Q&A with Ron James of NamePros and DNOA.org

In a marketplace full of scammers trying to prey on innocent victims, there is a person that is going above and beyond in an effort to reduce the domaining communities chances of being scammed. His name is Ron James and you may know him as the owner and operator of the largest domaining forum in the world, NamePros, the place to buy, sell and discuss domain names. His newest project, DNOA.org, is the first trade association for domainers, something that has been long overdue in the domaining industry. Recently, we were fortunate enough to get a chance to speak with Ron James about both NamePros and DNOA.org.

Here is what Ron James, of NamePros and DNOA.org, had to say:

Q: db – How did you first come to be involved in domaining?

A: RJ – My career as a domainer began in 1997 when I started registering domains for my personal development projects. I've been actively buying and selling on the domain aftermarket since 1998.


Q: db – Your first major domaining related project was NamePros, correct? How did this come to be and did you ever think that it would have been as successful as it is today? It is the largest domaining related forum in the entire world at present. Did you ever think that it would be the largest when you first started?

A: RJ – In 2002, I created a PHP based software program called Domain Seller Pro (www.domainsellerpro.com), which would probably be considered my first public domain related project. I still offer the software, which is used by many domainers to run their personal domain sales sites.

My first experience in a domain community goes back to Afternic.com in 1999. It was a fun and addictive place to be a member. It was unfortunately that it lost a lot of its appeal after its acquisition by Register.com.

NamePros was by no means the first community that I’ve administered. I’ve been involved as a Webmaster, admin or moderator of many online user groups, going as far back as 1992. It’s something I enjoy doing, so in a way NamePros was a natural convergence of my love for domain names and my past community experience.

NamePros was launched February 7th, 2003. One of my goals in starting the site was to bring back some of that fun and excitement back into the domain industry. In that regard, I believe it has been a success.


Q: db - How much time and energy actually goes into maintaining such a large and ever changing forum? There are always new modifications being added, is there a staff that is control of this or is this something that you actually take part in?

A: RJ – We have a great team of staff and Forum Leaders at NamePros that keeps things running smoothly, 24 hours a day. For me, I spend the time equivalent of a full-time job actively working on NamePros. I enjoy programming new original features for the site and staying active with current discussions.


Q: db – The forum is very close to becoming the first ever domaining forum to reach the 1 million post marker, how does this make you feel?

A: RJ – It’s a nice milestone! Of course, it’s never been all about the numbers. There are hundreds of bigger forums in terms of number of posts and members, so I’m most proud of the strong community we have at NamePros.


Q: db - How does one go about signing-up for the forum at NamePros? Are there any fees involved?

A: RJ – The signup is easily accessible from the NamePros homepage. There are no fees to join and participate.


Q: db – What is it like having so many loyal members? How do you think you were able to achieve such a large base of regular domainers?

A: RJ – It’s amazing being part of such a passionate community. 75% of the daily visits to our site are return visitors. Much of our growth has been accomplished through word of mouth. Being the most popular domain forum in the World now, the growth only fuels itself. However, I’m not complacent about it. I still actively advertise NamePros.


Q: db - It's understood that you have some great incentives for members to contribute to the forum such as free domain name registrations that can be earned with NP$. What exactly is NP$, how does one go about getting NP$ and what can NP$ be used for? What other incentives does NamePros offer to the members?

A: RJ – That is true. Members can earn NamePoints (NP$) for participating at our site. NP$ can be used to register new domain names, purchase advertising, or to transact with other domainers. It’s been an exceptionally stable form of currency within our community from day one. We are also one of the first known forums to offer Google AdSense revenue sharing to our members.


Q: db – Do you have any tips for the domainers out there attempting to build successful communities?

A: RJ – Sure, I’ll share a few general tips. Look for ways to make your forum original. Build your own community rather than recruiting members from other ones. Hire active moderators and staff that you can trust. Be fair to your members and kind to newbies.

Many forums are started just to make a quick buck. Unfortunately for their owners, forums just aren’t that profitable at first. Successful communities are run by those who have an interest and love for the topic. Focus on building your community first and foremost. If you succeed, advertisers will follow.


Q: db – Besides NamePros how often do you actually participate in other aspects of domaining and what aspects of domaining are you directly involved in?

A: RJ – I remain active in nearly all aspects of the industry: that includes domain parking, buying names, selling domains to end users, offering registration and domain management services, and of course domain development.


Q: db – How many domain names do you currently hold and what would you say your most prized would be at this time? How much has your portfolio been speculated to be worth?

A: RJ – My personal portfolio consists of just over 1200 names and growing. I’ve never speculated at what the lot of them would be worth in total, though the dollar figure is probably in the low billions. *laugh* Just kidding. Between all the developed sites and parked names generating, I really couldn’t say.


Q: db – In your opinion, what is it that you believe makes a domain name valuable?

A: RJ – It’s the “must have” domains that are valuable. When a prospective buyer can find an available name similar the one you’re selling, it’s going to be hard to negotiate any kind of premium price


Q: db – How do you go about monetizing your other domains? Do you park them, resell them, develop them, a combination of all of the above? What exactly do you do to maximize your returns?

A: RJ – All of the above. My favorite method of monetizing a domain name is developing it. With many domains, even a small one-page website will generate more revenue than a parking service. You will see a migration away from traditional parking services as more domainers realize this.


Q: db – What tips could you give to the rest of the domaining community that you believe makes one a successful domainer?

A: RJ – Learn the art of negotiation. Be honest in your dealings; reputations are fragile and difficult to repair. Don’t be afraid to take a risk now and then. When it comes to buying domains, choose quality over quantity. When it comes to selling names, target end users rather than other domain resellers.


Q: db – OK, so you own the largest domaining forum in existence and you also participate in other forms of domaining but what is your newest project DNOA.org all about and how did you originally come up with the idea?

A: RJ – The Domain Name Owners Association (DNOA) is a new trade association for domain name owners with the goal of promoting a standard of ethics and professionalism within the domain name industry. Most other industries have a professional association and this is something I’ve felt the domain industry has been in need of for a long time.


Q: db – DNOA.org is a great concept and a much needed quantity for the domaining industry. Can you please explain how the entire domaining community can benefit by becoming members of DNOA.org?

A: RJ – DNOA has benefits for the domain industry as a whole, not just for its members. Anyone can visit DNOA.org and search names or email addresses to readily identify scammers from honest domainers. That aspect of our organization works very much like a “Better Business Bureau” for the domain industry.

DNOA will act as a unified voice to advocate for domain name owners to ICANN, Verisign, domain registrars and the government. In this way, DNOA represents all domain owners and not just its members.


Q: db - How exactly does one go about becoming a member of DNOA.org? Can just anyone sign-up at anytime or is there an approval process? Are there any fees involved with becoming a DNOA.org member?

A: RJ – Any honest domain name owner is welcome to join DNOA. We do require a verified mailing address for all members to join. There is also a modest membership fee.


Q: db – How exactly will DNOA.org help domainers become more successful?

A: RJ – Being a trustworthy domainer just makes good business sense. Buyers are more likely to want to deal with someone they see has a commitment to honesty and ethics and with an established history of positive past transactions. Your DNOA member profile will show this.

Domainers involved with DNOA can also benefit from networking opportunities, members discounts, and more. There are many other reasons to become an active member of DNOA. Check the website for more details.


Q: db – Thus far, what kind of response have you seen from the domaining community in relation to their acceptance of DNOA.org?

A: RJ – DNOA is currently in an organizational “pre-launch” phase. There’s been no formal promotion or announcement yet, but the feedback received so far has been very encouraging. Most domain owners who have been introduced to DNOA immediately recognize the need for such a group. We’ve had over 100 domain owners join us so far, and I hope to see many more get involved after our official launch.


Q: db – When is DNOA.org going to be officially launching and is there an official launch date?

A: RJ – The official launch date for DNOA is December 1, 2005.


Q: db - Where do you see domaining heading in the future? In what ways do you think it will be different from now?

A: RJ – Domaining is headed in the right direction. I don’t see any huge changes coming soon. Although its become more difficult for new domainers to get involved with premium names on a small budget, there will always be opportunities to profit regardless of wallet size.

We’ll continue to see big sales in the news, which will inspire new domainers. Most of the general public does not even realize all the interesting aspects of the domain business yet, but this is improving.


Q: db – Do you have anymore projects in the works that the domaining community should be on the lookout for?

A: RJ – Absolutely, the wheels are always turning. I promise you’ll see some very cool new developments at NamePros in the future!


Q: db – Do you have anybody that you would like to thank for helping you get to where you are today?

A: RJ - Sure, why not? Thanks to Jon Postel and Paul Mockapetris for inventing the domain name system, NamePros members and staff for keeping things fun and interesting, my lovely wife for putting up with me over the years, and God for the inspiration and guidance. Thanks for the interview, Domaining Blog.

We'd like to thank Ron for taking the time to participate in this interview and we strongly suggest that everybody takes a deeper look at both NamePros and DNOA.org, for they are both must visit websites for any domainer.

Did anybody learn anything from this interview? How many of you have visited NamePros or DNOA.org prior to this Q&A? If so, what are your thoughts on both NamePros and DNOA.org? If you were already a member of NamePros or DNOA.org, will you now be signing up to become a member? Did you find any of Ron's tips on domaining in general useful?

Please share all of your thoughts on this interview by commenting on this post. Also, feel free to start up a conversation on this interview in the chat box or chat room.

Domaining Blog™
"The Place Where Domainer's Blog™"
DomainingBlog.com™



Domaining Blog is the place to find daily domain name news, reported domain name sales, domaining tips and articles, domain name industry reviews and interviews. Domaining Blog delivers the daily domain news, bookmark us today and always be in the know.