.mobi .Mobi domain ending will soon rank organically on mobile phones Google slips

[freeflow]

What do you think about this article?

Earlier today Google let slip for 24 minutes before retracting the tweet that .mobi is now the platform for mobile and everyone from Go Daddy to Enom.com have reported record sales.


“Its 1990 all over again” says Greg Partisan with Domain authority as .mobi extension sales took off.


The mobile Web is growing exponentially, recording 700% growth in the past year. With this growth, however, comes the need for standardization to allow the mobile Web to continue to develop. We've seen this numerous times in the past where competing technology standards have delayed widespread adoption. In the 1970s it was VCR vs. Betamax and in the 1990s it was Digital Audio Tape vs. MiniDisc vs. CD. In both of these cases, it was the format that got in the lead first, and enjoyed the widest industry support, that eventually triumphed. Today .mobi enjoys this same position as the most prevalent mobile domain in use.


.Mobi domain ending will replace .com for search preference only on all mobile devices starting March of 2013 and the first day sales of the extension were over 23 million.

http://www.siliconvalleyreporter.co...nk-organically-on-mobile-phones-google-slips/

Here is an example:

Search for mobile link directory on google and depending where you are searching from,
there should be 1 - 2 .mobis on the first page.

Do you know of any other search terms where this is the case? Please post...

 

[carob]

There is always a market for generics. .

So where are all the .mobi sales?

Where are all the developed sites?

I owned some super keywords in mobi for several years. No type-in traffic, no offers, nothing nothing nothing - even when set at €100 fixed price on Sedo for years. Some of them when dropped actually stay unregistered.

If you want to make money selling or developing domains this is not the extension you want. Seriously.

 

[Keith]

not selling, nothing will sell. why?

I believe that was Sams point.

 

[mjnels]

I believe that was Sams point.

maybe, but what he said was anyone investing should check their finances. what did that mean?

hey sam.. what'd that mean?

 

[Keith]

maybe, but what he said was anyone investing should check their finances. what did that mean?

I took it as making an investment in .mobi now is just flushing money. Maybe he meant something else...

 

[mjnels]

I took it as making an investment in .mobi now is just flushing money. Maybe he meant something else...

if thats what he meant he is probably right.

but even when .mobi's were hot (in domainer land) i thought that exact same thing about the people repeatedly spending tens of thousands of dollars for single .mobi's.. you and i both know of people that ended up losing fortunes.

$7.90 hand registered .mobi today for single words people used to pay thousands for, sometimes tens of thousands AND STILL not be able to resell it.. this made so much less sense to me. we are today where we should have been the entire 6 years.. nowhere. that little hype bubble domainer boom/bust never deserved to happen and was based on nothing but pure speculation and people on forums patting each other too heavily on the back.

 

[carob]

that little hype bubble domainer boom/bust never deserved to happen and was based on nothing but pure speculation and people on forums patting each other too heavily on the back.

True but Microsoft and Nokia each lost $1.8m on .mobi, Google lost 600k and all the other partners each lost at least 600k - everybody lost except registrars and Afilias and those few surfing the bubble at the right time.

Look for similar to happen with new TLDs - the first one to go bust will be a laugh.

 

[mjnels]

True but Microsoft and Nokia each lost $1.8m on .mobi, Google lost 600k and all the other partners each lost at least 600k - everybody lost except registrars and Afilias and those few surfing the bubble at the right time.

Look for similar to happen with new TLDs - the first one to go bust will be a laugh.

i havnt heard about those numbers but again i guess that is the point. if people were paying all this money for keyword .mobi based on microsoft, nokia, google, etc having thrown a few million at it - i got news for those people - that isnt a lot of money to google/microsoft/etc.. so dont base your speculation on that!

or any babble the .mobi registry says said that matter. also, not sure affilias has actually profited from buying the .mobi registry yet since they acquired this fairly recently.

 

[Kate]

True but Microsoft and Nokia each lost $1.8m on .mobi, Google lost 600k and all the other partners each lost at least 600k

You have a source for these figures perhaps ?

 

[mjnels]

You have a source for these figures perhaps ?

doubt it, another rumor. people got confused on what "backers" meant but it was never really clear anyway so lead to more speculation and untrue guessed information. :wave:

 

[Kate]

I'm not disputing the figures, just interested in the financial details and the respective stakes each of those 'backers' have had.

 

[Steven]

LOL <- this is what I think.

 

[carob]

You have a source for these figures perhaps ?

Yes they are publicly available from the Irish Companies House http://www.cro.ie/ - you can get the articles of incorporation and accounts for the Dotmobi company before it became a subsidiary of Afililas. The named founders - mobile companies, Google, Microsoft, Visa etc - all had to buy shares of €600k (correction - it was € not $) and some bought 3 shares. The amounts they invested are all in those docs.

That was the weird thing about the mobi story - self-styled "investors" just did not ask basic questions about the company they were investing in. Basic. Which is why I expect more disasters with new TLDs if people just think a name is all you need to succeed.

 

[Ms Domainer]

*

Let's party like it's 2006!

LOL.

Even Rick Schwartz sold Flowers.mobi for peanuts (after spending xxx,xxx for it when .mobi was first launched back in 2006--or 2007?).

I guess he just figured it was time to fold and move on.

*

 

[freeflow]

Where are all the developed sites?

This link might answer that question:
http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en#h...40,d.Yms&fp=b2f6b814ea32d9c8&biw=1340&bih=727

Here are a few examples of active mobi websites from the link above:

CNNMoney News
http:www.cnnmoney.mobi/

MLB.com Mobile: Home
http:www.mlb.mobi

Home - The Sun mobile
http:www.thesun.mobi

ESPN Home
http:www.espn.mobi

Reuters.com
http:www.reuters.mobi

Explore Bangkok :: Bangkok.mobi
http:www.bangkok.mobi/explore

The Weather Channel Mobile
http:www.weather.mobi

Fidelity Mobile Website
http:www.fidelity.mobi

and many more....

So where are all the .mobi sales?

The mobile web era has just begun.... That's 7 years later and a lot of $$$ reg fees more than expected.
This broke many backs. Let's see what happens in the next few years.

 

[serryjw]

"The mobile Web is growing exponentially"

This was the line used most when investors hyped the failing TLD, The argument was it's growing, so naturally everyone will start using it, a flawed assumption in my opinion, We can all agree it's growing, but I think it's reckless to assume internet users will use it when other TLD's had and have the same ability to be mobile compliant.

And with all the phishing going on today, would you feel comfortable logging into yourbank.com or yourbank.mobi?... More and more internet sites also give you the option of downloading an app for your wireless device, so again; Why do we "need" mobi?.. I have yet to hear one legitimate argument since the TLD was launched.

How this work..web has a re-direct on it website..NOW we are going to reg mobi's for our clients?

 

[Kate]

Here are a few examples of active mobi websites from the link above:

It's true, there are .mobi sites developed. But what does that actually mean.
Many sites are operating on a .com (or ccTLD) and do not seem to be doing much to promote their .mobi URLs. The .mobis exist and are available but the holdership appears to be passive in nature, almost like defensive registrations.

For example, if I visit cnn.com there is a link to the mobile version of the site at the bottom, it redirects to: http://edition.cnn.com/mobile/

Unless the .mobi is advertised somewhere, you have to guess its existence and type it yourself. The companies are not aggressively pushing for it.

If the TLD was truly popular, we would see more aftermarket sales as a result.

 

[freeflow]

If the TLD was truly popular, we would see more aftermarket sales as a result.

IMO you are correct if you only looking at .mobi from a domainers perspective. Don't forget the developers and new businesses...

 

[JB Lions]

"Don't forget the developers and new businesses..."

Are they are hiding or invisible? How many .mobi sites do you have bookmarked, list them please. It's been about 6 and a half years, since they've been available to the public, there has to be a few you visit from time to time, some quality sites.

 

[mjnels]

IMO you are correct if you only looking at .mobi from a domainers perspective. Don't forget the developers and new businesses...

most people here want to make money from just registering domains. anything else is really irrelevant.

 

[Kate]

Not just from a domainers perspective. The secondary market is a natural effect of a healthy primary market. Broadly speaking of course.
From a development POV any TLD can be developed. As a new business why would I want a .mobi without owning the matching .com/.ccTLD ?

 

[Domainsyrup]

AT&T official site.
http://attmobilephones.mobi

 

[freeflow]

AT&T official site.
http://attmobilephones.mobi

Nice! Thanks for posting... :talk:

 

[ProSence]

Well, I have just two names

9800 dot mobi
bestcacino dot mobi..

I think these two are not too bad.

 

[Domainstore]

---------- Post added at 02:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:48 AM ----------

I agree with the remark of FREEFLOW who reacted on the following post =>

RAIDERGIRL POSTED =>

More and more internet sites also give you the option of downloading an app for your wireless device, so again; Why do we "need" mobi?.. I have yet to hear one legitimate argument since the TLD was launched.

FREEFLOW POSTED =>

I don't agree with you on this point. Yes, there are some amazing apps out there. But the little business next door (and there are many out there) doesn't and will not have an app to download. All it needs is a little mobile website to have a mobile presence. And yes, you don't need a .mobi, but what's the best choice if you want to develop a mobile website for your new business? You can buy a very good .mobi for the fraction of the price of other tlds. Even though .mobis are more expensive to register than many other tlds it is still worth it if you want a decent domain name for your business. I'm the webmaster of a mobile link directory and there have been many .mobi among other tld submissions lately. My prediction is that .mobi will be used even more in the future. If domainers will be interested again in .mobi I don't know, but IMO developers will be...

---------- Post added at 03:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:55 AM ----------

The below FROM FLEEFLOW is very interesting.
And we'll see what exactly happens with .mobile => will it be approved as TLD ?

:wave: Domainstore Steven

.

[donuts.co=freeflow;4466269]This link might answer that question:
http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en#h...40,d.Yms&fp=b2f6b814ea32d9c8&biw=1340&bih=727

Here are a few examples of active mobi websites from the link above:

CNNMoney News
http:www.cnnmoney.mobi/

MLB.com Mobile: Home
http:www.mlb.mobi

Home - The Sun mobile
http:www.thesun.mobi

ESPN Home
http:www.espn.mobi

Reuters.com
http:www.reuters.mobi

Explore Bangkok :: Bangkok.mobi
http:www.bangkok.mobi/explore

The Weather Channel Mobile
http:www.weather.mobi

Fidelity Mobile Website
http:www.fidelity.mobi

and many more....


The mobile web era has just begun.... That's 7 years later and a lot of $$$ reg fees more than expected.
This broke many backs. Let's see what happens in the next few years.

---------- Post added at 02:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:48 AM ----------

 

[Ronald Regging]

Here are a few examples of active mobi websites from the link above:

CNNMoney News
http:www.cnnmoney.mobi/

MLB.com Mobile: Home
http:www.mlb.mobi

Home - The Sun mobile
http:www.thesun.mobi

ESPN Home
http:www.espn.mobi

Reuters.com
http:www.reuters.mobi

Explore Bangkok :: Bangkok.mobi
http:www.bangkok.mobi/explore

The Weather Channel Mobile
http:www.weather.mobi

Fidelity Mobile Website
http:www.fidelity.mobi

and many more....

Tee hee hee. This is funny, because if I go to Weather.com, MLB.com or CNNMoney.com (didn't try all the sites you mentioned), it forwards me to m.weather.com, m.mlb.com, and money.cnn.com/m/

It doesn't look like even they believe much in .mobi.

.MOBI was an orchestrated hype fest to make money for the registrars and those at the top of the domaining industry. Sort of like the Facebook IPO. Everyone who bought early, sold early and everyone else got left holding the bag. Some of you are still holding the bag, wondering when your crap will turn to gold.