NamesCon Sponsor Spotlight: Rightside

Rightside GroupNamesCon 2017 is less than a week away! In just a few short days, attendees from all over the world will begin arriving in Las Vegas for the largest conference of the year. Conference tickets are still available, so reserve yours today!

Today’s Sponsor Spotlight interview is with Matt Overman, Vice President and General Manager of the Aftermarket and Premium Domains at Rightside.

What is your company’s mandate; what sets you apart?

Rightside provides new personalized domain names and services that enable businesses, brands, and individuals to expand and personalize the way they tell their stories online. We partner with resellers, registries, registrars, and a wide variety of domain investors to build and grow their businesses. Essentially, we’re committed to significantly expanding the available digital real estate, and with a portfolio of 40 new TLDs, we offer something for everyone.

Who benefits from your product or service?

Everyone. Small businesses are often forced to choose a completely different business name when they discover that their .COM domain is already registered elsewhere. With new TLD options and services, these small businesses can keep their name and register a memorable and personalized domain without spending a fortune. Domain investors old and new alike are making money from investing in new TLDs and we’re focused on initiatives to make this easier and more profitable. If you’re online, Rightside can help make your life easier.

What factors have contributed to your company’s growth and success?

The creation of the new TLD program itself was extremely important. New TLDs have inspired a great deal of creativity from an industry that was perhaps not moving forward as quickly as it could have been. We’re seeing exciting new ideas and use cases, and it doesn’t hurt that there are so many developing countries that are in the process of going digital. Having a good team in place has made executing on our vision easier.

What’s the story behind how your company was founded?

Rightside spun off from Demand Media in August 2014. The spin off included Rightside’s legacy brands including Name.com and eNom.

How would you define your company strategy and vision?

Our goal is to expand the way businesses and individuals utilize the internet to promote their product or brand. In order to achieve this, we are working to grow overall awareness of domains and new TLDs, help increase internet access in corners of the world where internet access currently does not exist or remains unreliable, and to help everyone achieve a greater understanding of the fact that domains are multi-faceted tools.

What major milestones has your company accomplished?

Our company spun off as its own public company in August 2014, which was a significant moment in our company history. I would also add that the acquisition of each of our 40 TLDs was a years-long process requiring a great deal of thought and consideration. We’ll soon have several TLDs that will resolve in China, which is going to be another major milestone as the Chinese market is enormous, especially for new TLDs.

How will your company engage attendees at the upcoming NamesCon?

We are participating in NamesCon in a variety of ways. On Sunday, January 22 from 2-2:45 p.m., Statton Hammock will be participating in a session titled “Increasing the Value of New Domains in the Secondary Market”. On Monday, January 23 from 2-2:45 p.m., I will be participating in a session titled “Investing in New TLDs”. That same day, we will be posting a Connecting the Dots Webinar and our .LIVE and evangelist Marc Gawith will be onsite live-streaming sessions at www.NamesCon.live. On Tuesday, January 24 members of our eNom team will be participating in “Head to Head: Comparing Domain Registrars ” from 1-1:45 p.m. And Jeff Eckhaus is participating in “Executive Roundtable: Industry Trends Forecast for 2017” on Wednesday, January 25 from 2 to 2:45 p.m.

Participants can visit us at Booth #35, where we will have prizes available, as well as information about premium inventory. And, of course, we’re participating in the NameJet Auction on Sunday, January 22 as well as the NamesCon Domain Auction on January 23 from 3 to 6 p.m.

How has (or will) NamesCon helped your company achieve its goals?

NamesCon is a tremendously valuable tool for any business that operates within the domain industry. Our industry, as a whole, is currently in the rather unique position of being able to help one another by increasing overall awareness of new TLDs and sharing ideas and information about how these new TLDs can and are being utilized. We are our industry’s greatest resource and the opportunity to meet and collaborate is immensely helpful.

What are your thoughts on the new TLDs?

Obviously, I’m a pretty big fan. There was a shortage of good domains available for the average consumer and new TLDs have opened up new possibilities. With new inventory comes new opportunities for small business owners and domain investors. Besides being fun and creative, from a practical perspective they serve a vital role in expanding the available real estate. New TLDs are providing the necessary impetus for all of us to rethink our digital presence, and how we can get the most out of digital marketing efforts.

What are you most looking forward to at the upcoming conference?

Definitely seeing friends from around the industry and making new ones. NamesCon is the biggest event of the year and always brings together a great group of people which equals both a good time and a lot of interesting business opportunities for the year.

Where can attendees find out more about your company, product or services while at NamesCon?

Our main website, www.rightside.co, is always a good resource, as is our Twitter account, @rightside which will have regular information including updates about our participation at NamesCon. Most importantly though, everyone should stop by the Rightside booth to hear about some of our new initiatives and enter a fun raffle we have planned.

If you have a company representative speaking at NamesCon, is there anything you can share about what to expect during your session or keynote?

We have several Rightside representatives who are excited by the opportunity to speak at NamesCon. There are several sessions, but the audience can consistently expect a high degree of passion for the industry, thoughtful observations and insights, and expertise in their respective fields.

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