Sharon Gaudin wrote an article on Computer World, “Brace Yourself For Flood of New Domain Names”
In the article she spoke to James Cole from ICANN about the new gtlds coming to market. She also spoke to Ezra Gottheil an analyst at Current Analysis.
Current Analysis is a leading provider of timely, practical market intelligence and advice that helps global IT and telecom professionals compete, innovate and improve performance. For over 15 years, our independent experts and proprietary services have empowered fast-paced companies to quickly identify opportunities to drive growth and market leadership.
Our expert team of more than 45 globally dispersed analysts provide unbiased research and recommendations, offering clients a unique perspective on the impact of market, competitive and innovation activity with greater speed and clarity.
Relied upon as a trusted partner, Current Analysis serves more than 35,000 professionals within over 1,400 global enterprises. Headquartered in the Washington D.C. metro area, we provide global reach with offices in Paris, London, and Singapore.
From the article:
Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Current Analysis, said he’s expecting more confusion than benefits. “I think users don’t pay any attention to [top-level domains], so anything without a .com is in a back alley, hidden from view,” he said. “If you want people to remember your site, you better use .com. By using a new domain, you’re asking people to remember twice as much — the name plus the new domain.
“The ostensible benefit is you can get a simple url, like www.boston.bikes, but I think you’re much better off sticking with .com, even if it means betterbikesofboston.com,” he added. “The .com is the way to attract traffic and make it easier for your audience to find you.”
Jeff Schneider says
jeff schneider
Independent Marketing Analyst/Strategist at UseBiz.com / (.COM ) URL Centric Marketing
Here we all sit at the Epicenter of the largest Online Capital Market Formation in history. This 2014-2020 period will see more Online businesses enter Cyber-Space than at any other time in History. The Strategically superior Marketing Strategy to survive and thrive in this environment is unquestionably the .COM Business Model. The Chinese know this along with India, Russia,Brazil and all other major Capitalist Countries. In other words all the Worlds leaders in Online Capital Market Structure Formation, to date , are firmly entrenched with .COM Business Models.
The current and yet to come, .COM Business Models will continue to dominate and thrive regardless of all other extensions. JAS 1/29/14
Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) ( Metal Tiger)
Derek Pater says
great Comments Jeff,
(Here we all sit at the Epicenter of the largest Online Capital Market Formation in history. This 2014-2020 period will see more Online businesses enter Cyber-Space than at any other time in History.)
yes and the same applied to Bitcoin and other Alt coins like Peer coin, Dogecoin and others, for
the new fast and cheaper payment systems for all the existing and new on line businesses,
there is still room for many clever new domain hacks like http://www.who.is
this will apply to the new GTLDS,
some research is showing these new gtlds will be better for traffic,
due to outranking the .COM’s
The future sure will be interesting,
Dominator says
“If you want people to remember your site, you better use .com. By using a new domain, you’re asking people to remember twice as much — the name plus the new domain.”
Can’t be said any better.
Jeff Schneider says
Hello Derek,
If you go back and read a lot of my archived comments, you will change your tune very quickly about the gTLDs Potential Marketing Efficacy. You are basing your theories on conjecture not FACTS, your mere reference to Bitcoin shows you are committed to short term gimmicks that disappear, as all Counterfeit Fads do. Bitcoin is toast !
Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger)
GenericGene says
Dot Com No 1
aldis browne says
The battle for mobile is the battle for recall – see it on a smartphone screen – deal with it later. By becoming a part of dot-com networks, say BuyBetterBikes.com and/or RentBetterBikes.com, such confusing TLDs as Boston.bikes, Bikes.vegas, Rent-A-Bike.nyc, etc. will doubly benefit by sharing unforgetable brand identy.
Logically, the market for memorable dot-com domains, particularly taglines, marketing messages and missionlines, will grow substantially as they come to define TLD hubs.
Jeff Schneider says
Hello MHB,
We thnk that the pent up, first mover envy crowd, still insists there will be a better and less costly way to access the largest point of purchase audience in history. They dream of somehow circumnavigating the .COM Conduit to access this massive Cash Cow ! Ain’t going to happen.
Pay up now or pay more later.
Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger)
Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger)
ontheinterweb says
who is this “we” nonsense..
u got a mouse in your pocket?
Acro says
If I wanted to write press releases for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, I’d hire Jeff.
His constant barrage of copy/paste material inseminated with invented terms and pseudo-technical mambo-jumbo is impressive, yet entertaining.
On the subject of gTLDs, it is what it is: those that don’t like the concept, please make some room for those that want to make some good use of it. Don’t piss on the floor just because you’ve never seen marble in your life.
Louise says
Thank you, @ Jeff Schneider. Well said.
Patrick Hipskind says
It will all depend on the quality of content offered. One of the largest venture capital websites on the Internet is Angel.co (not angel.com). Multi-million dollar deals take place because of this website. People who use the site find it, and they don’t care that it is not .com
It will ultimately depend on the quality of content that is put on the domain name, and after visiting the website once or twice consumers will remember Boston.bike
Domo Sapiens says
Michael hats-off for publishing another opinion different and oppose to the new gTLD Sales and propaganda force (That are awful quiet kind of when you get a kick in the nuts), this opinion is of a Marketing company that serves more than 35,000 professionals within over 1,400 global enterprises.
I am still waiting for Madison Avenue to give a similar recommendation.
I stay with this message:
” anything without a .com is in a back alley, hidden from view,” he said. “If you want people to remember your site, you better use DOT COM. By using a new domain, you’re asking people to remember TWICE as much — the name plus the new domain.”
Keep it simple stupid!
Don’t make me think!
Grim says
@Patrick Hipskind
“It will ultimately depend on the quality of content […]”
Yes, I’ve said this all alone… content is what will make the difference. And if Boston.bike has great content, then people will, with time, remember it.
The problem is, creating great content isn’t cheap. It takes a lot of time, money, talent and other resources. So the question becomes, if you’re going to pour everything you have into creating great content, is it wise not to try to obtain the .com so you don’t have to go to the trouble of educating your audience about a new gTLD?
This is my biggest issue with the new gTLDs. Most people will park them and not do anything with them. They will not be noticed. But if you’re going to invest a lot in content, just like in the real world, don’t you want to try and invest as much as you can in a good location for that content? Would you like to be on Times Square or Rodeo Drive? Or do you want to build a store or office in a location that people aren’t familiar with, to save some money?
Of course, one can go with .bike if one chooses. But then they also are taking on a measurable risk. At the very least, they might lose a certain percentage of traffic to the corresponding .com. Because besides domainers and other select groups of people, no one is familiar or is going out of their way to become familiar with the new gTLDs.
That will be up to the registrars and those who register them… to teach a new way of thinking to a huge crowd who already have enough websites to visit as it is… and no interest or reason to learn new ways of doing things on the Internet, just so they’ll have even more sites to visit. Unless those sites are really incredibly great of course, meaning that their content is better than .coms who have been around and gotten a headstart for a decade or more already.
No doubt there will be success stories with the new gTLDs. But most will likely have to spend a tremendous amount to get there… so the question again becomes, “Why not just go with .com in the first place?”
Raymond Hackney says
I like your comment Grim very balanced and a lot of good points. I think something that gets overlooked in the “just get the .com” equation is sometimes its not for sale or priced way out of range and the top alternative .coms are not available either. Then it becomes maybe I will go with this niche themed new gtld. Now some will say go with a three or four word .com instead. But many new companies will say I want the shorter name, where sure the .com would be great but I can’t get that and I can’t get Mykeyword.com or ikeyword.com and so on, so I think you lose a lot of new small businesses who say well I tried I will get the new niche gtld because I exhausted my alternatives in .com. I always recommend .com to clients outside of the domaining business but when it gets to the point of here is a solid makes sense threeword.com a lot of times they say its too long.
aldis browne says
Raymond,
You might try asking those the clients if they would prefer a short snappy SeenOn.tv to the longer AsSeenOnTV.com. The NFL has been running TogetherWeMakeFootball.com all season. Would the missionline Make.football be more compelling? Nope, not unless the NFL becomes a football manufacturer.