.mobi Is .MOBI really dead?

[sky]

Hi,

I just reg'ed a couple of .COMs, and a friend suggested I get the .MOBI extension for the names to since it is also applicable for cell phones, etc...

But I'm thinking it's a waste of money and little use to me from the standpoint of making any profits in any form whatsoever, ever and even of little or no use to end users.

Is there any data to support or refute this bias I've developed based on hearsay over the past few months?

 

[Pred]

Hm...wapedia.mobi or do I use m.wikipedia.org? Oh such a tough call.

well for a recent start up, wapedia.mobi is a 5k site on alexa. not bad i say.
especially as alexa dont measure mobile traffic.
im sure they can live without your page views

 

[Kate]

kate kate kate... you are showing your age.

Absolutely I do not belong to the SMS thumb generation if that is what you mean

 

[headstart]

1st:
The money invested in .biz could have been invested in .com's.
The money invested in .us could have been invested in .com's.
The money invested in .tel could have been invested in .com's.
etc etc etc.
I don't get what you are saying.


Indeed, if .MOBI wasn't there the money would have flowed to other
extensions as I think the majority of the regged .MOBI domains is in the
hands of domainers and they can only spend their money once.
Or do you think those domainers would have bought a new fridge or car
for the amount they have spent for .MOBI if it was not there? I personally
think they would have invested it in another TLD including .COMS.
So, IMO it competes with .COM(and other TLD's) because it sucks
money out of other TLD's.
This story goes for every new upcoming TLD IMO.

 

[snoop]

1st:
The money invested in .biz could have been invested in .com's.
The money invested in .us could have been invested in .com's.
The money invested in .tel could have been invested in .com's.
etc etc etc.
I don't get what you are saying.


Indeed, if .MOBI wasn't there the money would have flowed to other
extensions as I think the majority of the regged .MOBI domains is in the
hands of domainers and they can only spend their money once.
Or do you think those domainers would have bought a new fridge or car
for the amount they have spent for .MOBI if it was not there? I personally
think they would have invested it in another TLD including .COMS.
So, IMO it competes with .COM(and other TLD's) because it sucks
money out of other TLD's.
This story goes for every new upcoming TLD IMO.

Yes. I think all new tlds compete in some way or another, and do lower the value of preexisting tlds. I think they tend to effect the other new tlds more and the more established tld's less.

well for a recent start up, wapedia.mobi is a 5k site on alexa. not bad i say.
especially as alexa dont measure mobile traffic.
im sure they can live without your page views

Until fairly recently (with them starting up mobile.wikipedia.org) wikipedia didn't have a mobile site, so the third party wapedia.mobi was filling in the gaps. This was the last of the top 10 sites to launch a mobile site. Personally I think wapedia will die off gradually now that wikipedia itself has a mobile site.

 

[labrocca]

Yes. I think all new tlds compete in some way or another, and do lower the value of preexisting tlds.

That's a fallacy.

Does the fact that more Superman comics are still being made diminish the value of Action Comics #1? How about land? Does the fact that they are building more housing outside of Manhattan into the boroughs diminish value of city property?

Both examples actually strengthen the value of the original. imho same holds true here. Much of the reason for these new TLD's is not because we honestly need them but because companies want to cash in on the domain sales craze. The internet doesn't need biz, mobi, or info. They are second tier alternatives to CNO and more specifically to COM.

Domains are closest to collectable rare one of a kind items and mixed with land where the place/position can't be repeated. If you have house.com you have the best possible position on the internet. That's never going to change. Adding more extensions imho..will continue to show the value of CNO as dilution enters the market for these 2nd tier domains.

Value is always going to be placed on demand. When I start seeing large companies registering non-CNO's to run their site I expect demand to continue.

Example: http://www.doubt-themovie.com/ A 5 time Academy Award winning movie and when they needed a domain...they grabbed a very iffy dot com. Why not DoubtMovie.net or Doubt-Movie.net? Heck so many better combos outside of dot com but they chose the lesser dot com. We all know why...consumer recognition.

 

[Kate]

I'm curious, how many among you are actually spending more time surfing via mobile than desktop ?

 

[wot]

I have removed everyone from my ignore list so I can properly do my moderator duties in the Auction area. You can still say whatever you want but now you get the benefit of my replies. It's been a peaceful time with many on my ignore list but alas duty calls.

If you want the big bucks and the kudos you just have to bite the bullet. Tough at the top. :wave:

 

[ChineseDomain]

I'm curious, how many among you are actually spending more time surfing via mobile than desktop ?

Just for non-working surfing, Mobile: 1~1.5 hour, PC 1~1.5 hours per day

 

[rocknrollo]

Well. For an extension that has no interest this thread certainly is busy. :hehe:

 

[scandiman]

I'm curious, how many among you are actually spending more time surfing via mobile than desktop ?

At least 1-2 hours browsing mobile web, weather.mobi, espn.mobi and forums... would do even more on the forums if the interface was a little better.

Web via laptop is still high but expect it to continue to shift more and more to mobile as the sites get better. Absolutely hate to deal with a full PC website via mobile.

 

[snoop]

Both examples actually strengthen the value of the original. imho same holds true here. Much of the reason for these new TLD's is not because we honestly need them but because companies want to cash in on the domain sales craze. The internet doesn't need biz, mobi, or info. They are second tier alternatives to CNO and more specifically to COM.

Domains are closest to collectable rare one of a kind items and mixed with land where the place/position can't be repeated. If you have house.com you have the best possible position on the internet. That's never going to change. Adding more extensions imho..will continue to show the value of CNO as dilution enters the market for these 2nd tier domains.

I've heard this argument many times and have never really bought it, essentially you are mixing up asset classes, the current print of Superman isn't a collectible yet you are comparing to to a comic book that is. With collectibles the item is valuable not only because of rarity but because of how many people desire that asset. If people are buying the just printed comics that creates demand for collectible comics. That isn't like domains where the item is mainly a business asset. Imagine if I told you that Hewlett Packard releasing a cheap new model will help Lexmark's sales....It is just like comic books! You'd laugh. Choice lowers prices, however buyers don't choose between a comic book just printed and a collectible one, they choose between comparable items.

The real estate anaology doesn't really apply well either because the larger a city gets the greater demand for land in close, in my view that is alot to do with the finite nature or land. More and more people in the city want to same spec of land in the center. That isn't the same as domains where new extensions mean a business may choose the new over the old, ie they see the old extension as less desirable because they have more choice. New extensions don't result in more business wanting domains, it is isn't like land in a city.

If you really want to compare to it to land perhaps compare it to a city surrounded by tens of thousands of unoccupied houses, all for sale and at lower prices than the city. Would all those available houses help the land in the city? I doubt it because it doesn't help demand, it shows oversupply, it means more choice, and some will probably choose the cheap house with no neighbours rather than the city.

Now imagine if instead of not building any more houses builders just keep building 10's of thousands more every year, new largely empty suburbs constantly added, they are happy if 1 in 100 houses gets occupied, will that help the land in the city? Will people who previously could have only bought in the city (because the new suburbs didn't exist) now pay more for city land because it is surrounded by thousands of largely empty houses?

Example: http://www.doubt-themovie.com/ A 5 time Academy Award winning movie and when they needed a domain...they grabbed a very iffy dot com. Why not DoubtMovie.net or Doubt-Movie.net? Heck so many better combos outside of dot com but they chose the lesser dot com. We all know why...consumer recognition.

What does that have to do with new tld's helping .com? Or is you point that most companies will still use the established extensions? I think we already know that.

 

[headstart]

I think this is the best .Mobi thread so far on NP. Proves it is not difficult
to discuss things in a POLITE manner :o

:wave: :hehe: :imho: :hearts:

We can now clean-up the ignore lists I think
Lets follow labrocca's example :lol:

IMHO

 

[mjnels]

very well explained post by snoop.

the whole argument of "new TLD's only strengthen dotcom, dotnet, dotorg" is like this defensive domainer argument. there is just no way that its true except in the minds of domainers. regular people do not think like this..

new TLD's might not lower the value of com, net, org significantly... but it certainly doesnt "increase its value"... that is hopeful domainer-speak.

 

[scandiman]

new TLD's might not lower the value of com, net, org significantly...

I'm not all that convinced about the ultra high-end, if it's fairly easy to launch a new TLD, some people may ask why spend seven figures on one domain when the same investment could buy an entire TLD?

 

[noonoo1]

Just remember .mobi was created specifically for mobile/pda devices.


NO OTHER TLD IS SPECIFICALLY CREATED FOR USE ON A MOBILE/PDA:sold:


:hehe:

 

[mjnels]

heh... what pub are you coming from?

 

[verbster]

A good litmus test will be on April 20, when TechSupport.mobi is auctioned at Bido.

 

[sky]

Just remember .mobi was created specifically for mobile/pda devices.


NO OTHER TLD IS SPECIFICALLY CREATED FOR USE ON A MOBILE/PDA:sold:


:hehe:

But just as generic keyword domains tend to be worth more than niche-specific domains, I.M.O. .com, .net, ... almost any of the more popular TLD is preferable to .MOBI, especially if you think of .MOBI as being *just* for mobile devices, because you're ruling out multiple uses and channels whereby people will visit your service.

The thing to remember is a generic TLD can render output differently by media type and recognize when a mobile deviceis the client and respond with the same format a .MOBI would. I don't think the public is really as excited about clicking on .MOBI as .COM, so what's the marketing advantage? I don't see it. As far as pure aesthetic goes (look and feel) .MOBI has to be at the bottom of the list.

And major .COMS that are savvy do render properly for mobile devices, and the wise cellphone internet surfer won't limit their web searches to .MOBI. Therefore: What's the advantage of a 'cell specific' domain, in lieu of the more generic .COM?

If I were going to do a .MOBI service (and I actually am working with someone on an iPhone app), I sure want to be sure I've got an appropriate .COM registered, whereas .MOBI is a secondary consideration. The problem with a .MOBI first approach for cellular oriented sites is that the .COM is likely to be taken. So if I register ReallyHotName.mobi, chances are I won't be able to get the .COM (as of this writing ReallyHotName.com is still available )

 

[Pred]

A good litmus test will be on April 20, when TechSupport.mobi is auctioned at Bido.

bido isn't a litmus test for anything tbh

nothing to do with .mobi or .com
they generally sell crap names and they undersell. so this is an okay name, suited to ext. etc.
but i doubt will go for more than $300 tops imo. maybe only $80
have you seen their results at bido?

 

[scandiman]

bido isn't a litmus test for anything tbh

Agreed. And frankly I don't see auctions in general being much of a test of anything except domain speculator interest since that's who usually attends the auctions. Sure speculators get excited when a mobi sells for great money, or when a great generic sells for a pittance, but the metric to pay attention to is actual usage of .mobi domains.

As to auction prices in general, remember that the final price of any domain in auction isn't the highest value the winner placed on it, it's the highest value the loser placed on it. So even in auction we're not finding the real value of a domain, even in the speculator community.

But just as generic keyword domains tend to be worth more than niche-specific domains, it seems like a .COM, .NET, etc... almost any of the TLDs is preferable to .MOBI if you think of .MOBI as being *just* for mobile devices.

You say that like it's a black mark against the TLD, if you understand that mobile will overtake PC web then you'd see things differently.

A generic TLD can render output differently by media type and recognize when a mobile deviceis the client and respond with the same format a .MOBI would.

And a mobi can also support a PC user... where does this notion that .mobi sites can't be used by PC users come from?

The fact that many .COMs, do render properly for mobile devices, cellphone users are not likely to limit their web searches to .MOBI domains.

The fact is that most .com sites do nothing for mobile users. It's not about limiting search results to strictly .mobi sites, its how does a user know a site is friendly to their mobile device?

It probably can't hurt anymore than the pocketbook to register the .MOBI along with the .COM (or other popular TLD), but I don't think I'd really want a .MOBI in lieu of the other, which makes it a bit tough, because the good 'better' TLDs are used up to a greater extent. For example if I get ReallyHotName.mobi, chances are I won't be able to get the .COM, and I'd really want both in most cases.

I'm happy to have the great generic .mobi domains I have and making sure mobile users have friendly content available at the .mobi sites I build. Sure it would be great to also have debt.com, but debt.mobi is reaching the ever growing pool of mobile users.

 

[sky]

You say that like it's a black mark against the TLD, if you understand that mobile will overtake PC web then you'd see things differently.

I think it just means that other sites will start respecting the media of the clients better (ie. mobile or PC) and provide client-tuned services. I'm not as convinced as you are that this slow trend ensures a burgeoning .MOBI space.

And a mobi can also support a PC user... where does this notion that .mobi sites can't be used by PC users come from?

It is my response to someone who earlier in this thread posted that .MOBI is *just* for mobile devices or something like that. I realize nothing prevents a .MOBI device for rendering in other ways, but it sure sounds like it is meant for mobile devices.

I think it is easier for cell users to accept that a .COM or a .NET will render on their cellphone properly than for the average Internet surfer to be inclined to click on a site named .MOBI and expect PC-type browser output.

The fact is that most .com sites do nothing for mobile users. It's not about limiting search results to strictly .mobi sites, its how does a user know a site is friendly to their mobile device?

That's true, but key services do, and increasingly so. I have an iPhone; when I bring up Safari on it, I search for terms without searching for .MOBI specifically.

I'm happy to have the great generic .mobi domains I have and making sure mobile users have friendly content available at the .mobi sites I build. Sure it would be great to also have debt.com, but debt.mobi is reaching the ever growing pool of mobile users.

That sounds good. More power to you. I'm wishing you well and all the success in the world. It isn't like I'm not lost in the weeds with my .PRO investments. .MOBI probably has a better chance than .PRO of growing into something. I can see the argument going either way, I guess, still... For the advantages that .MOBI offers, I can see other trends that counteract or dilute it, but on the other hand, I can see how if the public was made smarter they could eventually become more open to .MOBI.

But I think one strike against .MOBI is how it sounds. Unfortunately I think that like it or not, people either "like it or not", and I don't think that .MOBI as a word is as 'likeable' as others, whether or not it is semantically appropriate.

These are a combination of my feelings, personal sense, along with my experiences as internet-enabled cellphone user and PC-browser person. You make some very good points, and I'm definitely seeing the merits of your case.

 

[scandiman]

I think it is easier for cell users to accept that a .COM or a .NET will render on their cellphone properly than for the average Internet surfer to be inclined to click on a site named .MOBI and expect PC-type browser output.

Yes, I can agree with you here, but as long as mobile users click on my .mobi sites then I'm a happy camper.

That's true, but key services do, and increasingly so. I have an iPhone; when I bring up Safari on it, I search for terms without searching for .MOBI specifically.

I also don't search specifically for .mobi sites, but when using google on my phone I do search only for mobile results. Most PC sites are a nightmare to use or kill my phone entirely, and even when I've used an iPhone I much prefer a quick mobile site over a full PC site even if it does render. I can accept some people don't mind the full PC site on their phone but clearly as you've pointed out even the major PC sites out there have adapted to mobile users so I'm concluding I'm in the majority who want a mobile friendly experience.

That sounds good. More power to you. I'm wishing you well and all the success in the world. It isn't like I'm not lost in the weeds with my .PRO investments. .MOBI probably has a better chance than .PRO of growing into something. I can see the argument going either way, I guess, still... For the advantages that .MOBI offers, I can see other trends that counteract or dilute it, but on the other hand, I can see how if the public was made smarter they could eventually become more open to .MOBI.

Similarly I wish you all success with your .pro investments, I don't view the web as a zero sum game, there will be successes in emerging TLD's and not necessarily at the expense of the others. I've got a few .pro domains for my own professional use, the com would cost me mid six figures at least (assuming it were even for sale) and these will serve my needs just fine.

But I think one strike against .MOBI is how it sounds. Unfortunately I think that like it or not, people either "like it or not", and I don't think that .MOBI as a word is as 'likeable' as others, whether or not it is semantically appropriate.

With all the "regular" people I've shared .mobi with I have yet to hear such a reaction so I'm convinced this view is held in the domain community alone. Everyone I've talked with simply accepts what .mobi is about and they like the idea, especially if they are mobile web users (and most of those have seen or heard of .mobi on their own at some point).

These are a combination of my feelings, personal sense, along with my experiences as internet-enabled cellphone user and PC-browser person. You make some very good points, and I'm definitely seeing the merits of your case.

I give you a lot of credit for being an actual mobile web user, it makes your comments so much more meaningful. I'm curious, do you prefer using weather.mobi or weather.com on your phone?

 

[Pred]

And a mobi can also support a PC user... where does this notion that .mobi sites can't be used by PC users come from?

this is something people forget
i'm wondering why so many people are only developing for mobile. thats 'almost' as dumb as the people not catering for it.
i no longer just serve mobile content on new sites, .mobi domains in particular.

i have full blown for laptop, pc and mobile for mobile users
you have the choice of device detection, but i'm thinking of running with a splashpage for my latest site. let them choose what site they want.

someone on a company phone contract may not care that videos are going to cost a kings ransom and have them hanging around waiting for load times, same with slowloading pages and navigating.
others may have state of the art phones and browsers and not be so bothered. others may be on a real tight time and money budget.
others (majority of world) will have no access to a pc ( in the developing world) and need info , quick, on the go. visas, banking , news, aid ,etc, and they aren't getting an iphone anytime soon either.

south africa is the largest viewer of mobi sites, and adoption, along with europe. for different reasons

theres flipsides to all this. theres nothing you cant do with a .mobi you cant do with device detection on a .ws but branding is huge, along with guarantees, along with the masses of companies adopting and promoting. biggies. more everyday. from insurance companies, to universities, to joe bloggs to microsoft etc.

there isn't a 'new' extension getting adopted, used and promoted like this. not one. take away existing strong cctlds and .com, none. not even a small percentage of .mobis success, so far

much more to come, every day

 

[sky]

I give you a lot of credit for being an actual mobile web user, it makes your comments so much more meaningful. I'm curious, do you prefer using weather.mobi or weather.com on your phone?

I usually just use Google in the iPhone Safari browser and visit websites as I would on a PC. At first the interface seems awkward because you have to get used to the feeling of the phone, expanding, shrinking and moving content and rotating the phone between portrait and landscape to optimize the view for the content; but once you get facile with that, browsing non-iPhone-optimized content isn't half bad -- for reading.

For filling out forms, it's a hassle; then you really want an app suited to the screen. My point is, I think people usually just use google to look up the news or use websites as they would on a PC within limits. I think iPhone is going set the trend to make mobile devices accommodate non-mobile-media-optimized sites.

But it won't replace good mobile optimized Internet and local applications though. The question I wrestle with though is, will people be looking for .MOBI to do that ultimately, or will they find other ways to recognize or locate media-sensitive sites, and will it matter in the long run?

 

[scandiman]

With all the "regular" people I've shared .mobi with I have yet to hear such a reaction so I'm convinced this view is held in the domain community alone. Everyone I've talked with simply accepts what .mobi is about and they like the idea, especially if they are mobile web users (and most of those have seen or heard of .mobi on their own at some point).

Probably because you just told them you bought a whole lot of them. Personally of the people I have told about .mobi, most think it sounds like junk. If you really want to get honest views (rather than just a reflection of what you think) a proper survey would be needed. Compare it to buying a new pair of jeans, very few people will tell you "gee they look terrible on you". :lol:

My domain investments weren't part of the discussion (.com or .mobi) and I'm not misrepresenting the positive response I've received. But I can just imagine how you present the concept of .mobi to anyone.

As to auction prices in general, remember that the final price of any domain in auction isn't the highest value the winner placed on it, it's the highest value the loser placed on it. So even in auction we're not finding the real value of a domain, even in the speculator community.

I guess that's a matter of perspective depending on the final price and who the bidders are. What you say may be true when the price is lower than expected, but what about when higher?

I'm accurately expressing the facts of any auction. If I am willing to spend $20k on a domain and no one else in the room is willing to spend over $10k, I'll win the domain for one bid increment over $10k because no one is willing to bid higher except for me. So I will be able to buy the domain at 1/2 of its value.