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Pre-branded domain names for startups

stylate.com

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Re: Pre-branded domain names for startups

#81
post #19
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?

I see HN as the ideal target market. I'm sure this submission didn't occur spontaneously and there are many people in HN who can afford $250 for a seemingly good value. I'd be surprised if most of the domains are not sold quickly.

I'm totally unaffiliated with stylate. I saw this (http://twitter.com/#!/ormanclark/status/119324718527553536) tweet from @ormanclark & decided it might appeal to people on HN.

Re: Pre-branded domain names for startups

#82
post #49
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

How about £10? You know.. how much you're supposed to pay for a domain.

In hind-sight everything is obvious. Everything is easy if you already know it. You already know the perfect domain for your uses that's already available - more power to you.

The interesting aspect of this service is as a set of triggers. You'll find some people will immediately spot a matching domain in that list - they may not have thought of it themselves, but seeing it there triggers off the lightbulb.

Sure you can do the exact same thing with a command line whois, but then you don't get the benefit of serendipity. Someone else's list of brandable domains shows an item you weren't expecting to see, and that triggers off your own creative process into a different direction, and you find an end result you may not have arrived at without that serendipitous discovery.

You are seeing the results of someone else's creative process of discovering brandable domains. You don't have to pay for that effort, but you can be motivated by it. The $250 charge is if one of those domains is a perfect match, not for the process of finding an available perfect match and brandable domain.

The route that satisfies your expenditure expectations is watching expired domains lists - that's another source of someone else's creative inspiration. But you either have to scan tens of thousands of junk entries, or have a keyword list of some sort to focus on. Even then, because of the volume, you'll miss excellent domain names that are slightly outside of your current thread of ideas.

Then there's http://impossibility.org/ - generating available domains centred around a keyword. It's interesting, more serendipitous than expired lists, and purchasable immediately by registration. This is probably one of the better "suggested domain name" tools around, though it's just sticking words before or after your keyword. Sometimes an good domains does pop out, but it takes a bit of a graft, or a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Or sit there typing one domain idea at a time into a whois. It depends on your own level of innate creativity as to which approach will reap dividends. Personally, I use several different avenues. This is one more to keep an eye on.

Don't underestimate the creativity and inspiration. This is perhaps a better source of quality domains than Sedo/GoDaddy auctions, ebay/flippa/digitalpoint. Better, because of it's focus on brandable names rather than generic keywords / keyword-heavy / geo-targetted domains that are the current vogue in domainer/internet marketing circles.

These guys won't know what matches perfectly for you, only you do. If the price upsets you, you are not forced to buy even if it's a perfect match, you can just find another perfectly matching domain that is available.

Re: Pre-branded domain names for startups

#83
post #78

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 smacks of "That doctor only spent five minutes in the room, and now he wants $200?!" There is a lot of other value you're buying here - the selection of the name, the connection of the name and an aesthetic, the skills for which don't magically appear in people overnight. Did you look at the site? Care and consideration has been exercised in the branding of these names, from colors to typography. If the "raw mat…

Value is in the domain name itself. There is no justification in defending domain parking. Like I said, offer the domain names at %80 off. That would still be a 600% markup on a $8 domain.

Re: Pre-branded domain names for startups

#84
post #78

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 smacks of "That doctor only spent five minutes in the room, and now he wants $200?!" There is a lot of other value you're buying here - the selection of the name, the connection of the name and an aesthetic, the skills for which don't magically appear in people overnight. Did you look at the site? Care and consideration has been exercised in the branding of these names, from colors to typography. If the "raw mat…

Most of these logos are poor, which means you're going to throw them out. That's all the service includes.

[This one](http://stylate.com/portfolio/sporous-com/) is just the domain name in a particular font. They don't even include rights to the font! That is bullshit.

I'm echoing the "lipstick on a pig glorifying domain squatting." These guys are like upscale spammers, or group buying discount sites.

Re: Pre-branded domain names for startups

#85

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…

What you say is true but doesn't work. With this site, you see before you purchase. When you hire a $99, it's not guaranteed that you'll get something that you'll like or he does understand what you are looking for.

Re: Pre-branded domain names for startups

#86
post #15

This is domain squatting pure and simple. Just because it's dressed up with a pretty design doesn't change the fact that these guys are the exact sort of bottom feeders that we should be blackballing from our industry. Flagged.

1. Not using copyrighted names. 2. Adding value 3. Not using means such as using expiring names 4. Not using "bottom feeder" tactics like parking page advertising. From wikipedia: cybersquatting: " or using a domain name with bad faith intent to profit from the goodwill of a trademark belonging to someone else" What goodwill or trademark are they misusing? [Edit: For formatting, but couldn't get it to look like I wan…

Not using copyrighted names.

You mean trademarked.

Re: Pre-branded domain names for startups

#87
I don't think it's good for startups. A startup is something that you spend time on, launch, test, connect... It needs more than a $250 logo, but a complete strategy for launching.

But what about small web apps? This should work very well for them.

Re: Pre-branded domain names for startups

#88

I like the concept but I'm not a fan of the domains you have now. Can I suggest you open it up to consignment for anyone with a domain? So you increase the value of my domain mydomain.com by giving it a brand / landing page and for that I agree to give you $250 or some percentage of the sale.

+1 for this idea.. This should be on your list of things to do quickly !

Re: Pre-branded domain names for startups

#89

This is domain squatting pure and simple. Just because it's dressed up with a pretty design doesn't change the fact that these guys are the exact sort of bottom feeders that we should be blackballing from our industry. Flagged.

No, they're selling brands that they have made that happen to come with the guarantee of a domain.

It's only a brand if it identifies a product, service or company. These aren't brands, just names with appropriate icons.

Re: Pre-branded domain names for startups

#90

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…

> it's a lipstick on pig product designed to glorify domain squatting

There is no way that it could be said any better.

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