Google Breaks the New GTLD Jinx with .App

Morning Folks!!

The first viable GTLD extension may have been released with Google's .App after watching 4 years of TOTAL GTLD failures.

After watching over 500 TOTAL FAILURES, Google has finally broken the GTLD Jinx! With total GTLD domain registrations now sitting under 21 Million for the first time since June 3, 2016 even the 100,000 new registrations this week can't stop the bleeding of the other 900,000 GTLD's that DROPPED this week! Every drop is domainers money being washed away.

Read my old posts about keeping your powder dry during this Demolition Derby and "Stampede". I always said when a winner came to market it would be noticeable. .App is noticeable or haven't you noticed?

That does not mean it will be successful, but there is a demand and it's the first GTLD extension that makes any commercial sense at all. It MAY be viable. It has the elements that make an extension viable. Something missing from the likes of .Horse and .Kiwi and 500+++ WORTHLESS and DEAD and MEANINGLESS extensions.

What's the difference? Well that is for you as a domain investor to figure out. I think one of the keys comes to end user adaptation. Also because most new GTLD's are very limited. Some with just a few dozen powerful strings as compared to a .App which really has a tremendous amount of universal combinations that mean something.

But even with 100k registrations in the first few days it is not what I would deem to be "The big one". I would define that as .Web and I would expect 10x the registrations in same period.

Those thinking that a .App or .Web will help all the other failing GTLD's is folly. It will bury them forever! Only 3-5 new GTLD extensions will emerge and merit any long lasting appeal or value. Win, Place, Show. The other 997 will be "Out of the money"  along with domainers that lost their money.

Have a GREAT Day!
Rick Schwartz



28 thoughts on “Google Breaks the New GTLD Jinx with .App

  1. Travis

    The premium renewal model kills this launch in the long run, most are tagged in the $250-$1000 range for the decent keywords.

    Reply
    1. Rick Schwartz

      It’s of little consequence to an end user which is what Google is aiming for.
      It’s a big deal for domain investors which they could care less about.

      Reply
  2. RaTHeaD

    Meh… dot mobi seemed good at the time too but nothing ever came of it, even though mobile quickly became huge sooner than anyone expected.

    Reply
  3. Jacek

    Thanks Rick for sharing your thoughts with us. I agree .web is the last hope. If it does not take off nothing will. I was kind of shocked that neither .xxx nor.sex turned out to be a success in the web xxx world … Why the heck not ?

    Reply
  4. Travis

    .web is a dated term, if .net is struggling, you shouldn’t expect much more from .web?

    The data is already there, take it at face value.

    As for premiums renewals, it’s mainly domainers, or investors grabbing them, the end users opted for their own branding protection as coinbase did with their numerous coinbase reg’s. As history has showed us in G’s, the premium model is a bumpy road, even for end user adoption.

    I think many of the registrations were highly speculative, as we haven’t had a G release in a while that had some modern trending fan fare behind it.

    App developers are crafty when branding a domain, so people holding these LL.app domains which come with $1000 annual renewal, better brace themselves.

    .mobi launch was so popular it crashed sedo back in the day, now you can get any word ..mobi $15

    Reply
  5. Harry L Shields

    Nice to see “The Domain King” back to his instructive blog! Rick, what do you think about the recent uptick in two word domain sales? Is this a good sign or just an anomaly? Let us hear from you more often!

    Reply
  6. Alex Verdea

    Rick- I think this is another example of Google’s domination pushing .app extension and CASHING in.
    I remember the .xyz hype not that long ago and investors lost BIG. Same goes to .mobi, .tel etc
    A lot of people will buy Google’s cr.app because Google is credible and they dominate! Money follows attention right?

    I say diversification is for people that are clueless and that are not certain about their investments.
    Google knows what they are doing so they are making big $$$$ with .app!
    Why blow money on .app, .crap, .whatever when you can do good and DONATE to charity instead?

    Hope you all find my feedback useful and entertaining. :)

    Thank you

    Alex Verdea

    Reply
  7. Don Murray

    IMO- You got about 35 apps installed on average phone. Maybe 20% of those are used daily. The majority of users buy games on iphones about 62% or $36 per user according to apple.

    So unless your app is REALLY amazing and it comes up in the general search engine that the gatekeeper apple uses, it will be very tough to get noticed. Users do not type in .app in the search box.

    If your a domain investor do not except to get anymore than 2-3% of a .com at best on a lucky day. If my budget for this year was say for example 10k. I would much rather spend 5k on two good .com names or take a chance on 10 .web names at 1k each.

    IMO- If your going to buy .app go for the gaming area this is where $$$ is being spent.

    Reply
  8. Aaron Strong

    I sometimes look at kids for a visual into the future. If one mentions “mobi” to a kid there would be no answer. If one mentions “web” they would associate it with a spider…But if one mentions “app” there would be uncontrollable joy…The word “app” is infused into the brains right after saying “mumma”….

    Reply
  9. Mark Thorpe

    Is it summer already, Rick? ;-)
    Nice to see you blogging about domains again.
    Did you buy many .App domains?
    I only bought a few .App domains.

    Reply
  10. Travis

    I keep hearing many domainers say we are buying these for development, as stated above only a small percentage of the top apps dominate the marketplaces.

    There are literally of hundreds of blackjack apps etc… I think many investors are in for a rude awakening in simply trying to setup the ssl secure sites, as they simply can’t be parked like regular domains.

    Reply
  11. Michael Anthony Castello

    So a company that has gone to great lengths to diminish domain names and control the platform that uses them is now going to invest in promoting their use? Well, if you are going to buy them, at least get an ssl cert page and post your Whois on it.

    Reply
  12. Jeff Schneider

    Hello Rick,
    We see Google employing these .Apps for expanding their User Base. As far as a liquid investment vehicles , We have our doubts. JAS

    Reply
  13. Kassey Lee

    Progressive Web App technology makes any website “app” ready, similar to the way that responsive design makes any website “mobi” ready

    Reply
  14. Bill Kara

    But there is only one… blackjack.app

    Which I now own for 2k flat fee and 200 bucks a year :)

    Set up was a hassle, took maybe 30 minutes to figure out the Godaddy UX, but its done. Add another 70 bucks a year to the carry cost and here you have it.

    http://www.black.app

    Reply
  15. Ze

    Apps have no web address… How many apps have you downloaded from websites lately? How many websites you use today that ARE apps? exactly.. few to none, so there’s the market size for you..

    .App will have mostly one commercial application IMO.. marketing websites FOR apps. But there is a problem in there too. Why shell out thousands of dollars to buy a .app domain when you can add the word “app” to your brand string and most definitely get the .com domain for $7..?

    Another .junk .extension

    Good to see you back Rick.

    Reply
  16. Bul

    I couldn’t help myself buy prepagos.app (spanish for prostitutes) giros.app (remittence or a service you use to send money) and recargas.app (some app to sell phone credits). If all adds up to nothing, atleast I could use then server calls and branding tools for those apps in the app stores. Ofcourse I would have to build apps that address a large market. They are direct traffic terms for the above services.

    Reply
  17. DomNamer.com (@DomNamer)

    Speaking of “search engine”, I got SearchEngine.app :P

    Also:
    Valuator.App, Evaluator.App
    Decrypter.App
    Indentifier.App
    Recognizer.App, FacialRecognizer.App, FaceRecognizer.App
    InternetSearch.App
    ImageSearch.App, ImageSearching.App, ImageSearcher.App
    ImageEditor.App, ImageEditing.App
    Cartoonizer.App, Cartoonize.App, Toonifier.App, Toonify.App

    And, right now, I wouldn’t mind making a quick buck, so feel free to send your lowball offers…

    Reply
  18. Jeff Schneider

    Hello Harry, We are quite confident that Ultra Short Two Word .COMs will dominate the futures High End Valuations. We expect this trend to become evident within the next 24Mos.We are also confident that UseBiz.coms eventual sale will set records.
    JAS 5/12/18

    Reply
  19. Barry aka Chappie UK

    Thanks Rick. Very refreshing to read your latest post.
    I remember heeding your posts way back, analysing the lack of potential of the myriad of .xyz domains etc. when they were first launched.

    Reply
  20. Harry L Shields

    Hi Jeff, Sorry it took so long to respond. I see #1 & #3 at DNJournal last week were two word domains at $60k & $50k! Not bad after all the NN an LL sales that have dominated? Good luck! HLS 5/17/18

    Reply
  21. Ian

    .com or nothing in my honest opinion. Apps are stronger than non .com’s because you either want a real online presence or you might as well have some dodgy app or use a marketplace like Ebay etc.

    Reply

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