Ron Jackson of DNJournal wrote about a significant sale in the geo-targeted domain name category. Rob Grant, who owns a large portfolio of City+Real Estate domains, sold ParkCityRealEstate.com for $60,000 to a real estate firm in Park City, Utah.

Ron explained in his DNJournal piece that Mr. Grant had used GoDaddy to broker the deal. The domain had been originally registered in 1996. Pure real estate domain names are top portals & marketing machines for real estate companies due to their generic nature, geo relevance, and instant recognition factor.

Domains like MiamiRealEstate, BeverlyHillsHomes, or AtlantaCondos pair a popular location with one of the highly relevent search phrases … such as real estate, homes, or condos.

Some interesting high-dollar domain name sales from the past include RealEstate.net for $300,000 and MyrtleBeachCondos.com for $120,107.

Available through this site are a number of generic names like MyrtleBeachCondos.biz, MyrtleBeachRealEstate.biz, and Condos.info.

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Like every other industry, the domain name market has its own unique words and phrases that carry a commonly understood meaning among its patrons.

Some of the domain terms derive from other well known business sectors like finance and real estate. Recently addressed here was the frequent overuse of the term premium domains. Below are some other domain catch phrases with a short definition (or description) of what they mean.

• domain name portfolio (a collection of domain names being held or utilized as a financial investment, or active business)
• domain name collection (generally carries the same connotation as domain name portfolio)
• domain investor (anyone who acquires domain names for investment purposes)
• domainer (similar to domain investor but broader to also include domain enthusiasts)
• premium domain (a rare, top quality domain name that commands higher prices due to its superior characteristics)
• generic domain name (typically a one to three word category defining web address like travel, dogs, sports cars, rock music)
• geo domain or geodomain (a pure city, state, country, or location web address such as Detroit, California, Canada, Niagra Falls)
• geo-targeted domains (refer to the combination of a geographical location paired with a generic word such as Boston+Hotels)
• domain parking (pointing a domain name to a search results landing page that contains revenue generating clickable ads)
• domain monetization (general phrase to describe any means by which a domain name is used to generate income)
• domain marketplace (an online brokerage or warehouse of domain names for sale or for lease)
• domain auction (a live in-person event or online auction interface in which participants bid against each other to buy domain names for sale)
• domain name broker (similar to a real estate broker in that the individual sells or buys domains on behalf of a client, and/or facilitates domain name transactions)
• luxury domains (similar in definition to premium domains and suggestive of high quality and high value web addresses)

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There are several new articles (CBS news, CNN) listing metro areas which appear to be “recession proof” and are continuing to experience substantial population growth.

A study by MetroMonitor looked at several growth indicators such as employment, home prices, and foreclosure rates. The researchers ranked and listed the Top 21 cities that produced the best statistical figures.

The ultimate standout was the booming Dallas-Fort Worth metro area that added more residents in the past decade than any other city. Fueling the growth there is a very positive business climate in which there is no corporate income tax and regulations are minimal.

The state of Texas was very well represented with 6 cities making the Top 21 list. The highest ranking cities meeting the recession-proof criteria were (in alphabetical order):

Albany, NY
Augusta, GA
Austin, TX
Baton Rouge, LA
Buffalo, NY
Columbia, SC
Dallas, TX
Des Moines, IA
El Paso, TX
Honolulu, HI
Houston, TX
Jackson, MS
Little Rock, AR
Madison, WI
McAllen, TX
Oklahoma City, OK
Omaha, NE
Rochester, NY
San Antonio, TX
Tulsa, OK
Washington, D.C.

The MetroMonitor study includes a wealth of information on various cities’ standings along a number of economic indicators.

Premium domain names of interest related to the above cities include:

• AugustaGeorgia.US
• AustinRealEstate.biz
• Columbia.info
• DallasTexas.biz
• ElPaso.biz
• HonoluluHawaii.biz
• HoustonAttorneys.US
• LittleRockRealEstate.info
• OklahomaCity.biz
• OmahaNebraska.US
• SanAntonioRealEstate.info
• TulsaHotels.info
• WashingtonDCRealEstate.info

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The premium geo domain name, Raleigh.com, is up for auction via Snapnames. The auction is occurring in association with the GeoDomain Expo® which will kick off in New Orleans on April 28. I just read about this very interesting geodomain sale on Michael Berkens’ blog, TheDomains.

Raleigh.com is one of many stunning geo domain names owned by Boulevards New Media. Boulevards have a massive stable of top-of-the-line city domains including Detroit.com, StLouis.com, Indianapolis.com, and Memphis.com to name a few. Raleigh is North Carolina’s second most populated city. It is the state capital, and home to Research Triangle Park and NC State University. Raleigh has been ranked as one of the fastest growing cities in America.

The current auction reserve on Raleigh.com is set at $1 million to $5 million dollars. This premium domain name is certainly an incredible portal for the Raleigh, North Carolina area and presents a once in a lifetime opportunity for the appropriate buyer to acquire a top domain.

Raleigh.info is owned by me. Raleigh.US is registered to Sigmund Solares, and Raleigh.biz was acquired by a South Korean registrant named Song Dongil.

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A 2010 survey by property consultants, Knight Frank, ranked the most influential cities on the plant according to four factors. These factors were economic activity, political power, knowledge base, and quality of life. The results were reported by CNN.

Coming in on top as number 1 was New York City. Number 2 was London. Number 3 was Paris. And number 4 was Tokyo. Los Angeles made the top 10 list as did Berlin and Beijing.

Geo domain names have been of interest to a majority of domainers since the introduction of the internet and domain names in general. New York City (and Manhattan) are two geo domains that have been on my radar for a number of years due to their huge population, unrivaled luxury real estate market, and role as the economic center of the country.

The CNN report pointed out that several rising Asian cities have begun to garner increased economic relevance and political influence. But, they have not yet arrived as locations where the world’s wealthiest would have a first or second home.

The value (and price) of a geo domain name is not easy to calculate, and is heavily dependent on a variety of inter-related variables. Some of these include city proper population (within the city limits), surrounding urban population (larger metro/suburb area), city relevance as a center of business, importance of the city as a vacation destination, current growth rate, and projected importance in the state/region.

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Of the many varied categories of domain names, geo domains (or geodomains) are my favorite. Cities, towns, and states have a singular and unique identity. These geo locations define the community of people who reside there as well as the local businesses that operate there.

A recent report (CNNMoney) listed states that are experiencing a shift (decline) in their population figures in relation to the past two years economic woes. California was ranked first in losses, New York second, and Michigan third. Everyone has heard about California’s financial difficulties. And most everyone is aware of the auto industry’s seemingly constant trouble achieving profitability (and consequent layoffs).

Generally speaking, citizens will migrate to areas of the country where new job opportunities are coming into play. Other factors which contribute to population shift are climate/weather, cost of living, state tax rates, ethnic/racial profile, and the presence of family support.

As long as there exists a substantial core “audience” for a city or locality, then a particular geo domain for that area will retain value and relevance.

Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans and displaced a large segment of the population. However, the city itself enjoys such dynamic history and tourist appeal that reconstruction was quickly on the agenda of real estate development firms who aimed to capitalize on New Orleans’ fame and relevance as a great American city. Consequently, as a geo destination, New Orleans has sustaining appeal.

Developing a geo domain is a bit simpler today than it was two years ago. That does not mean that it is necessarily an easy process. Quality content, frequent updates, and selling advertising are everyday challenges best taken on by a small dedicated team as opposed to a single individual who is operating solo. That being said, geo domain sites can be built one piece at a time and incrementally expanded with time and development capital.

The arrival of minisites, WordPress, and web development platforms like DevHub have greatly simplified the process of erecting a basic geo domain website.

Whatever a geo location’s population, there is niche content that will well serve that particular town or city. So, experimentation may be required in order to learn what a city’s residents and businesses want (or need). The geo domain, in a best case scenario, will reflect what the majority of site users really want … perhaps real estate for sale, local job listings and job search, area news, entertainment links, an online business directory, or other. The right combination is a process of understanding the locale and the people and businesses who call that geo destination their home.

Geodomains cities, geo domain

Developing a geodomain offers many options and requires many decisions. These choices typically revolve around website content, website structure, and the site’s identity as perceived by visitors. My overriding goal with this project was to settle on a development model and “unique personality” which could be duplicated across many cities.

In building Charlotte.US from the ground up, I reviewed both the positive and negative aspects of a number of other geo sites. I also considered the platform on which to build Charlotte.US such as “static html” files vs. WordPress.

Content can be modified much more easily than can site structure. Structure is something which you will be married to and which cannot be easily converted. For this project, WordPress was selected due to its many automated features, plug-ins, publishing options, and excellent universal compatibility.

Actually, I had been looking for a geo portal template for some time that would allow me to add and subtract content components. Eventually, I found a news oriented portal, built on WordPress, that I could heavily edit. The current version, now viewable at Charlotte.US, has been dramatically modified from the original template.

The site is in what I consider a workable early form right now. There are a variety of auto-updating feeds & content such that revisiting the site numerous times per day will provide the user with new material. This concept I hope to take to an even higher level over time. I have had good success obtaining permissions where required, and I plan to develop partnerships with local businesses as time permits. Local advertising revenue will be pursued though no hurry on this at the moment.

Future upgrades will aim to customize the content sections especially in the real estate, apartments, entertainment, and online services area. Currently, these are linked to local service providers via Superpages content. The Ticketmaster section is fairly well done as is.

Interested readers may also like to follow Detroit.US which is being modeled after the Charlotte site.

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Ron Jackson’s DN Journal made my day with this story. Atlanta.com owner, Skip Hoagland, sent out a letter to employees of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution offering them job opportunities with Atlanta.com. Newspapers in America have been laying off news staffers left & right.

Some papers have declared bankruptcy. Most are in steady decline. My wife and I stopped taking the Greensboro News & Record over a year ago. So have many others. A co-worker asked me “Have you seen the High Point paper? It’s about one-third the size it used to be”.

City geo domains are the natural evolution, the next step. With career journalists, writers, and investigative reporters suddenly in search of a new home, what better option than to channel their talents into the ultimate new news medium, The Local Geo City Portal.

Most impressive is Skip Hoagland’s obvious approach to forming mutually rewarding partnerships. He is offering excellent compensation to writers, and providing them a great future opportunity to sustain and/or remake their careers via Atlanta.com.

Reminds me of the way Apple launched iTunes and single-handedly overtook the entire music industry … who, like the newspaper industry, stood idle while the future strolled right by them.

Side Note: Want to see a great city with a great website full of content? So do I. But there’s a problem. Their domain name.

The Charlotte Convention & Visitors Bureau have rebranded themselves “Visit Charlotte”, and the corresponding website is CharlottesGotAlot.com. There is a FULL PAGE ad in USA Today for this new website. I wonder what that cost! This is what is referred to as a domain name marketing catastrophe.

Atlanta.com … will not have that problem.

Keep your eye on Geo Domains! More to come.

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