by jothan | Mar 2, 2011 | IDN
McDonalds totally gets it.
They have a Russian language website up for McDonalds at
which illustrates both their capabilities as a brand to manage their local presence, as well as a sophistication in leveraging the new promise that IDN holds.
For a person in Russia who does not speak English or work with an English style keyboard, someone is now able to visit the website using their natural language and no special mode conversion keystrokes while typing.
Nicely done, McDonalds!
by jothan | Mar 2, 2011 | ICANN, NewTLDs
According to a press release at GMO Registry, they’ve signed a deal with Hitachi to operate the .hitachi Top Level Domain name in the upcoming application period with ICANN.
“GMO Registry gTLD acquisition and operation support services chosen by global brand Hitachi to acquire and operate own brand TLD”
In my personal opinion, the brands coming out in support of the new TLD process are the thought leaders and innovators that we’ll see thriving in the digital economy.
Companies that embrace change (as opposed to fear based reactions) and are innovators who have embrace advances in technology and leverage things like social media, and who emphasize a robust online presence are seeing massive competitive advantage over companies that don’t in similar sectors.
Contrasting the application fee and other costs against a typical magazine or television advertising spend, a company gets a nearly perpetual benefit from the online presence that a new TLD provides, as opposed to a campaign that might last a week or a month.
I bow to Hitachi for this wise move, and I congratulate GMO Registry on this, the second major brand with a public announcement.
Source: http://www.gmo-registry.com/en/gmonews/detail.html?n=2011030200
by jothan | Nov 9, 2010 | Domain Shows
.nxt is a conference for and around new Top Level Domains. The conference is February 9-10, 2011 in San Francisco, at the Hyatt Regency.
I hope to see you there!
by jothan | Sep 8, 2010 | Domain Aftermarket
I just stumbled across a dropping domain name tool called dropday.com that can accelerate the discovery and action on obtaining domain names that are soon dropping. I liked it so much I really struggled with sharing it or not.
I decided to write about it and share about its existence, because I’d imagine that it probably costs money to keep the lights on and servers whirring there, so I hope that this article helps people who are looking for a comprehensive drop intelligence tool.
The interface is a bit busy, but in a good way, and it’s all good from there… Dropday is well organized, with intuitively placed links and a minimum of jargon/acronyms. It turns out that by doing this, one can immediately filter, find and action the specific domains and quickly get what they want.
The developer bypassed the lure of the shiny web 2.0 distractions and went right for pure functionality. This site is to drop catching and expiring inventory as the BFG was in Doom.
The site is a mash-up of nearly every interesting attribute of information on the domain names, which saves the user from having to use a variety of systems to track their intelligence and make smart decisions about their purchases.
I have used other sites, and some have helpful elements beyond dropday, but I really was enthralled by how the information was organized and accessible.
TOP NAVIGATION BAR
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| The top navigation, to start with, has a few, simple elements, including one for ‘online support’, which is high-lighted in blue so it pops out and is easy to find. VERY refreshing. |
You’ll find as a user that you will intuitively spend the majority of your time in “All Expiring Domains”, so it is up and to the left, as most site heat maps would indicate is the wisest thing to do.
This is also the default page when one arrives to the site. Another nod to intelligent User Interface in the development.
QUICK FILTERED DOMAIN SEARCH
For the ADD crowd who wants to get right to what they need, the site comes with some pretty comprehensive quick link / filtration in the first five columns of the display. This ‘Quick Filters’ region of the page, has some top-line informational stats, and their titles link you right to those specific results in a single click. It looks like the developer is both firmly clued into what people would look for, and how to organize and present it.
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| First column contains a quick link to all the names in the system, plus totals and quick links to the next four days’ worth of information. As you’d expect, you click on the date and you get the domains just for that day. |
Second Column isolates the domains with Traffic stats on various sites, using a variety of metrics, and of course, links you to each of those results, pre-filtered. You can immediately click to see only domains with Traffic, or specifically those with Google Page Rank, Links, or SERP, Yahoo Links or SERP, or Bing SERP.
The SERP filtration, that is the good stuff. |
Column three are some basic directory listings, DMOZ, Google, Yahoo,those with Alexa ranking or appearance in Archive.org and age, as well as a fairly well done measurement of inbound links, AND some quick-filtered typo and keyword domains. |
In column 4 you can filter right in on the list you want to, and show domains by source. They include non-exclusive domains (raw drop) and also more predictable outcome inventory within the SnapNames Exclusive domains, NameJet Prerelease domains, and GoDaddy Exclusive and Closeout domains.
The ability to filter by TLD is very helpful as well. Dropday has pre-filtered COM/NET/ORG/INFO and BIZ, as well as a good selection of other TLDs. |
Column 5 is the dream filters. Visits per Day, Google Page Rank, number of Letters, Age of domain, how much history data, and what type of key searches, broken out into logical and intuitive filtered groups, easily found and clearly labeled.
I love this part because before even hitting the search box, I can drill right to the good stuff that I am looking for. |
THE STANDARD DOMAIN SEARCH
| Having the search term anchored to the start or end of the word as well as being contained within is a very good method. The Standard search packs some power and some impressive and much needed ability to search beyond just gTLD domains. ccTLD and gTLD entries are present and they are all accessible in the screen, along with the ability to search by assembling a schema ‘pattern’ for what you want. This comes in handy if you’re looking for a particular profile of name or pattern within a string. |
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THE ADVANCED DOMAIN SEARCH
OK, so you really want to roll up your sleeves? To start with, this functionality may be seldom used because of all the many pre-configured search filters in the first five columns. That said, fasten your seatbelts when you click on the link to switch into advanced search mode.
If those powerful preset filters didn’t have exactly what you wanted, you can configure down to the specifics by combining parameters and then save the search so you can easily recall it and run it another day.
You can search on everything but the favorite color of the previous registrant. A very nice feature for domain entrepreneurs is the CPC $ search and the ability to seed out fake PR and Alexa info. The searches have gotten a lot better about weeding out fluffed / bogus rank data.
SITE PERFORMANCE
The results of search appear quickly.
Continuing on in the tradition of smart user interface, the columns are all sortable by clicking on them, and clicking a second time reverses the order. Standard stuff, but you’d be amazed how many other sites fail at that simple capability.
Having a great search and tools is one thing, but if the site is not operating intuitively and quickly, it can get frustrating. Dropday.com had solid, fast performance of the search and filtration. No significant delays in loading the result pages.
Overall positive experience.
UPCOMING FEATURES I’D LIKE TO SEE
The ability to export CSV or XML would be nice, but I typically want that in order to pull together data from many sources to do my analysis. This site has a lot of that already applied.
CONCLUSION
Its all good.  Smart interface, packed with quick-click filters and it lets you access all the search capability. This really resonated with my inner nerd.
Dropday is my current pick for tool to divine out the domains in the drop. Worth every penny.
Nice job!
by jothan | Aug 18, 2010 | ICANN, NewTLDs, Policy
For a new TLD applicant who is creating a community application or standard application, obtaining the general support (or lack of objection resulting from consultation) from primary groups in the relevant community or stakeholders is a smart play. Many applicants have devised some constructive and mutually beneficial plans to grow broad support, often in equity or some entitlement to a pool of names in advance of the general availability to the public (if and when that comes).
I noticed what I think to be a very well executed and thoughtful execution of this with one of the applicants for a .MLS Top Level Domain.
The following press release came from the MLS Domains Association on August 10th, 2010, which I will narrate.
MLS Domains Association membership grows as special Founder claim period nears an end
Tempe, AZ – August 10, 2010 – MLS Domains Association now counts among its members the MLSs representing more than 511,000 of the nation’s MLS real estate brokers and agents. According to Bob Bemis, chairman of the board of directors of the organization, “We’re delighted with this response. Interest in our effort has grown continually over the summer. The industry is clearly ready to Take Back ‘MLS’!†Meanwhile, Founder members of the Association have claimed more than 70 domains on the ‘.MLS’ top-level domain during a special Founder claim period that ends on August 15.
Call to action + what does this have to do with me? Done. (Nicely played).
The MLS Domains Association is a not-for-profit membership association formed for the purpose of acquiring the ‘.MLS’ top-level domain. “Although we formed the Association with 15 of the leading large MLS in the country, our membership grew slowly at first,†Bemis said. “We have used the last few months to educate MLSs about our effort, and to help MLS executives lay out the value proposition with their boards of directors,†he continued. “Unfortunately, many of those boards meet only sporadically in the summer months,†he explained. In the last two weeks, the Association has welcomed new members such as Metrolist (CA, Founder member), Consolidated MLS (SC, Founder member), Sandicor (CA, general member), Great Plains REALTORS® MLS (NE, general member), and Florida Keys MLS (general member).
Hilight Non-Profit Status. Done.
Explain Hurdles to Membership Growth. Done.
Illustrate Momentum by mentioning at least 3-4 members. Done.
The Association is accepting all levels of members now, but Founder members are currently able to claim domains during a special claim period reserved for them. “Our Founder-level membership is attractive to MLSs that wish to claim a domain name that others may want or that wish to reserve several domain names,†said consultant Brian Larson, who is advising the Association. The Founder fee gives a member the same governance rights as the MLSs that formed the Association; includes a credit to claim up to 12 domains on the ‘.MLS’ top-level domain; and permits Founders to claim up to 10 domains now, during a special claim period, before general members are able to make claims. MLSs can join as Founders and claim domains during the special Founder claim period until 11:59 p.m. CDT on August 15.
Describe how to join in. Done.
Offer First Dibs on 12 Domain Names if you do join. Done.
Entice immediate action with Incentive : 10 extra domains. Done.
Organizations like the Midwest Real Estate Data LLC (MRED) have reserved a variety of names, like ChicagoHomes.mls, ChicagoMetro.mls, ChicagoRentals.mls, and ChicagoRentals.mls.
Another member mention to further illustrate ‘traction’. Done.
Mention some specific domains so that the concept of the attraction is clear and the potential member starts to think about what they will grab in their list of 22 domains before anyone else. Done.
General members will be able to claim domains during a “General Landrush†running from September 1 through October 15. To claim a domain, an MLS must join the Association – annual dues vary based on MLS size. The MLS then pays a “claim fee†for each domain it wishes to claim. “The General Landrush will be attractive to smaller and medium-sized MLSs that want to secure their internet identities with only one or two addresses,†said Larson.
Prove it is real by stating dates.Done.
Just a personal note but this is a very slippery slope. ICANN has ceased communicating any static dates. Yes, this is necessary for getting any support or investment, but I and many others have been both embarrassed and unemployed as a result of expectations placed upon the communication of dates. Tread lightly.
Show reduced but still worthwhile benefits should someone join in some capacity other than founder. Done.
Identify membership is required to participate in TLD. Done.
Promote General Landrush. Done.
Identify Sunrise Process where intellectual property interests are addressed. X
Point out that you are “small” if you do not participate immediately. Done.
Further information is available on the MLS Domains Association Website, MLSDomainsAssociation.org.
Promote website. Done.
Further information is available on the MLS Domains Association Website, MLSDomainsAssociation.org.
Promote website. Done.
