Here's the The Lowdown
from DN Journal,
updated daily
to
fill you in on the latest buzz going around the domain name industry.
The Lowdown is
compiled by DN Journal Editor & Publisher Ron
Jackson.
GeoDomainers
in the News: Scottsdale.com's Fred Mercaldo and Bruce
Marler of the Missouri.me Network
When
I head over to New Orleansnext
week for the 2010
GeoDomain Expo, one of the many
people I will be looking foward to seeing again
is Scottsdale.com
Managing Partner
Fred
Mercaldo
Managing Partner,
Scottsdale.com and
GeoDomain Development
Ventures, LLC
Fred
Mercaldo. Fred is an exceptionally bright
businessman who is expanding well beyond the
boundaries of operating a single geodomain
website. In fact he recently took on
another role as Managing Partner of GeoDomain
Development Ventures, LLC and in that
capacity he just announced a major software
development and marketing deal that will
give him a hand in the further development of over40.com geodomain sites
representing various cities.
Mercaldo
said “Our proven software platform (www.CityInTheBox.com)
will power the sites then, once they are
launched, CitiesPlanet
will perform all marketing and advertising
functions, and will procure local partnerships
and contracts that will monetize the sites. Our
goal is to grow to 150 pure City.com
properties under management within 24 months”
Scottsdale
based CitiesPlanet has worked with
numerous
creative
technology and digital marketing specialists to
develop a marketing platform that reaches out to
local
business in each City.com area. Combined with a
proven CRM system, each business receives a
custom media kit with their specific company
featured, giving business owners numerous
advertising and partnering options with their
local, official City.com branded site.
Mercaldo
said “Our success rate so far has been 15%
to 30% response rate, depending on which
Directory category is being marketed, which is
incredible. In addition, our system features a
“nurture” campaign in the event a business
has not responded to our first offer, and will
automatically continue to send the opportunity
to the business owner three additional times.”
The
majority of the initial City.com sites
Mercaldo's company is working with are
owned by State Ventures, LLC. The
president of that company, Nat Cohen,
said "Fred Mercaldo has the vision
to foresee the future of local Internet
advertising and the marketing talent to
accelerate the shift of local
advertising to city portals. Fred is one
of the stand-up guys in the Geo Domain
industry. We are very pleased to
be partnering with him in helping him
realize this vision for the
industry."
Mercaldo
said cities represented in his initial
launch include "Everything from Kalamazoo.com
to Burbank.com to Sausalito.com
to GreatFalls.com; each City will
have its own distinct characteristics
and opportunities."
Mercaldo
recruited former Travelocity and RazorGator
executive Mark Wilson to
head
Nat
Cohen, President
State Ventures, LLC
CitiesPlanet.
Mercaldo said, “Mark brings a
successful track record of
accomplishment to the table, combining
both marketing expertise and technology
capabilities, which is exactly what this
project requires. The remaining
City.com’s will begin launching the
first week of May, and will continue to
roll out through July until all 40 are
established and successfully monetized.
Our entire staff, led by Becky Kelley,
has worked tirelessly this past 5 months
to get all of these sites ready to go.
We are very pleased to be able to
finally announce these partnerships, as
it has been on the drawing board for
quite some time. We are ready to go!”
Bruce
Marler
Missouri.me Network
I'm
also looking forward to seeing Bruce
Marler of the Missouri.me
Network again at the
GeoDomain Expo. Marler scored
another coup for his rapidly
growing business last week when
he was chosen
to broadcast
technology and online marketing
tips for a radio station group
in Missouri. Marler had
connected with the broadcast
group when they asked his
company to help increase their
social media and search
presence.
Marler
said, "We will have two
technology and online marketing
tip spots daily along with two
separate radio shows focused on
the same subjects. This is all
on different stations so we get
a large market presence in a
very key area of Missouri. We
will have the ability to replay
the shows too so I expect to
have links to them on my
blog as they play.
For our company this is really a
great thing."
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