Domain name service drops upfront fees.

[Update: What I couldn't write about yesterday but can now is that Parked.com has purchased WhyPark.] Domain name parking alternative WhyPark has dropped its upfront fees and is now free. Previously, WhyPark charged $99 for the first 100 web sites. Add-on services, such as article writing and search engine submissions, are still available for a fee.

WhyPark enables domain name owners to create dynamically updated web sites on their domain names. Using article feeds and various other content sources, clients can quickly develop their domain names. The system is flexible and allows users to customize templates and add their own content.

WhyPark is a good solution for domain names that receive little type-in traffic. A properly designed and promoted WhyPark site can get into organic search listings, driving visitors and revenue. The system includes an integrated two-click advertising system, similar to what you find on most domain parking pages.

Some people shied away from the system in the past because of the upfront fees, so I expect WhyPark to rapidly grow its user base going forward.

© DomainNameWire.com 2009.

Review and rate domain name parking companies at Parking Judge.

A look back at the 2009 GeoDomain Expo.

Some domain name conferences are special. Different. Unique.

On Sunday morning, I opened up the sliding door to my first floor room at Catamaran Resort in San Diego and saw this:

The vista made me think about how “different” the GeoDomain Expo was to other industry conferences. It was held away from the city and away from a high rise hotel. Lunch and drinks were served on the beach. Panels and sessions were packed with people taking notes and learning. Speakers weren’t limited to the domain industry; many were in tangential fields that could relate to GeoDomains.

That’s not to say it all went off without a hitch. Saturday’s domain auction was intersting. The resort booked a wedding on the other side of the lawn, so the auction was done without a microphone to disturb the wedding. And the Geo crowd has always been into development rather than domain trading, so buyers were few and far between. At last year’s conference only two people were responsible for the majority of sales, and they weren’t in the buying mood this year.

But no one seemed to mind. It’s a different time and a different world. GeoDomain Expo 2009 helped clear peoples’ minds. They thought about the future of local media and how to be a disruptive force. They heard from a futurist. They heard from former journalists. They heard from their peers.

For me personally, it made me realize how big the opportunity staring us in the face is. Now is not the time to retreat, it’s a time to be disruptive.

It will be interesting to hear about the TRAFFIC conference kicking off in Silicon Valley today. Few people at the GeoDomain show said they were making the trip, save for service providers. TRAFFIC organizers have admitted that the show won’t be as big as in the past. To be sure, there will be news at the conference. Check back here tomorrow morning for the first announcement.

For those of you that missed the show, enjoy this view from the Executive Suite at the GeoDomain Expo:

© DomainNameWire.com 2009.

Review and rate domain name parking companies at Parking Judge.

A look back at the 2009 GeoDomain Expo.

Some domain name conferences are special. Different. Unique.

On Sunday morning, I opened up the sliding door to my first floor room at Catamaran Resort in San Diego and saw this:

The vista made me think about how “different” the GeoDomain Expo was to other industry conferences. It was held away from the city and away from a high rise hotel. Lunch and drinks were served on the beach. Panels and sessions were packed with people taking notes and learning. Speakers weren’t limited to the domain industry; many were in tangential fields that could relate to GeoDomains.

That’s not to say it all went off without a hitch. Saturday’s domain auction was intersting. The resort booked a wedding on the other side of the lawn, so the auction was done without a microphone to disturb the wedding. And the Geo crowd has always been into development rather than domain trading, so buyers were few and far between. At last year’s conference only two people were responsible for the majority of sales, and they weren’t in the buying mood this year.

But no one seemed to mind. It’s a different time and a different world. GeoDomain Expo 2009 helped clear peoples’ minds. They thought about the future of local media and how to be a disruptive force. They heard from a futurist. They heard from former journalists. They heard from their peers.

For me personally, it made me realize how big the opportunity staring us in the face is. Now is not the time to retreat, it’s a time to be disruptive.

It will be interesting to hear about the TRAFFIC conference kicking off in Silicon Valley today. Few people at the GeoDomain show said they were making the trip, save for service providers. TRAFFIC organizers have admitted that the show won’t be as big as in the past. To be sure, there will be news at the conference. Check back here tomorrow morning for the first announcement.

For those of you that missed the show, enjoy this view from the Executive Suite at the GeoDomain Expo:

© DomainNameWire.com 2009.

Review and rate domain name parking companies at Parking Judge.