Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Pre-branded domain names for startups

stylate.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

121–130 of 212 posts

Re: Pre-branded domain names for startups

#121

Post by itswindy »

icebraining wrote: post #92
itswindy wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

acabal, $250 is a steal. Cut on beer and coffee for a month and there you have it. Branded domains can go for a lot more

These aren't branded. They have nothing behind them, no product, no recognition. Having an icon doesn't turn them into a brand. And the thought of spending $250/month on beer and coffee is disturbing. I spend $15 ;)

Should have said brand-able, sorry. But my point still remains, names are extremely important and $250 is relatively nothing. Fix a script for someone and you'll get that much.

Re: Pre-branded domain names for startups

#122

Post by kiwidrew »

stylate wrote: post #30
acabal wrote: post #10

Looks like a great idea, very clever, but I'm not sure about the pricing. I would love to use something like this as a small developer, but $250 is a bit much for a domain and a logo given my small-time budget. On the other hand, companies with a larger budget would probably just have something like this done in-house. So I guess I'd ask: who do you see being the target market here?

We are testing different price points. What would you feel comfortable paying?

I'd like to see two or three different price points. Some of the names and logos are much higher quality than others. Seems that $250 is too high for some folks and too low ("a steal") for others. I'd suggest something like $100 for a minimally-branded name (like Sporous.com or oveza.com), $250 for a standard name and brand, and $500+ for the really good stuff. Also +1 on the idea of upselling business cards, letterhead design, etc.

Re: Pre-branded domain names for startups

#123

Post by tptacek »

wildmXranat wrote: post #118
tptacek wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everybody "domainsquats". People joke with each other about how many names they have in their registrar account. These particular people chose an extraordinarily reasonable price point just for the name , and added design services on top. They could charge 4x as much and probably close just as much business, because $1000 is a rounding error for a serious 2-person startup. I don't see why you're bagging on them.

No, not everybody domain squats. We, in the tech business might have a few spare domains left over from unfulfilled projects or ideas and that's absolutely great. I don't agree that putting a 'reasonable' price point on a bad practice is O.K. Their process does not add value. Let me reiterate: Allow me to buy the name at a discount price, but still at a 600% or so markup over the $8 price. Add value to the process by…

Bluntly: this argument happened over a decade ago. We lost. The domain market is run with all the incentives set for people to hoard domains and sell them dearly on the proposition that they will to the owner eventually be worth 5+ figures.

All you're doing here on HN is --- whether you realize it or not --- brainwashing nerds into believing the market works in ways that it does not.

In the real world, this is an extraordinarily generous offering that absolutely hits a sweet spot in reducing pain for new startups. Every one of the entrepreneurs on this site have gone through days, weeks, sometimes months of pain trying to brand a new product. I have products I haven't started working on yet solely because I can't figure out a name I don't hate.

Please stop conning nerds into thinking the world works the way you want it to.

Re: Pre-branded domain names for startups

#124

Post by tptacek »

phillmv wrote: post #115
tptacek wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everybody "domainsquats". People joke with each other about how many names they have in their registrar account. These particular people chose an extraordinarily reasonable price point just for the name , and added design services on top. They could charge 4x as much and probably close just as much business, because $1000 is a rounding error for a serious 2-person startup. I don't see why you're bagging on them.

I think a reasonable argument to make against domain squatting is that those who do it as a business… are just charging you a fee solely because they thought of it first. It feels very much like a pure wealth transfer from me to a more entrenched player. It's somewhat analogous to say most software patents, in that their sole purpose seems to be enacting a social cost. You're not going to do anything with that patent…

Why are we entertaining the idea that there's an argument to be had about domain squatting?

I wish we had enacted policies against squatting back in the '90s. But Internet governance did very much the opposite thing. This argument ended a long time ago. Why piss in the wind about it? In the post-domain-squatting world, this is a great offering.

Re: Pre-branded domain names for startups

#125

Post by phillmv »

tptacek wrote: post #124
phillmv wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think a reasonable argument to make against domain squatting is that those who do it as a business… are just charging you a fee solely because they thought of it first. It feels very much like a pure wealth transfer from me to a more entrenched player. It's somewhat analogous to say most software patents, in that their sole purpose seems to be enacting a social cost. You're not going to do anything with that patent…

Why are we entertaining the idea that there's an argument to be had about domain squatting? I wish we had enacted policies against squatting back in the '90s. But Internet governance did very much the opposite thing. This argument ended a long time ago. Why piss in the wind about it? In the post-domain-squatting world, this is a great offering.

Hrm. Touché.

Re: Pre-branded domain names for startups

#126

Post by [deleted] »

phillmv wrote: post #114
tptacek wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

First, it's a logotype. Some of the world's most recognizable logos are, like this, logotypes. Second, professional designers do not give you the rights to the typeface they use for their logotypes. You ask them, they obtain them, and then they invoice you the several hundred dollars the logotype cost them. Third, why would you want the font used for this particular logo? It's a terrible display font. Its only value…

>First, it's a logotype. Some of the world's most recognizable logos are, like this, logotypes. I'm willing to accept this. Point to your favour. >Third, why would you want the font used for this particular logo? Because I might want to tweak it, resize it, use it on letterheads, put it on my business card, create sub products that follow the "brand style", etc. A vector drawing at the minimum is essential. That said…

[deleted]

Re: Pre-branded domain names for startups

#127

Post by alex_c »

wildmXranat wrote: post #69

No! A $7.99 domain name and what looks like to me a $99 logo thrown is not a steal or a good deal. Let me come at this way: Can I get the domain off of you for %80 off the $250 price ? I presume that the answer is no, because it's a lipstick on pig product designed to glorify domain squatting. All the power to you for finding a niche market, but suckers be warned that it's highway robbery! edit: downvoted within 2 mi…

This is the kind of pricing philosophy that plagues HN (and I'll admit, I'm guilty of it as often as not).

The value of a product is usually not cost of labor + cost of materials, it's the value it brings to the buyer. $106.99 won't get me the same value, because I have to spend long frustrating hours trying to find a decent available domain name, then a few more hours going back and forth with a designer for a logo I may or may not like. Not having to do that is easily worth $143.01.

I agree that the domain system is horribly broken, but these guys are closer to a solution than to a problem.

Re: Pre-branded domain names for startups

#129

Post by dmbaggett »

stylate wrote: post #30
acabal wrote: post #10

Looks like a great idea, very clever, but I'm not sure about the pricing. I would love to use something like this as a small developer, but $250 is a bit much for a domain and a logo given my small-time budget. On the other hand, companies with a larger budget would probably just have something like this done in-house. So I guess I'd ask: who do you see being the target market here?

We are testing different price points. What would you feel comfortable paying?

It's clear from the feedback that you guys should be running auctions instead of charging fixed prices. Let the buyers choose the prices on a per-domain basis.

Re: Pre-branded domain names for startups

#130

Post by chipatpear »

sunir wrote: post #55
chrisconley wrote: post #47

It's a bit more expensive but there's also http://brandbucket.com .

Also excellent (I would claim more excellent) is http://brandstack.com/

Also a fan; I've sent our clients their way before, and every time we got positive feedback! Simple interface, easy process - I'll continue to recommend!
Post reply on HN