How Do You Tell Someone If Their Domain Sucks?

[Lee]

LOL i was just chatting to someone who was sure he had just found the next $1,000,000 domain name i asked if he would let me know what it was and, well, needless to say, it had more hypens and dashes in it than morse code :eek:

I realize that domains really arent all that important when it comes to online businesses but, how do you explain to someone that the domains they keep wasting money on are just that, a waste of money?

This guy has a LOT of potential but he is constantly looking at ways to make money that are never going to work and 'domain' speculating seems to be his latest money making scheme.

How would you tell this guy that the domains he has purchased so far are probably not even worth what he paid for them and that he should probably stop wasting his money on them?

Regards,

Lee

[chadknowslaw]

Lee, I am amazed! You usually dont hold back when you want to tell someone their idea sucks. ;-) That is just part of your British charm.

If you don't want to directly say "your domain sucks" how about saying "I have noticed the domains that bring in the most money are .com and _sometimes_ .net but never something like a .ru > Next, short domains are better than long ones -- 4 letters or fewer are very valuable and never any dashes or punctuation. Buy those 3 or 4 letter dot com domains and you should be golden"
Of course, any good 3 or 4 letter dot com will be priced higher than a pimped out Escalade so you rest assured you haven't sent him snapping up penny stocks.

Or be blunt and say "That is the stupidest idea I have ever heard come out of your mouth, and that is sayin' a lot because you have come up with some _really_ stupid ideas in the past"
and then shrug your shoulders and say "If you want a polite answer ask a Thai, not a Brit!"

[maxpower]

LOL I would have to go with Chad here, I do not remember you holding back to much when it comes to ME at least. :shitpoke:

I will say when it come to others around here, people always say how “wonderful” their sites are when about anyone posts their new site. I have seen some pretty crappy looking tours that other webmasters on this board just said they LOVE, but I am sure they are not sending any traffic too. Personally I would rather hear you hate my tour/site and why you hate it, even if I do not change it the input can only help.

[steven619]

I knew it.. you dont like boysinc.com .... <smile>

(warning: self promotion)

[gaybucks_chip]

Lee, I'd say that trying the gentle approach is probably about all you can do, though my guess is you won't have much luck.

I know someone (not Maxpower, actually) who I used to talk to a bunch on IM and was involved in several different aspects of the adult industry. He would always ask my opinion on things very similar to what you're describing (harebrained ideas about marketing, stupid domain names, that sort of thing) and I'd gently indicate that I didn't think those ideas would be successful, and why they wouldn't be successful, and what he might try to have better luck... and, without fail, he would argue about why he was right and how he'd done all of his research (while also telling me that others had told him the same thing I did), so I'd just let it go.

Of course, without fail, his lamebrained ideas didn't work and his sites didn't generate any joins, and I think he's now in a different line of work.

A couple times, I felt like saying "Why are you asking for advice when you never, ever take the advice, your ideas are always wrong, and the advice you're given is almost certainly correct?"

I think there are a lot of people who, even though asking for advice, want someone to validate their ideas.

[basschick]

well, you could probably save them a lot of money if they're plannning to develop a domain with a bunch of words, clever misspells, a bad theme or a bunch of hyphens. i guess this is why people accuse me of brutal honesty - instead of letting the webmaster lose money on something i can see won't work, i tell them.

because what could be a nicer thing to do for someone than save them thousands of dollars?

but if it's not a friend and the person didn't ask for advice, then if they basically don't want to to get it, i move on.

[longboardjim]

tough call! , and depending on how close they are too you very "detrimental" to a relationship (so you think i'm fat?) , instead of picking on what's wrong i try to offer suggestions to make it better (this way it appears to them you are genuinely concerned about their work and they don't feel discouraged about spending hours/days/years on what you so caliously rip apart in minutes.
the flip-side of this is i've seen what i felt are the worse designs sell well and i've seen the "slickiest" template-type probably not even make the designer fee invested.

sincerely ~ ..."cruel to be kind in the right measure"...

[Paco]

If you really like the person, think they have huge potential and are concerned over some of their business decision, I suggest you try being his/her friend and support them, by telling them the truth --- it is not like you are telling them something personal (aesthetics or blah blah), you are simply trying to help them with their future. If the person is truly making a pile of bad business decision, and is your friend, they will appreciate your time, effort and the amount of cash you'll save them.
Ignoring, or avoiding the issue is not something a friend would do and may create some tension between the two of you (for holding back).

That's my one-cent - I used the other to buy a Mojo (banana flavoured, BTW)!

[longboardjim]

ummm...paco , much better pic than the previous , though i did like the face shot!

sincerely ~ ..."you make my heart beat faster and that's all that matters"... - kim carnes

[Paco]

thanks, Jim.

Yah, my posting a pic. of my bud holding up some bud was not the best thing.

[DEVELISH]

i guess this is why people accuse me of brutal honesty - instead of letting the webmaster lose money on something i can see won't work, i tell them.

Hi Patti *hugs*,

to me, brutal honesty in business is something I appritiate very much since, well, it's business and not something personal like "how's my hair, my cloths" etc.

I do expect people to be honest with me when I show them something which is for a third person - this way I can improve.

So, if the domains suck just tell him/them, Lee. If he get aggrevated then let it be

DEVELISH

[longboardjim]

..."the problem with "brutal-honesty" is people do take it "personally"...

i have nothing against people that are "brutaly-honest" (so long as they are talking about someone/something/somewhere else!) and i don't mind "constructive-critizism" (that sounded funny comming out of my mouth!) i'm unfortunately not one of those people (i bitch about other things which other people take for granted) and i'm not always "open" to recieve derogatory comments (is anyone ever?) though i am becomming more and more approachable. (you may now come within 20'ft of my person)

sincerely ~ ..."i honestly hate you!"... - olivia newton john :fool: