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discuss Are domain names becoming less valuable in the near future?

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Fayaz Ahmed

DomainRobin.comTop Member
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Just thinking out loud:

👉 Interests in Social Media and advancements in Search Engine algorithms caused the decline in low & no content website traffic severely.

👉 gTLDs and possibility of an alternate decentralized domain naming system such as unstoppable domains (more likely a more open and non-profit future version of something similar) diluted the domain name industry even further.

👉 Popularity of smart phones and phone apps made many services available to mass people that were previously mainly served by websites. So the app market, on one hand facilitated the creation of new brands (hence more brandable tech domain names), but on the other hand, it contributed to the decline in web traffic. Besides, as we are reaching to an equilibrium point to the number of these new brands, eventually the smart phone app market are more likely to contribute to the further decline of interest in websites and hence domain names.

👉 And last but not the least, the recent advancements in Ai implementations like ChatGPT is threatning website traffic even with content.

So, are domain names as a whole becoming less valuable in the near future because of all these?

Surely ultra valuable domain names will most likely still remain valuable in the foreseable future. But what about the others?

To summarise, in the near future (say 5-10 years):
  • What sort of names will prevail?
  • What sort of names are most likely to fade away?
  • What's your thought on this overall concern?
Please also provide your reasoning behind those thoughts.

Note: I'm not asking this to spread negativity. Instead, please look at it as a discussion to better prepare for a probable foreseeable future.
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
Hmmm I do not read or visit websites.
What about you ?
 
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Hmmm I do not read or visit websites.
What about you ?

Actually this is a good point.

I do read, and I do visit websites.

However, I'm not from generation Z:
  1. I started using computers with Windows 95, then migrated to Linux and Mac later.
  2. Started browsing internet with dial-up phone modems.
  3. I'm a programmer, I wrote my first code in the year 2000 (although I started domaining much much later).
So, actions of people like me will not determine the future.

I still use my computer 25 times more than my smart phone (may be even more than that).
But these days kids use social media and mobile apps far more.
So what do I know about the future! :unsure:
 
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Most websites became less informative , with outdated content or fake info, with heavy ads.

Clean up the Internet.

Finding a useful information is hardly.

Now the Internet contains several centralizations: Twitter , YouTube tiktok and russian network telegram.org

Instagram and Facebook are dead.
 
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Youtube 10 billion downloads holly sht
IMG_20230227_030004.png
 
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You are on a website right now.

Brad
Yep. But namepros.com is not just a website :) We are community or tiny centralization like Facebook
 
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Yep. But namepros.com is not just a website :) We are community or tiny centralization like Facebook

I agree.

A forum like namepros is in between a simple website (e.g. a blog, a company website, product site, e-commerce etc.) and mass social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter etc.

Technically - YouTube, Twitter, Facebook etc. are also websites.

But there are many many simple websites, some forums and only a handful of social media platforms that we ever interact with.

So, in most cases, the domainers' target market would be those simple websites.
Hence, our main focus for this particular discussion would be on them as well.
 
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I don't think domains are going anywhere anytime soon. If anything they'll be in more demand now that companies are recognizing that their online image and likeness is basically vital to being successful in this generation.

If you look at commercials on TV or logo's on the sides of work trucks, almost every company has their website and domain posted for consumers to see. The company that I work for, which is a small local company in my area, realized a few years ago that they needed to get with the times and build their online image and brand. They hired a company to redo their website, paid for advertising and marketing, and they changed all the logos. Now their website is legit, modern, and their domain name is part of the logo and on all the company vehicles. My boss is the literally the farthest thing from tech-savvy but even he knew that a strong web presence is important. And a domain name is the first step to achieving that so yeah I think domains will be in demand for a while.
 
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🥶 Sheesh!

👍👎The amount of upvotes on your post, versus the downvotes on our post, indicates some people have lost faith in the idea there are actually still humans who can convey their viewpoint effectively and efficiently without assist.

😅 The Namepros community can be a tough crowd sometimes.

🙏 Anyhow, everyone have a progressive weekend. Take a breather, spend time with loved ones and remember to be thankful for the opportunities ahead.

🤖🗣 We sure know the Chatbots will.

Mel (QUAD DOMAINS)

Don't pay too much attention to that. I actually hate those anonymous votes and the whole feature.

I meant what I wrote as a compliment, albeit in a joking manner. I do media projects and know how important it is to break down the info into smaller digestable bites. I was just impressed that not only they were small, but roughly of similar size ))
 
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Now, on the subject:

Domains are absolutely necessary and cannot be replaced by something else. Of course, the world would do just fine with .com .org and cctlds. The rest are redundant, basically.

Domains are human-friendly version of true internet addresses: IPs. They point to the location of the info and allow seamlessly changing that location without client even noticing it.

They also are the foundation of the email system. And emails are like virtual passports for people. How do you get around that?
 
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Now, on the subject:

Domains are absolutely necessary and replaced by something else. Of course, the world would do just fine with .com .org and cctlds. The rest are redundant, basically.

Domains are human-friendly version of true internet addresses: IPs. They point to the location of the info and allow seamlessly changing that location without client even noticing it.

They also are the foundation of the email system. And emails are like virtual passports for people. How do you get around that?

Thanks, but that was not the question :giggle:

The question was:

Are domain names becoming less valuable in the near future?​


Becoming less valuable is not the same as becoming extinct.

For example, there are many apps that reduced the number of emails we previously used to send to interact with people. Many personal websites are replaced by social media profiles.

Evolution is unavoidable. So internet will evolve too. And if we can predict the path of that evolution, even to some extent, then that will be extremely valuable in the coming days for us domainers.
 
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I don't think domains are going anywhere anytime soon. If anything they'll be in more demand now that companies are recognizing that their online image and likeness is basically vital to being successful in this generation.

If you look at commercials on TV or logo's on the sides of work trucks, almost every company has their website and domain posted for consumers to see. The company that I work for, which is a small local company in my area, realized a few years ago that they needed to get with the times and build their online image and brand. They hired a company to redo their website, paid for advertising and marketing, and they changed all the logos. Now their website is legit, modern, and their domain name is part of the logo and on all the company vehicles. My boss is the literally the farthest thing from tech-savvy but even he knew that a strong web presence is important. And a domain name is the first step to achieving that so yeah I think domains will be in demand for a while.

Thanks! I agree with most of it.

However, if you read my original post, you'll notice that I didn't assume/ask that domains are going away.

Instead, my question was, will they eventually become less valuable? And more importantly:
  • What sort of names will prevail?
  • What sort of names are most likely to fade away?

Thanks for your comment again.
 
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Thanks! I agree with most of it.

However, if you read my original post, you'll notice that I didn't assume/ask that domains are going away.

Instead, my question was, will they eventually become less valuable?

I know...I was just responding to the OP - "Are domains becoming less valuable in the near future"
With everything I said, because companies are investing more in their online image, in turn I don't believe the value of domains will diminish. They should continue to grow and expand.

As far as your other questions:

What names will prevail:
The same as it's always been - 1 & 2 word category killers, brandables and short non-niche specific brandables. Basically any decent and up domains using .com or .org.
There will be niches here and there but overall, I like to place most of my bets on the above.

What names will fade away:
The same as it's always been - certain niches. Some will stick around, some will pop up out of nowhere, and some will fall. If anything it will be certain extensions that will continue to fade away.
 
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😉 No, we get it. We surely appreciate the acknowledgment. You’re awesome! With an attitude and sense of humor like yours, prosperity is in the cards.

👍 Kudos for engaging and breaking away from the conventional dialogue that tends to hinder the human ability to connect. Forums can be tough places.

Mel (QUAD DOMAINS)

Don't pay too much attention to that. I actually hate those anonymous votes and the whole feature.

I meant what I wrote as a compliment, albeit in a joking manner. I do media projects and know how important it is to break down the info into smaller digestable bites. I was just impressed that not only they were small, but roughly of similar size ))
 
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Thanks, but that was not the question :giggle:

The question was:


Becoming less valuable is not the same as becoming extinct.

For example, there are many apps that reduced the number of emails we previously used to send to interact with people. Many personal websites are replaced by social media profiles.

Evolution is unavoidable. So internet will evolve too. And if we can predict the path of that evolution, even to some extent, then that will be extremely valuable in the coming days for us domainers.

Thanks for the clarification :)

No, domains won't become less important because their basic function of a) pointing to companies/person's own content; b) working as web mail address and virtual passport, cannot be ADEQUATELY replaced.

Sure part of function of content pointer can be taken on by apps (they have been around for a lot of time now, yet, there are way less apps than sites/domains for many reasons, including way higher dependence on third parties) and mobile phones (just the id portion and short messaging/chatting), but nothing gives the same experience, reliability, independence, robustness, all-aroundness etc. Apps and mobile phone numbers complement domains/emails, don't compete with them.

Given the above, the domains will become MORE valuable as technology adoption increases and population grows until reaching a plateau. Of course, the better extensions and names will get the most of this value, while the rest will be just temporary placeholders screaming "hey, I couldn't get my dream domain, so I settled".
 
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😉 No, we get it. We surely appreciate the acknowledgment. You’re awesome! With an attitude and sense of humor like yours, prosperity is in the cards.

👍 Kudos for engaging and breaking away from the conventional dialogue that tends to hinder the human ability to connect. Forums can be tough places.

Mel (QUAD DOMAINS)

You've got style, I'll give you that )) Just wondering why do you use "we"? ) Do you, guys, collaborate on each post or it is some royal thing? ))
 
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Great question! “We” is merely the acknowledgment of a viewpoint being shared by two or more members of our team. (There’s no identity crisis. 😁)

Instead of saying “Mel, Aaron, Jessica etc believe”, ”we believe” is used instead. “I” can be distracting; and our goal is to promote teamwork whenever possible.

I (Mel) generally handle forum dialogue and social posts when necessary. Nevertheless, our team is comprised of folks who believe in “quality dialogue”.

As for my having style, I’ll take that to the bank! I’ll use it as an excuse to wear that colorful pair of socks I’ve been waiting to show off in the office! Thanks!




You've got style, I'll give you that )) Just wondering why do you use "we"? ) Do you, guys, collaborate on each post or it is some royal thing? ))
 
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Great question! “We” is merely the acknowledgment of a viewpoint being shared by two or more members of our team. (There’s no identity crisis. 😁)

Instead of saying “Mel, Aaron, Jessica etc believe”, ”we believe” is used instead. “I” can be distracting; and our goal is to promote teamwork whenever possible.

I (Mel) generally handle forum dialogue and social posts when necessary. Nevertheless, our team is comprised of folks who believe in “quality dialogue”.

As for my having style, I’ll take that to the bank! I’ll use it as an excuse to wear that colorful pair of socks I’ve been waiting to show off in the office! Thanks!

Aahh, I was really hoping for the royal thing )))

Ok, pleasure meeting you Mel, Aaron, Jessica and ETC )) I guess, Quad means there are four members on the team as of now? )

Welcome to the forum!
 
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There are actually more than 4 members. QUAD is a direct reference to the business model. We primarily offer and sale assets in sets of 4. (Hence, the name QUAD DOMAINS.)

We do offer singular names through certain marketplaces; but the QUAD is primarily based on pricing (Ex: $44, $444, $4,444, $44,444 etc) and/or domains being sold in sets of…..4.

Yep, if someone makes an offer for $5,000, we counter with $4,444. Just a neat way to give a little extra value back.

Thank you for welcoming us to the forum. We look forward to sharing and learning where we can with you and others!

-Mel
Asset Manger / Communications
QUAD DOMAINS






Aahh, I was really hoping for the royal thing )))

Ok, pleasure meeting you Mel, Aaron, Jessica and ETC )) I guess, Quad means there are four members on the team as of now? )

Welcome to the forum!
 
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There are actually more than 4 members. QUAD is a direct reference to the business model. We primarily offer and sale assets in sets of 4. (Hence, the name QUAD DOMAINS.)

We do offer singular names through certain marketplaces; but the QUAD is primarily based on pricing (Ex: $44, $444, $4,444, $44,444 etc) and/or domains being sold in sets of…..4.

Yep, if someone makes an offer for $5,000, we counter with $4,444. Just a neat way to give a little extra value back.

Thank you for welcoming us to the forum. We look forward to sharing and learning where we can with you and others!

-Mel
Asset Manger / Communications
QUAD DOMAINS

Very interesting.

Is there any science behind this? And why 4? That could be a deal breaker to a Chinese, e.g., as it is an instant bad omen for them.
 
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Some futuristic musings.

There is convergence of potentially very disruptive technologies going on. There are also things that will not easily reform.

One of those things, beside the infrastructure of the internet, is the existence of TM law. Brands will just never allow "outsider" content creation or compilation of TM protected products and services in a commercial context benefitting someone else. That is, posing as the target of the actual search result, and not only serving the search function.

I'm saying this because it could be the case that AI sooner rather than later, will be able to design and serve a viable website from scratch in an instant, based on a relevant and actionable query.

The only place where this "instant website" technology could happen is the world of search, dominated by a rent-seeking monopoly and a few huge, but comparably small competitors.

Even though brands will likely never be let in on the "first contact" without these gate-keepers taking a cut, they will also never allow a similar kind of hi-jacking of the explicit contents of the actual brand offer as well.

This means that brand identities will continue to exist on the internet, and elsewhere, and that brand-matching domains are going to stay a natural part of the ever more necessary process of differentiation in business identity.

Without the brand name domain as the guarantor of source authenticity, age-old systems may crumble, at the expense of business at large. If that happens, it could spell the downfall of the search empire, and I don't think that is what it strives for. Business and people would not put up with that kind of concentration of power. The bar is high, but not that high.

In the wake of the possibility to go directly from search to a viable website, the value of branding and TM IP will take a quantum leap.

Atleast in one alternative universe.
 
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Some futuristic musings.

There is convergence of potentially very disruptive technologies going on. There are also things that will not easily reform.

One of those things, beside the infrastructure of the internet, is the existence of TM law. Brands will just never allow "outsider" content creation or compilation of TM protected products and services in a commercial context benefitting someone else. That is, posing as the target of the actual search result, and not only serving the search function.

I'm saying this because it could be the case that AI sooner rather than later, will be able to design and serve a viable website from scratch in an instant, based on a relevant and actionable query.

The only place where this "instant website" technology could happen is the world of search, dominated by a rent-seeking monopoly and a few huge, but comparably small competitors.

Even though brands will likely never be let in on the "first contact" without these gate-keepers taking a cut, they will also never allow a similar kind of hi-jacking of the explicit contents of the actual brand offer as well.

This means that brand identities will continue to exist on the internet, and elsewhere, and that brand-matching domains are going to stay a natural part of the ever more necessary process of differentiation in business identity.

Without the brand name domain as the guarantor of source authenticity, age-old systems may crumble, at the expense of business at large. If that happens, it could spell the downfall of the search empire, and I don't think that is what it strives for. Business and people would not put up with that kind of concentration of power. The bar is high, but not that high.

Atleast in one alternative universe.

Very well said. Thanks! 🌹
 
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Another notable aspect to websites over social media platforms is that Search Engines like Google and Bing have a vested interested in promoting personal websites over social media websites.
 
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Regarding AI disruption, some people may not realize that websites are the fuel for AI content. GPT-3 was fed on websites such as Wikipedia and Reddit to reach its current level.

Now, if AI leads to the downfall of websites, then AI will also go down. Both must coexist for AI to thrive.
 
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Uhmm.

I should call an exorcist to make some incantations and cleanse this thread.

Otherwise yes we are all doomed!
 
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