Domainer Idiocracy

“Domainer logic” goes something like this: Generic descriptive domains are great assets because they get type-in traffic, are easy to remember, and therefore can save entrepreneurs big money that would otherwise have to be spent on “branding” a Web address.

Due to their inherent greatness, value, traffic generation . . and domainer savvy . . the VAST majority of generic descriptive domains are held by . . . domainers.

One consequence of domainer logic is that the development of generic descriptive domains has been held up, a bit, since many potential domain endusers look elsewhere when confronted with domains that are already registered.

Had vast numbers of generic domains NOT been snatched up by domains IS IT possible that a significant number of the large, “established in the market” players might have registered those same great generic domains?

Probably.

Would those same established companies have developed those domains?

Probably not, as most large players in any vertical “already have a brand”. Therefore, a great generic domain would likely have served only as a redirect, not as a “new brand for an existing player, at least for the past 10-15 years.

But what about the newcomers? Would an emerging regional bank have opted to use Bank.com as its Web address? That wouldn’t surprise me. And on the story goes.

Of course, building a brand on Pets.com does not guarantee success. However, Diapers.com and Soap.com proved that the right domain plus a knowledge of the industry can take you far enough to either impress . . or worry . . the likes of Amazon.com

So while we, the self-titled domainers, hold sway over many great generic descriptive domains – by virtue of a certain domain institutionalized idiocracy, i.e., NOT developing the great domain platforms ourselves – the very proof of the greatness of generic descriptive domains “as development platforms” has been hampered, delayed, hamstrung.

Ergo, when we wish to argue how “potentially great” or, better yet, “great in potential” our domains are . . and how well they can and will work . . we, the domainer community, are just a little bit . . light on the proof of the argument. Call it a self-inflicted wound, the stuff of a certain . . systemic . . idiocracy.

Perhaps our eyes are slowly opening. Perhaps we want to test the merits of our own arguments. Perhaps the loss of PPC revenue, alone, is enough of a kick in the pants to move from domainer to developer.

Whatever the reason, more than a few other domainers – all of whom have taken a hit on their PPC revenue – are now working on developing the proof of the value of their generic domains.

And yes, before you get your knickers in a knot, I too am a member of the domainer idiocracy, one who is working on raising his development IQ.

TOPICS