domains Google domains to be acquired by Squarespace!

[MadAboutDomains]

This one surprised me...

https://domainnamewire.com/2023/06/15/squarespace-buys-google-domains-for-180-million/

I wonder if that means that they are buying their gTLD portfolio (.app, .dev, .new) as well? Registrar, not registry.

 

[Lox]

This one surprised me...

https://domainnamewire.com/2023/06/15/squarespace-buys-google-domains-for-180-million/

I wonder if that means that they are buying their gTLD portfolio (.app, .dev, .new) as well?

SQ buys G Registrar

 

[MadAboutDomains]

SQ buys G Registrar

Registrar, not registry. Got you!

 

[Samer]

I know “Google Domains” as the:
“Longest beta testing in the history of beta.”

Just when u thought can trust Google domains Off Beta.

 

[Samer]

Squarespace still makes the best commercials:

 

[Samer]

Sold for $180 million! Hmm. Nice sale by Google?

OP Link above: https://domainnamewire.com/2023/06/15/squarespace-buys-google-domains-for-180-million/

 

[Samer]

Hat tip the awesome link OP linked: i’ll link third time:
https://domainnamewire.com/2023/06/15/squarespace-buys-google-domains-for-180-million/

 

[bmugford]

Sold for $180 million! Hmm. Nice sale by Google? Show attachment 240559
OP Link above: https://domainnamewire.com/2023/06/15/squarespace-buys-google-domains-for-180-million/

That sale price represents 0.011% of Google's 1.59T market cap.

Brad

 

[Samer]

This means Google’s ngTLD business is next.
The Google Registry business is on borrowed time imo.

 

[branding]

Interesting move...

 

[MadAboutDomains]

Why does G domains have a load of people with masks on on the graphics. It's really weird...

I'm guessing some kind've mad and inappropriate political affiliations/letting kids control the media side of the business. No normal person would want that as a representation of normal people surely??

Hopefully squarespace will take that away cause they don't have similar depictions on their homepage.

 

[Samer]

Squarespace still makes the best commercials:

I am sad they made the video private. Why.
It was such a funny Squarespace commercial.
I’m glad my friend @MadAboutDomains got to see it.

 

[jmcc]

This one surprised me...

Not really that surprising. Google likes to dominate (bad pun) markets. The problem was that Goaddy is the main player in the market and Google could not displace Godaddy. The other aspect was that Google Domains was a very localised player (mainly US) and couldn't compete against more geographically diversified players (Goaddy, Newfold Digital, 1&1, Centralnic etc.). Most of the large registrar operators have portfolios of accredited registrars. It was like Google didn't understand the market outside the US and it barely understood the US market.

Having watched some Google people giving presentations on the new gTLDs, it was quite obvious that they hadn't a clue about the domain name business. The retail domain name business is even more competitive. The mark-up on domain names is not great and retail is intensely competitive with registrars periodically running discount offers. Many of the registrars use domain names to upsell customers to more expensive products. I don't think that they had any reseller programme either. Apart from managed e-mail services and perhaps Cloud hosting, there wasn't much of an upgrade path for customers.

Regards...jmcc

 

[Samer]

Godaddy has 60 million domains give of take?
Google Domains had 10 million.

They’re closing the gap, @jmcc !!

 

[jmcc]

Godaddy has 60 million domains give or take?
Google Domains had 10 million.

They’re closing the gap, @jmcc !!

Godaddy is like an iceberg. People only see the part that's above the water. It also owns other registrars and ccTLD registrars. Google Domains wasn't diversified so it essentially had a limited market. There's a kind of geography to registrar markets and it can be very difficult for other registrars to break into those markets without a lot of expensive marketing. In some of the strong ccTLD markets in Europe, the volume of new ccTLD domains is often twice that of the volume of new .COM regs. Godaddy owns quite a few ccTLD registrar operations.

Regards...jmcc

 

[tonyk2000]

The other aspect was that Google Domains was a very localised player (mainly US) and couldn't compete against more geographically diversified players (Goaddy, Newfold Digital, 1&1, Centralnic etc.).

Nor did they want to compete. As per T&C one can pay on google domains if and only if the billing address is from a dozen or so countries.

 

[tonyk2000]

Some registrants might select google domains assuming that it is safe and stable. Will all such registrants be happy now? Who knows...
Others might avoid google domains exactly because it is google ("degoogle your life"). And there are a lot of people doing so.
From domainers point of view, google domains was afternic partner, and there were real sales via google. So the change may affect afternic sales. Will squarespace offer afternic domains, and if so would the sales increase or decrease, is yet to be seen...

 

[NickB]

That sale price represents 0.011% of Google's 1.59T market cap.

Brad

And doesn't even cover what they paid their top 5 executives last year when you included stock holdings

 

[Andreas B.]

Didn't google domain registration become a little bit more popular recently...?!

Here & there I read about people having registered there;
I hold one .app name there.

 

[Samer]

How will Wix respond?

 

[alcy]

u think they made more than sale price since opening

 

[silentg]

Renewal Price increases after 12 months.

 

[Samer]

Congratulations added to KilledbyGoogle.com

 

[MadAboutDomains]

Congratulations added to KilledbyGoogle.com
Show attachment 240615

I would argue that they have given it a lifeline instead of killing it. They've sold out which is good.

 

[Samer]

I would argue that they have given it a lifeline instead of killing it. They've sold out which is good.

$180 million is enough to set us and our children‘s children’s for many generations to come.
But as @bmugford rightly pointed out;
Still just 0.011% Google 1.59T market cap.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1669454740952870912

https://domainnamewire.com/2023/06/16/my-thoughts-on-squarespaces-acquisition-of-google-domains/