Archive for Domain Names
Premium Domain Names: What Are They?
Posted by: | CommentsIn a world where almost all commodities have a premium segment to cater to the elite class, domain names are not going to be left behind at any cost. This article intends to introduce you to the whole concept of premium domain names and provide you with some interesting facts that drive the idea home.
Premium domain names are actually aftermarket entrants that satisfy a further set of characteristics. Simply put, these are the domain names that are up for grabs in the domain market, and have some history behind them. When a domain name owner fails to renew his/her domain subscription, the domain enters the aftermarket. Also, a domain name put to sale deliberately by the initial owner makes for an aftermarket domain name. And just in case these aftermarket domain names happen to have some additional features that attract the attention of the prospective buyers, these too qualify as premium domain names.
What Features Are We Talking About?
- The name sticks. If you crave for a domain name because the name registers on the mind of the viewer or the listener, it might well be a premium domain name. These names are easily memorized and hence, there are greater chances that these would attract visits.
- The name explains. Let us take an example here. Assuming you have a website that advertises cruise packages to the Caribbean islands, and does so by reviewing the islands and beaches. How would you like to have a domain name such as CaribbeanBeaches.com? Sounds good, right? Some people anticipate the need of names such as these and register them before this need actually arrives. And when the golden moment arrives, they take bids on these premium domain names and sell them to the highest bidder.
- The name is short, sweet, crisp and made of high density keywords. This resembles the perfect feature set for your website’s name, and you get such names at a premium. Also, premium domain names are most often top level domains, i.e. they are succeeded by extensions such as .com, .org, .net etc.
- The name is old, and is fully loaded with traffic. Domain names with established presence on the Internet supplemented by substantial traffic make for premium domain names any day of the week. And you can be very sure that buying it would not be easy if the search engine rank also scores high.
If you are owning number of websites you should consider selecting the host company with multiple domain hosting option and keep your websites on the same account.
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Domain Names – Do You Still Need One
Posted by: | CommentsIn the early days of the World Wide Web, the untouched land of domain names led to the last great gold rush. Everyone wanted word.com, and when those went away, commonphrase.com was the next big thing. Now, with tens of millions of domain names in existence, and harvesting companies snatching up everything that might resemble an existing word, phrase, or even sentence, those who want a good URL for their web site are faced with a question that no one would have even asked 10 years ago: do you even need your own domain name anymore?
The argument for “yes”
Thanks to the above phenomena, as well as the old monopolies on registration having long been broken, getting your own domain name is dirt cheap. Thus, you do not always need to have a word that is found in your dictionary to be taken seriously. Get a good site going, and “Plebno.com” might be considered a brilliant, memorable name (and yes, it’s available). For instant domain name search and availability check visit pcnames.com.
A domain name is a name that will always be with you (assuming that you didn’t accidentally strike someone else’s copyright). Additionally, you can have every address associated with name@plebno.com, and you won’t be tied down to a single host. Finally, there is a certain level of web site, mostly business-oriented, in which there is still a strong association between a domain name and a minimum level of professionalism.
The argument for “no”
If you are doing something simpler, then not only is most everyone on the web aware of all of the above problems with having your own name, but there are so many web hosts out there that can host a strong, well-done site under their own banner name that no one thinks any less of, for example mysite.blogspot.com, even if what you are hosting isn’t really a blog.
Also, there is the hassle of having your own domain. The registration is often typically painless but, if you are trying to change the owner, or nameservers, or trying to do anything complicated at the registrar level, you could be starting at a labyrinth of emails, confirmations, credit cards, security questions, CAPTCHAs, and so forth. If what you are running is a serious business that needs that kind of branding, then of course that is a small price to pay. But if you are just running a hobby or educational site or even a small business site like, say, counseling, that’s just more fuss than you’re likely to want to have to deal with.
One last piece of advice. If you choose a domain name and then change your mind and let it go, you are not likely to get it back. A harvester will snatch it right up. But don’t worry. If plebno.com gets taken, there’s always trozdoz.com (that’s available too).
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Additional Branding Woes in the Domain Name Game
Posted by: | CommentsCanadian companies were recently warned that the new domain name rules effective in 2012 could significantly harm their businesses. Therefore, those companies must defend their brands which will certainly cost a pretty penny. Due to the cost, the new naming rules will discourage most cybersquatters who can significantly harm a brand resulting in companies spending a large amount of money attract customers to different domains.
Deep Pockets Required
However, by catering to the new naming conventions, companies will be paying hundreds of thousands of dollars per application per domain name. Therefore, this could also become tremendously expensive.
ICANN’s Decision
In June 2011, ICANN decided that beginning in 2012, websites will no longer be limited only to the existing 22 endings like .com, .org and .net or the 250 country-specific domains like .ca and .fr. Instead, the organization will be permitting an unlimited number of extensions such as .books, .facebook, .coke and .car.
The agency claims that this decision will unleash the global human imagination, creating new opportunities for firms to greatly expand their online presence. Also, they stated that a demanding application mixed with high registration fees will filter out the abusers of the naming system.
Opposition to the Change
However, since that time, the advertising segment has opposed the move. In the United States, the Association of National Advertisers and the Interactive Advertising Bureau warned the amount of damage this change can cause on brand owners. United States advocacy groups have cooled down but the battle has shifted to Canadian companies. Reports state that only those firms with deep pockets will be able to defend their brands, take legal action and monitor new registrations.
Focusing on Generic Domain Names
While the cost and application are supposed to deter abuses, many individuals are positioning themselves to scoop up generic domain names like .beer and .chocolate. This could result in significant financial and legal battles not to mention major headaches for companies in those industries. Canadian companies could be hit hard since most are not large enough to take legal action and find protection.
Every day a new report is issued describing how unsatisfied entire industries are with the new naming conventions. Although the point of the change in extensions is a good idea, there are too many loose ends that could cause major problems for many online companies. This in turn could affect the global economy considerably.
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ICANN Defends New Domain Name Procedure
Posted by: | CommentsICANN has been strongly defending the newly approved proposal to introduce thousands of new Internet domain names. The California-based nonprofit was recently attacked by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) in a letter expressing fervent concerns with the new policy. As a result, ICANN has publicly defended the process and policy.
Association of National Advertisers
The ANA consists of major U.S. corporations such as Apple, Home Depot and Verizon who raised many issues with the most critical being that the trademark owners are required to defend their brands as a result of the introduction of so many new domain names and extensions. They indicated that the expense to conduct such a task will be extraordinary.
Opposition of the New System
Furthermore, the association argues that many companies will be compelled to apply for the all new top-level domains related to their business at $185,000 per domain name. Additionally, the ANA claims ICANN is failing to follow its own rules by requiring that its policies are to be adopted through a bottom-up consensus process. Therefore, the organization has called on ICANN to withdraw the proposal or work in conjunction with trademark owners to revise it.
ICANN’s Response
ICANN sent a written response to the ANA that noted Internet stakeholders have had ample time to comment on the new proposal. Also, they stated that many of the suggestions proposed by the ANA were included in the final proposal, approved June 2011.
Statement from the CEO
The CEO of ICANN quantified that the declarations in the statement from ANA were problematic in several ways with the most sever mischaracterizations regarding the ICANN approval process. The domain name process has been developed over six years of implementation planning and policy. There have been a variety of significant actions taken to find equilibrium amongst all vested parties while protecting them.
He additionally stated that ICANN will vigorously defend the model while defending its duty to act in accordance with the established bottom-up process. Additionally, this covers the broad public interest of the entire global Internet community as opposed to the interests of specific parties or groups.
ICANN knew once the process was released to the public and commercial entities that they would be vigorously defending it to ensure its implementation. Although there are only several months until the registration officially opens, there will definitely be additional controversies that are publicly announced.
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Ongoing Battle over the new .Music Domain Extension
Posted by: | CommentsCritics continue to argue over the new domain name extensions that will be available in January 2012. The most recent battle is with the potential creation of the .music top-level domain name. The music industry recently announced their concerns with the new extension. However, instead of simply complaining online, the industry is bringing their concerns to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) which is part of the Department of Commerce.
New Regulations
ICANN is the current organization that administers the domain extensions process under contract from the NTIA. Therefore, any new regulations set by the NTIA must be followed by ICANN in the U.S. market.
Newly Proposed Rules
The new rules proposed by the music industry would require ICANN to document how the proposed extension has receive support from relevant stakeholders and can safely be supported by the global public interest prior to introducing new domain names. In early 2011, music industry groups such as the RIAA, ASCAP and A2IM sent a let to ICANN listing their concerns regarding the domain name change.
Initial Concerns of the Music Industry
Their main apprehension was the lack of direct control over who could register a .music extension. The industry does not want unlawful online music services to acquire a .music extension. Since the sharing of illegal music across the Internet is a current issue, an illegal website acquiring a .music domain name extension could significantly affect revenues within the industry.
Reiterating Concerns
This same group of advocates recently reiterated their trepidations to the NTIA to support the agency’s proposal to enforce stricter measures for the purchase of any new domain extension. The group released a statement informing the public that they do not feel as if ICANN has adequately address all concerns raised by relevant parties with regards to the sale and launch of new global top-level domains.
Awarding of the Domain Extensions
Also, the organizations want to be clear that they do not have an issue with the .music domain. Instead their concern is how the extensions are being awarded. The heart of the issue relates to who owns music online. There are many music companies that allegedly operate on the Internet outside the confines of the rules.
Small battles such as that with .music domain name extension are beginning to pop up across the globe as the launch of new top-level domains approaches. Hopefully ICANN can address all issues to ensure a streamlined launch.
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Domain Name Expansion Expected to Create Major Problems
Posted by: | CommentsThe number of top-level domains is expected to become much more populated in the coming years. The landscape for this explosion will begin in the coming months so battles for branding and digital turf are expected to get ugly. This is a result of the decisions made by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers to create new domain name extensions for a more brand-able online appeal. For instance a DuPont top-level name could be .DuPont.
Current Preparations
A local Internet lawyer is already preparing to fight for one of his clients for .Philly. New York City officials have clearly indicated that .NYC is a civic asset and has already taken the necessary steps to preserve the domain name. Additionally, large companies are scooping up their domain name extensions such as .Microsoft, .Google and .Ford.
Application Process
Unfortunately, the rules enforced by ICANN will not stop at new entrants. Beginning January 2012, the application process will become official. However, ICANN is only expecting several hundred domain registrants to pay the $185,000 application fee. Unfortunately, qualified applicants will be able to create domain names based on any word.
Supporter Reaction
To supporters of the new extensions, this has been a long time coming. They are claiming that customers are looking for a way to capture their preferences. Therefore, businesses should not be restricted by the usual .com’s, .net’s and .org’s. Instead, they should be able to try .Music or .Food.
Recognition of Upcoming Challenges
Unfortunately, these same supporters recognize that the new rules will inevitably cause turf-battles and they are unsure how they will pan out. During the early years of the Internet, similar legal turf-wars were over the control of generic domain names with high value. The new laws will indefinitely change that aspect of domain names by depreciating the value of generic .com domain names as a result of the endless possibilities.
Critic’s Reaction
Critics of the new Internet law view this as creating duplication (from the past) and redundancy rather than implementing a value-added system. The only positive impact it will have on business is for those in the domain name registry industry.
It appears as if this change implemented by ICANN is going to cause more problems than its worth. At the same time this could improve company branding and increase online business. It is difficult to predict the outcome once the dust settles.