.mobi Great .mobi names dropping...

[Embrand]

Hi, I haven't followed .mobi that closely, so maybe it is just me... But it seems that right now many great .mobi names are dropping.

First there was buddhism.mobi (auctioned yesterday at Pool), then betting.mobi and pizzas.mobi (now at SnapNames auction) and now concert.mobi and nightclub.mobi (still time to backorder) just to mention a few.

Is this a normal situation? In that case, I guess it is bad news for the extension. Or is it unusual and in that case a great opportunity for buyers? And are they worth paying high $xxx for?

Thanks

---------- Post added at 03:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:00 AM ----------

By the way, betting.mobi is already at $580 with more than two days left of the auction at SnapNames.

 

[scandiman]

Here's what I'm saying. I have the facebook app on my phone. I will never ever go to facebook.com on my mobile browser. eBay, paypal, yahoo, etc same thing. When I use those apps, ".com" appears nowhere. As an app user, to me .com doesn't exist.

Then we have .com sites which do not use apps but instead opt for m.keyword.com or some kind of variation. We have seen loads of these types of sites. Companies have to now market and advertise their mobile ready .coms. Why? Because it is no longer simply a .com, it has been altered. Now lump in all other tlds that make their traditional pc sites mobile. Very few .coms are using auto detection in comparison to the amount of apps/m. sites that exist.

It's quite obvious that the world is quickly shifting to smartphones. The mobile web will without a doubt surpass the pc in every which way. Mark my words....com as we know it today will be all but gone sooner than later!

When you say, ".com as we know it today..." I'm not really sure what you're referring to. .com websites today aren't what they were 10 years ago, but the TLD remains unchanged. Adding an mdot in front of the URL doesn't alter the TLD either. Same holds true for .net, .org, .gov, or .whatever was around in the beginning of the web. So yes what is today will be gone sooner than later, irrespective of mobile web, phones or whatever just because massive change is inevitable in the web.

It's true that many people are using apps in phones today but I question how sustainable that is. Where it breaks down is for advertising a service via mass market. The beauty of a web URL is the ease to advertise to the mass market of web users, rather than the small market of users on a single device platform. When you spend ad money in a mass market you want it to be usable to the mass market. eHarmony is a great example, they mass market their website because just about anyone who is interested has access and can use it. But if they mass marketed an iPhone app it is only usable to those viewers with an iPhone, alienating everyone else. So I expect to see mass marketing of mobile web URL's, the question is will it be more for redirect or mdot on a traditional PC URL like .com or simply Brand.mobi. It will be a mix of the two, which is the greater share remains to be seen but in the short term my bet would be to see more with .com since they already have more of the established brands and budgets to work with.

 

[labrocca]

Here's what I'm saying. I have the facebook app on my phone. I will never ever go to facebook.com on my mobile browser. eBay, paypal, yahoo, etc same thing. When I use those apps, ".com" appears nowhere. As an app user, to me .com doesn't exist.

I agree fully about mobile smart phone usage for this trend. But I don't see apps replacing deskptop usage. Nothing will beat a keyboard and a browser. Although Google Chrome OS might have some surprises for us but that's a real speculation on the future and imho doesn't follow along the timeline of current trends.

 

[mjnels]

Here's what I'm saying. I have the facebook app on my phone. I will never ever go to facebook.com on my mobile browser. eBay, paypal, yahoo, etc same thing. When I use those apps, ".com" appears nowhere. As an app user, to me .com doesn't exist.

Then we have .com sites which do not use apps but instead opt for m.keyword.com or some kind of variation. We have seen loads of these types of sites. Companies have to now market and advertise their mobile ready .coms. Why? Because it is no longer simply a .com, it has been altered. Now lump in all other tlds that make their traditional pc sites mobile. Very few .coms are using auto detection in comparison to the amount of apps/m. sites that exist.

It's quite obvious that the world is quickly shifting to smartphones. The mobile web will without a doubt surpass the pc in every which way. Mark my words....com as we know it today will be all but gone sooner than later!

still not following the logic. because sub-domains like m.domain.com are nothing new.. they've been using this type of thing for years... but the vast majority are on .com's which is the TLD.

and apps, while im sure they'll remain popular for the most used sites, really have nothing to do with TLD's at all. there is a bit of an app frenzy right now anyway.. there isnt going to be an app for everything, just doesnt make sense.

 

[Keith]

still not following the logic. because sub-domains like m.domain.com are nothing new.. they've been using this type of thing for years... but the vast majority are on .com's which is the TLD.

and apps, while im sure they'll remain popular for the most used sites, really have nothing to do with TLD's at all. there is a bit of an app frenzy right now anyway.. there isnt going to be an app for everything, just doesnt make sense.

The use of sub-domains is my point. As internet usage shifts more and more to mobile, say bye bye to straight forward .com websites. I see very few adverts saying "just go to keyword.com on your mobile to access our site". What I do see are adverts for .mobi, m.keyword, etc.

I agree that apps will be popular for more well known websites. You know I can't remember the last time I've used my pc to access sites like facebook, paypal, and many others. Think 5-10 years down the road when the flip phone does'nt exist and it's all smartphones. Apps will be used along with sub-domain .coms and who knows maybe .mobi I promise adverts saying just go to keyword.com will be dried up. Everything will be geared towards mobile usage leaving the days of the pc and traditional ".com" websites behind.

 

[mjnels]

The use of sub-domains is my point. As internet usage shifts more and more to mobile, say bye bye to straight forward .com websites. I see very few adverts saying "just go to keyword.com on your mobile to access our site". What I do see are adverts for .mobi, m.keyword, etc.

I agree that apps will be popular for more well known websites. You know I can't remember the last time I've used my pc to access sites like facebook, paypal, and many others. Think 5-10 years down the road when the flip phone does'nt exist and it's all smartphones. Apps will be used along with sub-domain .coms and who knows maybe .mobi I promise adverts saying just go to keyword.com will be dried up. Everything will be geared towards mobile usage leaving the days of the pc and traditional ".com" websites behind.

you cant remember the last time you used paypal or facebook on your computer? i'd say you're in the minority.

i still think you've got it wrong. especially because a good majority of websites will simply advertise their .com (or whatever TLD) site and use auto-detect. thats why google is still google.com, they just use autodetect and it works fine. while mobile usage will explode even more than it has now, people will still use their computer for things. its like saying because portable TV's exist that the popularity of big screen TV's will fall. we're dealing with expansion for the most part, not replacement.

 

[labrocca]

really have nothing to do with TLD's at all.

EXACTLY. And that's the problem too.

because sub-domains like m.domain.com are nothing new

Yes but smart phones with fast internet are relatively new. Two years ago most internet phones stank. iphone was the beginning of the change.

you cant remember the last time you used paypal or facebook on your computer? i'd say you're in the minority.

I completely agree. I am sure FB and PP stats could verify that the usage for mobile on their site is very slim. Yeah it will grow but what's more likely to exist? An Android Paypal App or people going to browser and typing paypal.com?

Doh...nevermind already exists:
https://www.thepaypalblog.com/2009/05/new-paypal-application-for-android/

I just installed it. Works great.

 

[Keith]

I completely agree. I am sure FB and PP stats could verify that the usage for mobile on their site is very slim. Yeah it will grow but what's more likely to exist? An Android Paypal App or people going to browser and typing paypal.com?

Doh...nevermind already exists:
https://www.thepaypalblog.com/2009/05/new-paypal-application-for-android/

I just installed it. Works great.

FB mobile stats may be in the minority now vs. pc but I'm looking a few years ahead
when things will shift.

Not sure what your point is about the paypal app? I have it on my iphone too and love
it. You did make my point though or maybe your just agreeing as far as peeps not needing
to type paypal.com. As it pertains to the mobile web, days of people going to keyword.com
will just not happen. If it does it will be few and far in between.

Which brings me back to my point. As more people use their mobiles for internet access, less
surfing of traditional .coms via pc will happen.

 

[Kate]

Which brings me back to my point. As more people use their mobiles for internet access, less
surfing of traditional .coms via pc will happen.

Interesting that you say that. Personally I could see growth in both... it's not a zero-sum game

 

[exsedo]

I think you are looking at this from a narrow viewpoint. There is still a massive proportion of the world yet to embrace the wired internet, let alone get started with the mobile version. Although the US is a vast market, it is not the be all and end all.

 

[Keith]

I think you are looking at this from a narrow viewpoint. There is still a massive proportion of the world yet to embrace the wired internet, let alone get started with the mobile version. Although the US is a vast market, it is not the be all and end all.

Not a narrow viewpoint on my part, just looking at the current trend which is more
and more mobile websurfing everyday.

Parts of the world which do not primarily use the "wired internet", as you put it, never will.
Instead they will opt for mobile usage which is far cheaper I gather than buying and operating a pc.

I bet if you took a poll and asked which item people could do without, their pc or their mobile phone,
the pc would get the boot. Many parts of the world cannot afford both so do the math

 

[exsedo]

Not a narrow viewpoint on my part, just looking at the current trend which is more
and more mobile websurfing everyday.

Parts of the world which do not primarily use the "wired internet", as you put it, never will.
Instead they will opt for mobile usage which is far cheaper I gather than buying and operating a pc.

I bet if you took a poll and asked which item people could do without, their pc or their mobile phone,
the pc would get the boot. Many parts of the world cannot afford both so do the math

For that to happen, smartphones would have to be virtually given away in lucky bags, and mobile internet costs would have to be a fraction of what they are today. So what will finance the mobile internet ?

 

[mo_dork]

For that to happen, smartphones would have to be virtually given away in lucky bags, and mobile internet costs would have to be a fraction of what they are today. So what will finance the mobile internet ?

Its happening.
And, sorry but this is technology trends 101. You should read up on your tech usage trends and global demographics.

 

[Keith]

For that to happen, smartphones would have to be virtually given away in lucky bags, and mobile internet costs would have to be a fraction of what they are today. So what will finance the mobile internet ?

Smartphones are being given away already. Some of my family just got FREE blackberries with a new t-mobile contract.

 

[exsedo]

Yes I know about this, but are they not always linked to a contract and therefore not exactly free ?
The crippling part in most of these contracts are the charges for going online in my experience.

 

[mo_dork]

Yes I know about this, but are they not always linked to a contract and therefore not exactly free ?
The crippling part in most of these contracts are the charges for going online in my experience.

Shall we discuss .mobi?

 

[exsedo]

Shall we discuss .mobi?

Aww, go on then, seeing as you asked so nicely. :talk: