Latest Interview
If you own a geographic domain name, such as HiltonHead.com or Seattle.com, or a newspaper, radio station, television station or media company focused on a local geography, there may be an unseen competitor to your business – and the competitor might not be playing fair.
Skip Hoagland has been fighting against unfair business practices since October 2011. Watch this interview to learn more about this issue, and what you can do to determine if abuse is happening in your city.
Michael Cyger July 8, 2013
Chicago is one of the greatest cities in the world. And the CEO of Chicago.com is preparing to auction off you@chicago.com and https://you.chicago.com to the highest bidder.
Hear how Josh Metnick acquired and evolved Chicago.com to its current form, and how “place identity” makes people want to own a piece of the city they reside in – for a relatively high fee per year.
Most developers build a site, increase readership and then sell advertising space. Unless you own an ultra-premium geographic domain name like FrenchRiviera.com, in which case the brand alone is enough to set up meetings with some of the most exclusive potential advertisers in the region.
Toby Hardy bought FrenchRiviera.com in 2009 and, in partnership with Fred Mercaldo at CitiesPlanet.com, is turning it into the ultimate online destination for the rich and famous who visit cities such as Monte Carlo, Cannes and the like.
Michael Cyger April 23, 2012
It’s relatively straightforward to build a geodomain into a directory or blog. But where most people fall short in making their venture a successful business is the sales process.
That’s because many would-be entrepreneurs loathe the idea of selling advertising, directory listings and leads. Shane Wells, on the other hand, loves to sell. His enthusiasm for sales (and his success) speaks for itself – he went from $50,000 in sales to more than $250,000 per year in sales. To help others be successful, Wells shares the strategies, tactics and tips he uses for selling advertising and services at his geodomain-based Internet marketing company.
Michael Cyger March 26, 2012
How do you take a domain name with a single parked page and turn it into a 10,000-page profitable, local online community guide in three months?
Jennifer Manz of Mannix Marketing shares the content and marketing strategies that made GlensFallsRegion.com – an $8 hand-registered domain name run by three full-time equivalent employees – profitable after only three months of operation.
Michael Cyger February 13, 2012
How do you leverage 8,000 domain names to create the largest buy-local network in the world?
Colin Pape, president of ShopCity.com, answers this question and more as he describes how he built ShopMidland.com – serving a town of only 16,000 residents – into a $100,000+ business, and is now scaling it across thousands of Shop[CityName].com domain names. Pape is also taking on Google by filing a U.S. Federal Trade Commission complaint for anti-competitive behavior.
Michael Cyger November 28, 2011
Fred Mercaldo understands geographic domain names (geodomains) better than most other domain name investors. He has built multiple companies and platforms in the geodomain space, including a software company, a marketing services company and a call center.
In this show, Mercaldo describes his experiences building successful geodomain name properties and shares tactics others can use to develop geodomains profitably.
Michael Cyger November 1, 2011
What are the first few things you do after you acquire the best domain name for any geographic city or area? That’s what I wanted to know when I decided to register for and attend the GeoPublishers.com Expo in Chicago, Illinios, which took place over the last two days.
Fred Mercaldo, president of GeoPublishers.com and publisher of over 60 geodomains including Scottsdale.com, did not disappoint with a comprehensive program including presentations from Ron Jackson, editor of DN Journal, Don Jones from NewOrleans.com, and the Castello Brothers (Michael and David) of CCIN.
Michael Cyger October 2, 2011
People who consistently bring in new clients and revenue to their company are known as “rainmakers.” David Castello is one of those people. He increased revenue at PalmSprings.com from $300 in 1997 to $448,000 just one year later.
Listen to David Castello, co-founder and COO of Castello Cities Internet Network (CCIN), describe how he tested the geo-domain market, set ambitious goals for himself and his company, and achieved cash flow success with proven sales tactics that you can duplicate and use in your business today.
Michael Cyger August 23, 2011
If you are thinking about starting your own geo-domain property, you should take notes from one of the best in the industry, Michael Castello.
In this interview, Castello walks us through how he purchased PalmSprings.com; how he and his brother run their company, Castello Cities Internet Network; and how you too can build an advertising-based destination website. Many secrets to their success, as well as novel sales tactics, are revealed in this must-see show.
Michael Cyger July 19, 2011