The .TEL Discussion Thread

[brendan52190]

Hi

For this, let's assume that .tel will not be a total flop.

What type of keywords will be most valuable for this extension? Will it be geographical keywords, like newyork.tel, losangeles.tel, etc, or what else?

 

[TechZone]

Thanks for the update on this!
Traffic stats are a valuable addition as well as some of the customizations they have slated.

.tel Community | Roadmap

Sorry if this has allready been posted before, but there really are some nice plans ahead!

 

[valou]

Mass adoption for .tel does not equal monetization. Mass adoption also means a drop in resale pricing. If you're offering .tel domains to a billion customers that use it for personal purposes, they will get it from the Registry for reg fee. The pitfall of domainers that heavily invest in a TLD that cannot be monetized is punishable by monetary loss. For the last time, please, do not bring forth as an argument that an index of links on a text page is equal to potential or development.

.tel has been made to make money for Telnic + its future partners. The idea of introducing tel is a bright one as everyone can use a tel without knowing anything of development. This assures great expansion...

Monetization is difficult but not impossible. Monetization can be made and will be made using mobile operators and sms services.
i.e publish job postings but hide the employer info and then charge (using sms) for disclosing the rest of information.
or you can have a list of restaurants per location but hide their telephone and map details and disclose them after receiving payment. or publish properties for rent and do the same etc.
in conclusion, monetization is possible but different from what you were doing up to now i.e adsense and the like

 

[lexisdomains]

Free .TEL Review

One other thing: every one of my .tels is populated with relevant contact info and keywords; many of them have subdomains.

Free .TEL Review​

Hello Namepros Members.

In encouraging the success of the .TEL TLD & its investors, I would like to offer a "Free Review" of any 1 word premium .tel that represents a major market category.

At present, I will be offering a free review only to the 1st two Namepros members that respond.

• Only 1 word .tel domains

• No Adult Names

Here's a preview article:
.Tel Review



PM if interested.

Much Success,
LexisDomains

 

[steveteva]

.tel Community | Roadmap

Sorry if this has allready been posted before, but there really are some nice plans ahead!

What is verry interesting is to see that in roadmap the email features like [email protected] This is already available on some hostings.

 

[DubDubDubDot]

Monetization can be made and will be made using mobile operators and sms services.
i.e publish job postings but hide the employer info and then charge (using sms) for disclosing the rest of information.
or you can have a list of restaurants per location but hide their telephone and map details and disclose them after receiving payment. or publish properties for rent and do the same etc.
in conclusion, monetization is possible but different from what you were doing up to now i.e adsense and the like

Hello and welcome to 2009. I'm sorry, but these monetization ideas haven't worked online since the 90's. It would be ridiculous to run such a business model from a .tel profile anyway.

---------- Post added at 09:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:28 AM ----------

I said earlier that the general public would be cold to paying for a networking site. My opinion was just based on a trend over the past decade of social sites being free of charge, and web surfers having become conditioned into not paying for them.

For those needing something a little more than that, take a look at this story.

Would you pay $1 a month for Facebook?
Would you pay $1 a month for Facebook? | Fully Equipped - CNET Reviews

There is a poll that asks "How much would you be willing to pay for Facebook?" The choices are $1, 50 cents or nothing. After 17,650 votes a vast majority 87.7% would pay nothing and go elsewhere.

That shoots down those ludicrous claims earlier in the thread that .tel is going to make the traditional phone book obsolete.

It also calls into question the claims of many .tel domainers that mass adaptation of .tel will shoot it's value up. If people aren't willing to pay a similar price for Facebook, a service of extremely high social value that has already been accepted, then I don't see how .tel can go mainstream.

 

[spline]

Thing is, people are willing to pay if its something that gives them status or something exclusive. Facebook is not something exclusive.

And that poll might not be that correct. I´m quite sure that many would acctually pay if they had to, they just don't want facebook to know about it.

How many does not pay for premium membership at datingsites?

How many pay for expensive brands just because of the brand?

Hello and welcome to 2009. I'm sorry, but these monetization ideas haven't worked online since the 90's. It would be ridiculous to run such a business model from a .tel profile anyway.

---------- Post added at 09:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:28 AM ----------

I said earlier that the general public would be cold to paying for a networking site. My opinion was just based on a trend over the past decade of social sites being free of charge, and web surfers having become conditioned into not paying for them.

For those needing something a little more than that, take a look at this story.

Would you pay $1 a month for Facebook?
Would you pay $1 a month for Facebook? | Fully Equipped - CNET Reviews

There is a poll that asks "How much would you be willing to pay for Facebook?" The choices are $1, 50 cents or nothing. After 17,650 votes a vast majority 87.7% would pay nothing and go elsewhere.

That shoots down those ludicrous claims earlier in the thread that .tel is going to make the traditional phone book obsolete.

It also calls into question the claims of many .tel domainers that mass adaptation of .tel will shoot it's value up. If people aren't willing to pay a similar price for Facebook, a service of extremely high social value that has already been accepted, then I don't see how .tel can go mainstream.

 

[FreakySteve]

Any poll asking what people will pay for something that has an option of $0 will always show $0 as the favored result.

If people have the choice of paying or not paying, all things equal, why would anyone choose to pay?

People would pay for FB if there was no similar alternative, just like any other service. It may drop their user base if it was paid access only, but they would still have lots of members.

Same is applicable to dot-tel. If people can see the value, $10/year is peanuts.

 

[Ms Domainer]

*

Evidently, there is a lively (albeit illegal) aftermarket on premium Twitter user names.

Never underestimate the power of vanity and status branding.


*

 

[Work In Progress]

Thing is, people are willing to pay if its something that gives them status or something exclusive. Facebook is not something exclusive.

And that poll might not be that correct. I´m quite sure that many would acctually pay if they had to, they just don't want facebook to know about it.

How many does not pay for premium membership at datingsites?

How many pay for expensive brands just because of the brand?

The bottom line is, people will pay for services / products that offer specific value to them. Dating sites, for instance, offer other access to members that usually are only accessible via membership. Pretty good incentive to pay if you want to join in the online dating game. Yes, some to pay premiums for the prestige value as well. At this stage, .tel offers neither. Why would anyone utilize a .tel site, knowing they'd have to pay for "more info" they can get free at the .com petitor (or .mobi, .info, etc)? If a .tel can give a customer something they can't get anywhere else, then there's hope with charging a premium. But, from what I've seen, contact info , links or phone numbers can be easily had free via multiple other avenues (even while on the go)

As for paying more for brand name recognition, .tel has a long way to go before this will happen as well, IMHO. Rolex, Mercedes, Gucci, Coach and others like them all have well recognized branding as well as exceptional quality that makes them desirable to many.

 

[lexisdomains]

Is that really so?

*

Evidently, there is a lively (albeit illegal) aftermarket on premium Twitter user names.

Never underestimate the power of vanity and status branding.


*

Wow! This is quite shocking! I always wondered how top companies were able to get thier twitter profiles when they were already populated.

 

[azerbaijan]

What is verry interesting is to see that in roadmap the email features like [email protected] This is already available on some hostings.

I just wonder,i've got godaddy hosting and have also birja.tel account,why can't i have [email protected] email address?

 

[siga]

I've heard that this is/was the same with yahoo id's in some cultures.

Did not realise twitter were the same.

 

[Ms Domainer]

*

So, then, with .tel domains, selling a premium name is completely legal; unlike Twitter, Yahoo, Facebook, myspace, gmail (places where sales of premium user names are routine, albeit underground), one will not have one's name confiscated if the name was purchased on the aftermarket.

It would be very sad if you bought an expensive twitter user name, only to have it confiscated, which would be allowable under Twitter's TOS.

Better to pay a premium for a .tel domain.

As .tel evolves, you will see the value of .tel premiums rise accordingly.

*

 

[Archangel]

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Never underestimate the power of vanity and status branding.


*

Of every post I've read in this thread, this single line of text rings the most accurate. I doubt I'd ever use a .tel (I don't think I'd ever need one, really) but I'd consider buying randy.tel, for vanity purposes.

But there are still ppl who know nothing about the .tel or they doubt they'd need one. I'll say once again: Ya can't say .tel will or will not flop right now, ppl. Speculation is all we have at this point. Give it a year and we'll be able to draw a conclusion (or at least we'll have some stats to play with)

 

[Ms Domainer]

*

_________, you're a good person with a kind heart; Oprah's representative just may take you up on that offer.

On the other hand, the person who regged Oprah [dot] tel had better (1) be named Oprah, (2) regged this on behalf of Oprah, (3) or have a kid or relative with that name.

Even if 1 and 3 are fufilled, the contact in the domain had better not pretend to be that of the famous Oprah.

Oprah has deep pockets; although she appears sweet and all kumbaya on her show, I hear that she doesn't suffer fools lightly when it comes to business.

I think that the numpty who regged Oprah [dot] tel at landrush is gonna lose $350 - $400.

EDIT: Removed quote because I noticed that the original post has been removed.

*

 

[WordWalker]

But there are still ppl who know nothing about the .tel or they doubt they'd need one. I'll say once again: Ya can't say .tel will or will not flop right now, ppl. Speculation is all we have at this point. Give it a year and we'll be able to draw a conclusion (or at least we'll have some stats to play with)

The following applies to the promotion of any TLD, including .Tel:

"Commercials, infomercials, print ads and miscellaneous other mass marketing strategies wield considerable weight and compel end users to buy billions of dollars in products and services they didn’t know existed, didn’t want and don’t need. Imagine what these same marketers could do if unleashed on the end user masses with something really valuable like domain names.

I hate to be the one to break it to my fellow domainers, but blogging, wishing and wondering have never been adequate substitutes for a meticulously planned, well-executed advertising campaign. One day, the domain industry will wake-up to the fact that despite Madison Avenue's inability to immediately grasp the potential of domain space, it has nonetheless spent more than a century firmly establishing itself as the undisputed champion for creating unrelenting demand where none existed before. When that day comes, end users will be clambering for their very own domain DOT Du Jour simply because a bunch of advertising executives sitting around a conference table with their domainer clients decided to make it so.

In the meantime, we'll blog, wish and wonder as we continue leaving end user domain buying decisions to the fates."

Comment Posting by reader (not Rick)
RicksBlog.com Dec. 21 2008

 

[DubDubDubDot]

It would be very sad if you bought an expensive twitter user name, only to have it confiscated, which would be allowable under Twitter's TOS.

Better to pay a premium for a .tel domain.

So they can.... Let me guess.... Link to their bad Twitter username from their good .tel.

The person willing to spend $x on a certain Twitter username can't be sold on spending that money on a .tel instead.

 

[Traveler]

But there are still ppl who know nothing about the .tel or they doubt they'd need one. I'll say once again: Ya can't say .tel will or will not flop right now, ppl. Speculation is all we have at this point. Give it a year and we'll be able to draw a conclusion (or at least we'll have some stats to play with)

Correct, speculation is all we have at this point. If dot tel takes off those that speculated early will do well. Those that waited to see if .tel would take off before investing already missed the opportunity.

 

[Archangel]

Correct, speculation is all we have at this point. If dot tel takes off those that speculated early will do well. Those that waited to see if .tel would take off before investing already missed the opportunity.

Exactly. That's why I regged 1 .tel so if the ext DOES take off, I won't miss the boat entirely.

 

[kprobe]

*

_________, you're a good person with a kind heart; Oprah's representative just may take you up on that offer.

On the other hand, the person who regged Oprah [dot] tel had better (1) be named Oprah, (2) regged this on behalf of Oprah, (3) or have a kid or relative with that name.

Even if 1 and 3 are fufilled, the contact in the domain had better not pretend to be that of the famous Oprah.

Oprah has deep pockets; although she appears sweet and all kumbaya on her show, I hear that she doesn't suffer fools lightly when it comes to business.

I think that the numpty who regged Oprah [dot] tel at landrush is gonna lose $350 - $400.

EDIT: Removed quote because I noticed that the original post has been removed.

*

Thx Ms_Domainer. Thx
BTW. Mis_Chiff removed my original post maybe because I had a link (sorry new here), or without actually reading what is at promoting dot tel: simply trying to help promote dotTEL for everyone in a variety of ways and not promoting an oprah domain at all.

 

[mis_chiff]

Thx Ms_Domainer. Thx
BTW. Mis_Chiff removed my original post maybe because I had a link (sorry new here), or without actually reading what is at promoting dot tel: simply trying to help promote dotTEL for everyone in a variety of ways and not promoting an oprah domain at all.

As stated in PM
It's not what is at the end of the link, or the reason
the link is posted, it's the link being there in the first place.

 

[WordWalker]

Search results for Debra Shepard (no quotes) returns DebraShepard.tel at no. 30. Not too shabby! :].

 

[Archangel]

Search results for Debra Shepard (no quotes) returns DebraShepard.tel at no. 30. Not too shabby! :]

This makes me think: What .tel will swim and what will sink? I couldn't see any ext that is a nom-name ever becoming much. Even poker.tel doesn't seem to have a logical use. I own jacklyn.tel but... how desirable is it? I mentioned randy.tel earlier. It might be good to put on a business card but that's about it. Seeing what they are & all, would everyone named Jacklyn want my .tel or would they prefer something more person like, say, JacklynSmith.tel? We'll have to give it awhile to see... and for you investors: Don't try to get every FirstnameLastname.tel you can think of... lawsuits galore will come knocking on your door.

 

[lipps]

Personally at this time I can only see a few options for making some good money on tel domains.

Vanity domains yes but not as high as one would think
Say Waldo wants his own domain. He is in his trailer, doing his laundry on the porch while working on his car on blocks in the front yard.

He goes to his Dell c500 laptop, connects his dial up service, and bam, get a pop up that says he can bid on the domain name Waldo.tel (Hopefully owned by someone here)

So Waldo goes to his matress and checks, he has 2k stashed away that he was going to use for a nice trip to Georiga for the Nascar race, but wants the domain so bad he bids, Good for Waldo he wins. Shame he aint Bill Gates he might buy Bill dot tel for a bit more.

Perhaps Waldo might get smarter and decide to buy a tel domain that he could sell contact space to a group of people. Of course that would have to be a group willing to pay. Say 10 bucks a year for name, number, email, address and that fancy little map at the side. Kinda like being listed in the phone book I suppose.

If Waldo could just get a 1000 people to post their contacts on his dot tel he could make 10k off that domain a year. Now Waldo is getting smarter. Problem is old Waldo just dosent know how to drive the users to his directory. He is thinking about hiring a sign spinner.

Of course, Waldo was smart. His laundry and car service has already got the copyrights and trademarks on "Waldo car and laundry service of central and regional north nowhere america usa llc formally inc" so he dosent have to worry about buying

Waldocarandlaundryserviceofcentralandregionalnorthnowhereamerica usallcformallyinc.tel

By rights its his. Sorry Oprah I know you wanted it and I know whoever got that one in the land rush is really gonna lose the 300 bucks.

Shame Waldo cant link his ebay store to a tel domain item by item. It might be a way to generate some funds off of brake parts and laundry soaps.

I am sure Mrs Waldo would like to shop ebay at work somehow now that the rubber plant has put in that new fancy adaware firewall thing so she cant get to ebay on the computer any longer.

That new fancy Motorola DynaTAC 8000X she has might be great for that.

In short perhaps there are a few ways to generate some funds, but not pay for service, more pay for advertising space. Good Ad space gets good bucks these days, if dot tel can ever get the traffic.

 

[Ms Domainer]

*

I agree. I regged my own first name and last name. I also regged the first names of my granddaughters.

But that's it.

People who regged first names will probably be okay, unless it's something famous like Madonna, Cher, or Oprah.

But I would hesitate in regging the full name of a celeb.

Generics and GEOs are best (IMO).


*

This makes me think: What .tel will swim and what will sink? I couldn't see any ext that is a nom-name ever becoming much. Even poker.tel doesn't seem to have a logical use. I own jacklyn.tel but... how desirable is it? I mentioned randy.tel earlier. It might be good to put on a business card but that's about it. Seeing what they are & all, would everyone named Jacklyn want my .tel or would they prefer something more person like, say, JacklynSmith.tel? We'll have to give it awhile to see... and for you investors: Don't try to get every FirstnameLastname.tel you can think of... lawsuits galore will come knocking on your door.