The Domain That Ties It Up

In a continuing series on keyword generic domains, Omar Sayyed, the COO behind Ties.com,  NeckTies.com, and WildTies.com provides some insight on the company, their business philosophies, and some great domain names.

Mike:  Can you give a little background on your business?
Omar:  As a business, we have been operating since 1998 in the ecommerce space. As an organization our primary function is to develop and provide high-value men’s formal-wear accessories, always keeping Ties.com at the leading edge of fashion and representing those products and services through avant-garde electronic/ digital means. A great deal of our success can be directly attributed to our amazing team. They are the ones who keep the wheels turning. Certain members of our core team have been part of the organization since the doors opened. We strongly believe that as an organization when we take care of our employees, they in turn will take care of our clients who of course take care of our company.

Mike:  How has owning these domains impacted your business?
Omar:  I will be the first one to admit that owning Ties.com comes with responsibilities. We view it as a privilege to operate a “one-word” domain and aspire to do great things. Certainly there are inherent advantages to owning such a “juiced” domain. It gives us the ability to brand ourselves in much more powerful ways.

Mike:  The sites, Ties.com, NeckTies.com, and WildTies.com all seem to operate independently. Is that the case or are they all tied together (no pun intended).
Omar:  Very funny ;). Yes, the sites are operating independently because they each have their unique niche in the marketplace. Ties.com (TC) is our flagship store and it is, what we consider “America’s premier tie store”. TC’s main demographic ranges greatly from mid-twenties to beyond and aims to serve the trendy to the conservative. NeckTies.com, conversely is built to serve more price conscious shoppers who are seeking the latest styles but also want quality neckwear. WildTies.com (WT) is our oldest website. Like any proud parent, I can tell you we have a special place in our hearts for WildTies.com. WT is what put us on the map and continues to a viable force. WT has a dedicated and highly appreciated client base who have a deep sense of brand dedication.

Mike:  What is the volume of traffic that your sites receive?
Omar:  So I should preface that we are a privately held company hence don’t discuss our figures publicly. Our visitorship is impressive and continues to grow exponentially given our talented marketing team.

Mike:  Do you have any other online marketing strategies that you follow (google ads, seo, banners on other sites, etc.?) What results have you seen from these?
Omar:  Your question reminds me of a great quote from Abraham Lincoln I recently heard. He said, “If I had 8 hours to chop down a tree, I would spend 6 hours sharpening the blade.” Preparation, research, and authenticity are what we aim for at Ties.com when we look at any marketing platform. We are a very data driven group. While I can’t discuss exact strategies, I can advise everyone (if I may) to think strategically about marketing decisions. As a CMO or Director of Marketing, I am sure you have a plethora of options vis-a-vis where and how you can spend your budget. Maximizing your budget and meeting your ROI is only part of your challenge. Understanding what works for you and why it works for you, should also be something that you concentrate on. Not every platform or solution will be right for you. Understanding the idiosyncrasies of every marketing outlet will be the key to your successes.

Mike:  Do you have other premium keyword domains?
Omar:  Aside from Ties.com and NeckTies.com, we don’t have any other “premium” domains. Again, it would be remiss if I did not to emphasize to your readers that premium domains are only part of the equation. The marketing arm that drives that vehicle of sales ought to be your main focus. Finding the right vehicle (if I can stay with the analogy) will be anyone’s biggest challenge.

Mike:  What is the main source of traffic to your site? (ie. Google searches, links from other sites, type in traffic, etc.)
Omar:  Most of our traffic comes from organic searches through Google and Yahoo. Marketing strategies are cards we keep pretty close to our chest, so I can’t share exact figures… but some basic research can reveal a lot of information.

Mike:  What type of growth have you seen in traffic to the site, sales, etc.
Omar:  As mentioned before, our traffic continues to grow (almost) exponentially. We have an incredibly dedicated and loyal team who are extremely creative to say the least. We definitely view customer service as an absolute priority, which I feel has a direct correlation with our continued success. Our CEO would give the shirt off of his back if it meant making the end-user experience more friendly.

Not to go off on a tangent, but during a time when many companies are cutting back and customer service has been eroding as an idea, companies who have dedicated customer service response teams will flourish. On a personal note, I am dealing with a company that has failed to deliver what I have paid for. While widgetsRus.com is very nice about fixing the problem, their solutions caused more problems and seem to be hurried. This brings me to my next point. In college, my favorite philosophy professor would say, “practice doesn’t make perfect… perfect practice makes perfect.” Offering a solution to your client’s problem is (again) part of the solution. Offering the right solution is what you (as a company) ought to be aiming for.

Mike:  Did you purchase the names from someone else that owned it? If so, what was the process you went through?
Omar:  We did purchase our domains from other individuals. The process of acquiring domains can be very simple to more complex, depending on the asking price and the people involved. We have never released the prices we have paid over the years for domains, but some were very affordable and others have been astronomically high.

Mike:  Have the domains been worth the cost for you?
Omar:  Sure. It does however depend on what you mean by “worth”. Since we are absolutely passionate about neckties and consider ourselves evangelists for men’s accessories, we wanted a domain that best described our passion and product. While you have to amortize the cost of such purchases, cost-effectiveness is something that I am very sensitive about. Before even a penny is spent (especially for big ticket items) the right analytics (un-skewed and completely objective) have to support those decisions.

Mike:  Any advice for start ups, small business, or business of any size for that matter on choosing the right domain name?
Omar:  Good luck!! I personally know people who, during the early stages of the internet bubble, were writing programs to snatch up words. It can be a daunting task trying to find a domain that describes you, your company, and more importantly your product, etc.

Mike:  What do your competitors think of your domain? What do your customers think?
Omar:  For the most part, I think our competitors like our name. If for nothing at all, our branding for Ties.com, helps the industry that they are in. Our customers LOVE our domains. Our domains are short and very descriptive. Again, with each respective site having its own niche, it allows us to focus on and cater to different demographics accordingly.

Mike:  Do you think you would be willing to sell your domain at any point? Have you ever received any unsolicited offers?
Omar:  Our exit goals are sensitive topics, primarily because we feel very passionate about our company, our customers, our product, our employees, and our corporate culture. We regularly get unsolicited offers, but nothing we would ever seriously consider. Not to sound like Tony Hsieh, the former CEO of Zappos, but we know we have a sense of responsibility to our employee and their families and more importantly to our clients and their experiences.

Mike:  Any other information you’d like to share?

Omar:  Two things… 1) Set goals, and chase them… unconditionally. Don’t continuously change your goals. When you are aiming at a moving target, it makes it difficult to hit the bull’s-eye. 2) Perhaps more importantly, don’t be married to your ideas. Often we come up with what we think is a great idea and we get tunnel vision. We don’t hear or see criticisms, suggestions, or opportunities.

As a thank you to your readers, we have engaged Sullyblog10 as a 10% off of all of our neckties, tie racks, cufflinks, cummerbunds, and other accessories on Ties.com. Enjoy!!