Via gawdlevelmarketing.blogspot.com (good luck remembering that one!):
Let me reiterate, I am not undermining the importance of the domain name. It is equivalent to the brand name of a product in the offline space. Unlike brands in the offline space where the “first moment of truth” could be through packaging, ambience or even tasting the product, an online portal depends on its domain name (it has to be typed or clicked before the portal can be experienced in any way)
We all love great domain names, preferably suggestive of the category and yet not generic. Buy.com sucks as a domain name, irrespective of the features on the site - the main reason being its a generic and not a brand, imagine buying “camera” rather than a “canon”.
First, link baiting. The content of the article does not match the title. Yes, you got me to visit your blog one time, but in all likelihood, one time only, with enough bad taste that now not only had a bad experience, but will remember for next time that.
Second, what he describes somewhat reminds me of Real Names. If it was so great where are they now? They are nowhere to be found because it was flawed. You would type “Generic Keyword” and only one company would come up. What happens to the thousands of other companies who share the same brand name? What happens to all distributors/partners/resellers?
And as for generics Vs. Specifics argument (”camera” Vs. “canon”), nothing new here. In the marketing world this battle has been going on for ages, and there was never a clear winner. “Nike” is great but how much they are spending to support their brand? Take Shoes.com and with that domain, you can be in business in less then 60 seconds and profitable (if you paid registration cost) by the end of the next hour.
Our “professional” friend continues:
You hardly need to remember or type a complete portal name. This is the age of rss feeds, social bookmarking sites, prompts by search engines on what you could be looking for, and a drop down menu on the browser navigation toolbar (it can only get better).
Obviously no understanding of type-in traffic. Our portfolio, and the portfolios of many domain professionals, has been steady traffic-wise for many years, traffic coming from users who decides to type generic keywords in the address bar without any promotion on our side. This isn’t an argument of whether my opinion is right or wrong, this is a fact of life, of how online users behave. So you want to tell me because you “believe” we’re living in “the age of rss..” then users will stop typing domains tomorrow? Give me a break.
Users think. They are not always the brightest on earth but guess what, they are the customers who drive business. Any marketer knows (or should know) it is better to work with what you’ve got then try and change human behavior to what you want it to be. It’s not only extremely difficult but it is an extremely expensive proposition. Changing users behavior is going against the stream on a very stormy day. I know I wouldn’t try that.
So why generics Vs. specifics? Matter of fact, I don’t hold that opinion, nor the other way around. I think you do what’s best for you. For us, Funeralhomes.com works and is a generic domain while for my search engine I chose “assista“, a non generic brand-able name. The ideal solution? Well, I think we have many more generations to live before there will be one, if ever. However, to say “domains are irrelevant” today, to use “link baiting” to draw readers to your blog, is not only amateurish, but it brands yourself as “irrelevant” for future write-ups.
How is that for branding?
Hi Sahar - Thanks for the tip on the post… I posted a reply to it, and I suggest all domainers do the same.
Many people who do not work closely with domain names still question their value, as I encounter this during the course of interacting with clients and potential clients. I do what I can to educate them, and many have come to learn their value.
mp/m
A lot of so called experts are simply clueless.This is a guy who thinks buy dot com sucks as a domain name. Enough said, that line alone shows that his rational thinking is busted.
Hi Sahar,
As I often say to my clients about marketing “There is no Marketing Genius except the market itself”.
Now I think that anyone who has read his article would agree that he (Mr Marketing Professional)is no Marketing Genius!
This only goes to show once more the huge lack of understanding of what a great “generic” domains value really is.
Just like the Cowboys.com caper you took part in, I think it is still a few years away before the sleeping pills wear off companies world wide and they finally “Get It”.
It is a fascinating journey indeed!
Cheers
Ed Keay-Smith
http://www.ozdomainer.com
—-ANSWER—
“There is no Marketing Genius except the market itself”?. - What a GREAT quote!
Sahar
That is a great post. I think the quote really sums up the whole article. The Domain name to me is what sells you if you are trying to find a reputation on line.
I don’t doubt the value of generic domains; I simply question whether generics will continue to increase in value indefinitely as so many domain cheerleaders/promoters tend to believe (or at least say publicly).
I think a large number of prominent domainers are not particularly brilliant and simply happened to be in the right place at the right time. Witness one very prominent member of the industry who in a recent interview elaborated on how his strategy for buying domains was identical to his “strategy” for winning at roulette. Indeed…