Domain Name News

Domain Name Matters: Searchers Pick Brand Over Quality, Study Finds

A new study from Microsoft Research confirms what most SEOs have known for years—that domain names are a crucial element for capturing clicks and conversions from search results. Unlike what’s been published in most search marketing forums, however, this research was not focused on SEO techniques or search engine ranking algorithms, but rather on observed searcher behavior, offering insights about how people actually respond to what’s presented to them in search results.

UF Among Schools Buying .xxx Domain Names to Stop Porn

The Gator Nation is everywhere, apparently except in the land of X-rated websites. The University of Florida is among schools buying up “.xxx” website names to prevent them from being taken by pornography sites. The names that UF has protected include gatornation.xxx, universityofflorida.xxx, floridagators.xxx, gatorvision.xxx and gators.xxx.

Newt Romney Domain Name Already Claimed

GOP presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) has begun using the name “Newt Romney” to refer to her rivals for the nomination Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, but if she wants to set up a website for the phrase, she’ll have to pay up.

The Reluctant Dash for an .XXX Domain Name

ICANN’s red light top level domain, .XXX, has been available for sale for only a short period of time, but based on anecdotal reports it is clear that a significant number of non-adult entertainment companies are snapping up the domain name to preserve their brand.

Why .XXX and Other New Top-level Domains are a Terrible Idea

A founding chairman of ICANN, the group in charge of assigning top-level internet domains like .com, testified against its expansion last week.

Saga of a Stolen Domain Name and How It Was Recovered

At Name.com we like to take care of the customer. We know buying something online can sometimes feel like a lonely endeavor that ends with money dropping into the tinny nethers of the ‘net. Our goal is to make sure your experience is the exact opposite, filled with real, handmade help that leaves you knowing you’re not alone. When you buy something from us, or if you simply have a question about one of our products, we’ll take care of you. Many of the questions we get are simple enough to be handled in 140 characters or less. Sometimes they get fairly complex, and sometimes they lead to downright dramatic international capers. The latter would be the case of the missing domain DavidWalsh.name.

Did Someone Steal Arianna's Sex Domain?

This morning, a domain name news site reported that California man Justin Crews purchased the website Huffingtonpost.xxx for between $80 and $100. And according to the site, Domain Name Wire, the man has no ties to HuffPo or its parent company AOL.

Protrada Now Offers Members Instant Access to Afternic Premium Domains via eNom

The world’s first aggregator of major domain auction houses, Protrada, now offers all members direct access to Afternic’s Premium Domains.

These high quality domains are available to purchase outright by incorporating the world’s second largest domain name registrar, eNom into the transaction process. Afternic Premium Domains can be purchased and transferred in real time to a member’s Protrada account. Afternic Premium Domains sell on average for $1750 with a median sale price of $1288.

“The inclusion of Afternic’s Premium Domains to the Protrada platform is our commitment to providing high quality and highly desirable domain assets for our members,” said Troy Rushton, CEO and founder of Protrada. “Protrada remains focused on delivering innovative solutions and services that keep our members ahead of the pack when Domaining. This new alliance will deliver Afternic domains instantly via eNom, the world’s largest ICANN accredited domain name wholesaler.”

He concluded, “This is another way that we can save our members time whilst we load up their domains for sale to millions of potential buyers in some of the world’s largest domain marketplaces.”

“This new collaboration both broadens and extends the reach of the Afternic DLS Network,” said Bob Mountain, VP Business Development of Afternic. “We are pleased that Afternic’s domain sellers will gain a larger audience thanks to this new integration with Protrada.”

“Providing the registrar services to enable these domain purchases is very exciting for us,” said Chris Sheridan, VP Business Development of eNom. “Creating instant transfers of domains with these values allows purchasers to start monetizing their assets even faster.”

Some of the domains available at press time include: GPSunit.com, SongsAndMusic.com, CounterClaims.com and EarnAtHome.com

ICANN Values Chinese Market, Yet Admits The Difficulty to Extend New Domain Name

Rod Beckstrom, president and CEO of ICANN, visited China this week. In the visit, Beckstrom explained the new general top-level domain (gTLD), expressed the importance he had laid on the Chinese market, and urged companies and organizations in China to be well prepared for the new domain. The president also announced that Doc. Li Xiaodong, an expert on Internet in the Chinese Academy of Science, was to be appointed as the organization’s vice president in charge of the affairs in Asia.

Pro! Pro! Pro! Holiday Price Reduction for .Pro

Holiday shopping is underway – don’t forget to get something small for yourself that will serve you for the entire year. Today, EnCirca announces a reduced price of $2.99 for any new .PRO domain name registration. Lawyers, doctors, accountants and any other licensed professional can all use .PRO and make their mark online by posting marketing materials, resumes, blogs and connecting with customers on the .PRO domain, which signals to potential customers your professional status.