Domainopoly

A had a real defining moment during the Xmas break, my son got the board game Monopoly in amongst lots of stuff for Christmas and after wearing me down he got me to agree to play it during the holidays. I don’t think I have played Monopoly for about 10 years, one thing was very apparent within 30 minutes - what I do online is exactly the same as how I played that game.

She who must be obeyed preferred to hoard her money and buy a few cheap properties like the blue set of Euston Rd etc, shy at buying houses and conservative about spending her money. I on the other hand played pretty aggressively, securing the orange set of Vine Street early on by buying 2 after landing on them and bartering the sale of the 3rd to complete my set. I then sailed pretty close to the wind by developing on them early leaving little in the bank but asset rich.

Landing on the undeveloped land meant I was charged rent but it was only £4-£35 a time and hardly put me to the sword where as I had spent the last of my money developing my land to the point that if anyone landed on it I could charge them hundreds, this meant I could buy more houses and in the end take over land & property from others as my bank roll went from nothing to thousands owning a few hotels.

The similarity between Monopoly and domainer/developing was more than a little eye opening, the only real way to upscale is to take some chances, play aggressively and develop to raise income levels to a point you can re-invest. Having some small cheap areas of land that bring in low yields and having money in the bank proved to be a false economy in this game for my wife, sure I could have over extended myself and got into trouble but my strategy paid off, I’ve dwelled on what happened ever since, not only is it still a really good game that stands the testament of time, it made me focus and analyse what I’m doing and think about it slightly differently and the bigger picture. If you have never played Monopoly this post will make no sense, if you have it stored away in a cupboard I’d recommend digging it out and giving it a go, it would be so easy for them to create a version of this game relating to the internet, domains & websites.

About Scott Jones

Scott hails from the north east of Scotland and started earning online at the end of 2000 building websites for local businesses during which time he won an award from Lord Alan Sugar for Excellence in Enterprise. After having quite a bit of success with domaining Scott mainly runs educational evergreen websites which generate over 3 million visitors per month but is always on the lookout for a fresh thinking out of the box way to turn a buck. Follow on Twitter.

Comments

  1. Ha, a great post. I play monopoly regularly, playing tactics very similar to what you have used. I typically go for the orange, red and yellow areas. If I can secure one, I usually win.

    I often go for all 4 train stations. If all 4 are owned, they bring in £200 every time someone else lands on any of the 4 squares. Typically this is a nice residual income needed to buy property from others.

    Another thing I do is buy 1 property from each section (when I can afford it) to prevent others creating monopolies or to use them as bargaining tools to get a monopoly myself.

    I have the game on my Nintendo DS, my iPod Touch and my PC. I love it!

    The tactics I use are exactly what I use in my websites. Create a site, make some money, re-invest into something larger. Each time, I end up with slightly more cash. It’s fun! Because I enjoy it, that’s why I believe I’ll be really successful one day.

    Dan

    Dan @ PowerDosh.com’s last blog post..A round-up of 2008 and plans for 2009

  2. You can buy it on amazon, pc game.

    Its fun, I played lot of times recently.

    One sure way to win in monopoly is by buying cheap property(land) first and building on it is easy(cheaper and quicker as well). then go for the expensive one’s to knock the other players out.

  3. Now there’s a way to start the year!
    Thx a lot for this awesome post. I’ve realized I should start reinvesting all 1-5 years ago, and today I can’t regret it.
    Thx a lot for inspiring me once again!

    Database Guides’s last blog post..Where to Get a DBA Certification?

  4. I´m sure I read somewhere that overall, the oranges were the best set in the game so far as cost to buy/develop against rental income… I love Monopoly and there are plenty of versions available on the internet for free!

    So far as domaining I think I currently own the equivalent of Old Kent Road and the Water Works… working on it though!
    I have spent lots of time developing content for my Mortgage site, all unique, all very useful - apparently. Pulled in 10 good mortgage leads in December, once banked I shall be looking at re-investing a lot of that into that in the other sites I have in the same Geo niche - completing my niche “sets”.

    I also like Risk if you are talking board games : )

  5. Monopoly is a great game but I prefer the board version. The PC version is nice and all but it’s just not the same as playing on the original board.

    Scott, maybe you should sell your idea to someone that could make a board version of Domainopoly? 🙂

    Mikael’s last blog post..Hvorfor du ikke skal sprede dig over mange nicher

  6. Nice article ! Keep it up. Happy New Year

  7. Hey bro

    Excellent post.. You got my mind thinking there !!

    And you know what.. Your SO right !

    When I first read through the post I was thinking what the hell are you on about but the further I got and the more I thought about it you make such a good point.

    Being fairly new to blogging myself I find myself looking at situations and making comparisons with the online world and its funny what you come up with huh 🙂

    Thankyou for sharing

    Dean
    http://www.DeanHolland.com

    Dean Holland’s last blog post..Im back !.. Let me fill you in

  8. Nice post Scott, unfortunately I play the game much as your wife does which I readily admit isn’t the best. I am trying to overcome my catious nature but its not easy esp as its usual to default to orginal habits when things go against you.

  9. …then the termites moved in and ate your house! 😉

  10. Monopoly is great. I got the chip and pin version for Christmas 2007. I usually buy anything I can and spend every last penny so that when I do manage to get hotels on Mayfair I reap back the rewards.

  11. That’s funny, I’ve never made this connection. I truly do play monopoly in the same manner that I conduct my online business as well. I’m conservative, methodical, and I rarely take big chances unless I’m sure I can afford them. I guess that’s why I don’t have the ridiculously large reward that more aggressive ‘players’ do.

    Justin Cook’s last blog post..What is Google’s new SearchWiki?

  12. How timely is this post Scott.
    I was playing Monopoly myself just last night after a Sunday dinner with the girlfriend, her mum, and her Aunty. I quickly destroyed them, leading to a swift falling out and comments such as “How can you do that to your future mother-in-law”. I have been watching “The Wire” recently and all I could say in responce was “It’s just Business. Always business”.

    Anyhow - I agree with Dan on the train stations and the utility companies. My strategy though is to get the brown cheap ones and whack hotels on asap. You get 200 notes every time someone lands on those bad boys, and they’re sure to always have it as they have just passed “Go”. It’s a license to take money straight from the banker. Also there is two chance cards on the board that say “Proceed to Old Kent Road”… 😉

    Monopoly - I love it!!

  13. Funny post as a couple of my nephews are at an age to start playing it now. Like a few others I tend to be pretty aggressive with my stratgy so tend to either win big or go bust!

  14. Great post Scott, most people have played Monopoly at some time in their lives and can relate to the post. Same tactics as I use, go for the land grab and then develop later!

    John Essex’s last blog post..Permitted Development Regulations Update

  15. i like to read and explore this kind of site.

  16. I love monopoly - and yes, it is very much like running an internet empire.

    I work from home and run a small ’empire’ that, in retrospect, I built up just the same way as I play the game.

    All that playing Monopoly as a kid must have helped I guess 🙂

    Scott Farley’s last blog post..Alternative Decor - The Indoor Garden

  17. There is a similarity but I often find it’s just a case of buying everything no matter what you land on!! If they did release an internet version of the game I’d bet you’d already own a lot of the sites 😉

    Glad you won, there’s nothing like thrashing the wife.

  18. Now I’m getting nervous. I loved Monopoly growing up and today as an adult entrepreneur I can’t stand it. Thought that was true for most adults. Wow - was I wrong!! Maybe that’s a clue for me in terms of taking my business to the next level. OK, kids, go ahead and get the game out!

    Tari’s last blog post..#1 of 10 Ways to Send Out Cards to Grow Your Own Greeting Card Business

  19. I love monopoly especially the Allblacks limited edition copy here in New Zealand.

    I would love to see a internet marketers copy that would be cool. Thanks for the great post,

    Karn

  20. Great link up between Monopoly and domains. If only I could get the equivalent “Mayfair” domain 😉

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