The auction starts tomorrow at 9 AM PST and will end on the 16th at 12:15 PM PST. If you want to check out the entire list, click here. One of my readers asked me how the auction will be organized on the 5th, I spoke with someone from Moniker today and he confirmed that the event will be organized as a showcase auction (people will bid through the SnapNames.com interface and not through the downloadable application).

Do you think that he should limit himself to sponsored listings from now on? If not, what do you recommend? Should he sell his ad inventory to just one important advertisers or go with smaller banners and more advertisers?

And seriously, I’ve heard some “but Domaining.com is only an aggregator” opinions and just can’t understand this way of thinking. Domaining.com (as well as the other projects which are a part of the “Domaining.com” brand) has helped this industry way more than some people realize and it’s in the industry’s best interest that this project is successful. If you don’t understand why, think outside the box for just a second and look at the big picture.

A Lot of Domains MOVED!

Their “Low and No Reserve” auction represented a great start. It generated $150,950 and a lot of domains have been sold. It was refreshing to see bidding wars again and then, of course, the premium auction brought the grand total for the two live events to $1,071,050. The extended auction didn’t disappoint either, 79 domains have been sold and that’s definitely quite impressive.

All in all, here’s how things stand when it comes to the 3 Domain Fest Global auctions:

Domains sold: 200
Domains sold at the live events: 121
Domains sold at the extended auction: 79

The grand total: $1,319,037
Amount generated by the live events: $1,071,050
Amount generated by the extended auction: $247,987

Average sales price: $6,595
Average sales price for the live events: $8,852
Average sales price for the extended auction: $3139

Dot com domains sold: 156
Amount generated by dot com sales: $1,175,540
Average dot com price: $7,536

Dot net domains sold: 15
Amount generated by dot net sales: $45,123
Average dot net price: $3,008

Other extensions: 29
Amount generated: $98,374
Average price: $3,392

Is Francois Protesting?

The “Our industry leaders have no money” donation button speaks for itself in my opinion and if you take a look at the 300*250 ads, you’ll notice that all of them are promoting sites owned by Francois.

In my opinion, this move is basically his way of saying something along the lines of “it’s outrageous that the #1 domaining site has no advertisers” and this attitude is understandable because let’s face it, his projects are definitely helping the industry.

What do you guys think?

Remember what I told you about “blockbuster sales” and how they influence the grand total of an auction right after the live event ended? Well, the LongIsland.com sale is a decent example and there’s definitely an important lesson to be learned: always analyze “the numbers behind the numbers”.

For more details, read this blog post. Jennifer needs your help and even if you’re not from the New York area, you can still help save a life by joining the Be the Match Marrow Registry.

This offer is only available to people who are currently not paid members, all you need to do is enter ILOVEFRESHDROP when the system asks if you have a bonus code and you’re good to go. Enjoy!

It Could but It Won’t

Hope the previous headline hasn’t confused you TOO much, here’s what I mean: a product such as the iPad and app-based navigation in generally could represent a threat to type-in traffic but this specific product won’t (IMO). Leaving the fact that it has been over-hyped to say the least aside, here’s the main reason why I don’t think that domainers who rely on type-in traffic should lose sleep over this launch: there are FAR more important things to worry about.

I’ve written an article a while back which I think is extremely relevant today, I’ve basically explained why type-in traffic is not a long-term selling point. Definitely worth a read, be sure to check it out if you haven’t by now.

I’m Too Lazy to Read the Article, Cliff Notes Please!

Sure, no problem, here are some of the things which pose a far greater threat to type-in traffic:

1) the fact that parked pages do NOT provide value

2) the fact that lots of money is being spent marketing viable navigation options such as Google, Bing and so on

3) the fact that people who are not exactly Internet-savvy are being “educated” via TV programs, radio programs and so on

4) the fact that quite a few people/companies are trying their best to block parked pages (through browsers, plugins and all sorts of other applications)

The list could go on and on, check out the blog post I’ve recommended if you’re interested in a “from A to Z” type-in traffic analysis. And if we were to analyze things from the perspective of a person who relies on type-in traffic, let’s not forget that:

1) there’s a LOT of fraud involved and that ultimately has a negative impact on the quality or at the very least the perceived quality of type-in traffic in the eyes of advertisers as well as potential advertisers

2) leaving fraud aside, let’s not forget that in most cases, type-in traffic converts poorly (typo traffic, traffic from domains such as LOL.com, HaHa.com and so on – while domains such as WashingtonInsurance.com do indeed put targeted type-in traffic on the table, they are unfortunately just exceptions, a few drops of rain in a sea of junk traffic)

3) legal aspects such as TM issues put a lot of pressure on type-in traffic portfolio holders

4) monetizing type-in traffic via other methods (affiliate programs, partnerships and so on) is not as easy as most people think, it’s basically a completely different world if PPC parking used to be the center of your universe

The conclusion: if type-in traffic is an important part of your business model, worrying about the iPad at this point is like being lost in the middle of the desert without food or water and worrying that you might break a nail

Here’s what you need to do in order to submit your domains:

1) Log in
2) Go to the “my domains” section
3) Decide which domains you want to submit and then select “Apply for Benelux Auction” from the drop-down menu

And, of course, if you’re interested in buying .nl/.be domains, bookmark this link. We’re talking about countries which are members of the European Union and have stable economies, so the two markets are definitely quite attractive.