Because this will impact domaining.. Let's talk this...

[arjun29]

How much the shift of youngster's internet search might impact domaining?
I read that most gen Z are already starting to use tiktok, insta as search engines to find information.
If this trend becomes mainstream, plus rise of chatbots , what will be the business significance of domain names?

How soon do you see the shift of search "google" change to search over all other places (chatbot, socialmedia, reddit ).

You can add your views to anything related to topic even it is distant.

 

[bmugford]

How much the shift of youngster's internet search might impact domaining?
I read that most gen Z are already starting to use tiktok, insta as search engines to find information.
If this trend becomes mainstream, plus rise of chatbots , what will be the business significance of domain names?

How soon do you see the shift of search "google" change to search over all other places (chatbot, socialmedia, reddit ).

You can add your views to anything related to topic even it is distant.

It's kind of hard to do any real business on TikTok or most social media platforms.
It might be good for driving traffic and leads though.

This discussion has been had many times with apps, social media, etc.

There is a place for social media. There is also a place for domains.

Domains give you freedom that social media does not.

Brad

 

[DomainBoxio]

Domains give you freedom that social media does not.

I agree with this very much. I had once developed a business plan based on a LinkedIn Business Page that I created and developed specifically for many months while getting this project underway.

About one month after implementation, LinkedIn removed my user account from the page, leaving the page without a user admin. Their support has argued back to me that I need to request the current admin for access, but that user does not exist, because twas I who thought up this page, created, and administered it.

The moral of the story is that social accounts are great but ultimately cannot be depended upon for business-critical purposes in the same way that one's owned domain could. It's easy to forget that ultimately social accounts are really someone else's website-no matter how much they try to make you feel the owner, while they trick you into doing lots of free web development and content creation on their website.

Domains will always have this over any social account (save fediverse instances).

 

[Joe N]

Don't forget the immense value and authority of owning your exact match brand as a domain name. You can't put a price on the trust this creates for customers.

Regardless of how people find your business or interact with you, going to your site and seeing your brand name in the URL bar (or in the email addresses of employees) gives people the warm fuzzies.

 

[silentg]

Domains are here to stay, and they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.

Check out X/Twitter after the acquisition: The company is using your usernames for their own product. They’re also suspending premium handles to sell them. And their new algorithm is all about rage, engagement bait, and misinformation posts.

YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok - if you don’t post regularly, your content won’t be shown to your subscribers or other users.

Good luck building business on social media without a domain.

 

[bmugford]

Domains are here to stay, and they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.

Check out X/Twitter after the acquisition: The company is using your usernames for their own product. They’re also suspending premium handles to sell them. And their new algorithm is all about rage, engagement bait, and misinformation posts.

YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok - if you don’t post regularly, your content won’t be shown to your subscribers or other users.

Good luck building business on social media without a domain.

I know when I am looking for a professional service for instance a plumber, landscaper, auto repair, etc. I am not going to YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram.

Brad

 

[silentg]

I know when I am looking for a professional service for instance a plumber, landscaper, auto repair, etc. I am not going to YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram.

Brad

Influencers you follow will give you recommendation and they'll make money on referrals

 

[pb]

Wait, how do you "use tiktok, insta as search engines to find information"?
Surely you mean to find silly videos and photos? But information?
Who does that? Are they... delusional or something?

 

[Alop]

I know when I am looking for a professional service for instance a plumber, landscaper, auto repair, etc. I am not going to YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram.

Brad

Keep that.. a dislike would of surprised the post.


Not much change ...the information is available and how you find it is on you

 

[arjun29]

Who does that? Are they... delusional or something?

They are different.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnko...e-for-tiktok-instagram-as-social-search-wins/

 

[alcy]

fany just watched video on this day ago how tiktok etc are used to find shit

they said plenty criminals do biz there too

nobody care no more world is crazy

so maybe google search go out bit maybe also darknet hahahaha

 

[pb]

They are different.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnko...e-for-tiktok-instagram-as-social-search-wins/

I agree google search is crap nowadays but wtf is "social search"?
From the article it looks like they're searching for recommendations, not information like you said.
It makes sense at least.

 

[arjun29]

"social search"?

may be searches over social media. Like searching "best shoes for treadmill" over tiktok and results are reviews or discussion or unboxing or paid promo of running shoes as short videos. Makes sense though! Gen Z need everything quick and visual, I think.

 

[pb]

may be searches over social media. Like searching "best shoes for treadmill" over tiktok and results are reviews or discussion or unboxing or paid promo of running shoes as short videos. Makes sense though! Gen Z need everything quick and visual, I think.

Yeah, it's just that reviews and recommendations are only a part of the search stream and not that connected to domains anyway. I'd say it just shifted from looking up tests and videos through google directly to certain platforms. I don't think it's affecting domains at all. If anything, it strengthens the position of good domains, because google would return my-crap-shop.com as a top result if they paid enough, while an influencer will tell you to go to "crapshop" and you need to remember the name and actually type it in.

 

[arjun29]

recommendations, not information

Information as well. think of "visa application process for Belgium", "how to make small rocket in home", "Mind headache followed by Sharp pain in eye socket"

There are visa gurus, diy experts, doctors and everyone and might appeal the youngsters. Also, the apps may try to make them more like search engines if users are taking them as such...

 

[pb]

Information as well. think of "visa application process for Belgium", "how to make small rocket in home", "Mind headache followed by Sharp pain in eye socket"

There are visa gurus, diy experts, doctors and everyone and might appeal the youngsters. Also, the apps may try to make them more like search engines if users are taking them as such...

Ok, I can see how these queries will be missed by google, but still don't affect domains in any way. A tiktok specialist can tell you to see the doctor or take some pills, but you won't do either on tiktok. Same with buying parts for the rocket and applying for visa. If anything, they compete with youtube and seo-spam websites on google.

 

[Jannes]

You can add your views to anything related to topic even it is distant.

Okay. One of my favorite domainers, Dave Lahoti, is using Tiktok for his own weird purposes. I don't know its impact on his business, though.

e.g.
broadbay .com

 

[Patryx]

It is clear that GenZ uses a lot and especially social media to communicate, to inform themselves, to have fun, to share, to insert spontaneous content, etc. All that is done anywhere (with mobile), without sophisticated equipment (a smartphone is enough), and at any time, and very quickly. That is a fact.

The question posed by Arjun, "How much the shift of youngster's internet search might impact domaining?" needs to be explained.

Gen Z (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Z) are people now (2024) aged between 12 and 27.
Are Gen Z interested to domain names, selling and buying domains? Maybe yes, if they think they can pay for college or earn extra money by buying and selling domains, but they soon realize that to earn money with domaining you need experience, study, time, money. So they look for other things.

Instagram or tiktok, or other social media for Gen Z are not the right place to talk about domaining.
The question is: What youngest search on internet... on social media?
I don't think their priority is domaining.

imo...

 

[homebuyer]

How much the shift of youngster's internet search might impact domaining?
I read that most gen Z are already starting to use tiktok, insta as search engines to find information.
If this trend becomes mainstream, plus rise of chatbots , what will be the business significance of domain names?

How soon do you see the shift of search "google" change to search over all other places (chatbot, socialmedia, reddit ).

You can add your views to anything related to topic even it is distant.

I don’t think domain names will ever be replaced—just like we’ve been using the 0-9 keypad for more than 60 years, starting with rotary dials, then push-button phones, and now touchscreens. Social media might change how some search for information, but domains will always be a big part of how the web works. It’s a system that just makes sense—simple, efficient, and intuitive. Like the 0-9 keypad, domain names are too ingrained in how the internet works to ever disappear.

 

[dbravo]

Plus, i remember hearing a statistic about the number of apps on a mobile device that people actually use.

So you might have 100 apps, but your average - mostly used - apps are perhaps just 7 of that.

So if you were to put apps vs websites on a scale, you're more probable for getting found as a website than people finding and using your app often.

By that analogy, if websites are here still for the long term, then I can still see domains being a crucial factor in the whole equation.

 

[JB Lions]

They are different.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnko...e-for-tiktok-instagram-as-social-search-wins/

That says they use TikTok just as much as Google, 61%, 62%

I see social media as an addition

As many have stated, it’s about control, ownership

You may build up on one platform and:

that company may go out of business

become less popular

you may get banned, account closed

algorithm can change and you stop showing up as much

etc

A smart business would own a site and use the platforms while they can, use them to drive traffic to site, or make money on platform itself

I gave an example about 22 years ago about affiliate marketing and a spider, when someone said Google search traffic was the foundation of their business. I said if you’re completely reliant on Google, you don’t have a real business. You should see Google as just 1 leg. Other legs could be other free search, PPC, social media, ads on other sites, press releases etc. You ever see a dog that’s missing one leg? They still manage to get around. I see sites as the main body, the foundation, everything else legs.

That one person who said Google was her foundation was very popular, was making 20k a month in affiliate income, was building a new house off that. She got zapped overnight, back in the Google Dance days when they updated the SERPS once a month

 

[AEProgram]

If not for gen z, most recent high priced domain sales would not happen. Gen z worries more about aesthetics than any other generations. They want things that look and sound great. They are the driving force behind the luxury car market boom and the revival of high priced watches. They use filters, photoshop experts, pay money to travel to places that will look best on IG / TikTok and when it comes to business, they want to look good too and that requires a good domain. When they do choose something other than a .com, they upgrade as soon as they have the funds. If they work for companies and are in a position to have a say on a domain, they will usually push for what looks the best and many times that attitude can decide if a business makes it or fails.

I agree with everyone that says you need to build something that you control outside of social media because social media can make you but also destroy you. You need to build a email newsletter or something you control and make sure you control your email too or you can lose that as well. Google, bing, facebook, tiktok, can ban you for all types of reasons. Make sure you have really good marketing setup or you can be out of business if that is where everything comes from.

 

[Patryx]

I would share an article "Search engine marketing VS Social marketing" by Neil Patel (a guru of internet marketing). It's very interesting and goes deep. https://neilpatel.com/blog/search-vs-social/

Another interesting article with many stats is "Americans' social media use". https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/01/31/americans-social-media-use/

Arjun asked. "How much the shift of youngster's internet search might impact domaining? what will be the business significance of domain names?"

Does that mean that User Profile (or nickname, or brand) will replace domain name?

 

[winst]

We just need to post more domain name focused short-form videos.

 

[arjun29]

Arjun asked. "How much the shift of youngster's internet search might impact domaining? what will be the business significance of domain names?"

Yes, I was wondering their interest and trust might value social media handles or profiles more than URL of website and they would not mind creativity over simplicity thus using non .com domains , long creative domains etc which they can hand register in any extensions.