like

Additional details will be forthcoming, but the auctions are scheduled to begin Monday, January 11, 2010 for a period of 10 days. Auctions will be in RESERVE PRICE FORMAT and will run independent of one another CONCURRENTLY.

In closing, the auctions will be conducted on eBay®. The identities of those participating will be kept private (masked). As has been the case in the past, all inquiries are considered CONFIDENTIAL.

IMPORTANT
Domains are sold without content. The right is reserved to sell any domain(s), prior to an auctions commencement. In the event that there is a sale, changes to the affected list(s) will be noted.

View Domains: http://diabetesdomains.com/

Friday, August 21, 2009

Diabetes Management A-List

The Who’s Who of Diabetes Management, including some really interesting notables – Web log visitors on http://DiabetesDomains.com.

With website metrics it’s easy to know whether your marketing efforts are effective or not.

What’s a Domain Worth?

What’s a domain worth? That is the million dollar question. Like beauty, worth is in the eyes of the beholder. For the sake of expediency, I am going to suggest that worth is primarily dependant on two key factors- Market Size and Execution Competence. For the buyers of the domains sited below, chances are they are confident about both.

Last weeks public domain name sales of note are courtesy of Ron Jackson over at DNJournal.com:
  • Brazil.com $500,000
  • Payment.com $250,000 & Payments.com $150,000
  • ChinaTours.com $200,000
These are public domain sales. There are many domain sales that are private, meaning that the transaction details- domain, sale price, buyer & seller are veiled until the entity is launched, or longer.

In business, the biggest threat is the one that you don't see coming.

View Domains: http://diabetesdomains.com/

Online Consumer Credibility

That the internet has become a critical marketing component as consumer’s lives are increasingly web-centric. Online participation is no longer optional for Corporate America. More and more enterprises are incorporating category defining domain names to augment as well as protect their existing brand(s). Their use lends to instant credibility with online consumers.

  • Bank of America- Loans.com
  • Barnes & Noble- Book.com & Books.com
  • Bayer Healthcare- Aspirin.com
  • Captain Morgan Rum Co- Rum.com
  • Cable News Network (CNN)- Money.com
  • Discount Tire- Tire.com & Tires.com
  • Enterprise Rent-A-Car- RentalCar.com
  • eBay- Rent.com
  • Experian -FreeCreditReport.com
  • Fandango- Movies.com
  • Honda- Motorcycles.com & Scooters.com
  • Johnson & Johnson- Baby.com
  • K-Swiss Inc- TennisShoes.com
  • Monster.com- Jobs.com
  • Office Depot Inc- OfficeSupplies.com
  • PetSmart- Pets.com
  • Primedia- Rentals.com
  • Procter & Gamble- Laundry.com (Tide) & Toothpaste.com (Crest)
  • Sylvan Learning- Educate.com
  • Travelocity.com LP- Vacations.com & Reservations.com
  • 1-800-Flowers.com- Flowers.com

It would be immensely short sighted to suggest that the domains exampled are not of strategic importance related to brand protection. Or that they wouldn't represent a significant threat if possessed by a competitor.

Furthermore, it is important to note that entities routinely own domains that are held by nominees (masking ownership) until needed. It is also worth noting that some possess significant domain portfolios from which they can draw from upon when needed.

View Domains: http://diabetesdomains.com/

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Primary & Satellite Redux

Some viewed the post “Are the Domains Deployed?” and had questions related to how the primary and satellite model referenced operated. This explanation is going to be geek-speak free as it is meant for CEO’s, President’s & VP’s who have technology people which they can confer.

Step 1
Your enterprise already has an existing website displaying diabetes management supplies. It does not matter if your website offers diabetic supplies only or sells other products in addition to diabetic supplies.

This website is called the “Primary Site”. The primary site has a database which contains all of the artwork, product data, and company information.

Step 2
Your enterprise acquires search phrase domains that make up the Diabetes Management category:
  • GlucoseTablets.com
  • AlcoholSwabs.com
  • Lancets.com
  • BloodGlucoseMonitors.com
  • GlucoseTestStrips.com
  • InsulinSyringes.com
  • InsulinCases.com
  • BloodPressureMonitors.com

These are to be referred to as “Satellite Sites”.

(Note- some parties are interested in a hefty portion of and/or the entire portfolio, but that topic will be covered in another blog)

Step 3
Your technology people make modifications to your “Primary Site” enabling it to feed relevant artwork, product data, and company information to the “Satellite Sites”.

Voila, your enterprise has just deployed a significant number of well qualified, highly specialized sales representatives (aka Satellite Sites) covered with your brand, product and company content, positioned to dominate the Diabetes Management category.

In closing, see stunning examples of similar execution: http://www.hayneedle.com/ and http://www.csnstores.com/

PS. Do not let your technology people tell you that this is difficult or obscenely expensive because it is not. The model is not new.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Are the Domains Deployed?

Though the domains are being marketed for sale, many have been deployed on a network of comparison shopping marketplaces dedicated to saving consumers money on Diabetes Management and Home Medical Supplies.

The marketplaces enable consumers to view product and pricing information from multiple online merchants. Once they decide upon a merchant, they are able to complete their transaction on the corresponding website. Take a look:

The reason for deploying the domains is simple, prospective buyers are able to see the domains in action. They are able to envision their product and company content fed from their existing website to the domains offered.

Looking to deploy rapidly? For the right price, the technology platform is available as well. Some of the exampled domains may already be ranked and receiving visitor traffic daily.

View Domains: http://diabetesdomains.com/

Domain Integration- It’s Easy

Integration is easy and can be accomplished a number of ways.
  1. FORWARD domain names to your existing websites home page.
  2. FORWARD domain names to the Diabetes Management department within your existing website.
  3. FORWARD domain names to Diabetes Management sub-departments within your existing website (Lancets.com resolves at the lancets department).
  4. FEED product & company content from your existing website to product specific websites residing on corresponding domains. (lancet and company content, including branding, would be fed to the domain http://lancets.com/.

View Domains: http://diabetesdomains.com/

Multiple Domain Strategy

Think of supplemental domains as additional locations and/or sales representatives. There are a number of advantages related to multiple domain strategy:
  1. CREDIBILITY- multiple domains specific to your industry will attract customers.
  2. VISIBILITY- multiple domains increase enterprise visibility.
  3. AWARENESS- multiple domains increase brand and/or product awareness.
  4. WEB SITE TRAFFIC- multiple domains increase overall enterprise traffic.
  5. MARKETING- multiple domains enable the creation of highly targeted, distinct marketing campaigns.
  6. EXPANSION- domain inventories allow for future enterprise growth.
  7. PREPARATION- proactive domain procurement readies the enterprise for future Internet evolution.
  8. COMPETITION- domain inventories limit competitor’s ability to market using relevant domains.

View Domains: http://diabetesdomains.com/

Monday, August 17, 2009

Masters of the Internet

AKA Professional eBusiness Developers, the competition you don't know. Professional ebusiness developers know that if they own the key domain property within a category, they have the foundational element necessary to own the category.

Large scale edevelopers have access to the funding, experience and personnel needed. And more importantly, they have demonstrated their ability to execute with awe inspiring results:

  • Amazon.com
  • Buy.com
  • Cars.com
  • Foreclosures.com
  • Hotels.com
  • Insure.com
  • Match.com
  • Roommates.com
  • WebMD.com (not a generic domain, but worthy of an honorable mention)
  • And on and on...

Procure an executive or two from the Diabetes Management industry with gravitas and professional ebusiness developers are good to go. There is a reason why they are called "Category Killers".

View Domains: http://diabetesdomains.com/

The Competition You Know

Category domination is the number 1 priority of the various entities serious about Diabetes Management market share. Individuals from the Chairman to the President/CEO to the COO to the VP of Marketing to the Web Team- Lots of smart people with the same goal.
  • Drug Stores – CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens & similar.
  • General Stores – Target, Walmart (Wal-Mart) & similar.
  • Mail Order – CCS Medical, Liberty Medical, NationsHealth & similar.
  • Drugstore eTailers – drugstore.com, HealthWarehouse.com, Hocks.com & similar.
  • General eTailers – Amazon.com, eBay.com & similar.
  • Specialty eTailersAmericanDiabetesWholesale.com, DiabetesStore.com, DiabeticSupplies.com & similar.
  • Manufacturers – Abbott Laboratories, Becton, Dickinson and Company, LifeScan, Inc. & similar.

How to differentiate yourself? Own the domain names that define the category in which you complete. They are unrivaled, one of a kind, strategic assets.

View Domains: http://diabetesdomains.com/

Prospective Buyers

Drug Stores, Mail Order & eCommerce Entities, Medical Manufacturers, Medical Supply Houses, VC’s & Professional eBusiness Developers.

View Domains: http://diabetesdomains.com/

Look, Their Doing It!

Supplemental domains (Multiple Domain Strategy) are already in use by competing entities within the Diabetes Management category.

  • GlaxoSmithKline - Diabetes.com.
  • CCS Medical - Diabetic.com.
  • United States Pharmaceutical Group, LLC (NationsHealth) - Diabetics.com.
  • Johnson & Johnson (LifeScan) - DiabetesCare.com & DiabetesManagement.com.
  • DiabeticSupplies.com, Inc. - DiabeticSupplies.com.
  • Liberty Medical Supply, Inc. (via Access Diabetic Supply) - DiabeticSupply.com.

It would be immensely short sighted to suggest that the domains exampled are not of strategic importance related to brand protection. Or that they wouldn't represent a significant threat if possessed by a competitor.

Furthermore, it is important to note that entities routinely own domains that are held by nominees (masking ownership) until needed. It is also important to point out that some possess significant domain portfolios from which they can draw from upon when needed.

View Domains: http://diabetesdomains.com/

Regarding Brands

By staggering margins, internet searches are generic phrase driven, not brand phrase driven. Few consumers search for products by brand, they search by phrases that define the category.

For example, compare search counts for “insulin syringes” versus “brand X insulin syringes”. In deference to the most dominate domestic brand within the consumer insulin syringe niche, the search counts are not even close.

Your customers search behavior is telling you what they are looking for. Are you listening?

View Domains: http://diabetesdomains.com/

Search Phrase Domains

Ownership of category and sub-category defining "Search Phrase Domains" offer a number of significant strategic benefits:

Product Association
Brand Protection
Consumer Credibility
Type-In-Traffic (estimated to be 20% of all internet traffic)
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

What is a search phrase domain? Specifically addressing Diabetes Management, they are domain names consisting of search phrases Diabetic's use while surfing the internet:

GLUCOSE TABLETS - GlucoseTablets.com
ALCOHOL SWABS - AlcoholSwabs.com
LANCETS - Lancets.com
BLOOD GLUCOSE MONITORS - BloodGlucoseMonitors.com
INSULIN SYRINGES - InsulinSyringes.com
GLUCOSE TEST STRIPS - GlucoseTestStrips.com
And so on...

View Domains: http://diabetesdomains.com/

Think Like A Diabetic

When Diabetics think Diabetes Management, what are they thinking?

ALCOHOL SWABS - AlcoholSwabs.com
ELASTIC BANDAGES - ElasticBandages.com
LANCING DEVICE - LancingDevice.com
LANCETS - Lancets.com
BLOOD GLUCOSE MONITORS - BloodGlucoseMonitors.com
GLUCOSE TEST STRIPS - GlucoseTestStrips.com
PEN INJECTORS - PenInjectors.com
INSULIN SYRINGES - InsulinSyringes.com
INSULIN CASES - InsulinCases.com
GLUCOSE TABLETS - GlucoseTablets.com
SUGAR FREE PRODUCTS - SugarFreeProducts.com
LOW CALORIE DIETS – LowCalorieDiets.com
DIABETIC SKIN CARE - DiabeticSkinCare.com
DIABETIC FOOT PRODUCTS - DiabeticFootProducts.com
BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORS - BloodPressureMonitors.com
BODY FAT CALCULATORS - BodyFatCalculators.com
And on and on…

Follow Up Question- When Diabetics surf the internet, what search phases do you think that they are using? (hint- see above)

Domain names of this nature are known as "SEARCH PHRASE DOMAINS".

View Domains: http://diabetesdomains.com/

For Sale- An Unfair Advantage

As in any industry, category domination is the Number 1 Goal of competing entities. Related to online business efforts, it is critical to own domain names that define the category in which you complete.

For Sale- Extremely desirable, category defining domain names essential to competing in Diabetes Management. These are unrivaled, one of a kind, strategic long-term assets.

Though domain names are offered for sale individually, pricing considerations may be given on offers for multiple domains, including the entire portfolio. View inventory:

http://diabetesdomains.com/

Transactions are executed 7 days a week via Escrow.com. In most instances, transfers are completed within 5 to 7 business days. View transfer process:

https://escrow.com/solutions/domain_name/process.asp

Lack of Category Leadership

Though there are many providers of Diabetes Management products and supplies, there is no single entity dominating the category. The absence of leadership presents a significant opportunity. Not only to own the category, but to better serve the Diabetic Community.

View Domains: http://diabetesdomains.com/

Invaluable Diabetic Resource

The internet has fast become an invaluable resource in the execution of a Diabetic’s daily life. The simple fact is that via the Internet, the Diabetic Community is increasingly working as a whole for the betterment of all.

Widespread adoption of internet and email enabled cell phones (Blackberry, iPhone and similar) will fuel this momentum to unprecedented levels. A 100% "wired" mobile Diabetic population is fast becoming the future.

This will enable 24/7 access to resources whenever and wherever desired. Bottom line- Diabetes Management will become more web-centric.

Those in the Diabetes Management industry must accept and embrace this reality if they are to remain relevant (as well as competitive). Like it or not, Diabetics and internet technology providers are going to continue to lead the way regardless if those in the industry are participating or not.

View Domains: http://diabetesdomains.com/

Monday, August 10, 2009

Diabetes Facts

Diabetes results from defects in insulin production, insulin action, or both- CDC.gov

There are 2 types of Diabetes. Type 1- Insulin dependant. Type 2- Non-insulin dependant- CDC.gov

There are 20.8 million Diabetics in the United States. Roughly 7% of the population is Diabetic ('05) - CDC.gov

1.5 million new cases of diabetes diagnosed ('05) - CDC.gov

1 out of every 10 healthcare dollars ($123 Billion) spent in '02 was on Diabetes- CDC.gov

View Domains: http://diabetesdomains.com/

Disclaimer

Product names are for identification purposes only. All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All other references are for informational purposes only and are not intended to imply any endorsement by or affiliation.

View Domains: http://diabetesdomains.com/

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Mission Statement

Inform prospective candidates about matters regarding Diabetes including strategic benefits related to acquiring category specific Diabetes Management domain names.

View Domains: http://diabetesdomains.com/