.mobi Race is on for Mobile Web's pot of gold

[hedgefund]

First reported by thebiff.


http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/phones/2008-01-09-google-phone_N.htm


"Has the wireless world gone crazy?

The short answer: You bet.

Big profit potential is the driver. As the mobile Web gains traction, a big chunk of online revenue could migrate to wireless. That's financial catnip to players of all sizes, from wireless incumbents such as AT&T(T) to wireless newcomers such as Google."

I finally figure out why some .comers are so scared about .mobi, because .mobi is going to each their beef.

Sure the article does not mention .mobi, but consumer will find out that .mobi = mobile web.

 

[accent]

.....
I finally figure out why some .comers are so scared about .mobi, because .mobi is going to ea(t) their beef.

Exactly. Whatever success .Mobi has will be directly taken from the other extensions, which means mostly .com.

Sure the article does not mention .mobi, but consumer will find out that .mobi = mobile web.

It is happening. To what extent is yet to be seen. But if the Mobile web is 4 times bigger than the internet, as some have projected (with the internet still growing rapidly), .Mobi does not need to take that much of the market to be a huge success.

The question in my mind these days is how long before all this happens?

 

[-REECE-]

Great article, thank you

Might I add, .mobi won't "take" anything from dotcom. Mobi will create it's own little niche like .org.

LLLL.com prices are up around 25% in the last 2 days and nearly 1000% since November 2nd on triple premiums (LLLL.coms with a single bad letter). Not exactly the kind of growth rate you'd expect if something was going to flounder :hehe:

The mobile web is good for all of us -- except perhaps the owners of type-in traffic based dotcoms. I don't see people typing in 3 word dotcoms with anywhere near the frequency they currently do, which means bye bye earnings..

Who stands to gain the most?

Anyone invested in short domain names. Whether it be dotcom, dotnet, dotorg, dotmobi,... One word generics are a whole lot more desirable when you don't have a qwerty keyboard...

 

[accent]

....Might I add, .mobi won't "take" anything from dotcom. Mobi will create it's own little niche like .org.

In a way. Mobile is a new market, so .com does not have market share there because there is no market now. But if there were no .mobi (or similar) then that territory, when it opens, would mostly belong to .com. With .mobi on the scene, claiming this new ground as it's own, .com's take will be impacted - although, unless there is a migration to mobile from PC, .com will hold the PC market as it does now.

LLLL.com prices are up around 25% in the last 2 days and nearly 1000% since November 2nd on triple premiums (LLLL.coms with a single bad letter). Not exactly the kind of growth rate you'd expect if something was going to flounder :hehe:

Wow.
You and I agree that LLLL.com are a great Mobile play. I picked up a few 4 tap LLLL.com during the buy out (only A,D,G,J,M,P,T,W - the easiest letters on a phone pad). I know there were others looking for them because they kept disapearing even though nearly all of them had both a J and a W. There are only 4096 4 tap LLLL.coms in all, including those with repeating letters which add a pause, and so are not true 4 tap. Also many of the 4096 are quad premiums, which would overshadow their four tapness. So it is a small niche within the LLLL.coms that may be particularly suited to Mobile.

The mobile web is good for all of us -- except perhaps the owners of type-in traffic based dotcoms. I don't see people typing in 3 word dotcoms with anywhere near the frequency they currently do, which means bye bye earnings..

$omehow I do not think those guy$ are going to be hurting. Time for them to leave the table and make room for others. But it is not surprising that they do not share the sentiment.

Anyone invested in short domain names. Whether it be dotcom, dotnet, dotorg, dotmobi,... One word generics are a whole lot more desirable when you don't have a qwerty keyboard...

So you do not think most mobile access will eventually be qwerty? Seems like most people are assuming it will be. An important distinction, my 4 tap-ers hope you are right. Although tiny keyboards encourage short domains also.

I also agree about one word domains - A college dictionary has about 100,000 words. Throw in Geos, and whatever else, you still have a very small group of potential winners.

The winds are changing. As another member has put in his sig, time to adjust the sails.

 

[-REECE-]

I'm actually one of those guys who was hunting for easy to type in LLLL.coms Wasn't able to get any 4 taps, but do have lots of 5-6. This was the first market I cornered when I started investing heavily in LLLL.coms back in August.

I do think that qwerty keyboards will "catch on", but the one problem for alot of people is the cost. Even merely cost of making the qwerty keyboard automatically makes the device more expensive than a non-qwerty. Add in the fact that most qwerty keyboards have nice screens + lots of add-ons, and I think it's going to be a mainstream-high end market for quite some time.

You raise a good point about .mobi... While .com currently doesn't own any real share (like .mobi) of the Mobile Web currently (realistically speaking, the Mobile Web is non-existent currently, relative to expectations), it is in effect taking away from what would have been attributed to .com.

Whatever happens (qwerty/non-qwerty), short domain names seem like the real winner here, regardless of extension. And seeing as how nobody owns the mobile market share right now, I guess we could say that all extensions are going to be winners, granted they're getting a market share of a market that was previously non-existent.

In a way. Mobile is a new market, so .com does not have market share there because there is no market now. But if there were no .mobi (or similar) then that territory, when it opens, would mostly belong to .com. With .mobi on the scene, claiming this new ground as it's own, .com's take will be impacted - although, unless there is a migration to mobile from PC, .com will hold the PC market as it does now.

Wow.
You and I agree that LLLL.com are a great Mobile play. I picked up a few 4 tap LLLL.com during the buy out (only A,D,G,J,M,P,T,W - the easiest letters on a phone pad). I know there were others looking for them because they kept disapearing even though nearly all of them had both a J and a W. There are only 4096 4 tap LLLL.coms in all, including those with repeating letters which add a pause, and so are not true 4 tap. Also many of the 4096 are quad premiums, which would overshadow their four tapness. So it is a small niche within the LLLL.coms that may be particularly suited to Mobile.

$omehow I do not think those guy$ are going to be hurting. Time for them to leave the table and make room for others. But it is not surprising that they do not share the sentiment.

So you do not think most mobile access will eventually be qwerty? Seems like most people are assuming it will be. An important distinction, my 4 tap-ers hope you are right. Although tiny keyboards encourage short domains also.

I also agree about one word domains - A college dictionary has about 100,000 words. Throw in Geos, and whatever else, you still have a very small group of potential winners.

The winds are changing. As another member has put in his sig, time to adjust the sails.

 

[onspec]

Add Numeric Domains to the Mix

No question that the internet world is going mobile and that billions of dollars are being poured into the wireless Web. But for all the hype, I'm still amazed that numeric domains are getting hardly any recognition at all.

In response to a recent article in RCR Wireless News, they highlighted the "battle" being waged to access the wireless Web using only "m" vs. .mobi as if those were the only 2 ways to get to a Web site on your cell phone/mobile.

One of the key considerations has to be the number key pad "taps" required to enter a URL on tiny cellphone dial pads. I know, I know, none of this matters if you're using a device with a qwerty key pad. But those devices represent less than 10% of the global market. I'm speaking about the other 3 billion cell phones/mobiles here.

Using Yahoo.com as an example, a quick look at how many key pad taps are required using various input methods reveals the following:

1) Entering Yahoo.com where device technology "sniffs" the browser and directs the user to the appropriate Web site - 20 taps

2) Entering m.yahoo.com - 27 taps

3) Entering Yahoo.mobi - 22 taps

4) Entering 92466.com (the numeric domain equivalent of Yahoo) - 13 taps

I have long been a fan of Numeric Domains and how they fit into the mobile ecosystem. With a limited supply, rising after market sales and growing awareness of major pure numeric Web sites like 3663 (food), 163 and 888, 2008 is poised to be a break-out year.

 

[nutzdaddy]

I hear what your saying about taps but how many taps do you do when you write a standard text message, does that really bother people? are children growing up with mobile phones and sending countless texts using a numerical keypad?
I think the mobile companies will release qwerty keyboards on higher end devices like mentioned earlier but have a "if it aint broke, dont fix it" attitude towards numerical keypads on most standard devices.

stongly aggree that short domains in .com and .mobi will do very well over the next few years.

just my two pence

 

[Keith]

No question that the internet world is going mobile and that billions of dollars are being poured into the wireless Web. But for all the hype, I'm still amazed that numeric domains are getting hardly any recognition at all.

In response to a recent article in RCR Wireless News, they highlighted the "battle" being waged to access the wireless Web using only "m" vs. .mobi as if those were the only 2 ways to get to a Web site on your cell phone/mobile.

One of the key considerations has to be the number key pad "taps" required to enter a URL on tiny cellphone dial pads. I know, I know, none of this matters if you're using a device with a qwerty key pad. But those devices represent less than 10% of the global market. I'm speaking about the other 3 billion cell phones/mobiles here.

Using Yahoo.com as an example, a quick look at how many key pad taps are required using various input methods reveals the following:

1) Entering Yahoo.com where device technology "sniffs" the browser and directs the user to the appropriate Web site - 20 taps

2) Entering m.yahoo.com - 27 taps

3) Entering Yahoo.mobi - 22 taps

4) Entering 92466.com (the numeric domain equivalent of Yahoo) - 13 taps

I have long been a fan of Numeric Domains and how they fit into the mobile ecosystem. With a limited supply, rising after market sales and growing awareness of major pure numeric Web sites like 3663 (food), 163 and 888, 2008 is poised to be a break-out year.

The problem with "number names" and the reason I dont have any is simple. Numbers are very hard to remember vs. names.

 

[Pred]

I hear what your saying about taps but how many taps do you do when you write a standard text message, does that really bother people? are children growing up with mobile phones and sending countless texts using a numerical keypad?
I think the mobile companies will release qwerty keyboards on higher end devices like mentioned earlier but have a "if it aint broke, dont fix it" attitude towards numerical keypads on most standard devices.

stongly aggree that short domains in .com and .mobi will do very well over the next few years.

just my two pence

i agree 100%
my sentiments exactly.

 

[garrett200]

This is a very interesting discussion here. It has really gotten me thinking about what I knew already, that short .mobi names, or any short names for that matter, are going to be the real winners.

My theory is that Qwerty or not, the short names are going to win because the mobile web is all about getting what you want on the go, and FAST.

There is also little doubt anymore that .mobi is making a name for itself. I can see how some .com owners COULD be nervous about this extension because it could possibly stand to cut into some of their revenue streams. For other .com owners, like owners of LLLL, revenue may actually increase.

We are witnessing history here with the emergence of the mobile web, and it's getting exciting to see what .mobi's role is going to be. I think we can safely say at this point that it is going to play an important role.

Just my little 2 cents....

 

[thebiffenator]

I do think as well "the shorter and more memorable, the better the name will be as long as its realated to the site" A two word will also work as long as its memorable and appropriate, I think thats the key point now for the mobile web. Alot of directories are beings sprung too for people searching, so when people look through all those name, what are they gona remember and choose, without going back to the directory ect...

Numbers are nice, but as long as there memorable (I think) I am not knocking OVT, but I think its gona be different in the mobile web, two opposite things (Big Screen vs tiny Screen and then you got the Big Keyboard vs small keybord & non qwerty)

For example I just bought a site http://iwantinfo.mobi the name is a little long but related to what it is for, now a shorter name will work defintly better but this is a phrase I think people can remember despite OVT or wordtracker ect...and it relates to what people want on the go. And for people just relying on OVT for names may be dissapointed with longer non relevent names to the sites. (at least I think) excluding generics.

Talk to you guys/gals soon,
Thanks for mentioning my name Hedge
Biff

 

[Carlton]

Taps don't matter any more than keystrokes on the PC keyboard. As someone pointed out, people can text really fast. Plus bookmarks on mobile phone too.

Everyone likes short, easy names but the internet has conditioned everyone to adapt to longer names. Clear, descriptive mobi's probably more important consideration than length. Length is relevant, but not a deal breaker if the name is based on good keywords, imo.

 

[Pred]

Length is relevant, but not a deal breaker

Remember Carlton, as the chicks will tell ya, it's 'length' AND 'girth'
:sold:

 

[accent]

Reese - I was picking up my four tappers about a year ago. They were a rare prize then. When .Mobi first came out I checked DYYO and there were about 20 listed. I procrastinated and when I checked later they were all gone. Found a few in the drops, but missed some too, you needed to be fast.

There is another thread about NNNN.mobis. There are two major holders of these domains (only 10,000 are possible), between them they appear to hold over half of the total. Faced with renewals in February both are wanting to sell at least part of what they have <--- this is my understanding anyway, others here know more.

Last year there was a lot of excitement / hype about NNNN.mobis, particularly centered on the Asian market (no IDNs for numbers, cultural popularity of some numbers). I doubt those factors have changed, but the mobile web is not here yet in any real way and so end user demand is not happening. It is just a waiting game.

 

[Carlton]

Remember Carlton, as the chicks will tell ya, it's 'length' AND 'girth'
:sold:

:D

 

[Pred]

This is a very interesting discussion here. It has really gotten me thinking about what I knew already, that short .mobi names, or any short names for that matter, are going to be the real winners.

My theory is that Qwerty or not, the short names are going to win because the mobile web is all about getting what you want on the go, and FAST.

they certainly have their place and especially as you cant reg 2 character .mobis, and if you ever will, they will be through the roof, or by special invite only, i bet.

thats why it amazes me there are any C-C.mobi left

there are !

 

[fixxation]

thats why it amazes me there are any C-C.mobi left

there are !

Actually there are none left, they were all gone in the first couple week of the Landrush... was lucky enough to snag four of them, someone else grabbed loads all at once... smart thinkin IMHO...

 

[PVFARKAS]

there are about 50+(?) n-l.mobi left..
list hasn't been updated, they are in there..

i just took, 8-n, 8-z, 8-s and 1-q

http://bluebecker.com/storage/L-NN-LMOBI.txt

bitch rep for remindin' me;

*would'nt let me, MC - usual proxy?

 

[Pred]

Actually there are none left, they were all gone in the first couple week of the Landrush... was lucky enough to snag four of them, someone else grabbed loads all at once... smart thinkin IMHO...

C= character

I think you are mistaking for L= letter

all L-L are gone
there are some N-L & L-N left (number. letter rev.)

yep. wish i nailed L-L.
I remeber passing over a-a.mobi , but lets not go there , the the amount of prime words and LLL i passed over

anyway, imho, there are some sweet c-c.mobi still out there. i am trawling for a few more.
anyone got a list?

 

[fixxation]

C= character

I think you are mistaking for L= letter

all L-L are gone

Doh! Sorry bout that, yep you're right... I was thinking L-L... I'm still pretty amazed that it took a good few days for the buyout of all of those domains to happen...