The Next Hot Domain Trend: Dot……. Domains For New Extensions

2011 January 6
by Michael H. Berkens

As you know the new gTLD’s are coming and the domain of choice of those seeking new extension has quickly adopted the

Dot…….Com/Org as their domain of choice to market their proposed extension.

A couple of months ago we reported that ICM registry acquired dotxxx.com for $25,000 to use as their site (although .XXX is not a new gTLD)

Also the .Co registry owns and uses DotCo.com.

There are a lot of potential applicants that have already secured their dot……. domain to market the new gTLD extension that they are seeking.

Just to mention a few:

DotGay.com

DotShop.com

DotIrish.com

DotBerlin.com

Some that couldn’t get the .com extension are going with the .org extension like

DotFlorida.org and Dotgreen.org

So with maybe 1,000 or more of these new gTLD’s coming many with mulitple applicants Its a trend you should keep your eye on.

However there are expected to be 500 or more new gTLD’s in just the first round of applications making dot……com domain names a hot commodity.

33 Responses leave one →
  1. 2011 January 6

    This trend alone basically says all we need to know about the future of .com for at least a while. Who knows about 100 years from now, but as long as a new extension needs .com to advertise itself, we are ok.

  2. 2011 January 6

    Of course, you could look at it a different way – that the need to get a dot-com and stick the word “dot” in front of it is a huge indication that we have lived in a limited TLD world for too long and that the future is bursting to get out.

    If you really want to know what the future holds, however, the only answer between now and 2012 is to go to the .nxt conference in San Francisco next month (9-10 Feb).

    http://dot-nxt.com

    Yes, it’s a dot-com but we also have dot-nxt.org, dot-nxt.info, dot-nxt.mobi, dot-nxt…

  3. 2011 January 6
    rkb permalink

    How about dot-nxt.crap ?

    lol

  4. 2011 January 6
    Mike permalink

    ?? “suppressing dissent” ??

    Yes. This is precisely what the US Government does to its citizens when they say NO to stuff they do not want. They suppress all dissent.

  5. 2011 January 6

    even dotwaste is taken… so now what?

  6. 2011 January 6

    Hello Mike,

    I love it when new extensions come out! It just expands the domainer population and magnifyes the top extension(.com) and its value for the sheer magnitude of traffic it recieves. I remember when we were a small and splintered group, now we are joined by the ranks of all people who want an edge on the internet. Please keep those extensions coming !

    Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Metal Tiger)

  7. 2011 January 6

    Here are more dot domains. If you register then send me a DNF or NP$ – username silentg

    dotplatinum
    dothyper
    dotboo
    DotIdaho
    DotKentucky
    DotLouisiana
    DotMaryland
    DotMississippi
    DotMissouri
    DotNebraska
    DotNewjersey
    DotNorthcarolina
    DotNorthdakota
    DotOklahoma
    DotSouthcarolina
    DotSouthdakota
    DotVermont

  8. 2011 January 6

    This actually could have potential (for the premium names). I have had a surprisingly large amount of success through registering NameTV.com if a company is using Name.tv, and vice versa

  9. 2011 January 6
    lanndon white permalink

    @ rkb

    How about dot-nxt.crap ?
    ========================

    Great line “That sums it up”
    ——————————————–
    Moniker Update this Morning:

    Rick Schwartz said…

    This morning I received an email from the customer/victim with the time line of events and who he contacted and the remedy or lack of it.

    I am not going to publish it at this time. I think it should come direct from that person as a comment here. All I can do is verify the authenticity of the customer or not.

    ://www.ricksblog.com/my_weblog/2010/12/the-privacy-issuewho-has-access-to-that-info-what-they-can-do-with-it.html#comments

  10. 2011 January 6

    DotLol

  11. 2011 January 6

    DotBS is the best.

  12. 2011 January 6
    Johnny permalink

    Don’t get too much into dotsomething.com.

    Just look at current extentions .biz, .info, .pro, .net, .org, asia, .travel, .tel, .mobi, etc.
    None of these registries own or use dotsomething.com.

  13. 2011 January 6
    MHB permalink

    Johnny

    You can’t compare what has been to what is coming.

    None of those other extensions had to compete in a market with 500 other new extensions going live in the same time frame.

    Moreover there are expected to be mulitple applications for many of these new extensions, that is several companies all wanting say .Gay which is why some of the new gTLD applicants are building up a brand in advance

  14. 2011 January 6

    I have just been throwing random Dot….com words on Google and there seems to be a ton of sites out there.
    You may be onto something as far as this being a trend that may even extend outside of new gTLDs.

    Just my observation.

    Cheers

  15. 2011 January 6
    whistling along permalink

    dont worry guys nothing ever changes on the internet, its all set in stone
    direct navigation is growing every day
    people dont use search
    you’re good

  16. 2011 January 6
    Nic permalink

    Sounds pretty close to a “bad faith” registrations to me.

  17. 2011 January 6

    I’m not so sure about the viability of dotIrish given that the .ie ccTLD (Ireland) is currently undergoing significant growth. At present it is restricted to those with a strong link to Ireland or IE/US/UK/EU trademark holders. If .ie registration policy was to change, then it could reduce the effect of dotIrish’s unique selling proposition.

    Some of the Geo extensions might have a good chance because they have a very clear and specific target market. I’m just doing an annual 2010 domain stats report and some of the more recently launched gTLDs have found it hard going but ccTLDs seem to booming. Some of .com TLD’s growth is probably down to registrants registering their ccTLD domain and the .com if it is available. This instinctive registration pair is what many of the new gTLDs will be competing with. The .com TLD is the main global TLD and it is likely to remain so for a few years yet. But many ccTLDs are beating .com in their home markets and this trend is going to result in most of the new gTLDs becoming micro gTLDs rather than significant players. This might result in reduced prices for premium domains in some of these new gTLDs. But there will be an inevitable landrush for each of them. Beyond the brand protection registrations and the premiums, most of these new gTLDs will have a very hard time gaining market share.

  18. 2011 January 6
    dmpartners permalink

    Buying anything other than a .com in the US is a waste the only thing close would be .tv. .co is a Go Daddy scam 29 bucks Premiere Choice yea right
    I would not buy anything other than the KING .com and the new 3D.com

  19. 2011 January 7

    I wrote this last March :
    http://www.guillon.info/2010/03/register-your-dotprojectcom-or-not.html

    I guess brands are the next target.

  20. 2011 January 7

    I do own DotWtf.com I just have not got around to blogging with it Mike. There are a lot of DOTXX.com names regged.

  21. 2011 January 7

    Sounds like a dotscam.

  22. 2011 January 7

    I am ready for my own gTLD so I can make a massive fortune.

    Lets see how about .BigProfits

  23. 2011 January 7

    We own DotDN.com and are using it for our domain registration service, not that it has anything to do w/ the current rash of dotkeyword.com registrations.

    Most of those are to lobby for the extension from icann, not sure whether they’d have any function after the extension was allotted.

    There already are over 300 gtlds/stlds/cctlds. Another 500 wouldn’t really make much of a difference to existing extensions, for a while, after a decade which is like 40 yrs in internet time, who knows.

  24. 2011 January 7

    Well most of these groups don’t have a choice to register a domain like this to promote themselves right now, their gtlds don’t exist yet! And if they plan to be global, they need a .com/net/org right now. If any are successful in getting their gtld, they may switch over then

  25. 2011 January 7

    I own dotinvesting.com, thought it was a funny play on domain investing. Never really got around to developing it, so this sounds like good news

  26. 2011 January 7

    I agree with Domain Report: if they’re building a consensus for a new TLD that doesn’t exist yet, they obviously can’t create a website on the proposed TLD.

  27. 2011 January 7

    Great conversation you’ve kicked off, Mike.

    I’ve been wondering about a slightly different angle — what happens if a new TLD registry doesn’t have the matching .com? Using one of my domains as an example here, suppose somebody wanted to get the .PLACE TLD. It seems like they’ll lose a lot of traffic to PLACE.COM if they don’t own the .com domain.

    Conversely, it seems like a nice bonus to be able to offer a matching 3rd-level dot-com name for everybody that registers in the new extension as a transitional thing while end-users are getting used to all the new extensions. So if a person registered berlin.place the registry could give them berlin.place.com too and provide a little fallback for end-users who forget to leave off the “.com” when they type the URL.

  28. 2011 January 7
    Gazzip permalink

    “A couple of months ago we reported that ICM registry acquired dotxxx.com for $25,000 to use as their site (although .XXX is not a new gTLD)”

    dotsex.com is for sale on sedo right now (1998 reg)

    (its not mine)

  29. 2011 January 7
    MHB permalink

    Gazzip

    After seeing what .XXX went through (actually still going through) to get their extension and the money they have spent in legal and other fees and costs, I’m not sure anyone is going to hop on the .Sex train so quick

  30. 2011 January 7
    Joe A permalink

    Re: Samit’s comment:

    “Most of those are to lobby for the extension from icann, not sure whether they’d have any function after the extension was allotted.”

    They’ll still need them.

    Mikey: Great point. I have some first hand experience in that realm. What you described definitely happens.

  31. 2011 January 7
    Gazzip permalink

    “After seeing what .XXX went through (actually still going through) to get their extension and the money they have spent in legal and other fees and costs, I’m not sure anyone is going to hop on the .Sex train so quick”

    No wonder lol, all these new new gtlds are going to be a lawyers dream come true, no matter what the ext is.

    Just wait till all the religious gtld battles start (if they have’nt already?) …its gonna get real messy.

    Big Balls, Patience and a Big Bank account are required ;)

  32. 2011 January 21
    Andrew permalink

    not all gTLDs are the same… there will be many non-profits like .hiv or .music, and some will even be free like .free

    I wonder how that will affect existing generic TLDs.

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