What about the phone number domain?

A phone number is not easy to remember as a word or word combination, or even a pronouncable unique brandable domain.

It is also long, each number is its own syllable, while a decent domain can be one or two syllables.

People pay for VANITY phone numbers and advertise numbers as the words the numeric items on the keypad can spell so that people can remember. This is why every number also has a letters assigned to it on a dial pad.

Long strings of numbers are not memorable.

I acquired a toll free vanity number for my domaining business because I could never remember my google voice phone number.

I memorized my vanity number instantly because of the repeater number 8, 511 which is the code for "traffic information" and the word NAME the last 4 digits spell.

1-888-511-NAME

I also think phone numbers are the most ineffective ways to advertise how to find and contact a business, especially seeing one while moving on the road with no pen and paper, and moving vehicles.

Welcome to NamePros @RR151. I agree with @indiegrind that phone numbers make for a long domain name. Also, they're harder to type in.

indiegrind said:

I also think phone numbers are the most ineffective ways to advertise how to find and contact a business, especially seeing one while moving on the road with no pen and paper, and moving vehicles.

Click to expand...

I agree, but why do we see so many of these small businesses that are using just their phone number as the point of contact. It is either working or they are missing out on so many opportunities.

My lawn care person has stated that it's not about when the van is moving but when it is parked in the neighborhood that counts. Go figure...RR

A Phone Number is like IP Address, this is why we use DNS and Contacts app on our phones.

555.635-5722.com = hot or not?

RR151 said:

I agree, but why do we see so many of these small businesses that are using just their phone number as the point of contact. It is either working or they are missing out on so many opportunities.

My lawn care person has stated that it's not about when the van is moving but when it is parked in the neighborhood that counts. Go figure...RR

Click to expand...

Welcome to NamePros

The reason phone number is not a good idea of domain name is explained clearly by @indiegrind

Coming to your doubts about so many small businesses using phone number as a single point of contact are valid...
Here are some reasons I think...
* The small business usually limited to only some small town...if it is big city...they usually concentrate on one part of the city usually their neighbourhood area.
* Due to this the need to get more publicity is limited and no need of web presence.
* If I am not wrong these small businesses will have very few members to work on the calls they get.
* Phone number is been a single point of contact for communication when needed for business purposes and it is easily accessible for customer and also for service provider.
* The businesses like plumbing, electrical work, roofing all are given to locally known workers imo

Lol yea if you were going to use phone number domains you may as well just use IPs

I watched an interview on Sherpa with Rick Schwartz ... he was highly into the vanity number craze way back in the 90's which led to his domaining. He still gets residuals from those numbers....but between you and me, I think his sale of sex.com brought more.

Suppose u have these 2 details with you:

1). Phone number of your local plumber.
2). Website of your local plumber.

Now, when you would need his services, would you visit his website and fill a contact form or directly call him on the phone.?

Again, for local businesses, a website would be helpful only if it comes on the 1st page on Google, either by SEO or Advertising. And for this very purpose, Geo domains get sold, not number domains.

Phone numbers are not very memorable, even when using vanity numbers and they suck for branding.
It's a bad idea to use geographic area codes, because if you relocate your business you could lose your phone number.

From the responses on this thread, I see an overwhelming "NO" to buying a phone number domain. I understand some of the comments that refer to the IP address being the same as the phone number.

Good Point and having said that...this may be a reason to make a purchase...That is if the phone number has not been advertised.

I have a Pizza Joint that advertises their phone number at every turn in all media and everybody knows the number is associated to the Pizza Joint. They have not picked up the domain as of yet...(area-code)-222-2222.com

Wonder if this would be a good first buy for me? That is if I would be allowed to sell it to them...

Any comment? RR

Sure, they will congratulate you for being so smart and they didn't think of it
Domain names that have only one possible end user are usually not great domains.

Okay, that is what I thought...There are 3 or 4 other businesses that advertise their phone number but don't have the dot-com as of yet. If this works out there might be other opportunities?

So the next question is what is it worth? And yes I know it is worth what they are will to pay...Any comments on the logic of pricing the domain? I don't want to be greedy...RR

I can't picture a big demand or high valuation for such domains.

Along with the responses above, aside from a very few combinations (555-555-5555.com, 800-555-5555.com, etc), most number combinations would be very difficult to remember if you just saw them in passing while driving down the road.

And even if memorable enough to stay with you until you write them down/type them in to your browser, how long will you retain the memory of who/what company/service/person the "number domain" represents?

It makes me think of all those notes we jot down and then a week later can't recall what they mean. (Granted all one has to do to is punch the "number domain" in to a browser to be reminded, still...)

8 2 9 4 2 2 2.com
T A X I C A B

google the # on its own without the ext and see what you get,incl images.