----- Original Message -----
From: "William X. Walsh" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, December 01, 2000 5:40 PM
This isn't about whether domain registration is the entire business, or merely a
subset of it, but one of absolute competitiveness. Having been in the computer
industry for over 20 years, and established three national companies based
firstly on competitiveness, as well of course as service and value generally, I
think I know what I am talking about based upon hard experience.
It doesn't matter where the service sits in relation to your business plan, if
you are going to do it, them you have to do it properly, i.e competitively - or
not at all - a token effort won't do.
As it is - the main component of this particular business is Internet messaging,
but we intend to offer an extended domain registration service as well. But - it
just won't do to say to customers "by the way - we will register your domain for
you, providing you will pay a $2 premium for it" - they tend to say why?. The
fact is - if we can't compete, while offering a first rate service, we won't
offer the service at all, because we know for a fact that people will go through
the mags and websites and go to the cheapest source first and find out about the
service later. OK - they might make a mistake, but once that domain is
registered, they usually have it for good.
Let us also not forget that we are not merely talking about $1 or $2 in
isolation here, but that amount every single year, and if a person has a domain
for very many years, and you have very domains registered - that is alot of
money to gain in accumulation.
This is all about psychology whether registering domain, providing ISP services,
selling computer hardware, software, whatever - the tendency of most customers
is to first migrate towards the cheapest source, and if 10,000 customers do
that, then you are $20,000 per year down if you are too expensive. I guess it is
down to this - would you prefer to have 20% of something, or 100% of nothing?
Holding out for a $2 on principle is all very well - but it don't pay the bills.
I am not a cheapskate or anything near - it is just that experience has proven
time and again, that to suceed, especially in something as generic as a domain
name, is to compete effectively.
Adrian Cooper.
> Hello Adrian,
>
> I would counter that if any value added reseller is depending on
> domain registration alone as a source of income, regardless of which
> ICANN registrar they are using as their supplier, then they are making
> a big mistake business wise.
>
> As a value added reseller, where domain registration is just one part
> of the bigger picture, the issue of a $1 or $2 becomes insignificant.
>
> Friday, December 01, 2000, 9:02:48 AM, you wrote:
>
> > Hi:
>
> > New to the list, but very long time in the business.
>
> > I would like very much to use OpenSRS - but in today's increasingly
competitive
> > (and increasingly so) domain registration environment, $10 is looking
distinctly
> > expensive, and accordingly not allowing OpenSRS based sellers to compete
> > effectively with sub-$10 retailers.
>
> > I would not mention other ICANN registrars on this list for reasons of
protocol,
> > but we can register domains now for $8, and a $2 leeway in this business is
> > big - well 20% in fact.
>
> > What's the prognosis? Is OpenSRS to stick at $10, or add a degree of
> > competitiveness and flexibility into the situation?
>
> > Adrian Cooper.
>
>
>
>
> >> RSP's,
> >>
> >> I have found several websites that will register domain names for
> >> $9-$10, but would prefer to register some of my domain names
> >> with an OpenSRS reseller (because of the manage.opensrs.net
> >> page which allows me control over my administrative information).
> >> I am willing to pay up to $12 per registration.
> >>
> >> Please contact me off the list.
> >>
> >> Thanks,
> >>
> >> Lee
>
>
>
> --
> Best regards,
> William mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
