NEW YORK, NY – The domain industry saw a notable identity shift recently with the announcement that Prime Loyalty has officially rebranded to URLs.com, a move that, in my view, represents one of the clearest examples in years of a company adopting a brand that truly reflects what it does. The change was revealed by owner Jeff Garbutt, whom I’ve met at several domain conferences over the years. Garbutt announced the shift with the line: “We said loyalty must be … [Read more...]
Domains, Not Hype: Insights from Andrew Rosener’s Conversation on Miss Understood
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - This week I took some time to watch an episode of Miss Understood hosted by Rachel Uchitel featuring Andrew Rosener, founder and CEO of MediaOptions, one of the best-known domain brokerages in the world. While I’ve been in this business for a long time, I thought the conversation offered a lot of good perspective — especially for people who may be newer to the industry or still wrapping their heads around digital asset value. The episode was titled … [Read more...]
Breaking Down the Q3 2025 Domain Name Industry Brief: What the Latest Data Means
RESTON, VA - Every quarter, Verisign releases its Domain Name Industry Brief (DNIB) - a data-packed snapshot of the global domain landscape. The Q3 2025 report just dropped, revealing how domain registrations, renewals, and growth trends are shifting across .com, .net, country-code extensions, and hundreds of new generic TLDs. For professionals running digital projects from startups and online stores to marketers, web developers, and SEO specialists, these numbers are more … [Read more...]
“Ultra-Premium” Invite-Only Domain Marketplace Unveiled by GoDaddy
TEMPE, AZ - GoDaddy has launched a new, invite-only marketplace for high-value domain names at the incredible web address: DomainNames.com, positioning it as a curated showroom for one-word .com and .ai domains, rare two-letter names, and short numerics typically valued in the six-figures and up. The rollout follows industry teasers earlier this month and formal launch coverage this past week. This is a distinct, curated tier within GoDaddy’s aftermarket universe-separate … [Read more...]
.HipHop Launches Equity Crowdfunding Campaign In “Testing the Waters” Phase
POMPANO BEACH, FL - Dot Hip Hop, LLC - the registry operator for the .hiphop top-level domain - has announced plans to raise capital through an equity crowdfunding campaign on Wefunder. The initiative, currently in the “Testing the Waters” phase allowed under U.S. securities law, is designed to measure investor interest before the company formally files its required Form C disclosure and begins accepting funds. .hiphop was first delegated in 2014 as part of ICANN’s new … [Read more...]
Great Brand, Even Greater Domain: The Power of Owning Tommy.com
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - Tommy Hilfiger is a global fashion icon - or how they describe themselves, "a leading global corporation" known for bold styles, timeless designs, and worldwide influence. But beyond the clothing racks and runway shows, the company also holds one of the cleanest, most powerful digital assets a brand can own: Tommy.com. In the world of domain names, this isn’t good branding - it’s the ultimate branding. Having a single, memorable, and perfectly aligned … [Read more...]
Talk About a Category Killer Domain Name: Fireworks.com, by Phantom Fireworks
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - In the world of online marketing, some web addresses aren’t just good — they’re priceless. One perfect example is Fireworks.com, owned by Phantom Fireworks, the largest consumer fireworks retailer in the United States. It’s short, memorable, impossible to misspell, and exactly describes the product they sell. This is the textbook definition of a “category killer” domain name. According to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, Phantom Fireworks … [Read more...]
Hidden Gems: Some Ultra-Premium Domains I Discovered at MediaOptions
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - Earlier today, I found myself browsing the MediaOptions website after being referred there by a YouTube video that mentioned the company and spotlighted one of their domain names. That particular name immediately caught my attention because it’s an exact match - or a very close variation - of one of my client’s business names. I think it could be an ideal fit for them. As I continued exploring, I was struck by the impressive number of ultra-premium … [Read more...]
Hypothetically: Inflated Domain Name Valuations Driven by AI Tools
WEST PALM BEACH, FL – I recently tested a domain name valuation tool powered by artificial intelligence, and I was struck by how inflated the appraisals were. The estimated values seemed wildly generous—far beyond what the current market would realistically support. It reminded me of a time, 10 to 15 years ago, when domains were often priced based on hypothetical potential rather than actual sales data or revenue performance. It seems like the prices are based more on … [Read more...]
Success Stories: Entrepreneurs Who Scored Big With the Right .Com Domain Name
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - In today’s fast-growing and highly competitive digital landscape, a domain name is far more than just a web address—it’s a critical asset that shapes brand identity, builds trust, and often serves as the first impression customers have of a business. A strong domain name can enhance marketing efforts, drive organic search traffic, improve click-through rates, and establish long-term brand authority. With millions of websites launched every year, the … [Read more...]
“A Domain Name Is Born” But Never Grew Up; Reserved at Birth, Forgotten by Time
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - Nearly two decades ago, my local newspaper at the time, Newsday, ran a front-page story in its Money & Careers section titled “A Domain Name Is Born.” The article spotlighted a fascinating emerging trend: forward-thinking parents reserving web addresses for their newborns - sometimes before the child was even born. I snapped a photo of the front cover back in 2007, struck by how the digital world was starting to influence even baby names. I grabbed … [Read more...]
GoDaddy Consumer Survey Says “Your Domain Name Still Matters in 2025”
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - In the age of AI, social media, and voice search, you might think domain names have taken a back seat. But GoDaddy’s latest Consumer Pulse survey proves otherwise - and it’s a wake-up call for any business that wants to be taken seriously online. To celebrate the 40th birthday of the domain name, GoDaddy surveyed 1,500 U.S. consumers in March 2025 and uncovered what modern shoppers think about domains. Spoiler alert: your spelling, length, and even … [Read more...]
These Countries Are Beniffting Big from Their Distinctive Top-Level Domains
PALM BEACH, FL -The rise in prominence of artificial intelligence in the tech industry has proven to be a significant boon for Anguilla, which has seen a huge spike – and along with it, a lucrative revenue stream – from companies and organizations seeking to register the small Caribbean island nation’s top-level domain (TLD) of “.AI.” This development has been making headlines in the press, but Anguilla isn’t the only country with a TLD that is desired across the globe for … [Read more...]
You Really Can Make A Logo In 3 Minutes With Founder Richard Lau’s Logo.com
PALM BEACH, FL - Richard Lau, it’s a name many in the domain industry will be familiar with, as he was a Co-Founder of NamesCon, the domain industries “main event” so to speak, now owned by GoDaddy.com through its acquisition of World Hosting Days. Richard is also known for his long-term support of WaterSchool, a global nonprofit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries. It was a staple at NamesCon events – at least that is where … [Read more...]
Uniregistry Moves to Rebrand as “UNI”, Without Ownership of UNI.com???
NEW YORK, NY - If you had not heard yet - domain registry, parking and portfolio management company “Uniregistry” has launched a re-branding effort changing its popular brand name from “Uniregistry” to simply “UNI”. Two things immediately came to mind upon seeing this news. Does the company own the UNI.com domain name? The answer: Surprisingly it does not. The domain name UNI.com has been registered since 1993 and is currently owned by an Italian company which according … [Read more...]