.WS domains

[The Stealthy One]

What is the outlook for .WS TLDs in five years from now? Will they have anymore traction than at this point in time?

 

[Dan]

They probably won't be amazing any time soon, but good names should still be able to sell pretty well.

 

[Spade]

Outlook, huh?

The outlook is pretty grim. Consider the rate that they are currently releasing new TLD's - I sincerely doubt .ws will ever come into its own, or ever be a top 5 TLD contender... I think its even a longshot to make top 10.

Justin

 

[The Stealthy One]

They probably won't be amazing any time soon, but good names should still be able to sell pretty well.

Thanks for the feedback!

Outlook, huh?

The outlook is pretty grim. Consider the rate that they are currently releasing new TLD's - I sincerely doubt .ws will ever come into its own, or ever be a top 5 TLD contender... I think its even a longshot to make top 10.

Justin

Hi Justin!

Thanks for weighing in. Can you explain why you think this, or is it more of a gut feeling?

 

[Dan]

.ws was introduced in 1995 and it still hasn't caught on. It has had its chance, but it just isn't likely.

 

[The Stealthy One]

Is it possible that it suffers from an awareness problem?

 

[Mike]

Very much so. .WS is undervalued, has never been positioned or effectively advertised and branded. .WS could have a stellar future if, IF! some decent marketing and management were behind it. Since thats not the case, i'm thinking that Justin is head on. The rate of new extensions being released and the focal point being on .com, while we're still waiting on the promised push of .TV and .US, leaves .WS with next to no chance.
Even if all the good will is taken into account...i don't think .WS has a decent future. (which sucks since i have a few )

 

[Spade]

Is it possible that it suffers from an awareness problem?

LoL, thats an understatement! Lets be honest. There is no competition to the king (.com) - The most popular, the most recognized, thats the premier property.

The issue with .ws is several fold. The first is, its a ccTLD that was converted and marketed as "web site" - and, from the beginning, its never caught on. It had a chance way back when, but now its competing with several other extensions that have come out successfully.

Even with marketing - .ws serves no extra function. Consider the new TLDs that just came out and are comming out. .eu, .mobi, .tel, .asia - These are either specific use tlds or geo tlds. .ws really doesnt fit in developing model of the internet. Its serves no function other than a TLD for an obscure region.

Thats is why I believe .ws will never be anything more than a poor ccTLD

Justin

 

[The Stealthy One]

Well, thanks very much for the input, guys! I appreciate it!

 

[floatingworld]

Occasionally, just occasionally a prime one-worder shows up with all extensions gone except maybe .ws and/or .cc Since GD dropped the .ws reg fee to $9.99 it is sometimes worth taking a punt just to see whether there is any traffic potential. .ws appears as a more generic extension than the other ugly duckling .biz but both are worth a dabble when one feels the 'hunch' coming on.........................

 

[Kate]

Is it possible that it suffers from an awareness problem?

It seems to me that .cc for example was heavily promoted with media advertising at some stage (a long time ago) so it could be fashionable... it is still an exotic TLD.
BTW I am not under the impression that .ws has evolved a lot over the last 5 years. I do not see any fundamentals suggesting this is going to change over the next 5 years.
Bottom line is that TLD will do for development but if you are looking to resell domains you will have a hard time with .ws. It's better to stick with more established extensions.

 

[The Stealthy One]

Thanks for the additional input, guys!

So .biz domains are pretty worthless, too?