.mobi is dead, but it's not time to say goodbye...

[freeflow]

I agree with everyone who says that .mobi is dead, but only for the time being and for domainers. But I think this is not the case for new developers in the mobile space. Maybe the interest for .mobi will come back in the future, for domainers if the mobile web becomes as big as predicted. I know you don't need a .mobi domain for a mobile website. But if the .com is already registered (and it usually is) what tld will be the second choice? A .net .org etc. or a tld that has some relationship to mobile? Even if it's only the name....

[ChinaMobi]

If .com is not available, they may change to a different name that's still available, or go for a relevant geo extension such .nyc, or an industry such as .music. .mobi will be considered together with the many new extension. The right of the dot will play an important part in their choice of name. My 2c.

[Nash]

I have a different spin on this and I have shared this before on how .mobi will make it back. Ironically the answer is a combination of both of your answers (chinamobi and freeflow) and it goes like this:

As freeflow mentioned if I am a new business and want a new name and wanted to attract mobile users. A .com is already taken what do I do......At the same time project into the future when not only 1800 extentions but thousands of extentions are out there. What I think will happen is the successful extentions are going to be "categories" as such:

.insurance
.shop
.sell
.music
.clothes
.tv
.homes
.cars
.food

etc.........

and .mobi

the extensions will house the relavency of the domain name chosen by the business seeking a domain name. Imagine them as buckets.

example cars.insurance will be very valuable because it has relevance
while cars.food will not

The search engines will begin to pickup on the MEANING of the extensions

Then and only then the .mobi will take its rightful place and specifically the domains "intended" for mobile users will have great value like

payment.mobi
flowers.mobi
directions.mobi
traffic.mobi
food.mobi
movies.mobi

will have great value, while

graduation.mobi
phd.mobi
slide.mobi

may not and may need more marketing to make it, in my humble opinion.

[ChinaMobi]

Agreed. The right of the dot becomes part of the brand. For the largest companies, they'll stick to .com which has no meaning so gives them the flexibility to be anything. For example, Amazon.com can be in any business they want, and not be limited by the right of the dot. For the smaller guys, however, they are quite happy with the limiting characteristic of the right of the dot.

[noonoo1]

Nash you spot on with your views and I must agree with you.
I have been in .mobi from the beginning and still hold many, some developed and some not.
.mobi will be associated with mobile like .xxx is to adult as .jobs to jobs, etc, etc.

Google trends for .mobi are looking good and it will be better if google do start ranking .mobi in March.

[ChinaMobi]

Google trends for .mobi are looking good and it will be better if google do start ranking .mobi in March.

What's so special about the coming month, March?

Actually, .mobi is not dead when you look at the continuing growth in terms of .mobi registrations. So there's no need to say Sayonara.

[Nash]

noonoo1 may be referring to this regarding the march date.

http://www.siliconvalleyreporter.com...-google-slips/


Also, let us hope that new tld application for .mobile is reject by icann

[youmo]

noonoo1 may be referring to this regarding the march date.

http://www.siliconvalleyreporter.com...-google-slips/

Also, let us hope that new tld application for .mobile is reject by icann

That article is worthless IMO.
Google's job is to deliver the most accurate results for each search query. Ideally this is completely independent of TLD. As we get a proliferation of new TLDs, and as all sites become mobile and mobile first, why ditch all the current accuracy in search results, what's broken?

Google would be saying, hey, grab a .mobi and skip infornt of other established reputable sites with superior content, history and SEO, just by grabbing a new domain. No way they would do that.

If you assume that in the future, the main website is the mobile version, it's irrelevant to distinguish your site as being mobile... of course it's mobile.

[cramer]

Article is fabrication

[freeflow]

I've always been wondering why .mobi was so heavily criticized by so many domainers. Maybe it was because many domainers were worried in that it could become a threat to .com. I know no one is worried today, but old habits are hard to break. Or maybe it’s a mix of the past worries and the fact that the mobile web will be bigger than the stationary web, that keeps the criticism alive.

[Nash]

The power of the mobile web can be seen in this article. This may not relate directly to .mobi tld but at least it tells that after a NEW and I emphasize NEW registration of a domain by a company / individual Godaddy was immediately asked "How can I make my NEW site mobile".

here is the article.

http://techcrunch.com/2013/02/11/god...um-businesses/

Now for the discussion of NEW domains being registered and wanting the website to be mobile what kind of name would anyone choose.

carsforsalebyonlymyself.com
or
mycars.mobi

I think the answer is clear.

The discussion should be NOT about already established companies / domains transforming their website to a mobile using m.something but about going forward with NEW companies and NEW domains. .com is no longer the space and by default the tlds will be paying a bigger and bigger role and hence .mobi will own the tld space for mobile. In my humble opinion.

[freeflow]

Now for the discussion of NEW domains being registered and wanting the website to be mobile what kind of name would anyone choose.

carsforsalebyonlymyself.com
or
mycars.mobi

I think the answer is clear.

The discussion should be NOT about already established companies / domains transforming their website to a mobile using m.something but about going forward with NEW companies and NEW domains. .com is no longer the space and by default the tlds will be paying a bigger and bigger role and hence .mobi will own the tld space for mobile. In my humble opinion.

I agree with you. Here is a link to the GoDaddy .mobi promotion page:

http://www.godaddy.com/tlds/mobi.aspx

Check out this thread at NP. There is a similar discussion going on.

http://www.namepros.com/dot-mobi/783...soon-rank.html