Fixing the nGTLD Markets

[brandnow]

Sorry for the re-post. Originally I wrote this as a reply to a different conversation. After re-reading what I wrote a few times, I thought I'd create its own thread to open up discussions about the idea.

We were talking about the relatively low number of sales of nGTLD names and the relatively low level of public awareness and interest...

This is where regulations should come into play from ICANN.

What ICANN should do with the next round of nGTLD releases is as follows:
It's simple.
1) nGTLD extension domains should cost no more than the average cost of .com
2) nGTLD extensions registries should not be allowed to "reserve" or price gouge, ehem "premium price," certain names.

If these two regulations are in place then you'll have fair and affordable access to nGTLD names for everyone to purchase. You will have a REAL free market of new domain names. The awareness and interest levels in nGTLDs will likely skyrocket.

Right now it just seems like most nGTLD releases are "the game is rigged" bullsh*t casino markets..

 

[coolool]

It's communism.
Domain companis participate in auctions. They resell domains to earn money. It's not realistic.

 

[brandnow]

No it's fairness for a more equal market.

There are two kinds of fairness.

One type of fairness (like in the United States) where the rich people get to make all the rules for their own benefit.

More democratic, middle class, and fair societies make rules so that a great number of people can benefit. In this case, of what I wrote and suggested above, it would be the end users and small time investors (like most of us) who would benefit from the proposed outlined rules above.

The registries may suffer a little, but probably not much in the long run because again the nGTLD business would likely grow and get greater use and acceptance in the long haul.

 

[mitok]

Check some bigger reported sales of .club and check whois for that names. Then check the names of leading people in .club registry This is pure manipulation.
Maybe @Shane Bellone wants to investigate this and write few words about it? I don't care what others do, but if many reported .club sales are fake then it is a problem as it gives fake picture about this extension.
I am not saying those sales are 100% fake, but I think so and I have the wright to think whatever I want.

 

[coolool]

we are prepared anytime, not ICANN and capital. Two group want to make money for utilizing Dot com reputation.
They win jackpot When ngtlds are registered 100 million. They make domainers dream to earn money year after year. Domainers renewal useless domains and wait. Dream is gone then.

 

[coolool]

I have 350 .xyz domains but I will drop most domains next year.
I conclude ngtlds are robber.
I have about 30 domains( .com .net .biz .info) and I will renewal these.
Pick up ngtlds carefully.

 

[coolool]

we need to think with ICANN's position.
ICCAN make domains For domain investors? Absolutely not.
ICANN is scattering cheap imitation domains and Domain investors collect imitation enthusiastically.
I think domain rank is not changed easily.
I am sorry my post is beside the point.

 

[jmcc]

Not sure if that would be fixing the market or rigging the market. The registries were behind some of the moves but there was some pressure from the legacy TLD operators over others.

I've run web usage surveys on the new gTLDs in October and some gTLDs are actually doing better than others (some surprisingly so). There are few new gTLDs that are heading towards being zombie TLDs. However these are TLDs in their first year of operation and in any new TLD launch, there are a lot of expectations for sales prices that are never met.

Domainers might drive awareness in a TLD launch but they are just part of the eco-system to the registries. The registries should, if they know what they are doing, be trying to drive development in a new TLD. Domainers don't scale well horizontally and typically do not develop all their domains. Thus while a domainer might pay the registration fee, the domain name may be parked on Sedo or some other PPC site. Too many domain names parked like this and a TLD gets the reputation of being a dead zone. And when that happens, development grinds to a halt. And the domainers lose their investments and registries lose registrations.

Regards...jmcc

 

[sOliver]

Sorry for the re-post. Originally I wrote this as a reply to a different conversation. After re-reading what I wrote a few times, I thought I'd create its own thread to open up discussions about the idea.

We were talking about the relatively low number of sales of nGTLD names and the relatively low level of public awareness and interest...

This is where regulations should come into play from ICANN.

What ICANN should do with the next round of nGTLD releases is as follows:
It's simple.
1) nGTLD extension domains should cost no more than the average cost of .com
2) nGTLD extensions registries should not be allowed to "reserve" or price gouge, ehem "premium price," certain names.

If these two regulations are in place then you'll have fair and affordable access to nGTLD names for everyone to purchase. You will have a REAL free market of new domain names. The awareness and interest levels in nGTLDs will likely skyrocket.

Right now it just seems like most nGTLD releases are "the game is rigged" bullsh*t casino markets..

I disagree. Many of those extensions are very specific and will never have many registrations. That doesn't mean they dont have value nor does it mean they will go bust (most extensions are profitable by now). On the contrary, there are only so many names that are sough-after in every extension. Those killer names are valuable and deserve a higher price at times.

It is unrealistic to believe they could survive at a lower cost. However I agree that they should put a limit on how much they charge. Some extensions have a 6000 renewal price, that is completely unrealistic.

1 ICANN should set the fixed limit to 500 for select ultra-ultra premium names and 250 for ultra-premiums and 100 for premium names.

2 The other strategy would be to charge that premium fee exactly ONCE but each new owner also has to pay it as well (so a transfer would cost you $500). Domains are goods and change hands so that way the registries could make enough money by charging each owner a one-time fee.

3 The third approach is the .Club approach. Charge ridiculous prices and then analyze what people search for and increase prices across the board. Terrible approach. I would rather pay a yearly fee than a one-time price of 4 to 200k. No, thank you.