Former ICANN CEO’s private equity firm buys out Abry Partners’ stake in Donuts, giving it a controlling interest. Top level domain company Donuts announced today that Ethos Capital has acquired Abry Partners’ stake in the company, giving Ethos a controlling interest in the firm. I reported on this potential tie-up …
Read More »End user domain name sales up to $60k
A QR code company, an event producer, and a virtual reality company recently bought domain names at Sedo. Sedo had some nice end user sales this past week, including HolyGround.com for $60,000 and Flow.me for €48,000. Another interesting sale is EditPad.org for €30,000. There is an online plain text editor …
Read More »The (original) Boring Company sues Elon Musk’s company for trademark infringement
A Nevada company says it is receiving invoices and collection notices meant for Elon Musk’s tunnel-building company. Not Elon Musk’s company. Let’s say you’re a company in Las Vegas that does boring, trenching, and other underground drilling. You’re called The Boring Company. You use the domain name TheBoringCompany.com to promote …
Read More »Direct visits drive demand for domains in China
Data from Baidu shows how people in China visit websites. Is domain important when Chinese consumers visit a website? What are the implications in terms of demand for domains and types of domains that can sell to people and companies in China? As a domain investor, these are the questions …
Read More »Clubhouse app driving surge in .Club registrations
.Club is on a tear thanks to the Clubhouse app. The Clubhouse app is driving a surge in .club registrations. On the left, a screenshot of groups in the app called clubs. On the right, the History Club uses a .club domain name. If you follow .Club founder Colin Campbell …
Read More »Namecheap tops $200 million revenue in 2020
Company hits big revenue milestone during its 20th year in business. Privately held domain name registrar and hosting company Namecheap has revealed to Domain Name Wire that it topped $200 million in revenue last year. The milestone comes during the company’s 20th year in business. Revenue was up 35%, or …
Read More »Vaccine companies as examples of Chinese domain usage
Kassey Lee examines the domains that these Chinese vaccine companies use as a proxy for Chinese corporate domain choices. When I read news about Chinese Covid-19 vaccines these days, I see international diplomacy in play. If I put on my domain lenses, however, I see a different picture which helps …
Read More »Newer domain investors find success – DNW Podcast #321
Listen to three newer domain investors talk about their strategies, tools, and approach. They say “all of the good domains are taken” and many people think that if you didn’t get into domain investing early, it’s too late. But last week, I hosted a panel on behalf of the Internet …
Read More »GoDaddy explains AR15 .com boot
Company says it asked the site to remove content that incited violence before telling it to find another domain name registrar. AR15 .com says it was kicked off GoDaddy without warning. GoDaddy disputes this. Last week, gun site and forum AR15 .com said it was “de-platformed” by GoDaddy. It claimed …
Read More »GoDaddy to change closeout auction pricing
Dutch auction will start at higher prices to deter closeout sniping. GoDaddy is changing its closeout auction pricing structure in a move that will upset some domain investors and make others happy. When a domain name on GoDaddy’s expired auction platform doesn’t sell by the end date, it moves to …
Read More »This for sale lander boosted leads 47%. But how do you measure success?
I’m curious how improved sales landers lead to more sales. GoDaddy says the form on the right gets 47% more leads than the one on the left. Image courtesy GoDaddy. GoDaddy introduced a new “for sale” lander a couple of months ago. After running an A/B test, it says that …
Read More »Last month’s top domain name stories
What happened in the domain industry last month. I’m a bit tardy posting the top stories from December. Let’s just say that it’s been an eventful start to the year and I’ve gotten a bit behind. Here are the top stories on Domain Name Wire from last month, as well …
Read More »Facebook wins GameRoom.com dispute
Company that used the domain MyGameroom.com tried to get Gameroom.com through a cybersquatting dispute. A company went after Facebook’s Gameroom.com domain name, which it forwards to a page for Facebook Gameroom. Facebook has successfully defended a cybersquatting dispute against its domain name Gameroom.com. The social media company acquired the domain …
Read More »Web.com has strong month for aftermarket domain sales
The company’s auction services had a great end to the year. Here’s what sold. Web.com’s aftermarket platforms NameJet and SnapNames combined to deliver 128 sales of $2,000 or more last month. That totaled over $700,000, making it a strong month for higher-dollar sales on the platforms. The platforms sold 33% …
Read More »A dragon with a “cart” head and its implication for domain investment
China may rule e-commerce. I was reading news the other day and was intrigued by a picture posted on Economist.com. It reveals a dragon rearing its head, which is not of the usual kind but a shopping cart. The article says that “it is in China, not the West, where …
Read More »14 end user domain sales up to £55,000
A musical instrument seller, a ladder manufacturer, and an organic garden supplies retailer bought domain names. I admit that I had to look it up. But face yoga is an actual thing. Face yoga consists of exercises designed to make your facial skin look younger. A business launching an app …
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