Domain Industry News Digest: November 2023
- by Ilona K.
Table of contents
GoDaddy revenue grew by 3.5%
According to the latest earnings report, GoDaddy’s, World’s leading domain registrar and web hosting company, third-quarter domain revenue was $508.2 million compared to $494 million a year ago, marking total revenue up 3.5% compared to 2022 at $1.07 billion.
By the end of the quarter, the company had available for purchase 84 million domains, a slight decrease from 84.2 million at the end of June.
Why should you care? Although the .com zone decline is still ongoing, the market has not seen a shrinking trend of interest in nTLDs and gTLDs among buyers. If you want to invest in domain names or are looking for a domain name for your business, then don’t be afraid to invest money into names in the new domain zones and subdomains.
Source: Domain Incite
Popular keywords in domains sold: which one is on top?
‘IT’ as a keyword saw a rapid growth in rankings among top keywords in domain names sold in September 2023, according to a report released by Afternic. It moved from 7th to 4th place. Also, for the first time since May 2023 AI secured the top place.
This rating is valuable as it provides statistics for completed transactions. Moreover, it is streamlined by removing unnecessary words, making it concise and easy to understand.
Here’s the list of keywords (the place the word occupied in the previous ranking is indicated in brackets):
- ai (2nd place in July)
- my (1)
- group (3)
- it (7)
- tech (4)
- home (9)
- capital (8)
- health (6)
- life (17)
- house
- solutions (11)
- services (12)
- property
- pro (19)
- new
- usa
- marketing
- your (10)
- club (20)
- business
Six words fell out of the top: bet, online, shop, global, real, care.
Why should you care? Keywords play a fairly important role in selecting both a domain name and a top-level domain (TLD). Considering the uplift, cast an eye on domain names in the .it.com zone which are highly suitable for IT businesses.
Source: Domain Name Wire
LDNS renamed to Domain Summit
London Domain Name Summit (LDNS), an annual event which last took place in August 2023, is going through a rebranding. Starting from August 2024, the summit will be known as the Domain Summit.
Helmut Meskonis, the founder of the LDNS, has opted for a rebranding initiative to better capture the event’s impact on the industry. The last event gained widespread popularity globally, prompting the need for change.
The event’s website is relocating to a new domain, DomainSummit.com, recently acquired by Helmuts from industry pioneer Mike Mann for $17,500.
Why should you care? The London Domain Name Summit attendees forge new connections, seek partners, and more. From next year, it will cover not just the UK and Europe, but the entire world. If you’re thinking of participating, keep in mind that all information and registration will be on the new domain.
Source: DNJournal
A law firm sets an antirecord in resolving domain disputes
The US law firm Gearhart Law faced setbacks in all six cases it pursued under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) on behalf of complainants. One notable case involved the demoji.com domain. Entrepreneur Patrick Schur, owner of the Demoji trademark, aimed to secure rights to this domain, even though it was registered before the trademark.
The decision to file a complaint arose from changes in the Whois data, causing concerns that the new domain owner might have acquired it for potential illegal use. Despite these concerns, the WIPO commission ruled against the plaintiff’s claims, marking another defeat for Gearhart Law.
Why should you care? This underscores the importance of strategic decisions when it comes to domain registration and brand protection. For businesses, it is advisable to register a domain promptly upon deciding to open, followed by the registration of a trademark. Furthermore, if you have a domain dispute, carefully choose a law firm. It should have at least one winning case to its credit.
Source: Domain Name Wire
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