My.biz is running a contest (ending February 12, 2010) in which the most creative .BIZ website will win $25,000 cash. Second and third place winners will receive high end laptop computers.

Visit the My.biz website for official details. No. 1 registrar GoDaddy are participating in this promotion and further details can be found at GoDaddy.biz.

There are a number of companies whose official website is located on a .BIZ address including large real estate and construction firms. Some of them are listed on the My.biz website as an example of the type of creative .BIZ submissions they aim to receive for the $25,000 contest. .BIZ examples are …

• ArteWorks.biz (SEO & Marketing Specialists)
• CMIC.biz (Medical Malpractice Insurance Co.)
• DakotaPro.biz (Internet, Telephone, Data Specialty Co.)
• EquitableLife.biz (Equitable Life & Insurance Company)
• eServ.biz (Engineering & CAD, over 500 employees, $43 million revenue)
• UBMGroup.biz (United Business Media, 6500 employees worldwide)
• GreenAlliance.biz (Energy Conservation, Alternative Energy)
• Kokosing.biz (Large Commercial Construction Firm)
• NanoMech.biz (Nanomanufacturing Products and Engineering)
• OpusGroup.biz (High ranking Real Estate Development Co.)
• RSDFolders.biz (Data and Information Management)
• GotIdeas.biz (Informatics – eCommerce, Design, and Development)

More GoDaddy.biz contest information here: https://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/pdf/mybizcontestrules.pdf 

.BIZ is the official business web address of the internet!

.BIZ Domain Names .biz, GoDaddy

Premium domain names are gateways to the internet superhighway. All domain names are actually avenues of access to the world wide web. Prior to the year 2000, many people (and companies) could not yet visualize how important the internet would become to business and everyday life.

The tipping point was reached however. And the internet is now recognized as a landmark technological achievement with massive implications for the future of business. Not just in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, but on a global basis.

More evidence of the world’s migration to the internet is evidenced in two recent stories.

First, Ticketmaster have announced the sale of over 1 million paperless event tickets for year 2009. Consequently, no more standing in line for hours waiting to buy a ticket. What’s the price tag for that level of convenience? I purchased some of those tickets and can tell you firsthand that it’s a huge, huge plus. While the 2009 top countries for paperless ticket sales were the U.S. and Canada, the single biggest online event was the Metallica concert at the O2 arena in London, England.

Second, is the metamorphosis occurring within the television broadcast industry. Much has been written about traditional newspaper organizations losing out to the internet, but now we see that television programming distribution is being challenged as the internet continues to siphon off advertising revenue. “Free” TV, which has survived exclusively on commercial advertising, are now seeing their revenue dramatically decline as advertisers pump more and more dollars into cable TV advertising and internet advertising.

Very interesting is that traditional cable TV providers have all switched to digital distribution (no more analog). This is no different than the digitized video signal coming in over the internet connection, and thus raises the inevitable question -> Why subscribe to cable if I can obtain everything I want though a single delivery mechanism = the internet connection?

Case in point. My wife and I have been watching some of our favorite TV programs online. On the computer via the internet connection, not the cable TV connection! This signal can be run out to a high definition TV if you prefer, or simply viewed on your laptop. Ultimately, you will not need both a cable TV provider and an internet provider. A family will have access to everything they want from one point of contact, the internet connection. This is a media war in the making. Mark my words.

For domain name entrepreneurs, their quality internet properties will enjoy increased relevance as the world (particularly local consumer markets) participate in this massive migration to a single portal internet connection for everything they want and need. The big losers are traditional newspapers, traditional free TV distribution channels, and to some extent even traditional cable-only distribution channels.

The future is the single, all-encompassing internet provider who will deliver all media & communication through one digital line. Media companies around the world are diligently examining this issue at this very moment. A huge sea change is on the way. Big shifts are on the horizon and they will all revolve around the power of internet distribution. Quality domain names will be an integral piece of internet access.

Internet Domains

Of the many varied categories of domain names, geo domains (or geodomains) are my favorite. Cities, towns, and states have a singular and unique identity. These geo locations define the community of people who reside there as well as the local businesses that operate there.

A recent report (CNNMoney) listed states that are experiencing a shift (decline) in their population figures in relation to the past two years economic woes. California was ranked first in losses, New York second, and Michigan third. Everyone has heard about California’s financial difficulties. And most everyone is aware of the auto industry’s seemingly constant trouble achieving profitability (and consequent layoffs).

Generally speaking, citizens will migrate to areas of the country where new job opportunities are coming into play. Other factors which contribute to population shift are climate/weather, cost of living, state tax rates, ethnic/racial profile, and the presence of family support.

As long as there exists a substantial core “audience” for a city or locality, then a particular geo domain for that area will retain value and relevance.

Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans and displaced a large segment of the population. However, the city itself enjoys such dynamic history and tourist appeal that reconstruction was quickly on the agenda of real estate development firms who aimed to capitalize on New Orleans’ fame and relevance as a great American city. Consequently, as a geo destination, New Orleans has sustaining appeal.

Developing a geo domain is a bit simpler today than it was two years ago. That does not mean that it is necessarily an easy process. Quality content, frequent updates, and selling advertising are everyday challenges best taken on by a small dedicated team as opposed to a single individual who is operating solo. That being said, geo domain sites can be built one piece at a time and incrementally expanded with time and development capital.

The arrival of minisites, WordPress, and web development platforms like DevHub have greatly simplified the process of erecting a basic geo domain website.

Whatever a geo location’s population, there is niche content that will well serve that particular town or city. So, experimentation may be required in order to learn what a city’s residents and businesses want (or need). The geo domain, in a best case scenario, will reflect what the majority of site users really want … perhaps real estate for sale, local job listings and job search, area news, entertainment links, an online business directory, or other. The right combination is a process of understanding the locale and the people and businesses who call that geo destination their home.

Geodomains cities, geo domain

Afilias have released their 2009 report outlining the growth of the .info web address since its introduction in 2001. Currently, there are 5,497,143 .info domain names registered around the world.

Over the years, Afilias have occasionally used several promotions to boost .info registrations such as free first year registration and the 2009 .INFO Website Awards contest.

North America presently accounts for 61% of all .info domain registrations and European countries comprise 23%. The United States and Germany are # 1 and # 2, respectively, for registration numbers by country. Rounding out positions 3, 4, and 5 are the U.K., France, and Canada which demonstrate broad international appeal and global support of the .info web address.

A beautiful .info geo domain profiled here earlier in the year was Spain.info. There are many interesting and well developed .info sites across the internet such as PropertySlides.info, MutualFunds.info (owned by Time Inc./CNN), and Encompass.info.

Since .info represents “information“, the domain works extremely well for a wide variety of applications including many general topics, health & science, business & industry, and city or state websites. 

Having become the 7th most registered domain in the world, .info has established itself as a very significant player on the internet world stage.

.INFO Domain Names .info, Afilias

1. Andrew Allemann of DomainNameWire.com wrote earlier this week about GoDaddy.com, the world’s largest registrar, having topped $750 million in revenue for year 2009. GoDaddy is privately owned although they flirted with an IPO a few years ago. I suspect that remains an option for the company. This revenue level is an impressive achievement as well as an indication of just how robust the internet economy and domain name market have become. Almost recession proof when compared with other industries.

2. In an ICANN related mistake from the past (as I see it), Verisign Inc. were awarded the exclusive contract to administer the .com and .net web addresses. Verisign’s current contract allow them to raise domain name registration prices up to a maximum of 7% per year. Although most all related technologies and costs are coming down in price, Verisign just announced that they will be raising prices again. As you might guess, they have opted for a maximum price increase of 7% raising .com domain registration fees from $6.86 to $7.34. ICANN should have provided for a competitive bidding process instead of awarding one company, Verisign, a literal monopoly.

3. I have continued use of the DevHub website builder to produce a basic site for Corporate.biz. DevHub are furthering their web development tools having recently upgraded their online user interface (adding nicer features) and also rolling out a newly completed payment system.

4. Ron Jackson of DNJournal published earlier this week some info on the purchase of the premium domain name, Barns.com, by North Carolina businessman Jeremiah Johnson (read his bio here). Mr. Johnson already operated a website at WoodBarns.com, but picked up the premium domain Barns.com for $175,000 in a private sale according to DNJournal. This is a smart acquisition that will certainly build brand identity and credibility.

Internet Domains, Site Development GoDaddy, registrar

It is an interesting exercise to sometimes visit a domain name that was sold years ago to review how that domain was eventually utilized. As one might guess, the domain is sometimes developed, often parked, doesn’t resolve at all, or is possibly redirected to another operational website.

LowerManhattan.info was sold around 2003 by Dr. Tariq Ghafoor, an experienced and successful domain name developer and speculator. The domain went for 4-figures back then and was acquired by The Lower Manhattan Command Construction Center (LMCCC).

The LMCCC are the primary information resource for a multitude of Lower Manhattan construction projects aimed at revitalizing the area in a 20+ billion reconstruction. LowerManhattan.info is the LMCCC‘s official website.

The site is very well designed and contains a wealth of information including construction advisories, air monitoring, manhattan downtown news, rebuilding & traffic/transit info, as well as maps and pictures of Manhattan reconstruction.

* Related domains from the PremiumDomains.US portfolio include: ManhattanRealEstate.info, and ManhattanRealEstate.biz

.INFO Domain Names manhattan, nyc, real estate

Let me first say that I am a .com advocate, enthusiast, and supporter of .com domains. Dotcom is an awesome brand unto itself.

Since the first release of non-com alternative domain name extensions (around 2002),  a contingent of .commers began disseminating false information regarding the newer, alternative domain extensions (.biz, .us, .info). I knew that these were deliberate and unsubstantiated misrepresentations.

Having been heavily involved in a variety of both .com and alternative tld’s like .biz, .us, .info, .tv, .net, .tv, and .mobi, I knew that the misrepresentations against non-com domains were false. Ron Jackson of DNJournal.com just posted a link to an extremely revealing study completed by McAfee Software called “Mapping the Mal Web – The World’s Riskiest Domains“.

If we fast forward to the conclusion, it’s that .com ranked as the second riskiest domain worldwide for malware (viruses, phishing, email spam, etc.). McAfee’s study was scientific, and used large samples which ultimately support incontestable, statistically significant results.

This study sheds light on the truth, particularly in regard to the false statements made for years about all of the excellent alternative extensions. For example, .biz has grown steadily in adoption & use for years, and is currently the 10th most registered domain extension in the world (being the global internet portal for “business”). However, .COM purists have proclaimed for years that .biz was a haven for malware and scams. These comments were false, and were made out of fear & concern that .com might be compromised by newer tld’s.

Truth/Fact: The McAfee study concluded that .BIZ had only a 3.6% weighted “Risk ratio” for malware whereas .COM had a 32.2% weighted “Risk ratio”. This totally negates and reverses the claims by .COMMERS that other tld’s are used primarily for destructive or abusive purposes. The weighted “Risk ratio” for .US was only 3.1%, and for .INFO the “Risk ratio” was 15.8% (still much lower than .com).

So again, this is not about putting down .com. But it is about having a conversation based in reality. Dotcom is a great brand and a core foundation of the internet’s functionality. However, .com offers no more safety from malware and other abuses than do .INFO, .US, .BIZ or the other leading alternative tld’s.

The McAfee study is deep and very interesting. I recommend that domainers and other industry professionals read this important study and further their understanding of tld strengths and weaknesses. We need honest & accurate information about all tld’s in the domain name industry & marketplace. What we don’t need are cybersquatters, lies and false impressions presented as facts. That’s a disservice to everyone.

Internet Domains malware, tld

There is a quick but interesting read on The Wall Street Journal reflecting back on the sale of Business.com for $7.5 million ten years ago. Many doubters of that time period expressed their skepticism that the purchase would be fruitful.

The Wall Street Journal piece, in retrospect, reveals that Business.com is still a core component of R.H. Donnelley (who bought Business.com for $345 million). R.H. Donnelley have declared bankruptcy in order to restructure billions in debt. One would presume that preserving and capitalizing on their online properties will be a focus moving forward.

The Business.com and Loans.com sales were instrumental in motivating many individuals to enter the domain name market … which itself has become a self-sustaining industry with year-over-year growth.

.COM Domains business