Right now, across all manner of domain forums, domainers are clucking about their PPC income falling, the possibility that the feed providers (Google and ?) will be more restrictive about parked type-in domains, that the feed world may come to an end, etc.
In other words, they're worried and if they're not worried they are taking a hard look at "other plans" - from trimming their holdings to starting a bit of development.
Now, note this: Domainers are not used to investing in development so it would be unwise to approach a domainer with a big project or any big ideas.
Also, shared revenue arrangements are not the easiest deals to work, so forget taking that approach. EXCEPTION: Perhaps you might cut a deal for a share of "increased revenue" for a set period of time. Take the past 24+/- months of parking revenue, filter out any arbitrage or "other traffic" (get pure type-in data) and using those numbers as a baseline agree that you will perform development services for a cash payment plus a percentage of increased revenue for X months. It MUST be factored in that, as development starts, revenue may decrease as the CTR for a developed site tends to be lower than the CTR for feeds. It's all negotiable.
BUT IF you have some skills - say with a CMS - and IF you have a degree of personal interest in a topic that is nicely captured by a keyword domain - it's possible that, with the right approach, a developer could convince a domainer that it would make sense to do business with the developer.
Caution: Domainers are ROI people. They have trouble waiting a long time for money. That is the life they have become accustomed to. They park a domain, slap on a feed, and the PPC revenue starts coming in.
So . . what might I suggest?
Perhaps a small, well crafted WP site with 20-30 pages of well written and unique content, with an arrangement for some cash up front and then a percentage split of the contextual ad revenue for the first year.
Or any other formula you can come up with.
Think small, not big, but think "If I get this one project rolling and it works, and the domainer isn't a jerk, how many more "small projects" might I be enlisted to launch".
Food for thought. I'd say right about now would be a good time to start looking to form "developer relationships" with domainers.
And, for heaven's sake, do NOT take a spammy approach to soliciting business. It can get you in trouble. Get personal, maybe even sending a personal letter, making a personal phone call, etc.
And leave me alone. I've already set things in motion. ;)
[edited by: Webwork at 5:36 pm (utc) on July 28, 2008]
I turned them all down as I was there mostly to learn more about the domain marketplace rather than to sell services.
Yes domainers are looking for developers, SEOs are looking at domaining - fun times ahead methinks.
There may be a market for this type of "offer" - but only at the low end, i.e., domains with little traffic and a low commercial intent and lower PPC values.
I see the opportunity in the "low end of the middle class" and possibly in the middle-middle class of domains. Domains with some traffic, where the PPC value is decent (good topic domains) and where "starting to develop" would not require a great deal of investment of time, money, etc.
I suspect that a domainer that has money to invest would also be a person who has some idea about SEO, penalties/filtering for duplicate content, etc. So, if someone calling themselves a developer starts the dialogue by "offering junk" chances are the dialogue will end right there.
So domainers are likely to get offers from those looking to turn a quick buck with crap - or developers who don't know SEO.
The best opportunity I see is for those developers who have the capability to set up simple CMS systems which can then be left with the domainer to add content, whether by writing it themselves or via a content writer.
The difficulty for many domainers is that they are not managers - and in order to put the pieces in place, for such a system, managing the resources is more of an issue than it is with just slapping on a PPC feed with a parking company.
The market I'm thinking of would likely be best served by an agency that a) has a handle on info architecture and can "sell their keyword/search volume" expertise; b) can work with a simple CMS that they can pass off to the domainer - who, in turn, can pass off update duties to someone in the "content development/maintenance division" of the agency (fee based, month to month); c) who know the basics of SEO, which to my mind is 98% of the game; d) who can offer value added services as extras (linkdev, etc.); and, e) who have access to English speaking college students who have an interest "in the topic".
I suspect the low fruit is in the $750-$1000/$1500 range for a basic CMS install with category/taxonomy, 20-30 articles crafted by college students with some subject savvy and writing skills - who can be taught the basics of SEO and "free keyword research".
The "trick", as I see it, is to actually offer content that is timely and unique - at a college student writer/level. CMS? Free. Keyword research? The domainer should be able to help. Writing with some knowledge of SEO? "The overhead".
That's just one approach.
Where I think the opportunity is being missed is in the word-of-mouth referrals that would come from a degree of success.
The "upside" of the effort would be in a limited time revenue share - with various ups and extras.
I just don't see value in the canned development model when "actual (modest/minimalist) - yet real - development" is likely within reach.
And, yes, many domainers of means are busy hiring their own in-house developers.
Maybe this market will actually be captured by the parking companies getting their game on - in the "development for the masses" department? Again, not utter crap scrapped articles and no real thought development. Instead, simply starting to build and add value.
The opportunity is ripe for the picking.
It's time for developers to exploit all the domainers. :P
where i see a problem, is that a single larger project can (probably) outperform 500 small wordpress installations and will be cheaper to achieve.
But it won't be achieved by cheap development effort, as cheap and good developers are already building their own networks ;)
I have just registered here after years of looking at the forum and not bothering to read it properly... guess what .....I am a domainer :)
I have seen revenues drop yes, but don't forget. Most domainers (that are any good anyway) WERE SEO guys originally and saw domaining as a way out of the google addiction. So to add to the post above, yes pitch, but pitch to a high level of understanding, that way you might get some response :)
