Things got quite spicy in this year’s Namepros best registrar in the business poll.
I have run a poll the last three years, this one was started a little earlier because I was just having some fun timing it with March madness.
As with most things in domaining it can never just be a smooth ride or a fun exercise.
It’s no secret that Rob Monster has hired many domainers from around the world. These people get badges on Namepros that they are employees. This sparked an online riot and another poll was started on whether employees should be allowed to vote, very few people took the time to vote considering 1,855 views.
Another thing to factor in here, Namepros management has said that they know several employees of registrars and other industry participants are members. They just have not identified themselves with an employee badge.
So as we come down the final stretch it’s a two horse race, Epik vs Dynadot.
It is awesome Raymond, the great work you have done in helping to lift up the domain industry and the valued investors and collectors that are within it. Some amazing people (including some feisty personalities lol), but so much depth and experience in helping others. Just watching Michael’s recent social conference as well was a real treat. The compassion, care for others, the humility, the long standing relationships.. much respect to all of you and the important roles you play. So much knowledge that has been freely shared over the years. It is a privilege to be an active participant in such a great industry.
I am thrilled you are so active in running polls and challenging individuals to think. The competition is very healthy, and ultimately should result in better customer service, heightened consumer experiences, and an increase in capabilities and focus across the board. There is so much to learn, just in terms of best practices and methodologies. I myself have had registrar accounts with a dozen or more companies over two decades, due in part to various name acquisitions or sub-management responsibilities we have held as an ad agency. So I’ve seen the best and the worst, and have been gravely disappointed at many of the market choices by the largest in our industry. I am so thankful for the emerging organizations that can thrive through flexibility, and truly focus on customer service without compromise. We need more companies like them.
For me this is no question. In terms of organic innovation, market position for positive influence on the future, evolving technologies, care of staff and partnerships, respect for others, and pushing the overall consumer experience, my vote goes to Epik hands down.
And it is not even close.
I know of no other company where executives get up from the dinner table to help with needful clients. Often seven days a week. Or make themselves available at 2 am in the morning to make sure a seller can close a hard worked deal that is worth a lot to them when much is on the line. Or a CEO that will gracefully extend renewal periods to 35 days to help out a customer that has had a hard month. Or reduce migration costs and take a personal hit to help reduce the cost of renewals and get access to better services. Or help even return and restore names when possible through back end coordination when the occasional collector loses an expired domain through mishap. Or the incredible pool of talent and passion that has been drawn to them, as they work each and every day to help make the customer experience the absolute best one possible.
That is before even considering their new programs to help struggling domainers from all registrars list their names into a liquidation platform to help turn it into positive revenue, prior to GoDaddy’s expiry machine shredding them into dividend payments. Or their low fees and highly personalized concierge assistance when needed on escrows. Or their experience in navigating different payment methods. I would mention the expanding marketplace resources, including the new WYSIWYG editors, and the near unlimited capabilities to design both amazingly detailed landers and full personal market places in a matter of minutes with no experience. There is nothing like it in the industry.
Tag in the option to pay one fee for domains and never renew them. New insurance products to protect premium domains from UDRP and hijacking attempts. I’d also mention likely the number one champion in the industry for responsible free speech, protecting the rights of domainers, and pushing the absolute framework to guarantee the right to expression and resiliency/security of online operations.
Most would be awed by their investments into new marketing resources. Their work in integrating ad agency professionals over this past month, so that they can boost direct sales and premium brokerage services by meshing names with added value strategic programs. I’ve seen the Redbooks / Winmo videos myself. Soon Epik will have terminals that can literally track 150,000 professionals, 14,000 ad agencies, and a massive data bank of fortune brands. Comparing them with RFQ and RFP requests to build active tracking on some 1.5m deals yearly where companies literally layout their branding budgets and the type of brand identity creations they are looking for.
The real cool stuff though gets into how Rob Monster converts premium sales and Epik’s own earnings into a massive hub of transformation that serves some of the most impoverished market areas in the world. Like Toki – which takes a snapshot of the web, compresses it into a localized server, and then drops education and empowerment on demand into market areas that have never had access to the web. Or his recent HI.TV platform, that is enabling one click, no download, no login, free video conference access to those who are separated from families and having to correspond at long distances. Or the work I have done myself thanks to his help with PrayerMeeting, in introducing Epik’s video terminal adjusted for prayer and loving care for one another to pastors and worship leaders around the country. I could continue, and I hope to one day help him do so. There are many exceptional products and services to take advantage of at Epik, and those who choose to see for themselves are experiencing some amazing paradigms. I for one have taken the time this past month to really dig in and discover. You should too!
So if you are seeing posts about bias. About “employees” voting. About the degree of activity in support of Epik and the feeling of a few masked individuals who think this dubious… Please remember, some of the most passionate domainers across the world are involved with Epik at many levels. Not because they are employees – as Epik retains an extremely versatile remote network covering literally five continents. But because they are each empowered to feel part of something greater. It is truly Epik!