At a number of domain industry events late last month, I had the opportunity to ask many of the attendees, "Does your family understand what you do for a living?"Most told me that, "No my family has no idea what I do, but they enjoy the money that I make."
Now I ask, “Does the general public understand what the domain industry does for a living?”I think that you will agree with me that for the most part, it is still a mystery.Just check out this YouTube video released earlier this week entitled, “How Internet Savvy Are We?”
Whether you think your friends and family would answer the questions in the videos correctly or not, I do have to say that the world is becoming more and more savvy.In fact, I just visited Central America this week for an exposition.I had the opportunity to meet a European businesswoman who explained to me her domain portfolio and strategy.Although she was based in Belgium and serviced travelers to South America, she not only had .eu domains, but also .be, .com. .org, .net, and .travel domain names with her business name, variations of that name for keyword specificity, and many in various languages.
I believe that this entrepreneurial woman is still a rarity in the general public, but I think we are starting to see the tide turning. With the expansion of gTLDs, do you think that we will witness the growing awareness of domains amongst the general public?
I choose all of the above.It is no secret that the Internet as the general public sees it is .com.With nearly 79 million .com domain names registered and growing, how could anyone compete with such a giant elephant in the room?
However, many of the first alternatives such as .net, .biz, .org, and .info have been very successful with:
Although many .com owners and domain managers of businesses may say that the majority of these are defensive registrations, I think that we are starting to see a higher, advanced level of understanding of the Internet.
Included in this mix are more specific in nature such as .edu for educational facilities, .gov for governments, and then country codes (cctlds) for numerous countries such as .co.uk, .de, .fr, .it, .es, and the like.
Why are we seeing this more segmented Internet?
I think it is simple.As a defense mechanism, we have stereotypes of the world around us.We size people up to understand if they are friend or foe.This can save time by categorizing the world into classes or buckets.And, it is NOT shocking that we are doing the same with this vast information source.
Up until now, new tlds have not been as successful as the Internet King, but as the world of Internet users is looking for more specific information quickly and most likely with mobile devices, we will see the current category specific tlds as well as others grow in popularity and number of registrations.
I had the opportunity to take part in the GeoDomain Expo in San Diego late last week and continuing into the weekend.Sponsored by an organization called Associated Cities, the event was a gathering of geo domainers, domain industry media, industry providers, ICANN representatives, and new people to the industry like me.
The first day of the event on Thursday was closed to only Associated Cities’ members; however, the blending of both members and industry players began at a luau function held that evening and continued through Friday and Saturday at an array of relevant seminars with expert panels and VIP keynote speakers.
As the event was very intimate with perhaps 200+ attendees, this gave me the opportunity to learn much about the geo domaining industry as well as meet personally with various of the panelists.
The attendees of the GeoDomain Expo had the opportunity to hear the latest updates from the blogosphere and domaining industry press with Elliot Silver of Elliot’s Blog, Sean Stafford of Modern Domainer Magazine, Andrew Alleman of Domain Name Wire with moderator Ron Jackson.Many agreed that one's choice of headlines does affect a blogger’s success. Additionally, each blogger does have a voice, but writing something that an individual can understand without being a part of the domaining industry is crucial.
As the highlight of most domaining events, the GeoDomain auction too had a premium name auction.Aftermarket.com and DomainConsultant.com orchestrated the auction. This was my first ever, outside auction, which showcased a well-rounded list of destination, keyword rich domain names across various extensions such as .biz, .info, .org, .com, .us, and .travel.Although many were priced well below their value the auction, the opportunity slipped by many of the online and house bidders. Twenty-nine of the names sold for over a $101K total with the highest bid at $15K for SierraMadre.com.However, all the names are still available until May 5th, but at more aggressive pricing.
In seems to be the season of domain auctions. I look forward to giving you an update on this extended auction as well as Rick Latona’s and Moniker’s later this week.
This week's announcements of the next auctions have been an eye-opener. For both the GeoDomain Expo and T.R.A.F.F.I.C., the auction listings are still dominated by generic .com names. However, there is one thing for sure. Never before have we seen more alternative domains. In particular, I would like to bring attention to .travel, a rather unknown, hidden jewel in the domaining world.
Only once before have .travel domain names been auctioned. Now in the next two weeks, the domain industry will see a total of 6 premium names auctioned at the GeoDomain Expo and T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Silicon Valley.
Included at the GeoDomain Expo on April 25th will be a list of geo-centric domain names hand chosen by DomainConsultant. On this list will be pics.travel starting at $1,500 and money.travel at no reserve.
The complete list of names offered at the GeoDomain Expo includes a variety of .info, .biz, .org, .us, .com, net, and .travel domain names. Click here for the full list.
The following week at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Silicon valley four additional .travel domain names will be auctioned. Three of which will be included on April 28th in Rick Latona's auction:
jet.travel with a reserve of $1,000
jets.travel with a reserve of $1,000
(a very valuable duo, both are short, sweet, and to the point)
spa.travel with a reserve of $1,000
Additionally, in Moniker's Premium Live Auction on April 29th you will see, bargain.travel with a reserve of $1,000-$5,000.
As the buzz of new TLDs increases along with the continued saturation of the ".com is king" Internet, I foresee keyword specific domain names that perform well in search and that are clear to the end user will gain even more momentum.
I look forward to seeing the results of all of the up and coming auctions. I wonder who will be some of the pioneers in this next phase of domain name investments? Remember those that get in early typically reap the rewards.
As I am getting ready for the GeoDomain Expo, I wanted to chime in on some of the Geo Domain noise that is prefacing the event held in San Diego at the end of this month.
We have all heard the breaking news regarding major newspapers closing their doors. It is not just smaller publications, but some that you wouldn't think would fold like Seattle Post-Intelligencer run by Hearst and those mentioned in TIME the 10 Most Endangered Newspapers in America. With this tough economy and various traditional forms of communication becoming obsolete, it is clear that owning a piece of virtual real estate is a wise investment. Are geo domains going to play a key role in transforming media? I think they will.
This question will be a key component of the discussions at the GeoDomain Expo. In conjunction with expert panels, it will be interesting to see if domainers will put their money where their months are. Coincidentally, there will be an auction run by Aftermarket.com. They are currently selecting a geo-centric portfolio to auction including .com, .org, and .info domain names. If you own geo specific names that are non-abbreviated, place names, or combination names within specific geo categories such as insurance, travel, jobs, real estate, you have until April 10th to submit.
However, with the changing Internet landscape, I think opening the auction to cctlds and the major geo draw of .travel into the portfolio mix would be wise. Currently, .com is still King, but as traditional media are starting to fall, so will the "old" way of searching for information. The trend is to further segment information as shown by the popular sites such as LinkedIn for professional contacts, specific groups in Facebook, TheLadders for executive level jobs, and the list continues. This is also certainly true when dealing with destinations. We are all witness to the importance of cctlds, language, and category specific extensions like .travel in this next chapter of the Internet.
This opinion is supported by others.
Check out this blog post from The Frager Factor pointing out the transition to extensions other than .com.
And this YouTube video provided by the government of Colombia:
Addressing this topic will be a panel on Saturday afternoon entitled, Future of GeoDomains and new TLDs. Panelists will include the Castello Brothersof Castello Cities Internet Network and members of the ICANN Business Constituency, Jothan Frakes of Minds + Machines and Phil Corwin, General Counsel for Internet Commerce Association with Tim Cole, Chief Registrar Liaison at ICANN.
I look forward to hearing their take on opening the world of geo domains to alternative extensions, cctlds, .travel and others.
Already through the sunrise and landrush periods and promoting itself with sexy ads on YouTube,.tel is now available to the public and at a more "affordable" price at around $14.95. I like many are a little skeptical about all its search engine capabilities, but yes, I too, bought a .tel like the others that drank the Kool-aid and jumped on board March 24th.
I acquired my .tel name, but had no idea how to enter the content. I had received confirmation emails that I had registered my domain, but no instructions or link to assist in adding content to the name. Last Sunday, I was saved by another blogger in the domainer space, Andrew Allemann of the Domain Name Wire. Here you can read his instructions on how to content your .tel.Without them I would have been stuck to the picture slideshow that the registry, telnic.org, has for promotion, which did not help me at all.
For those of you already on Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter, and the like, setting up the profile in .tel is pretty easy. And if you are not yet ready to broadcast all of your contact information, you are able to make some information public and other private. I chose to only leave my work contact info and website, but personal email and mobile private. I still want to disconnect from all this social chatter at some point.
Interestingly enough some online marketing bloggers are also taking notice in this .tel trend as shown in www.travelmarketing101.travel
With the noise of new tlds and category specific domain names, I wonder why one of the largest categories on the Internet is not yet approved......
dot-xxx.
The idea of .xxx has been around since as early as the late nineties. It has had its ups and downs with the application process through ICANN. And, even made it to politicians in Washington. But, why is it not out yet??
It turns out that with the onslaught of new tlds, ICANN is very concerned about new tlds' morality and affect on public order. In a Morality and Public Order Memo submitted by ICANN in October 2008, they state that these new, "strings must not be contrary to generally accepted legal norms relating to morality and public order that are recognized under international principles of law."
This is just bologna! Everyone knows that pornographic material is on the Internet. And even if you are not a frequent customer, most know where the nearest XXX store is.
Why are we being so hypercritical? Think about it this way. It is ok to have an adult site in .com, .net, .me, or any other extension, but having the tld as .xxx is somehow NOT moral??
With bonuses being cut, bailouts in the works, unemployment at high rates, and almost everyone looking over their shoulder wondering if they are the next to be laid off, this turn of events is a good sign for the domainer world. In fact,others like Allied Internet Solutions Inc.are stating, "While most of the economy is on it's heels the internet sector is showing signs of life and vitality."
One thing is for certain, people and corporations understand that domains are a good investment. There is definitely money out there; however, why put it into a bank or the stock market? If you are skeptical of the recent fraud like I am, you can understand where they are getting this distrust of the financial institutions.
Although these sales are a positive sign, they are very rare names. These "category killers" that are short, sweet and summarize a complete sector are out there, but not that many. I think this investment or buying behavior is mirroring the need for us to understand the content of a website before clicking; thus, the value of these properties should only continue to rise. It is not a secret that we are all looking for information on the Internet that is more and more specialized. Maybe some of these strong, one-word domains will become new tlds? We have already seen it with .travel, which is one of the largest e-commerce categories on the Internet. Are these categories large enough and have enough interest?
I woke up this morning, put on my green, and headed to work in the traffic. Looking from side to side, it looked like the majority were sportin' green, whether Irish or not it is an occasion to dream of trips to Ireland or maybe just to the local Irish Pub after work for green beer.
As I know many domainers and recent auctions have focused on celebration specific domain names, I did a little investigation as to some St. Pattie's Day worthy names. These should give you a little boost through your day. That is until 5:00 PM (and on St. Pattie's Day it is 5 o'clock somewhere). I can smell the corned beef and cabbage already.
Available St. Pattie's Day domain names (I have separated if multiple names for a portfolio were available):
Recently at the ICANN meeting in Mexico City, it was announced that Dot Eco LLC is expected to submit an application for .eco later this year. In the onslaught of new tlds, this new green domain seemed to be all the buzz at the meeting and even afterwards. In hopes of creating a unique space on the Internet for the expression of environmental causes and companies to promote environmental programs, .eco has emerged.
To add fuel to the fire, former Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Al Gore, openly endorsed the .eco domain. In fact, his Alliance for Climate Protection has decided to partner with Dot Eco LLC in order to further promote and support this new domain.
Unlike other domain registries, the .eco domain plans to give generated profits from the .eco domain to environmental charities. This is yet another ingenious way to fund raise for non-profit environmental organizations.
In reading the news from the ICANN meeting and various other bloggers, it is no surprise that there is push back from the new tld nay-sayers. With so much invested in large .com domain portfolios, it is no wonder that they don’t want another domain out there for competition or dilution. However, I would have to wonder what .org thinks about this new venture.
It seems to me that many green initiatives and organizations already have a place on the web with .org. The examples are endless: sierraclub.org, wwf.org, greenpeace.org, and the list continues. How does .eco plan on competing with this heavily branded “do-gooders” domain? After all we have all came to the understanding that .org=organization and more often than none a non-profit cause.
Is green big enough for an Internet vertical? It is very popular now and definitely something that will continue to grow. Can you see larger corporations like google.eco or yahoo.eco for their environmental friendly practices?
Let's face it. It just isn’t enough to have a Yahoo or Gmail account anymore. Now if you don’t have a Facebook and LinkedIn account, point blank…..you are living in the past. More than ever before, we are multi-tasking machines in which communicating to different communities through various different channels is the way of our New World.
Let me take you through a typical day. I start my drive to work while checking and responding to emails and texting at every stoplight (I do try very hard not to drive and text at the same time, just limiting it to idle time). I then arrive at work and greet my team, “Good morning.” I sit and open Instant Messanger (IM) and Outlook.As I quickly skim the emails that I didn't address on my way to work,I IM a message quickly instead of poking my head out to the desks and cubes of other worker bees like me.Within seconds, the answer of my question with a telephone number or status of a task is in my IM account with a ping.
After getting into the groove of the office, typically in the afternoon, you will notice my multi-tasking skills are at high speed. My phone is ringing; I am halfway through writing an email; my personal cell is vibrating; and numerous people from all over the world are either Skype-ing me or IM-ing me with various questions regarding the progress report, how my day is going, and if I will be attending the next ICANN meeting. It is no secret to any of my colleagues that my office is really buzzing, ringing, pinging, and vibrating every day.
As today was yet another one of my typical office days, this leads me into the point of this post.......
Social Media Multi-tasking....Are we at our limit?
Maybe I am just becoming more aware of this, as I am not only doing social media for personal, but also professional reasons.I find that during my day I am on Facebook or LinkedIn to gather info and communicate to my various audiences.I find myself speaking to a professional contact regarding their Facebook status or LinkedIn profile update.It is rather scary.
But, when are there too many social networks? Is there such a thing? Is there a way to house all of these into a simpler world with perhaps only one login and password?
In surfing the domainer and Internet news this week from the Mexico meeting there was much about new tlds, the application process, and security on the Internet. However, I wanted to pick a distinct topic; so, I gravitated towards a cctld, but one that I had not heard of before and is being marketed and used in a distinct way…. .mp
Although not new to the Internet, .mp was launched in the late 90’s, as the cctld of the Mariana Islands.For many, you may be wondering where are the Mariana Islands? Well, don’t fret, I, too, despite being well traveled asked the same thing.The Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth of the U.S., are in the Pacific and stretch from Guam to near Japan.
With very few registered, other than governmental entities, .mp needed another niche.At $20 a pop, the cost of registering is not an issue, but it is the awareness and the reason to get a .mp.This is where chi.mp comes into play.You may wonder why I am talking about chimpanzees, but I am not.Chi.mp was recently created as a new solution for managing your online identity, your content, and your contacts…all while controlling who sees it.Apparently, this service will be free, but I have tried unsuccessfully to get my available .mp through chi.mp and have been told that I need a beta code and that I would need to network to see if someone in my network had one.(If you have a beta code please send it to me.)
Although I can't get the beta coda (thusfar) I do think they have a viable product.
So far they claim (but I don’t know if it is true), that with chi.mp you will have your unique place on the web to manage all of your social media, content, and contacts without the need to remember your already long list of user ids and passwords.By using OpenID, you will have a centralized user authentication system.Yes, that means you may log on to many services with the same digital identity. Plus, there is the added factor that you own your content (unlike other communities that shall remain nameless).
I am eager to try this out, but if chi.mp waits too long to get me a beta code, I will loose my interest and get my .tel later this month when they are $20 a pop too.By the way, I don’t plan on getting rid of my other domains as they have history, but I do see the need for other tlds or cctlds that can do this aggregation of services to make my day at the office or just social networking from the couch an easier, one stop shop experience.
For followers of this post, if you have a beta code for chi.mp, please send it to me via email.
I have been hearing mixed reviews from the domain industry regarding the new domain .tel. Some people think that it is just another gimmick, a vanity plate, or could it actually be useful??
Although in yet the preliminary stages with around 10,000 applications, .tel was conceived years ago in 2000. For those of you not quite yet familiar, .tel is a domain intended to provide an individual or business the ability to store, publish, and update online all of one's contact information without the need of a website.
Just think about it in terms of this example...I will use a personal .tel for Noel:
Domain name: Noel.tel
Page: Welcome to Noel.tel!
List of: Phone number Email address Fax number Website Keywords Location on Google maps Noel's social media profiles on LinkedIn, MySpace, etc.
**All with interactive links, call, chat, etc.
What makes .tel unique is that instead of linking the domain name to an IP address of a website, it stores information directly to the DNS (domain name server). When .tel queries the DNS, the contact information and keywords that you have stored are returned. You can then click on any of the contact items and be immediately connected (via phone, fax, email, social media profile, SMS, etc.).
With all of these points of contact at one's fingertips, you might be wondering about privacy, but with .tel this is not an issue. With .tel, the owner of the domain name can allow for selective privacy. If you choose you may keep only your work phone number available with all other profile information, location, email, and phone numbers only for those that are your accepted friends or network. (This takes screening your calls to the next step!!)
Traditionally search engines are forced to read entire web pages, but those at .tel say that search engines use the data you supply for your .tel to tell search engines exactly what are the keywords in combination with the unique content on your domain; thus, you will see enhanced search results. Or will you?? I have my doubts. I don't think that I believe that a site with a history on the Internet, good domain name, solid architecture, properly labeled title and meta tags, and keywords would be beat by a .tel with just contact info and keywords. I think someone at .telnic needs to prove this to me. (I would love to see an example.)
However, something I see as a real bonus is its integration with mobile devices. As the rest of the world moves to mobile (as I know all of my friends already have), everyone is looking for speed. .tel is presented simply to integrate into address books and with quick nav on all mobile devices; thus, making it a fast and easy way to find someone or some business and connect.
Just as an FYI, Sunrise (preliminary registrations for trademarks) started in December of 2008. We are now in Landrush (premium prices for any name not claimed in Sunrise on first come first serve basis) . General availability starts on March 24th, 2009.
Could it be that we just getting "big heads" and want our name on the Internet with a .tel address? Right now I believe the price is around $375 (for a three-year period), but within a month the price reduces to $20 a pop.
My verdict? This sounds rather neat to me at the $20 price tag. I will not give up my other keyword heavy and personal domain names in other extensions, but you bet I will be in cyber-line on March 24th for my .tel!
As Mardi Gras, a traditional cultural event to overindulge, takes over New Orleans, it brings together the domainer community for the first ever Domainer Mardi Gras.
Yes, another reason to party and why not buy some domains while in a celebratory state...that is if you like Aftermarket's picks.
Like any auction, I am not surprised to see various adult related domains. It is Mardi Gras and XXX sells. As a doe-mainer, I am not offended. I would and will invest in XXX names. However, I must admit that some of the auction's names whether adult, Mardi Gras related, or generic are rather obscure. Are they really worth their asking price??
Here are some examples of the obscure:
Mahogany.com - $25,000 Really?
Credenzas.com - $13,500 I don't know. Maybe someone was looking to do some redecorating.
Decor.net - $1,500 Yes. The theme continues.
Others selected are very typical of the Mardi Gras themed event:
Voodoo.com - $300,000 Someone must have been under some voodoo magic to evaluate this at such a high six figure amount.
MardiGrasTube.com - $500 Yes, another tube related domain name
I have mixed feelings about the outcome of this auction. Although attendance may be high because of the entertainment factor (like last month's Playboy mansion event for DOMAINfest), I think the portfolio is not as strong as the New Orleans' draw.
What are your thoughts on the Domainer Mardi Gras complete catalog?
This week I have noticed much noise about .nyc such as New York City set to cash in on .nyc, press conferences, and other posts. Since the summer ruling by ICANN to expand the number of top level domains (tlds), we are seeing press and marketing daily about new specific top level domains such as .berlin, .paris, and .nyc. Is there a future for these tlds?
Well, if the success of .cat, a sponsored tld, intended to be used to highlight the Catalan culture and language, is an example of a growing trend; there is hope. For those of you not familiar, the region on Cataluña in Spain uses Catalan, as its primary language for communication, street signs, menus, and schooling. Most in Cataluña also learn Spanish (or Castilian) as a second language. Having this linguistic distinction creates an even larger cultural difference between those in Cataluña versus those in Spain and of course the world. It is with this distinct cultural pride and specific niche that .cat came to be and launched in 2005. In fact, as of January 2009, .cat has over 33,000 registrations.
.cat is bringing success to these niche top level domains. With over 7 million people, Cataluña shows that having a specific, niche domain that is targeted towards a large enough audience is wanted.
This is turn demonstrates a growing trend. We are all looking to sort through the clutter of the Internet and find something customized for our needs. It is clear with choices such as:
1) LinkedIn as the social media choice for professionals 2) www.job.travel if you’re looking for a job in the travel and hospitality field instead of the larger, non-industry specific entities Monster.com or CareerBulider.com 3) websites in one’s native language such as google.fr or google.de
It is with this need to segment information that I believe niche top level domains will succeed, but not all. The choice needs to be specific enough like in the case of .cat, that it is regionalized, distinct, own language or culture, and a large enough population of users and supporters.
So, do .nyc, .berlin, and .paris have the same niche? Perhaps……but you have to convince me. They are all large enough is size to support success, but what makes them different than just the country code of .fr or .de.
With all the hype of new tlds, I believe we will witness many that go through the application process and even launch, but only a few will survive and succeed. The proof of success is if the targeted community will want and support the new tlds. The future of the Internet will be very exciting with further structuring leading to channels or verticals of information that help guide the end user to a specific type of information.
It is no secret that we are already seeing many structured tlds such as .edu for the educational branch, .gov for governmental organizations, and .travel for the travel and tourism industry. All of these tlds have a large enough audience and necessity that they will continue to grow in popularity. Although .com is still the preferred method to promote one’s business and information on the net, I see that the movement is shifting to being specific, niche marketing.
Silent Auction $481,000 vs. Live Auction $600,000 and the Trend of More Alternative Domains
It is no secret to those of you involved in the domainer world (not to exclude the growing doe-mainer population), that the silent/extended auction from DOMAINfest closed last Thursday with almost $481,000 in sales. This was a continuation of the events in L.A. hosted by Oversee.net, where the live auction sold over $600,000 worth of premium domain names.
As a recap, the highest sale in the live auction went to wife.com at $100,000 with lower figure names such as incrediblebargains.com for $500.However, as I pointed out in my previous post, the trend to see more and more alternative domains is apparent.
Take a peek at the Premium Live Alternative Domain Name Sales:
movie.info $7,000
europe.travel $5,000
contact.me $10,000
lenders.org $5,500
homevalues.net $7,500
england.mobi $5,500
Like the live auction, the trend continued in the silent auction with the highest bids for two .com domains:blooms.com and resorthotels.com at $58,830 each.However, I have outlined an assortment of the “uncommon” domain names as well:
blooms.com $58,830
resorthotels.com $58,830
salud.net $6,256
clothes.info $3,900
british.org $2,250
european.org $2,000
images.info $1,900
gardening.info $1,770
estate.mobi $690
interviewing.me $300
pediatric.de $300
Could it be that the trend that we are seeing with the economy and the highly inflated prices of .com names are driving savvy investors to look elsewhere?Interestingly enough, I am not the only person writing about the topic.I stumbled upon other writers that are commenting on the lack of .com names and their price.Check out a related article from Namecake.com
The majority of the selected silent and live auction names above don’t end in .com, but they still follow all the rules of what constitutes a great domain name:keywords that are popular on the Internet, short and sweet, easy to recall, and names that are associated with products or niche markets.
From the sales in both auctions, it is evident that .com is still top dog, but watch out for other domains that are nipping at .com’s heels.I have witnessed country codes such as .co.uk, .de, and others rise in the ranks as well as newer tlds that are specific such as .asia, .travel, and .info.
So the question is....are these alternative domain names unchartered waters to be explored? Are those taking the investment now the pioneers of a great investment opportunity?I believe so.
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