sales BBC - The race to buy AI website addresses (domains)

[silentg]

He adds that one domain name speculator bought an AI website name for $300,000, only to then sell it some months later for $1.5m. "There are speculators in the space who realise companies want the best branding."

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-67284936

 

[MadAboutDomains]

Don't worry you're not missing out on much. It'll be on the board as a fad that came and went in about 1 years time

 

[MKA]

I mean the speculator rush is long since over. If you hand register an .ai domain now to sell you'll just end up losing money.

 

[MadAboutDomains]

AI is huge and will continue to be huge, but again people are making the common mistake like they do every time... The faddy name "AI" will fade into irrelevance like everything else.

When everything is AI it's just nothingness - not a differentiator.

It's like saying that we should all invest in MVC domains cause most websites use it behind the scenes.

Grab them while they're hot and make some money, but don't expect "AI" to stick around or morph mysteriously into something else like AGI that nobody will ever care about imho.

 

[MKA]

Brands still market and vocalize that "tech nomenclature" within their branding + communications and App/Cloud/AR/Streaming companies still buy digital marketing assets pertaining to their core technologies.

Of course, but if you are Cloudflare you still use cloudflare.com, not flare.cloud or anything like that. Likewise, Open AI is openai.com, not open.ai.

Even those who started with .ai are transitioning to .com. Katalon AI was originally katalon.ai, now it's katalon.com.

At best .ai is a steppingstone. But what's going to happen when all serious AI businesses use the .com instead of the .ai, and all the .ai are small or failed projects? Well...people with AI projects will want the .com over the .ai.

No to mention that when AI becomes properly integrated into the current infrastructure there'll be no need to specify that it's AI. I mean we don't call websites "https-websites," even though they rely https-protocol because it's inferred that all (well managed sites) use the https-protocol.

 

[cooljub]

Yet more advertorial from the impartial bbc.

 

[MadAboutDomains]

If you load the BBC website, you're funding shi*e.

 

[MadAboutDomains]

In 2040, expect the next big extension to be .AGI ( Artificial General Intelligence) to accentuate its capabilities over mere .AI

Just pure fantasy. Sorry.

 

[BocaVision]

For companies that are AI-centric, the decision to acquire AI name assets make sense.

“Ai-centric” domain names are analogous to Apps, API, Cloud, Data, Mobile, Net, Stream, CRM, AR urls.

All these technologies are imbued within everyday products & services.

These tech terms have been around for several years, but these words have not vanished.

Brands still market and vocalize that "tech nomenclature" within their branding + communications and App/Cloud/AR/Streaming companies still buy digital marketing assets pertaining to their core technologies.

 

[MKA]

Cherry picking.

"The logic of most people in this forum is that:

Why does a website using new gTLD succeed?
Because it has great content and many backlinks.

Why does a website using new gTLD fail?
Because it uses new gTLD.

Why does a website using .com succeed?
Because it uses .com.

Why does a website using .com fail?
Because it has poor content and few backlinks.


This kind of logic is called bias."

First and foremost, .ai isn't a gTLD, but more importantly: we see these patterns in the industry already, and it's not cherry-picking because we don't see the reverse happening; businesses are not jumping from the .com to the .ai.

But we don't even have to even have to limit ourselves to this industry:

Every serious business uses the .com. Do you drive a Telsa, Toyota, BMW, Mercedes, or Ford? These companies use .com. Is your phone a Samsung or Apple? Because both use .com. What search engine do you use and what TLD do they use? Are you active on social media sites like twitter.com, x.com, youtube, instagram.com, facebook.com, or reddit.com? What is the TLD of your registrar? What's the TLD of this site? Are you seeing the pattern?

If you own the .com then you own the brand. If you own fixture.ai then you'll ever only be "Fixture dot AI," but if you own fixture.com you'll be "Fixture." If someone says go to Fixture's website the gut reaction is "fixture.com," in other words, you do not have to specify what domain you use. And if someone else owns and uses the .com they'll thank you for the traffic that you're giving them.

This is even more important if you ever want to expand beyond AI some day.

.com is a mark of provenance. There is no substitute.

 

[nametrekker]

I mean the speculator rush is long since over. If you hand register an .ai domain now to sell you'll just end up losing money.

I mean the speculator rush is long since over. If you hand register an .ai domain now to sell you'll just end up losing money.

Yep -- all the best .AI domains were taken by early 2017 for registration
by 2018, you would need to pay 4 figures to get a decent .AI domain
2022, 5 figures to get a decent .AI domain
2023 === will still take 5 figures for a one word .ai taken in at least 100 extensions

 

[Inframan]

Yes simply because u can not find a ONE-WORD or TWO-WORD meaningful keyword for hand reg

The keyword is meaningful. I'm sure there are available ONE-WORD in the (.AI) extension. I think the first question that should be asked is, "Is this a Business Name".

If the marketplace Only wants previously registered ONE-WORD English dictionary words, I don't know what to say. All of my domains are hand registered. I'm not in the drop catch or buying premium domains to flip.

I don't have the bandwidth to understand how or why pantry dot ai sold.

 

[nametrekker]

Just pure fantasy. Sorry.

My bank account says otherwise. An ai company I cofounded in Montreal was acquired with a sweet exit, and at least 40 of my .ai domains have been acquired since 2016--- if you think that's a fantasy, then we're all living in a simulation --- and I'm not refuting this as a possibility.

But if this is "just pure fantasy", keep bringing it -- my kids love the global traveling

 

[Domain Ethos]

So pantry.ai sold for $12k and we don’t know what domain supposedly sold for 300k and then $1.5m months later.

 

[SixFigures.ltd]

So pantry.ai sold for $12k and we don’t know what domain supposedly sold for 300k and then $1.5m months later.

A lot of deals are undisclosed, so...

 

[pb]

How do you do, fellow speculators?
I thought journalism was supposed to be impartial.
Actually, can't really blame them, since this word was used by the CEO of Escrow.com.
I guess Mr Barrie doesn't have the best opinion about his clients.
Seemingly Mr Udemme, a "domain broker", said something similar, but there is no direct quote.

 

[paul10]

The keyword is meaningful. I'm sure there are available ONE-WORD in the (.AI) extension. I think the first question that should be asked is, "Is this a Business Name".

If the marketplace Only wants previously registered ONE-WORD English dictionary words, I don't know what to say. All of my domains are hand registered. I'm not in the drop catch or buying premium domains to flip.

I don't have the bandwidth to understand how or why pantry dot ai sold.

There are no meaningful one-word domain available for .ai

 

[nametrekker]

Don't worry you're not missing out on much. It'll be on the board as a fad that came and went in about 1 years time

Fad? Hardly but yes, .ai may be deemed a fad by those who own zero great .AI domains
A trend is far different from a fad. Trends become part of the zeitgeist
Ai will not even reach critical mass until circa 2035

And this trend is soaring upwards:
"According to Google Trends, the “ai domain” search term has grown by 203% in the past year, with over 18,000 searches/month. One of the main factors driving this trend is ChatGPT’s release on November 30, 2022. Its success has led organizations worldwide to build their own AI-based services, urging them to secure their own.ai domain"

In 2040, expect the next big extension to be .AGI ( Artificial General Intelligence) to accentuate its capabilities over mere .AI

 

[SixFigures.ltd]

Of course, but if you are Cloudflare you still use cloudflare.com, not flare.cloud or anything like that. Likewise, Open AI is openai.com, not open.ai.

Even those who started with .ai are transitioning to .com. Katalon AI was originally katalon.ai, now it's katalon.com.

Cherry picking.

"The logic of most people in this forum is that:

Why does a website using new gTLD succeed?
Because it has great content and many backlinks.

Why does a website using new gTLD fail?
Because it uses new gTLD.

Why does a website using .com succeed?
Because it uses .com.

Why does a website using .com fail?
Because it has poor content and few backlinks.


This kind of logic is called bias."

 

[nametrekker]

I loaded up on one word .AI domains in late 2015, early 2016 And these one word domains were taken in at least 200 other extensions, some in over 400.
Unfortunately, I regged only about 60, not 600.
First year another extension has exceeded my .com sales - 2023 -- and year still ain't over.
As one word domains like even drafts.ai and pinecone.ai are fetching 5 figures, per this week's Dynadot ,AI expired auction, I can see entrepreneurs and startups turning to .BOT ---- Grok the Bot can move the needle

 

[MKA]

Yes simply because u can not find a ONE-WORD or TWO-WORD meaningful keyword for hand reg

That's how it is with all domains, when they become a valuable the few ones that are still available get snatched.

But that's the point. The speculator rush is over. There's no point in hoarding these domains anymore.

 

[nametrekker]

There are no meaningful one-word domain available for .ai

Paul, if you can find a meaningful, as in good, one word .AI domain to register now, you're a better searcher than I. it's possible., but not likely.

 

[MadAboutDomains]

I've used chat gpt to generate names and it fails almost all of the time. The requirements asked for are not met. Anyone trusting chatgpt like it's some kind've domain name God shouldn't be doing.

 

[BaileyUK]

I don't have the bandwidth to understand how or why pantry dot ai sold.

I would have thought it's likely related to food, drink etc reordering through your chosen supplier. The AI Pantry would recognise low stock, use-by-dates and even seasonal purchases. The reordering just presents itself as a list to say Yes or no to. For a family it's amazing how much time is spent on such tasks. No scanning or user input required.

I could be wrong

I have to say, my belief is the AI boom is going to be phenomenal but I still think it is better to focus on the relevant marketable .COMS, these mostly don't contain a 'direct reference' to AI (or those two letters) but more of an inference to the products and technology in general. Obviously I'm returning to the Brandable aspect of the domains but also the longevity and flexibility going forward.

Horses for courses of course but I love to be inventive in a market knowledge type-of-way. short and sweet being the main guideline

 

[paul10]

Fad? Hardly but yes, .ai may be deemed a fad by those who own zero great .AI domains
A trend is far different from a fad. Trends become part of the zeitgeist
Ai will not even reach critical mass until circa 2035

And this trend is soaring upwards:
"According to Google Trends, the “ai domain” search term has grown by 203% in the past year, with over 18,000 searches/month. One of the main factors driving this trend is ChatGPT’s release on November 30, 2022. Its success has led organizations worldwide to build their own AI-based services, urging them to secure their own.ai domain"

In 2040, expect the next big extension to be .AGI ( Artificial General Intelligence) to accentuate its capabilities over mere .AI

you are correct