I need your help. My partners and I are agonizing over a decision so we’ve decided to lay it on the masses.
While I realize this isn’t the most professional way to name an organization that does as much revenue as we do currently and are projected to do in the future; it is the 21st century and the age of collaboration.
First, some background. We have RickLatona.com which is essentially the newsletter, Rick Latona Auctions, AEIOU.com (our web development arm) and we are building other domain related services. The loan companies, DigiPawn and DigiLoan will be left out of this conversation.
We want to throw everything in one pot for a few reasons. One of the biggest is that it would focus advertising dollars. We could build a much bigger and broader brand this way. Also, quite frankly, it probably makes sense to separate my name from the identity a bit.
Now we’ve gone round and round about what would make a great name. We’ve wanted something that could stand out. Something that didn’t sound like all the other domain companies.
It just so happens that we own the name Cyberspace.com due to a recent acquisition. The names has pros and cons and that’s what’s making it such a hard decision.
Pros
- Memorable
- Has the word “space” in there which has a real estate feel to it
- I hold a very old trademark to the term
Cons
- Could sound unprofessional
- 90s term
Now my gut is that the cons can be destroyed through the use of the name. Our planned marketing blitz would establish the name Cyberspace.com as a domain company. The domain company, hopefully. In a perfect world….
What do you think? I really really want to know.
© 2010
Cyberspace name would allow you to venture into cross selling other services like hosting and developement all on one domain. The name is generic and explanatory. I like it, allows to ad many different potential advertisors.
I considered this a humorous thought months ago but should you one day want to sell the company how would you detach yourself from RickLatona.com? On the other hand you have already built a brand around it.
The redeeming quality of RickLatona.com is personal name recognition as a industry leader and broker so retain this for online brokering, newsletter and trade show auctions. Tuck everything under CyberSpace.com including RickLatona.com but keep the brand. (Perhaps CS just like “tm” at the top left of each of your logo’s?)
If you wish to make a transition you can put “Rick Latona’s Cyberspace.com”, later you can remove the name and leave “Cyberspace.com”, by then people will recall the affiliation.
This was for arguments sake, use something other than CyberSpace.com.
I think the thing that matters first, is why are YOU looking to take your name out of it. I would understand from a business standpoint why you would, and domainers need to realize there is a much bigger world than the domain industry. That is probably why you are doing this. I like Latona.com on its own, or do a Fabulous. RL media sounds good too. You could also try a name like Xerox make something up. The domain industry will know right a way its you so you will lose nothing there.
Cyberspace.com is a great name.
It’s what you need to be a leader in the development of Internet sites and services.
The chance you are discovered by someone using CyberSpace is 500% more better then using RickLatona.com
Cyberspace is old school though still easy to brand. You own many generic domain names that will definitely more applicable for the “now” business.
Cheers and goodluck.
My gut tells me that CyberSpace.com isn’t the way to go Rick. I think you’ve done a good job branding your name and that you should keep it as a property or under the umbrella of the new name of your company, but not CyberSpace.com.
CyberSpace.com seems better for some kind of news or media site.
I say come up with something new and cool as the name of your digital holding company and overall brand but keep RickLatona.com as the name of your domain sales business.
Wishing you the best on whatever you choose!
I think your on the right track but with the wrong name, domainers know RickLatona.com but if you looking to expand beyond domainers a new name is a good choice but CyberSpace.com is like owning a Polaroid camera today.
Everything you do has to do with the Internet so maybe a name the has Internet in it would work. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Stay with RickLatona.com for everything.
Plan A – You already own Latonas.com and I think it’s the perfect fit. I hate typing two words.
Where did that name sell? “Latonas Auction”. How did you finance your name? “With a Latonas Loan” Does Rick still offer his personal newsletter? “Yeah, he’s still running his personal site at RickLatona.com”
Plan B – I think it would be true to the evolution of your company in naming your offspring Apollo or Artemis, following greek Mythology. Or possibly Zeus, the father of twins, Apollo and Artemis. After all, you are the king of domains.
P.S. Hate Cyberspace.
Cyberspace is owned by escrow.com? Anyways…go easy on Rick guys, hes old
Cyberspace is a great name but I haven’t heard anyone use that term in at least 10 years. Stick with rick.
I think that it would be a beneficial move and it is a great name.
Cyberspace is an amazing brand for an online umbrella company. Do it.
You had it right about CyberSpace.com – 90′s term.
Don’t use the domain. It will immediately bring about dated concerns…
I really like the name but I don’t think it is right for you line of work. I would go for something like cyberrealestate.com or virtualrealestate.com. Yes they are long but they accurately describe your business. Good luck with it either way.
What better than Cyberspace.com could scream “click on me” for domain names and related services. Dont let Rick Latona drop though, use it as your voice /blog to keep us all informed. Whatever you decide to do good luck.
Without a doubt, you should definitely rebrand under the cyberspace.com brand. It is an excellent domain. A domain of such a high calibre shows the true power of your operations.
Stick with Latona or go with something agressive like “DnHunt.com”, “NameHunt.com” or “DomainHunt.com”.
Cyberspace sounds old and outdated, others might think of it as trusted because of the ancient sound of it.
Cyberspace.com might be dated, but its the retro big daddy of the internet.
People won’t forget Cyberspace.com but they will forget seeing your name on an ad.
If you are advertising high end domains in the WSJ what has the most impact Cyberspace.com or RickLatona.com? In terms of getting a newspaper article done by a newspaper and appearing to be an authority on the internet, talking on the telly etc… your name or CYBERSPACE.COM ???
It might be old. But look at all the gamers etc idolising Atari, Tron and other early Electonic media???? These same youths of the 1980s are now getting into the boardrooms etc of major corporates.
Cyberspace.com as a brand has enough latent marketing kick that it will save you money trying to get known.
There are a lot of great comments in this thread. Thank you so much, everyone. UFO, that was a kick butt reason to use cyberspace.com.
I’ve decided to go with Latonas.com though. It has a Soetheb’s, Christies, Barett-Jackson feel to it.
the 90′s are coming back very soon so any term connected to it will be hip. do it.
I remember seeing cyberspace.com at Great Domains (when Verisign ran the show) I think that would have been 2003 or 2004 and though it was a great name.
Possibly even as great as the UFO.ORG itself. Difference is they had it up for $500k which is a mountain of cash.
I think CyberSpace.com is a whale of a domain. Perhaps if you partnered with someone to do the webhosting bandwidth business it could be a great name for it, even just as a registry name its awe inspiring. It’s the big daddy.
We japanese like cyber related words very much. Different countries have different ideas on specific words. Good luck!