opinion Desktop.com is rebranding to Webtop.com? I don't understand how this is a good idea.

[David Day]

Hello all,

I was just reviewing the recent post from Domaingang news, "Desktop.com goes on sale as company rebrands itself to Webtop.com". The reason for the rebrand is supposedly to better align with their SaaS services. You can read more about the article here:
https://domaingang.com/domain-news/...ale-as-company-rebrands-itself-to-webtop-com/

Anyway, I have lots of questions, but a lot of my ideas that I've been thinking are, how is this any good for their brand?

Couldn't we research and come to some kind of consensus that "desktop" is hypothetically more recognizable to consumers, than "webtop"?

If this is the case, then they are downgrading and missing on an opportunity to redirect their desktop.com domain to webtop.com, which would probably generate them more revenue over time than what they will get from auctioning off desktop.com --

you could convert type-in traffic to SaaS sales. I just don't understand how they didn't see this, or what the logic is. Curious to hear your thoughts,

David

 

[draco]

"This strategic move boosts our funding, fortifying our position for future growth."

Likely translation: We need the money.

 

[Samer]

It reminds me of Buy.com’s rebrand to Rakuten

 

[sbweb]

Hello all,

I was just reviewing the recent post from Domaingang news, "Desktop.com goes on sale as company rebrands itself to Webtop.com". The reason for the rebrand is supposedly to better align with their SaaS services. You can read more about the article here:
https://domaingang.com/domain-news/...ale-as-company-rebrands-itself-to-webtop-com/

Anyway, I have lots of questions, but a lot of my ideas that I've been thinking are, how is this any good for their brand?

Couldn't we research and come to some kind of consensus that "desktop" is hypothetically more recognizable to consumers, than "webtop"?

If this is the case, then they are downgrading and missing on an opportunity to redirect their desktop.com domain to webtop.com, which would probably generate them more revenue over time than what they will get from auctioning off desktop.com --

you could convert type-in traffic to SaaS sales. I just don't understand how they didn't see this, or what the logic is. Curious to hear your thoughts,

David

Actually looking at their website, Webtop makes more sense for their business model. Their services deal with online apps. Desktop is more offline stuff and another company could make better use of it.

Don't get me wrong, obviously Desktop is more valuable, but I think selling the domain makes sense as a business decision.

 

[David Day]

"This strategic move boosts our funding, fortifying our position for future growth."

Likely translation: We need the money.

I totally understand if they need money, but like, short term auction sale, VS. Saas funnel from some, even, affiliate kind of deal where they could sell desktops? I feel like they could still rake in the money, but I don't have their business internal data, so I guess this makes sense for them with that in mind.

Super lovely insight from everyone, I appreciate the engagement.

 

[namegulf]

From a technology perspective:

With tech advancing so fast, one can't keep up with buying and upgrading desktops and it's not even economical.

Desktops are becoming dumb terminals (like main frame terminals in the past) replaced with powerful Cloud based virtual machines rented by hour(s) and done. That's the future of end user computing.

 

[Reallybigidea.com]

I don't like webtop it's more fit for seo services

Desktop - great for gamers, geeks or computer shop.

 

[Samer]

“webtop” sounds like a hand reg.
i actually like “topweb” more…
Awful, egregious, unless it netted you millions of dollars from selling it — even if Desktops are going out of style!

 

[BaileyUK]

Sure the domain desktop has more appeal but it is all encompassing. Sounds like to company want to better define their product offering, be more specific in a Web type offering. You can be using a great domain but if it is off the mark as to buyer/user interpretation it's only your existing customers that know what's being supplied.

 

[STIJL]

Selling the domain is a great idea hope we see a closing price someday.

 

[MKA]

The elitism in this thread is palpable. Make no mistake, desktop.com is the superior domain, and it's not even close.

But it's very difficult to brand yourself as "Desktop" so there's a real risk you end up becoming "Desktop.com" among your clients because "desktop" is a tech-related term. With a domain like onyx.com your clients will refer to you as "Onyx" because onyx is a black stone and has very little to do with the tech. But desktop is semi-frequently used in any office environment, so to avoid confusion they might choose to refer to you as "Desktop.com."

That said, it's lunacy to sell the domain. Even if you rebrand, use the original domain for a redirect. If one of your old clients want to find you they're going to look for desktop.com, and if it redirects to webtop.com they'll understand that you've either rebranded or been bought up.

And even though desktop.com is a six- to seven figure domain, I doubt you'll be able to liquidate it for a notable fraction of its value in an auction.

 

[iAdam]

One day desktop will be a vintage domain name. it's better to sell it now before it's too late.

 

[David Day]

One day desktop will be a vintage domain name. it's better to sell it now before it's too late.

OR, make bank off it by using it as a redirect while it's in its prime. I feel like this can go either way, but I totally get where you're coming from. I wish we had the metrics that Webtop has to truly understand if they had a brain in this decision or were just desperate for money.

 

[Yoga Trillion]

Every time!

Did you ever notice the SEDO's Home Page? At the bottom side........

 

[David Day]

LOL the irony; 3 years later.

"In addition, people will easily remember the name after having heard about the service only once. Lastly, the domain name will make my company appear to be on a larger scale from day one with minimal effort."

Yes, Desktop.com will. Webtop.com won't.

Show attachment 249894

Every time!

Did you ever notice the SEDO's Home Page? At the bottom side........

 

[ivey]

IMO unless a one word is brandable.. it's not always best for growth. Yes you get traffic but who go to desktop.com to buy desktops? who goes to computer.com to buy computers? and i can go on and on. If a name is too generic, i think it can be a growth problem. A name has to be brandable, like apple, zebra etc.. Amazon, Walmart, the old eBay, and similar big companies all have names that can be branded into the minds of people. If i go to someone on the street right now and ask them: where would you go if you wanted to buy hair products> do you think they would say hair.com????

You see, those one word domains that are too generic can make you some good money and draw free traffic, but it has a growth limit imo. It is too generic to get into the minds of people.
Even Hotel.com struggled.. they had to go all out on marketing and teaming with the NBA to imprint that name into the minds of people and still - i bet some random brandable travel site is more memorable and imprinted in the minds of people.

Maybe in the late 90's and early 2000's before social media and the internet grew... maybe then you can gon crazy for computer.com. This may sound crazy, but i would rather use some other random one word to sell computers rather than computers.com. I would even use Matrix.com or Sky.com to sell computers and internet...because i think they are easier to brand and imprint in people's minds.

Don't get me wrong, i would be happy to own laptop.com or computers.com, but when you have a bigger vision and want to play with the Big Boys.. you have to think outside the box. Branding is everything... what people perceive or what you imprint in their minds is everything and whatever makes doing that easier..... go with that.

This is just my opinion though... I think even a solid brandable handreg- if you put the funds and marketing behind it and imprint it in peoples mind.. to the point where they connect a certain product or service to that name... it can literally outdo a too generic one word in performance imo

It's like Politics when a new comer beats a generic established candidtate.. It's all branding. who is more marketable? who can connect better and easier with the people. People sadly are ruled by their feelings.. most of them. So this is why this is possible.

If you market a $5 shoe well enough, people will pay gucci price for it.
The difference is a brand name- actually will become valuable- since many people want it.

 

[David Day]

IMO unless a one word is brandable.. it's not always best for growth. Yes you get traffic but who go to desktop.com to buy desktops? who goes to computer.com to buy computers? and i can go on and on. If a name is too generic, i think it can be a growth problem. A name has to be brandable, like apple, zebra etc.. Amazon, Walmart, the old eBay, and similar big companies all have names that can be branded into the minds of people. If i go to someone on the street right now and ask them: where would you go if you wanted to buy hair products> do you think they would say hair.com????

You see, those one word domains that are too generic can make you some good money and draw free traffic, but it has a growth limit imo. It is too generic to get into the minds of people.
Even Hotel.com struggled.. they had to go all out on marketing and teaming with the NBA to imprint that name into the minds of people and still - i bet some random brandable travel site is more memorable and imprinted in the minds of people.

Maybe in the late 90's and early 2000's before social media and the internet grew... maybe then you can gon crazy for computer.com. This may sound crazy, but i would rather use some other random one word to sell computers rather than computers.com. I would even use Matrix.com or Sky.com to sell computers and internet...because i think they are easier to brand and imprint in people's minds.

Don't get me wrong, i would be happy to own laptop.com or computers.com, but when you have a bigger vision and want to play with the Big Boys.. you have to think outside the box.

This is just my opinion though...

Apple.com would be considered generic though, to be fair. eBay would be a random 4 letter to some. Anything is challenging to brand, but depending on your budget and your imagination, it can be easier. I completely see your point that it would be a challenge, but, any new brand is going to have an identity issue in the beginning. Desktop has a lot going for it in being a recognizable entity, much like an apple is something everyone is familiar with. At that point, it's just a matter of marketing power to connect the idea with a conglomerate that becomes a household name.

To be fair, I think that "other one word" thing you're referring to is what makes most businesses stand out, so I can completely agree with you there. I see that as a partial reason for how successful Apple was, because they aren't exclusively related by name.

 

[David Day]

Come to think of it, I wonder if the owner of Desktop.com is more in it for the domain than the actual business behind it. Maybe that's why he's liquidating it, because he is deciding to cashout on the domain, and let someone else run Webtop maybe?

 

[ivey]

Apple.com would be considered generic though, to be fair. eBay would be a random 4 letter to some. Anything is challenging to brand, but depending on your budget and your imagination, it can be easier. I completely see your point that it would be a challenge, but, any new brand is going to have an identity issue in the beginning. Desktop has a lot going for it in being a recognizable entity, much like an apple is something everyone is familiar with. At that point, it's just a matter of marketing power to connect the idea with a conglomerate that becomes a household name.

To be fair, I think that "other one word" thing you're referring to is what makes most businesses stand out, so I can completely agree with you there. I see that as a partial reason for how successful Apple was, because they aren't exclusively related by name.

Agreed. Though "apple" was a brandable generic long before the company apple. Apple has been imprinted in the minds of both religious and non- religious people (the Adam and Eve- bit the apple). Though the fruit wasn't specified.... apple was what got imprinted in people imaginations. And they made a logo and brand 100% of the same shaped apple with a nice bite and used it for tech. Maybe "Mango" could have worked too... given the quality of their product and marketing. (but apple has historical branding). lol

As for eBay, they may have gotten ahead due to being like one of the pioneers with that marketplace idea..of connecting sellers and buyers and having the funding needed to establish a company. Being pioneers, that automatically branded them into people's minds because Amazon and the other big boys weren't on the block yet.

 

[iAdam]

I don't know but for me desktop has some negative vibe to it. who wants to be stuck at a desk when you can actually work from your bed/remote and perform just fine.

 

[Kingslayer]

I can see why they would want to move away from ‘Desktop’ – First glance a great domain, but a fairly limited name/brand when you think more about it.

 

[MKA]

I can see why they would want to move away from ‘Desktop’ – First glance a great domain, but a fairly limited name/brand when you think more about it.

It's a great domain in every way except for in terms of brandability.

 

[DomainNature]

They do this because most people are using mobiles, that is why they rebrand to Webtop.
But anyway I prefer to sit at my Desktop and I hate to use mobile, I have iPad Pro and iPhone it is very limited when managing and accessing settings and other things like dev tools, so I will always prefer Desktop over Mobiles, I even have Oculus Quest only used it a couple of times.
Desktops are for professionals, hackers and developers, but Mobiles are for those who are always on the go, it's pretty limited for smart people.
Not talking that the most humans are in Aquarius sign which are stationary and prefer to sit, also Scorps and Leos are same but they are less in quantity! This is why those on the move are less in quantity.

P.s. I also think that (.mobi) will have a second life soon, because it means mobile, mobility etc. Thanks to me not God, I have the most important keyword in the world in this extension. :D

 

[Acroplex]

A lot of brands depend on made-up words that are much easier to rank. Unless you really push big with establishing yourself on a generic, dictionary .com, the odds are that you're killing your brand's rankings.

In this case, they own a great domain asset that can fetch a good chunk of money. As we don't know how much money was spent on Desktop.com when it was acquired from idealab, it seems that they expect to get that money back and more via a controlled, private auction.

Webtop isn't terrible really and although it's associated with some type of Linux platform currently, it should rank well with time and proper SEO.

 

[grv]

Seeing the product/service they are selling, they should use workspace.com. IMO desktop.com is a great domain and a brand name, will always be relevant as long as there are desks, but it doesn't align with their SaaS-y product for sure.