The dude that built DudeRanch.com(deepsouthventures.com)
deepsouthventures.com
The dude that built DudeRanch.com
https://www.deepsouthventures.com/dude-that-built-duderanch-com/
42 comments
Dude Ranch is not as fun as ram ranch!
Also by the same guy and mentioned in the blog post: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19728132 "I Sell Onions on the Internet"
hey, I know you! : )
I love reading about Deep South Ventures websites-- the projects are simple but inspiring. They're kind of like the other side of the coin to YC-- they make business seem possible but in a completely different way.
Heads up-- something on duderanch.com is putting a max-width on rows making the site unreadble in desktop:
<section class="row row-3" style="width: 100%; max-width: 328px;">...</section>
Heads up-- something on duderanch.com is putting a max-width on rows making the site unreadble in desktop:
<section class="row row-3" style="width: 100%; max-width: 328px;">...</section>
I agree. I just finished reading this guide on how to build a profitable side business and it is as practical as it is - eye-opening.
https://www.deepsouthventures.com/build-a-side-business/
https://www.deepsouthventures.com/build-a-side-business/
I agree, but with some minor quibbles specific to the HN audience:
1. The ability to write software is an asset and the DSV type projects are more software adjacent. Software has such great margins that it's much easier to create a profitable business than anything that involves shipping or physical goods (MicroSAAS, Dev Books/Courses, Themes, etc.)
2. It's sort of left unsaid that much of the purpose of buying these "domains you can make a business around" is to optimize SEO. And my honest feeling is: well done, that's a huge leg up in ranking.
But there have been some changes to SEO (Google weighting factors and more navigational searches) that have reduced the value of them.
Also, I think there's a strong argument to be made that if you're just starting out today and have $20,000 you'd be better off today with:
duderanchjourney.com ($14 to register) + $19,986 in content, advertising, etc.
vs
duderanch.com ($20,000 to buy) + a blank page.
1. The ability to write software is an asset and the DSV type projects are more software adjacent. Software has such great margins that it's much easier to create a profitable business than anything that involves shipping or physical goods (MicroSAAS, Dev Books/Courses, Themes, etc.)
2. It's sort of left unsaid that much of the purpose of buying these "domains you can make a business around" is to optimize SEO. And my honest feeling is: well done, that's a huge leg up in ranking.
But there have been some changes to SEO (Google weighting factors and more navigational searches) that have reduced the value of them.
Also, I think there's a strong argument to be made that if you're just starting out today and have $20,000 you'd be better off today with:
duderanchjourney.com ($14 to register) + $19,986 in content, advertising, etc.
vs
duderanch.com ($20,000 to buy) + a blank page.
>> But there have been some changes to SEO (Google weighting factors and more navigational searches) that have reduced the value of them.
Well, I've actually studied this a lot... and it's not that Google reduced the value of them (Exact Match Domains EMDs). It's just that Google stopped giving them more weight. So now all domains are given the same potential ranking weight--even the new gTLD domains.
Bing, on the other hand, still gives more value to EMDs.
Well, I've actually studied this a lot... and it's not that Google reduced the value of them (Exact Match Domains EMDs). It's just that Google stopped giving them more weight. So now all domains are given the same potential ranking weight--even the new gTLD domains.
Bing, on the other hand, still gives more value to EMDs.
I don’t doubt, but I was trying to find up to date information if Google hasn’t changed their algorithm about this and couldn’t find anything besides a reference to 2012 changes: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/do-exact-match-domains-s...
Is there a more up to date source?
Is there a more up to date source?
Hmm, main underlying point still has validity, but it's interesting how some things / gut reactions may have changed or be changing.
The example that "[one would] always go to biketours.com" is literally invalid for all my friends today - we'd immediately think of it as a link farm with content of limited or no value - and maybe even dangerous. In fact, it's their very proposed business model, that has conditioned us to mentally de-rank such generic domains.
As a consumer, I'll mentally avoid "weddingphotographer.com" and maybe even "TorontoPhotography.com" in rankings (no clue if those are working domains, assume so, no ill will to the operators:) but would scroll to e.g. "BobDoesPictures.ca" or "MichaelDavidsonPhotography.ca" or something more specific and similar like that. One sounds a generic link farm, one sounds a specific potentially useful site. So I'd definitelly use GoSojourn.com over BikeTours.com.
Mind you, from perspective of a pragmatic business, my friends and I may well represent an insignificant minority :(
The example that "[one would] always go to biketours.com" is literally invalid for all my friends today - we'd immediately think of it as a link farm with content of limited or no value - and maybe even dangerous. In fact, it's their very proposed business model, that has conditioned us to mentally de-rank such generic domains.
As a consumer, I'll mentally avoid "weddingphotographer.com" and maybe even "TorontoPhotography.com" in rankings (no clue if those are working domains, assume so, no ill will to the operators:) but would scroll to e.g. "BobDoesPictures.ca" or "MichaelDavidsonPhotography.ca" or something more specific and similar like that. One sounds a generic link farm, one sounds a specific potentially useful site. So I'd definitelly use GoSojourn.com over BikeTours.com.
Mind you, from perspective of a pragmatic business, my friends and I may well represent an insignificant minority :(
For me, this becomes more true the longer and more oddly specific the domain becomes. I'd feel perfectly fine with biketours.com or duderanch.com, but no way would I visit best-bike-tour-discounts.com or discount-dude-ranch-vacations.com.
Nah just sounds like a domain peddler talking up his wares.
author here.. thank you for heads up.. I'll let David know..
this is hopefully fixed now..
Still broken. Chrome + uBlock Origin. If I turn off uBlock the site looks fine.
Site works fine in Chrome with UBO running for me.
The layout works? On mine with UBO running everything gets bunched up on the left side.
So the site is not broken, you're using a plug-in that breaks it.
A large portion of the web uses this plugin. If the site doesn't work with it I would consider that broken. Additionally UBO should not cause basic site layout to break unless something is wrong on the sites side (like including formatting markup from an advertising domain).
Thanks for stating the obvious though. Nevermind the other comments saying the exact same thing about the site being broken for them too. Just trying to help not have the site be broken for a portion of visitors.
Thanks for stating the obvious though. Nevermind the other comments saying the exact same thing about the site being broken for them too. Just trying to help not have the site be broken for a portion of visitors.
Stuff like this, or some of patio11's early work seems a lot more within the grasp of ordinary people. That's why it's interesting to read about for me, at least.
What a wonderful and refreshing approach to entrepreneurship. I loved his previous post about selling onions, and I like his strategy of picking a domain first and then running with it -- the details will be filled in later. Domain names have so much potential! They are so motivating initially -- and he clearly follows through!
thank you zapstar! Sorta like Bill Walsh (49ers coach) said (essentially).. start on the right foundation and "the score will take care of itself".. Domain names are such a great way to start a project off on the right foot..
Absolutely! I’m using that exact strategy on my latest project, and so far, I feel like I’ve started off on the right foundation!
where can you discover and buy a good domain?
Any idea what the yearly gross income from duderanch.com might be? Or the selling price at the exit?
I love the narrative. I'd love it even more if we had a glimpse of whether this ultimately settled in as predicted ($25k/year) or turned out to be a whole lot more rewarding.
I love the narrative. I'd love it even more if we had a glimpse of whether this ultimately settled in as predicted ($25k/year) or turned out to be a whole lot more rewarding.
author here.. the revenue for both sites (since I partnered) was much more than I anticipated, but my take home for DudeRanch.com actually fell around my estimation.. (if that helps)
Thanks. Connecting the dots, I'm guessing that travel to various ranch operators ate into your gross revenue. But, hey, it's the right way to build the business. And it sounds as if those trips made it an unusually enjoyable project.
Great story.
Great story.
I'll bet its more than the $664 USD this website valuator [1] reports, lol.
[1] http://www.siteworthtraffic.com/report/duderanch.com
[1] http://www.siteworthtraffic.com/report/duderanch.com
GoDaddy's appraisal tool values it at $7,628
https://www.godaddy.com/domain-value-appraisal/appraisal/
Even though, in the same result, they report the comparables:
duderanch.com $17,949 heroesranch.com $7,500 urbanranch.com $7,000
Even though, in the same result, they report the comparables:
duderanch.com $17,949 heroesranch.com $7,500 urbanranch.com $7,000
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I'm surprised he paid $20k for that domain name, and then made the site look like this: https://i.imgur.com/3XYXdo6.png
That is Firefox by the way. I suppose it looks differently in whatever browser it was tested at the time? Or maybe it is my adblock blacklisting wpengine.com by default?
He could have hired a web designer/coder for a fraction of that price.
Edit:
Turns out it is uBlock.
Don't use styles/JS from domains used for serving ads I suppose. That's analogous to sending legitimate mail from servers that also tend to send out a lot of spam.
You'll have spam filters/adblockers ruining your day.
That is Firefox by the way. I suppose it looks differently in whatever browser it was tested at the time? Or maybe it is my adblock blacklisting wpengine.com by default?
He could have hired a web designer/coder for a fraction of that price.
Edit:
Turns out it is uBlock.
Don't use styles/JS from domains used for serving ads I suppose. That's analogous to sending legitimate mail from servers that also tend to send out a lot of spam.
You'll have spam filters/adblockers ruining your day.
author here.. thanks for mentioning this.. try to fix this as we speak.. does it still appear wonky?
It still appears wonky, yes. FF + uBlock.
thanks.. continuing to dig into it..
He should have tried westworld.com
The wikipedia article for the origin of the word 'dude' is interesting as well:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dude
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dude
In addition to the constraint of the domain name itself, the author also spent $17,949 (taking 6-9 months to repay) which would help constrain them to focus on just this one idea over that time.