With over 420 new gTLDs being launched in 2014, and about double that to come in the current round, it was timely for the European Domain Centre blog to ask ten leading experts “what’s in the DNA of a successful gTLD?”To help them on their way Christopher Hofman asked the following additional questions:
- Do successful new gTLDs share common traits ?
- Is there a way to spot the success of future launches in the registration stats?
- Why does .link get 50.000 registrations, when .direct only has 4.000 ?
- What is it about the success of .club or .guru that other registries might have missed?
The experts asked were
- Michele Neylon (Blacknight Solutions) who said the “key will be the content not the actual domains
- Andy Churley (Famous Four Media) who questioned the success of .club whose domains have wholesaled for below $10
- Jeff Sass (.CLUB Domains) who said “the greatest challenges every Registry faces are the ones of awareness and clutter” and “that in 2015 we’ll see stronger registry marketing efforts”
- Joseph Peterson (Branding Consultant and Domain Investor) who echoed several others saying “success depends on perspective” and that “what truly counts is someone’s goal”. Peterson also thinks that “if .MOBILE were to proceed without restrictions, it might overtake .MOBI a decade from now. Words are simply more natural. So I’d anticipate poor results for truncated nTLDs such as .REST, .PHYSIO, .ONL, and .ARCHI. Indeed, .RESTAURANT has already eclipsed .REST.”
- Pinky Brand who thinks relationships, trust and planning ahead are all key
- Adrian Kinderis (ARI Registry Services) says one has to question the importance of numbers and that “while registrars and domainers care little about .brands, they will transform the way we use the Internet. And clearly, a mere count of the names registered under these TLDs will reveal little about the success of these namespaces”
- Joe Alagna (101domain.com) gave six keys to a successful new gTLD:
1. let markets operate without too much interference.
2. foster trust amongst all stakeholders.
3. keep prices and rules simple and easy to understand.
4. follow established protocols.
5. are predictable and transparent.
6. promote aggressively while respecting their sales channels.
- Ken Hansen (co.com) said keyword gTLDs, location gTLDs, passion and marketing are all key
- Morgan Linton (Linton Investments) said “the team behind the registry and the string itself” are key
- Rubens Kohl (nic.br) believes the key there must be relevance building for a new gTLD to be successful.
To read the full article and complete responses, go to:
blog.europeandomaincentre.com/new-years-expert-roundup-whats-in-the-dna-of-a-successful-gtld/