I was cleaning out my spam email folder this morning when I came across an email that I received shortly after hand registering a domain name for a friend via GoDaddy. I blocked out the domain name that was registered as well as the company that is promoting it.
I don’t hand register many domain names, so this was the first time I noticed an email like this.
Your thoughts are welcome.
When it comes to the new domain names, GoDaddy is probably going to play one of the greatest roles in consumer adoption. GoDaddy is the largest domain name registrar, and as a result, the company will present the new gTLD domain names to millions of consumers. I believe the company’s marketing efforts will be critical to consumer awareness, and there’s a lot of money at stake.
Earlier this month, GoDaddy opened pre-registrations on four domain extensions: .Build, .Luxury, .Uno, and .Menu. Prices to pre-register domain names ranged from $40 to $1,200 (price is refundable less the application fee if name isn’t secured). Shortly after the company began offering pre-registrations, I reached out to ask if the company would share some trends and perhaps some information about the number of pre-registrations.
Last night, I received an email from GoDaddy with some trends the company is seeing. Here are some of these trends:
GoDaddy unveiled some major expansion plans this morning, and the company’s next target is Europe. In August, GoDaddy reported considerable success following their expansion in India, and their success their will presumably serve as its blueprint for the EMEA market. In a press release this morning, GoDaddy announced the hiring of Stefano Maruzzi as GoDaddy EMEA Vice President, and the company also announced major plans to open a European Customer Care Centre.
Once this expansion is completed (late spring 2014), GoDaddy will be able to serve customers speaking 14 different European languages. At the present time, GoDaddy Customer Care representatives are proficient in
Go Daddy CEO Blake Irving has taken to Twitter this evening to respond to various tweets about the company and recent changes in its advertising focus and acquisitions. Irving is using his personal Twitter account to reach out to people who posted comments in the wake of Go Daddy’s acquisition of hosting company, Media Temple.
It doesn’t appear that some of the tweets were initially made to elicit a reply from Go Daddy, but Irving is promoting the positive strides he sees the company making. In my opinion, it is rare that the CEO of such a large company is personally responding to complaints and negative feedback in such a public manner. I can’t recall
Go Daddy CEO Blake Irving appeared on the CNBC show Squawk on the Street this morning. On the show, Irving spoke about Go Daddy’s recent acquisitions (including Godaddy’s acquisition of Afternic), Go Daddy’s re-branding (helping small businesses “kick ass”), and briefly about what’s been happening at Microsoft lately.
The video of his appearance is embedded below.
I am on my way to visit @AfternicDLS, a company @godaddy just bought. Man they just keep growing! Apparently – #itsgotime!
— Danica Patrick (@DanicaPatrick) September 19, 2013
It’s not going to take long for the team at Afternic to be welcomed by Go Daddy. According to a tweet from Go Daddy Girl Danica Patrick, the NASCAR driver is on her way to Massachusetts to see the team at Afternic, which was acquired by Go Daddy.
I just happen to be in the neighborhood, so maybe I’ll stop by and say hello.
Kidding about that, but I am sure there will be a photo opportunity, and I’ll see if I can share some photos of the occasion. I don’t think it’s all that often that a NASCAR driver visits Massachusetts.
*** Update *** A Danica sighting in Massachusetts with Afternic’s Rich Green:
Here’s Danica with the entire Afternic team
