Well, it has been 2+ years since this thread was started.
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Thanks Brad for the input.
Please allow me the opportunity to provide an update about the .Best for namepros.
First, regarding .Best live domains, your extract from ntldstats is totally right.
I can even tell that is fully part of our Best strategy to go « just down » to 50k live domains by the end of 2021. (FYI : down to 50K a registry has lower annual ICANN fees)
Why ?
1. The Best app is now live in stores and as explained here before, we are now fully focusing on the usage of our .Best domains (not
#regs). To download the Best app :
https://app.best/
2. To clean the .Best registry of prior/old/abusive brand/trademark registrations,
3. To liberate few names for new .Best end-users & domainers,
How ?
Since 1.1.2021, we have decided to increase our « 1st year promo wholesale reg price » from $1 to almost $4 with all our .Best registrars in promotion.
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Where I do not agree with you is about the hype.
First, I do not really like the « hype » term, because it doesn’t really mean anything in terms of marketing and registry success (unless you compare the hype to a real KPI).
For a registry, the « success », if this is what you would like to mention, is something that you don’t measure from « live domains » but from « domain renewals ».
A registry success is not having 7M live domains (in china). Doesn’t mean anything to sell cheap domains in China if you don’t renew them. Ask .icu, .xyz, or .loan about it
So, as we are here talking about success, let me please share the .Best renewal evolution chart of the .best registry since 3 years :
As you see now, it’s not about a registry hype : It’s all about a registry success build on a real and long-term usage strategy of .Best domains through the Best app!
Now, I perfectly get that the success of the .Best registry doesn’t mean the success of .Best domain investors.
History shown that (success) difference between registries and domainers is all about Time.
Time to recruit/acquire enough end-users (=potential domain buyers) to make the market liquid enough for domain investors.
Let me just remind here to people why most ngtlds domainers failed and will continue to fail investing in ngtld if they learn from people asking for hype or short-term return on investment.
1. you will fail if you listen people telling you that there is a possible aftermarket without a prior end-user market : It’s simply impossible.
2. Secondly, there is no overnight success : It tooks about 10Y to the .com and most cctlds to create a solid aftermarket.
And it’s about the same for almost every digital asset : Bitcoin was created in 2009 and the big ramp-up for investors was : 2020 (11Years later!)
Now, I am not sayin that because value needs time, nothing happened or will happen in the next years but if you are not able to wait and renew your ngtlds domains on the long-term, then please
save your money.
As for the .Best, to answer your question, don’t worry, I will not report here all our .Best premium sales but if you follow us on twitter, you might already know that we sold more premium names in the past year than we did from the beginning : site.best, bestofthe.best, party.best, human.best, 365.best, whatis.best, makeup.best, highest.best, native.best, orlando.best, vps.best, roi.best, fragrance.best, trading.best, ride.best, escrow.best, red.best, bali.best, …
But once again, please save your money if you still believe that people will run/chase after you because you have a great .Best domain in hand in the next weeks. It's not gonna happened like that.
Last week, I received a call from a .Best domainer that bought missouri.best in 2018 and was upset because he received a great buying proposal on sedo while he did not renew the domain.
Of course that’s domainer life but if you work and plan your roi on ngtld on the short term, you will fail and /or be disappointed at the end.
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Lastly, as for the Best app, I just want to mention that the Best app in now live in all app stores :
https://app.best/
And talking about the hype (as you might like it) :
1. the .Best is now the first and unique registry to sell domains directly from Apple and Google !
2. A .Best domain gives you now instant access to a free website through the Best app.
So you can now get either your .Best domain :
a) Directly from your favorite registrars (starting $4 for the first year)
b) Directly from Apple or Google through the Best app (for less than $0.99 / month)
We started the onboarding process from private invitations to allow Best Brands, official trademarks and social media influencers/creators to register first but if you want to get your private invitation register here :
https://app.best/register/
Ex of .Best domains already connected to the Best app :
https://show.best/ ,
https://joao.best/ ,
https://pizzas.best/ ,
https://sonia.best/,
https://miami.best/ ,
https://vegas.best/ ,
https://artist.best/ ,
https://money.best/ ,
https://monsieur.best/ ,
https://music.best/ ,
https://laptops.best/ ,
https://mickael.best/ ,
https://cars.best/ ,
https://restaurants.best/ ,
https://heloise.best/ ,
https://confitures.best/ ,
https://wines.best/ ,
https://design.best/ ,
https://fashionista.best/ ,
https://luxury.best/ ,
https://chillout.best/ , …
All the Best
CF