Monday, September 26, 2016

".com" domainers hate new gTLDs ;-)

I read a lot of "bla, bla" about new gTLDs and found this post on Facebook from @stahura (founder of Donuts). I admit that I don't read long posts but I see good examples of new domain names in this one. I went down the post to read some comments.

Something made me smile reading the comments. You've probably read - at least once - a domainer criticizing new gTLDs "because they will never work", "because .com domains are better", "because they are confusing"... I noticed that these comments often come from domainers and the only reason I see in these critics is that new gTLDs decrease the value of .com domain names (but this is just a personal opinion). The reason why I smile reading the comment from one of these domainers is the examples given why new gTLDs will fail:
"how many of these are scams? how many will be in business in a few years? how many are too confusing for customers? how many actually are adding value to the corresponding .com domain? what percentage of the live domains registered does this represent?"
All of the examples used concern more ".com" domain names rather than new domains:
  1. "how many of these are scams?": due to the important volume of ".com" domain names registered, there are certainly much but much more ".com" scams than with new domain names.
  2. "how many will be in business in a few years?": how many businesses using a ".com" fail everyday? Less than with new gTLDs? I seriously doubt it.
  3. "how many are too confusing for customers?" : confusing because they are more descriptive? That cannot be true: new domain names offer something that ".com" will never be able to offer: precision.
  4. "how many actually are adding value to the corresponding .com domain?". Here we are. Why would a new domain name have to add value to a ".com"? Because this would increase its price value? I bought a new domain name and now redirect the ".com" to it. New gTLDs are not just about domaining (selling domain names), some very serious companies use them for business.
  5. "what percentage of the live domains registered does this represent?" (I didn't catch that one).
New domain name registration volumes:
  • New gTLDs with a French sounding;
    (a certain number of TLDs were just removed from this list)
  • New gTLDs related to CITIES;
    (does not often happen: see the .LONDON new gTLD)
  • New gTLDs related to CATERING;
  • New gTLDs related to PHOTOGRAPHY.
    (domains ending in ".cam" are launching)
Tonight's Newsletter:
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In last Thursday's Newsletter:
  1. Majority of new gTLDs still aren’t generating enough revenue;
  2. HOT - Could ICANN reject Verisign’s $135m .web bid?
  3. The micro story about .手机 (mobile phone) in China;
  4. FRENCH - Le .CLUB : les chiffres sont là;
  5. HOT - .BRANDs and SEO;
  6. Rightside® Opens .GAMES Domain for Gamers;
  7. New TLD? Make Sure It's Secure;
  8. COOL - Serious new gTLD communication;
  9. The .cancerresearch TLD: Search for Cure Drives Digital Innovation;
  10. .Kiwi turns to new CIRA platform for registry services;
  11. People are forgetting .com exists — ICANN survey;
  12. New consultancy firm focusing on gTLD registry needs;
  13. .Games and .Shopping hit registrars this week;
  14. Minds + Machines Group Earns corporate Rating from N+1 Singer (MMX);
  15. .NYC to auction top domains on NameJet;
  16. How to get into the Trademark Clearinghouse club;
  17. Just delegated: the .FIDO & .ROGERS new gTLDs;
  18. What’s Propelling Minds + Machines Group Ltd to Increase So Much?
  19. SURPRISE COMING - Blizzard Doing Away With Battle.net Name.
Previous Campaigns can be viewed here.

Most recent Trademark Clearinghouse Sunrise Period announcements

Sunrise Period starts for .网站 (web)

The Trademark Clearinghouse is launching the .网站 (web) new gTLD Sunrise Period.

WHEN:
  • SUNRISE PERIOD START:
    Monday, 26 September, 2016 (All day);
  • SUNRISE PERIOD END:
    Wednesday, 26 October, 2016 - 23:00.

WHAT (according to me):
According to the Registry, .网站 means ".WEB" in Chinese and a good reason to register secure a domain name in this extension is that...no one can tell if the Chinese market is going to buy or not massively.

GOOD TO KNOW:
The .WEB new gTLD (in its ASCII/Latin version) will launch too at some point. Even if all other .WEB new gTLD applications recently changed their status to "will not proceed" (some where withdrawn) to the benefit of a company named NU DOT CO LLC, there are noises of lawsuits but whatever happens, there will be a .WEB new gTLD too so I would suggest to own both similar second level domain names. And...not to forget that there is a .WEBSITE new gTLD too (and a .WEBS ;-).

Check the Sunrise Calendar for details.

.BRAND new gTLD Reports are updated once a month: CLICK HERE !