Many big changes have taken place around the globe in the last few years, including an economic power shift to the East, the first Black American president, the fall of the banking system in the UK, more than one Greece bailout, and Aung San Suu Kyi was allowed to run in an election in Burma. The world keeps turning, economic and social patterns are shifting, leaders are being ousted and climates are evolving, yet in the other world, the one we domainers spend much of our time in, things are pretty constant.
The purpose of domain names doesn’t evolve. Domains may come in different formats but their primary function to support the web remains the same as it always was. Speculation over what suffix will topple the Dot Com is always floating around, but to date no contender has come close. I’d go as far as saying a good Dot Com domain is about the best investment anyone could have made in the last 10 years. Okay, so there was the Dot Com bust many moons ago, but that was to do with overpriced web properties, not awesome domains names. No, a good Dot Com has always been a good Dot Com, no matter the state of the website resale market.
Whether bought for resale or site monitization, superior Dot Coms have been a sure bet and still look strong going forward. Of course, there are millions of lame Dot Coms – and millions of people no doubt wondering why their $9.99 purchase still hasn’t come to fruition 10 years down the line – but by and large successful domainers became successful off the back of making smart Dot Com purchases. And this trend hasn’t ceased, yet.
Top 10 Dot Com Purchases of all Time
1. Insure.com – $16 million in 2009.
2. Sex.com – $12-$14 million in 2006.
3. Fund.com – $9.99 million in 2008.
4. Porn.com – $9.5 million in 2007.
5. Business.com – $7.5 million in 1999.
6. Diamond.com – $7.5 million in 2006.
7. Beer.com – $7 million in 2004.
8. Israel.com – $5.88 million in 2004.
9. Casino.com – $5.5 million in 2003.
10. Toys.com – $5.1 million in 2009.
It goes without saying that to succeed as a domainer you need the best domains, yet it also goes without saying that online businesses need these domains too. So there is a constant thriving market for the trade of superior domain names. Many businesses try to navigate the necessity of buying the Dot Com that best reflects their product or brand, but in the end bite the bullet, realizing that the domain name is the root of modern day branding and will play a huge role in determining visibility long term.
The beauty of domaining is that the rules for entry don’t change either. Regulation might change to a degree but the playing field remains open to anyone. You don’t need a Ph.D or even to have finished high school to become a successful domainer; you need only to understand what makes a good domain purchase, and where the big money domains are concerned this comes with understanding the psychology of people and remaining current.
And so the world keeps turning but domaining remains the same. The Dot Com is still boss and thousands of domains are registered and resold every day. I can’t see the state of play changing any time soon.
