What’s Your Preference?

bobshull · #1 (**permalink**) 02-27-2009, 04:55 AM

Today I was contacted by world-renowned photographer Will Crockett of BogenCafe.us and ShootSmarter.com. How cool is that?

No, he didn't contact me to praise my great photography skills or ask my advice on his next big shoot. :-) HA, I hope you pick up on my sarcasm here, there is no way I could ever compare my skills to those of such a great photographer.

Will actually contacted me to inquire about a domain name I have been squatting on, PhotoInferno.com. I registered that domain almost 3 years ago. I had great intentions of developing a great community website for photographers to host under photoinferno.com. Though life, work, and many other factors have kept that goal just out of reach. Honestly a website of that scale is no small undertaking, especially when I would be building it in my (HA) spare time...

Will was interested in naming a new seminar event the "Photo Inferno" and was inquiring to purchase the domain from me since it's currently sitting stale.

Honestly I hate to part with photoinferno.com... Part of me still wants to start developing a great community website. I'm not talking about a site like flickr, I'm talking about a site where photographers of all skill sets come to LEARN, and SHARE their knowledge of photography. I know there are a lot of community sites out there already, but... While these sites contain a great wealth of information, most lack in design, usability and intuitive layout. Being a web developer and a photographer, I feel I can bring the best of both and develop a community that not only looks great, but is easy to use, it's intuitive, and it keeps its users coming back.

Will was only willing to shell out a few hundred bucks and some of his DVD lessons for my domain. It was actually a fair price for a domain I paid only 10 bucks for.

While I truly wanted to help him out, especially being who it was, I felt no real motivation for me to part with it. A few hundred bucks is not going to change my life. Plus If I didn't already own photoinferno.com and I found it for sale, I'd probably be willing to shell out a few hundred bucks to get it for myself.

So I decided that what would really motivate me to part with photoinferno.com would be a new Canon 5D MKII. Street price of about $2,700. I even tried to sweeten the pot by throwing in not only the .COM, but the .ORG and the .NET domains as well.

Will Crockett kindly declined my counter offer. Hopefully I didn't offend him too bad.

Yeah, I guess it is a steep price to pay for a $10 domain name, but...

As domain names go, it’s fairly short, it is composed of two correctly spelled words, it's memorable, easy to spell, and you immediately know it's related to photography. Plus I own the .COM, the .ORG and the .NET domains for PhotoInferno, so I pretty much have the market where that domain in concerned. It's worth a $2,700 camera to me.

So what would you have done?

amberskies · #2 (**permalink**) 02-27-2009, 05:03 AM

I think you did the right thing. Domain names like that are high demand and don't come cheaply, so it's good that you didn't sell it too quickly. If they want it, they can up the ante.

Having a development background myself, I'd offer to help with your... but spare time is fleeting and lately it seems to be taken up with my new camera...lol.

bobshull · #3 (**permalink**) 02-27-2009, 05:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amberskies

I think you did the right thing. Domain names like that are high demand and don't come cheaply, so it's good that you didn't sell it too quickly. If they want it, they can up the ante.

Having a development background myself, I'd offer to help with your... but spare time is fleeting and lately it seems to be taken up with my new camera...lol.

Thanks Amber, I know what you mean about spare time!!! Best of luck with your new camera!

JerInTheBox · #4 (**permalink**) 02-27-2009, 06:03 AM

I disagree, I think you should have parted with it. It's a cool name, but if you make a site out of it the success will not hinge on the name. I don't think this site has a particular good name, and the hyphens in the name are totally a web design no-no. But it's still a success.

Seriously, for just a sec, who's idea was it to put hyphens in the name??? Ugh. But I digress.

As I was saying, your site will succeed if the content it cool, not the name. It sounds like in 3 years this is the first person to contact you for the domain, so it's not like people are banging down your door to pay hand over fist for it. You haven't done anything with the site, and now someone you admire has offered to pay you a handsome sum for it. Is it going to change your life? Probably not, but it's a little closer to getting yourself that new 5D. Or it's a new speedlight. Or...

On the other hand, you could get lucky, if he and whoever he's working with are really married to using that name for their seminar then perhaps they'll decide a 5D isn't too much to ask. And I can sympathize with your lust for that piece of tech.

RoyL · #5 (**permalink**) 02-27-2009, 06:35 AM

He will be back with another offer if he is really interested. And if he does then consider it well, don't just think you can hold out for more.

bobshull · #6 (**permalink**) 02-27-2009, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JerInTheBox

It's a cool name, but if you make a site out of it the success will not hinge on the name.

Thanks for the reply Jeremy, I totally agree with you! This site is living proof. But you also have to agree, if you do have a great site, then a great domain name is a nice bonus!

bobshull · #7 (**permalink**) 02-27-2009, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoyL

He will be back with another offer if he is really interested. And if he does then consider it well, don't just think you can hold out for more.

Good point Roy. And honestly I'm truly not holding out trying to take advantage of anyone.
I have a great domain name that I truly intend to use at some point. So I had to ask myself, why should I sell it? My answer was, I shouldn't sell it. But if I were to, what would motivate me to do so. My conclusion... "show me the camera baby" ;-)

JerInTheBox · #8 (**permalink**) 02-27-2009, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobshull

Good point Roy. And honestly I'm truly not holding out trying to take advantage of anyone.
I have a great domain name that I truly intend to use at some point. So I had to ask myself, why should I sell it? My answer was, I shouldn't sell it. But if I were to, what would motivate me to do so. My conclusion... "show me the camera baby" ;-)

Well then the best thing that can come from it will be if you consider this motivation to make the site you want. Look at it like this: from this point forward you have basically paid several hundred dollars for that site. If you do nothing with it you'll have wasted that money, but if you make a bitchin' website then it was a worthwhile investment.

I hope I don't sound like a jerk, I'm just trying to encourage you. I know I need a kick in the pants once in a while, it's how I finally got started with photography in the first place.

bobshull · #9 (**permalink**) 02-27-2009, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JerInTheBox

Well then the best thing that can come from it will be if you consider this motivation to make the site you want. Look at it like this: from this point forward you have basically paid several hundred dollars for that site. If you do nothing with it you'll have wasted that money, but if you make a bitchin' website then it was a worthwhile investment.

I hope I don't sound like a jerk, I'm just trying to encourage you. I know I need a kick in the pants once in a while, it's how I finally got started with photography in the first place.

Not at all, I respect, welcome and appreciate the feedback. And I DO need a kick in the pants myself sometimes, LOL

Oh, btw.. Kick ass photo Jer!! http://www.flickr.com/photos/77766528@N00/3306257516/
Very nice stuff on your flickr feed.