This morning in my DomainTools Domain Monitor alert email, I saw a change in status for Woo.com. The domain name had been registered at Network Solutions under Whois privacy, and the domain name status changed. Woo.com is still registered at Network Solutions, but instead of Whois privacy, the domain name registrant information shows “REDACTED FOR PRIVACY (DT),” likely due to California privacy laws.
When I visited Woo.com this morning, I was forwarded to WooCommerce.com. The domain name had previously been registered to someone whose last name was Woo. WooCommerce is an open-source ecommerce plugin for WordPress. WooCommerce was acquired by Automattic, the development company that operates the WordPress platform.
Prior to what appears to be an acquisition of Woo.com, the domain name had a message indicating it was not available for sale and that the owner wouldn’t consider selling it. You can visit the Wayback Machine to see how the landing page recently looked, but here’s the message about the domain name’s availability:
“This Domain is NOT for sale.
Really. I’m not interested in selling this domain.
Please don’t send me email and ask me what price I want.”
I have seen many instances of domain name sales following the registrant’s stating that “this domain name is not for sale“. What this often means is that tire kickers should save their time and only serious offers will only be considered.
Woo.com is a great, short domain name. Assuming WooCommerce or Automattic acquired the domain name, it gives the company more flexibility with their branding. Instead of being known as WooCommerce, the business could simply rebrand itself as Woo.
They bought WooCommerce for $30M in 2015.
I wonder how much Woo.com cost later on?
“Woo.com is a great, short domain name. Assuming WooCommerce or Automattic acquired the domain name, it gives the company more flexibility with their branding. Instead of being known as WooCommerce, the business could simply rebrand itself as Woo.”
Elliot I will confirm that you are right about that, although I suspect you would probably value the domain itself too low nonetheless. It’s good to be on the same general page sometimes though. This is pleasant news for the subject at hand and those interested in this topic many of us share an interest in. I would even say they not only could, but should do that.
Also, readers should see my latest treatment of the related issue of “long and short” here:
https://domainnamewire.com/2021/04/20/car-warranty-company-upgrades-to-olive-com/#comments
As an extra note to that, the same applies to the singular of both examples I gave there, including for brandable non-emd use.
This is one where I wish the great one himself, the king, had been involved.
It brings back a fond memory of how I used to know this really cool Asian American guy that I used to love to call “Secret Agent Johnny Woo.” Now some may have seen me mention before how I did spend time in Uncle Sam’s house, so for the record this fine fellow was not an actual “secret agent.”
Hmm, come to think of it, or was he? 😉