Contacted end user, they register it in other extensions

[cplmjk]

I contacted an end user via email with my domain. I owned the .com but no other extensions. The next day I see they registered the same keyword but in an available extension (net/org/info). Have you had this happen? This sounds like it could be good to increase my value of the .com. What do you think? Any downfalls to this?

 

[End User King]

It looks like a winning situation for you. You owned the domain
prior to them registering the inferior extensions. As long as you're
not infringing on their trademark you should be okay!

 

[carob]

It means they see value in the domain. They may be registering these alternatives as a fallback if they can't get it from you, or as a negotiating tactic - to you they can say they don't need the .com to try and haggle your price down.

Good news there, good luck with this one.

 

[Name Trader]

I can only see upside, no downfalls, provided you don't infringe on their trademark.

 

[alien51]

In my view, the COM/NET/ORG/INFO versions of the same generic, non-trademarked keyword domain running websites in the same industry, are just like having four MacDonalds restos on the same street next to each other, owned by different franchisees.

What that scenario does, is simply pull away customers from each other... thereby reducing traffic from every store, and thus reducing potential income. For an "end-user", such prospect dilutes his business position.

This means, if a legit business grabbed the .NET version and built his brand into it, what it does is reduce the "end-user" commercial value of the other domain extensions next to it that are not yet developed.

In my view, why would i buy Bananas.COM, if there is already a legit site Bananas.NET, and we are both selling bananas ???? It would dilute my business position, and shatter my branding goals. And besides, the argument that websurfers are more inclined to trust the .COM domains compared to .NET domains, is an old-school thinking that is now getting eroded in the minds of new generation of websurfers.

And it is not even guaranteed that if you buy this keyword domain, you will automatically rank on top of Search results.

In my Google, if i search for "PERFUME", what ranks on top is "theperfumeshop dot com" ... a less than perfect domain, having been dropped twice based on Whois records. But it's on top of search anyway. That's what matters. The guy bought the domain for reg fee and built a strong e-commerce website-- without paying the domainer who owns the root keyword version.

Another example is PIONEER.COM. All the extensions are taken. And they use the domains for various unrelated business. And yet, if i type "pioneer" on Google, what shows on top on my end is "Pioneerelectronics.COM". Had they chose to get involved with all the Pioneer wannabes by getting any of the Pioneer keyword exensions, their "domain branding" would have been diluted.

So in summary, in my view, if a legit business grabbed the .NET extension and decided to build their brand on that extension, it will reduce the value of the .COM domain you are peddling by turning away other potential "end-users" who plan to go on the same business as the guy who owned the .NET domain.

Your remaining hope is an "end-user" who would use your keyword domain for a totally unrelated business than the .NET neighbor. Or perhaps a "disruptive" end-user who will buy your domain simply to confuse consumers and hope to profit from wayward traffic coming from his next-door .NET legit neighbor.

 

[End User King]

You should go back and register the hyphenated versions for good measure!

 

[cplmjk]

I would however it was already taken. Really think I got a winner here but I'm having a hard time getting a buyer.

 

[Skinny]

It will help to increase the value. If somebody else wants the name it would be already taken in all major extensions.

If the choose not to buy the .com it will be a bad decision, but you can't force a buyer to buy. Not everyone 'gets it'.

Skinny