Hire a gTLD Consultant

Elliot Silver
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11

There seems to be a considerable amount of uncertainty for many brands as it relates to gTLD domain names. The application process may be cumbersome, the marketing aspect is confusing, and the technical aspect would be complicated for non-tech people.

These are just three issues that brand owners and managers must consider when it comes time to decide whether or not to apply for one or more gTLDs.  Business Week addresses many of these issues, and it’s been fascinating to watch from the sidelines, as the Internet and domain business evolves and changes.

Some large companies are certain to apply, while others are undecided. One thing is for certain – hiring a knowledgable gTLD consultant / expert is something brand managers and gTLD applicants should do, whether or not they are planning to apply for a gTLD.

Just today, interactive advertising and media publication,  ADOTAS, recommended appointing a gTLD expert for companies interested in gTLDs. The organization also offered some other important tips as well. In my opinion, all of their recommendations can be carried out by a gTLD consultant.

Companies like Minds & Machines,  Right of the Dot, and Sedari  are three of the primary consulting companies for gTLDs. These companies can help brands evaluate whether or not they should apply for a gTLD, how they would operate and manage their gTLD, and possibly how they could monetize their gTLD if they choose to sell domain names to consumers or simply wish to monetize their websites.

Minds & Machines, Right of the Dot, and Sedari have experts on staff who are very familiar with ICANN policies, registry and registrar relations and operations, and other important aspects of managing a registry.

Personally, I don’t think operating a gTLD is for many companies. It may be unnecessarily expensive and not productive. However, there are many companies that will benefit from a registry, and a gTLD consultant can help a company decide if a gTLD application is a good idea, and if so, how to move forward with it.

Big Day for .XXX: Landrush Begins

Elliot Silver
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4

ICM RegistryToday is a big day for the ICM Registry and its .XXX extension. The 17 day landrush period for .XXX domain names begins today (November 8, 2011). Eligible people and companies can visit their favorite domain registrar and apply for their preferred .XXX domain name(s). Should more than one entity apply for the same name, an auction will occur at a later date.

Starting today, .XXX domain names can now be applied for by people and companies in the “adult sponsored community,” which includes people or companies who provide adult entertainment, representatives of those people or companies, or people and companies who provide products and services to adult entertainment providers. Adult domain investors are considered providers and can participate in the landrush.

Here’s more information from the Registry:

“The Landrush period will run for approximately 18 days starting on November 8, 2011. During this limited period, only those members of the adult Sponsored Community can apply for .XXX domain names. Apart from being a member of the adult Sponsored Community, there are no trademark or pre-ownership rights requirements during this phase of the launch.“

If you are thinking about applying for a .XXX domain name or more, check out DNW’s .XXX price list to see where you can get the best pricing. Personally, I think some registrars are going to make a mint from .XXX. It seems that the application fee in most cases is non-refundable. If 20 people apply for the same name, and the application fee is $100 on average, that’s $2,000 just in application fees… Not too shabby.

Once landrush has finished, the next opportunity to buy .XXX domain names is during the general availability phase, which begins December 6, 2011.

Sedo .ME Auction Ending Today

Elliot Silver
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6

There is just under two hours remaining in Sedo’s .ME auction, being held at  Sedo.com/ME. Out of the 178 domain names that are up for auction, 137 of them currently have bids. Many of the auctions do have reserve prices.

Detox.ME is the domain name with the highest bid at $4,999, and it hes met its reserve. A bit more than 50 other auctions have bids at $500 or higher. Below is a list of the 17 auctions with bids currently above $1,000, although there are quite a few at $999.

  • detox.me
  • london.me
  • vip.me
  • top.me
  • realestate.me
  • taxi.me
  • job.me
  • cam.me
  • property.me
  • golf.me
  • chinese.me
  • 888.me
  • football.me
  • fitness.me
  • lifeinsurance.me
  • jewelry.me
  • lottery.me

.XXX Could Change Browsing Habits

Elliot Silver
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11

It is my understanding that the adult industry has been at the forefront of various industry changes. I have heard that the adult video business spurred the quicker adoption of in-home VCRs, and I also understand that online adult businesses helped to bring credit card processing online more quickly.

I am wondering if .XXX domain names could change browsing habits in the future and pave the way for the public adoption of gTLD domain names. Hear me out for a minute.

At the moment, adult websites can be found on a wide variety of extensions… com, net, org, info…etc. There really are no rules in place for where people can find adult websites. As far as I am aware, that will not change with .XXX domain names. People will still be able to visit adult sites on the same extensions as they can now.

As some websites migrate to .XXX domain names, and other new adult websites are developed on .XXX domain names, it’s likely more people will directly navigate to .XXX domain names for their adult pleasure. Frank Schilling has said that people already directly navigate to .XXX, so this isn’t a surprise. With increasing traffic patterns, I would not be surprised to see additional adult sites using .XXX domain names, despite the initial objection of some in the adult business.

Theoretically, I would think that when people become accustomed to visiting .XXX domain names, a “vanity” extension if you will (coined by David Castello), they will be more amenable to visiting other vanity gTLD in the future. If they want a restaurant, they might visit OliveGarden.Restaurant, if they want to make a hotel reservation, they may visit Marriott.Hotel or Philadelphia.Hotel.

I certainly don’t think this change will happen over night, and I am not sure how long it will take. However, I would not be surprised in the least if .XXX helps to usher in the public adoption and awareness of new gTLDs.

What do you think?

.XXX Sunrise Period Extended – Over 70,000 Applications Received

Elliot Silver
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1

Last night, I posted a reminder to people that the Sunrise period to reserve .XXX domain names was going to end on October 28, 2011. According to an email I just received from Moniker, the Sunrise period has been extended to October 31, 2011.  The email stated:

“Great News! ICM Registry, responsible for the Dot Triple X sTLD (sponsored Top Level Domain), has extended Sunrise A and Sunrise B registration periods for an additional three days to conclude on Monday, October 31, 2011 at 16:00 UTC (Noon ET). This extension provides prospective registrants valuable time to secure their domains and protect their brands.”

Although the ICM Registry website still says the end date of the Sunrise period is October 28, I have confirmed this information with them. According to Vaughn Liley, Sales Director for the ICM Registry, the  extension is “due to incredible last week demand and at the request of several Registrars who wanted the weekend to process their backlogs of applications.”

In addition to this confirmation, Liley also informed me that they have received over 70,000 applications for .XXX domain names. Earlier this week, that number was around 42,000  applications. I am not surprised at how many sunrise applications they’ve received, but the figure is stunning. At around $200/each, that’s over $14 million up front cash. I wouldn’t even be surprised if they surpass 100,000 applications by Monday afternoon.

If you do wish to have your trademarks opted out of triple x domain names, now is the time to reserve them before the sunrise period ends.

.XXX Purchases “All Cash”

Elliot Silver
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3

One thing is for sure with regards to this year’s Traffic conference – a lot of people are talking about .XXX domain names. You really can’t help but notice the presence of .XXX and the ICM Registry, and that has people talking.

In public and private, I have heard a number of people asking if the publicly announced deals have been all cash.  Gay.XXX was reportedly sold for $500,000, Frank Schilling bought a small batch of .XXX domain names for seven figures, and Mike Berkens bought three .XXX domain names.

Of course, there is a BIG difference between someone writing a check for (or wiring) $500,000 USD vs. someone providing in-kind services like public relations or having some type of rebate in lieu of actual cash.

I saw ICM Registry CEO Stuart Lawley this afternoon and I asked him about the deals. I was told that the deals have been entirely cash, with no refunds, rebates, or anything else. That should settle that question many people have been asking.

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