.mobi Secret .mobi fan spotted and revealed!!

[hawkeye]

Guess who bought Tickets.mobi!!? Straight from the 'king' himself!

RicksBlog


Time for naysayer 'reassess'??!?

 

[hawkeye]

I've not seen a lot of mobi here that would qualify as premium, instead lots of so-called brandable, 3-worders and other less than average that wouldn't sell in .com. Hence my feeling that domainers don't get "it".

The only place/reason to see premium names held by domainers, is to look for early portfolio and reg purchasing threads. As I, and I'm assure others, don't believe Premium domains would sell here currently for their value, so what is the reason to post them otherwise. Most of the names that get posted are late buys or, those selling later buys. A few nice ones can be seen in a couple sigs, but overall not in postings. And even though mtld held back 5K names, believe me, there are some portfolios out there that are a domainers dream 'in any extension'.

 

[acc]

I hear ya. Clearly, bad names abound in every extension. But at least when a new extension launches you have the opportunity to pick premium keywords (aside from those hoarded by mtld of course ).

I've not seen a lot of mobi here that would qualify as premium, instead lots of so-called brandable, 3-worders and other less than average that wouldn't sell in .com. Hence my feeling that domainers don't get "it".

If you read carefully you will notice that I'm not always bashing the extension just for the sake of it, instead I invite the players to cast a more critical look at their picks.
It is sad, because I would rather see a domainer prosper in an extension I dislike, than waste his money on names that will be dropped.

Hawkeye is CORRECT ! :sold:

There are many thousands of VERY FINE "premium-like" .mobi names that held by both end users and domainers (and those who are or will become 'BOTH"). But those names may or may not be on the open market right now. They were however AVAILABLE TO ANYBODY who took the time and made an attempt to pre-register or register them during landrush and the months following. There is a little sympathy in my eyes for those who missed it, but absolutely none for those who have since then dissed it, and who are are now pi**ed at it and its supporters.

A majority of the better .mobi names are NOT posted for sale on the forums but are being held by their registrants for development and/or future sales. At this point annual registration fees required to hold those names going forward are "peanuts" considering potential future valuations should the extension accelerate along its current path and ultimately really take off. Staff Edit: No linking to outside Domain Forums of some of these names that you have not seen being "sold-off" on all the forums as you have mentioned.

The term "hoarded" has negative connotations. Others have slanderishly used the term "greed" in referring to dotMobi. Seeing how so many of the SAME key words in ALL other extensions have been just sitting as parked pages, the new mtld registry TRIED SOMETHING DIFFERENT - they withheld 5000+ "premium" names and hundreds of geo and other "reserved" terms from open registration. This in my opinion was a very smart move for two main reasons:

1. Proceeds from sales will help the build out of the extension.
a. The adoption of the .mobi extrension will be better served by ultimately directing those 5000 "pemium" terms into the hands of those who will develop them and provide a base of good content - in CONTRAST what you see for a majority of those SAME terms in other extensions. So the distribution of these names (mostly via auctions) now comes with development requirtements. That is a GOOD thing for the extension. ONLY .mobi has this so far.
b. The holding of large GEO terms for use by municipalities will GUARANTEE good relevant content - see http://helsinki.mobi for an example of what is to come. It benefits the extension.

2. Proceeds from sales will provide ongoing funds for -
a. furthering the mobile developer support offerings and mobile industry buildout contributions by dotMobi for the benefit of mobile websites in ALL extensions. You don't even have to own a .mobi domain to take advantage of their http://ready.mobi website analyser and mobile phone emulator for example.
b. sustaining and growing the dotMobi registry. Unlike other registries that charge YEARLY HIGH PRICES for select domains or across the board high registration and renewal prices, .mobi registration and renewals for ANY names are down around other extensions. (They are above .com/.net/.us now but we will have to see where they eventually settle.)

I realize that some domainers do not "like" it and complain about the registry holding back of the "premium" and GEO names. But the registry had foresight and VERY GOOD reasons for doing so. The considerable group of original and subsequent "backers" have provided funds to help set up, support, and sustain this registry. That is UNIQUE to this industry and another example illustrating why .mobi is NOT just another domain extension.

I fully agree with you that it is "sad" that so many domainers (especially newcomers) will waste money on names (in MANY extensions) that will not be developed and will surely be dropped in a year or two. I'd say 99% of domainers start out with experiencing at least a little bit of THAT lesson of the learning curve.

Anyone with smarts, creativity, and an open mind can weigh all the risks and potential benefits, create their OWN Plan A and fallback Plan B, and consider .mobi names as ONE of the many possible available ways to chase success in the domain/internet industry going forward.

.

 

[-REECE-]

Agreed hawkeye.

I'm quite happy with the way everything has been progressing lately and just renewed 50 of my .mobis today

I have a few nice health names that I bought on the aftermarket over the last year but really have no interest flipping them to domainers, especially at "reseller prices" today. I'll either develop them when I get the time to do so or I'll just wait for a real enduser (eg. POM Wonderful for my pomegranate(.)mobi :hehe: )to make their move. From what I've seen, most of the people with nice names don't seem to be in any rush to sell...

The only place/reason to see premium names held by domainers, is to look for early portfolio and reg purchasing threads. As I, and I'm assure others, don't believe Premium domains would sell here currently for their value, so what is the reason to post them otherwise. Most of the names that get posted are late buys or, those selling later buys. A few nice ones can be seen if a couple sigs, but overall not in postings. And even though mtld held back 5K names, believe me, there are some portfolios out there that are a domainers dream 'in any extension'.

 

[DomainTalker]

I'll go a bit further....I think, for many owners of good .com domains today, a time is fast approaching when they will be shocked by reducing values of their domains...


I say this, not because the US economy is tanking, or that the business cycle has gone currently negative, but, because the tectonic plates are moving in a fundamental way - and, if they are not careful, the business models - and assumptions - that have provided value for .com up to now, are going to be seriously challenged.


It seems to have escaped a lot of people's attention that many - too many, imo - of the GREAT .com Premium keyword domains - that have been out there for 10 -15 years - are STILL JUST PARKED PAGES.....Undeveloped, Unpromoted, Unbuilt into businesses...


...eg CAMERAS.COM and BED.COM, to mention just two...And there are many, many, others.

How much real value has been lost to the owners of those names because they didn't develop a viable business model for them? (Sure, Cameras.com is on the market with an asking price of $3m - but (like Business.com) it could be a $100m name today, if it was a major business, instead of just an empty name).

And, we've seen so much of this.


I feel this illustrates an underlying difference between the players in the .mobi extension, and much of what has happened in the .com space over past years....And, also, it illustrates to me just why I feel .mobi will turn out to be a good investment.


Its about an attitude alignment between potential value in a domain name - and, what this mobile web world is going to demand.


I feel the 'Park 'n Wait' business model - And trading names for a profit mainly between fellow domainers - that so many .comers of the past 10 years have adopted - whilst very profitable in the past, will not be the business model for the mobile web, or .mobi.....ie for the entire internet, starting, like very soon...


The mobile web will be very fast-moving - very vibrant - very creative - and, rely (to be profitable) upon flexible, proactive, business models, that will change shape, style, and content, regularly...

We cannot imagine today, I think, exactly how the mobile web will evolve - What technologies will shape the user experience - How value is to be extracted - And, how fast & frequently the business models will have to adapt to stay relevant - and profitable.

To make it in the mobile space, any form of passivity, will erode value....And I mean reduce value.....ie I believe PASSIVE parking will be a loser's game....And, lazy domainers, with undeveloped names will lose out, no matter how good the name.


So much of the tradition of the .com experience has NOT prepared the owners for the new mobile world...


I actually think .com name values may come under serious challenge in years to come, as the very passive, undeveloped, Cameras.com & the Bed.com's of life are superseded by fast-moving, tailored to end-users, user-friendly, convenient, developed, on-the-go site-services of (a plug) the Camera.mobi's, and the Bed.mobi's of this world...


All the signs so far, point to the fact that the owners of quality .mobi names are dedicated to developing each and every one of them into real, working, businesses.....And, from what I've seen, they are - and will - adapt their sites, rapidly, to changing technology...and grow them as businesses.

And their Registry (unlike every other Registry) is manifestly, and actively, part of promoting and facilitating that strategy.


As soon as consumer end user mobile wireless plans are affordable (very soon) - and the mobile phones are good enough (happening now) - and the merchant technoolgy for mobile is secure enough (there now)....I think there will be a RAPID MASS MOVE from tied-to-a-desk PC, to mobile internet activity (we see this already in Japan).


My point is - not that .com will disappear.....Nor that many will not prosper with PC sites....My point is that it will take a huge mindset change for non-mobile-inclined domain owners to retain the value in non-made-for-mobile domain ownership...


...I feel that its precisely because .mobi players are tuned into this creative & flexible mobile mobile world that they are likely to be successful...They think like that, they work like that, and they create like that.....And, so many .com owners do not...


...One day, my Camera.mobi (when its been expanded in as yet unforseeable ways) may buy Cameras.com....Perhaps with its loose spare change...:D

.

 

[binaryman]

I think you are missing a BIG point - dot mobi sites are NOT LIMITED to mobile access only - yes, they are intended to GUARANTEE mobile access but they can also simultaneously include full PC size information. You can use device detection and serve BOTH mobile and non-mobile pages. Just don't use frames, tables and large graphics on the mobile pages. Common sense requirements. Newer CSS designs already do away with the need for tables anyway and frames are typically not a real good idea to use for a number of reasons.

Dot mobi domain names are VERSATILE and an individual or a business of any size can - today - still acquire great keyword .mobi names for a small fraction of the price of their dot com counterparts. Useful, reasonably priced or downright inexpensive, and targetted toward the fastest growing segment of the online world. Not the biggest yet just the fastest growing.

Both online worlds and both extensions can coexist. Sure a .com domain name is worth more on the market TODAY. So what. All the more reason for anyone wanting to put up a website for the future to grab a good .mobi name today while they can. Dot mobi names are widely available for businesses - short, generic, easy to remember, and way less expensive.
.

The following part of what you wrote has created a question for me:
"dot mobi sites are NOT LIMITED to mobile access only[/B] - yes, they are intended to GUARANTEE mobile access but they can also simultaneously include full PC size information"

My question is: Can a .Com site also have those same qualities that a .mobi has? I mean can it also simultaneously include the same experience on a mobile phone as .mobi does without device detection. In other words can one program or design a .Com site as if it was a .Mobi site?

 

[Steven]

My question is: Can a .Com site also have those same qualities that a .mobi has? I mean can it also simultaneously include the same experience on a mobile phone as .mobi does without device detection. In other words can one program or design a .Com site as if it was a .Mobi site?

Yes

 

[binaryman]

Yes

OK then I cant see the need for .Com sites to have to resort to .M.com or device detection and Opera browsers for being able to be viewed just like a .mobi on a cellphone and at the same time still offer a fullscreen PC experience.

 

[Steven]

OK then I cant see the need for .Com sites to have to resort to .M.com or device detection and Opera browsers for being able to be viewed just like a .mobi on a cellphone and at the same time still offer a fullscreen PC experience.

If a person wanted to make a mobile website, he can use any extension he wants. It's not the extension, but the programming and webdesigning that matters in regards to creating a mobile website.
Let's just say I have exampledomain.com, and I have a lot of visitors per month.
If I get some complaints from my visitors that they want to visit my site through their mobile device (pda, cell phone), but they are not able to due to their phone browser technology or very uncomfortable due to its screen size.

I may try to make a mobile version and use auto browser redirection for them

(m.exampledomain.com, whateversubdomain.exampledomain.com or exampledomain.com/anyfolderichoose/, exampledomain.cc, exampledomain.in, exampledomain.tv, exampledomain.mobi and etc)

So, those of who visit my website via PC know that they can visit the same website (www.exampledomain.com) and be redirected to mobile version (thus eliminating the need to type in m.exampledomain.com, etc)

I can go to bofa.com through my cell phone browser or bofa.mobi, and I will be redirected to https://www.bankofamerica.com/mobile/
Let's say I didn't know about bofa.mobi, but knew about bofa.com through PC banking usage. I may type in bofa.com in my phone and go to the same mobile site (www.bankofamerica.com/mobile/)

Same thing can be done for .mobi.
pc.exampledomain.mobi for auto redirection to PC.


If I want to make a mobile only website, I can use .mobi, .com, .tv, .cc, etc.

It's just an extension...

Development/design is another story...


Update:

I think I may have misunderstood what you are trying to get at.
I apologize for that.

To answer the question, .mobi site will depend on the programming and design involved.
All PC can access any site made on .mobi, but will it become popular?
I mean we are talking about (sometimes) fierce competition between web businesses/sites to attract visitors, and the quality of a mobile website may not be enjoyable to those accessing it via PC.

If you had a choice when using PC, would you go to youtube.com quality site or m.youtube.com quality site

 

[newdomainer.mobi]

You're welcome

I can see what you mean.
You mean like develop a full website using .mobi and auto redirect to mobile version when visiting through the phone browser? ie wap.hotclips.mobi

I think any extension can do that.
Build a normal website and auto redirect for mobile.

However, we are also seeing companies starting to use adopt .mobi as a way of redirecting to mobile version from their .com or any extension.
As I've mentioned several times before, I believe that both .mobi and tech/low data plan will be utilized by mobile web users in the near future.

That's just about the perfect way to utilise a dotmobi... especially (but exclusively) where a business cannot obtain a decent domain name in .com or .cc (if a localised trading company)
I think that the redirect may be used by many but I think that as a short cut & for branding many businesses are going to make use of their dotmobi address for direct access (where they are using a std TLD for their main site).

It's the same as a 'well known mobile forum' which uses the dotmobi for a desktop site but renders perfectly on a mobile.

Even if a company doesn't particularly want a mobile site it is probably the best excuse yet to justify using a .com alternative without it looking like a compromise or '2nd best' - that reason alone could take up a 10% - 20% market share of the mobile web.

 

[-REECE-]

That's a very good point.

Whenever I see a .mobi, my first reaction is that it's a .mobi. Whenever I see a .net, my first reaction is that the person couldn't afford the .com.

That's just about the perfect way to utilise a dotmobi... especially (but exclusively) where a business cannot obtain a decent domain name in .com or .cc (if a localised trading company)
I think that the redirect may be used by many but I think that as a short cut & for branding many businesses are going to make use of their dotmobi address for direct access (where they are using a std TLD for their main site).

It's the same as a 'well known mobile forum' which uses the dotmobi for a desktop site but renders perfectly on a mobile.

Even if a company doesn't particularly want a mobile site it is probably the best excuse yet to justify using a .com alternative without it looking like a compromise or '2nd best' - that reason alone could take up a 10% - 20% market share of the mobile web.