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What domains should this startup should consider upgrading to?

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This Chinese startup should consider upgrading its domain. Here are some suggestions.

the word "domain upgrade" on a red backgrounder, black arrow pointing upward inside a circle

I read news about companies in China regularly, and I often see many choosing domains that are difficult to remember and not brand matching. Here is one that I recently came across.

Kuai Tu (快兔=speedy rabbit) is a logistics startup founded in 2017. When it began, Kuai Tu settled on the domain KTU56.com. The name consists of three parts: K from “Kuai”, Tu the entire word, and 56, which rhymes with Wu Liu (物流=logistics). These three different parts make the domain difficult to remember.

Business boomed. Kuai Tu completed Series Pre-A and Series A rounds in 2018. The startup then expanded its services to multiple cities in China. In 2019, it raised Series A+ funding and then Series B round early this year. Kuai Tu also changed its name to Kuai Yun Tu (快运兔=speedy transport rabbit).

Apparently, the startup has not upgraded its corporate domain. Entering its new name in Baidu still leads me to KTU56.com. What are the domains Kuai Yun Tu should consider upgrading to? Here are my suggestions.

  • KYT.com
  • KYT.cn
  • KuaiYunTu.com
  • KuaiYunTu.cn

All of the domains are brand-matching. The best one must be KYT.com because it is short and easy to remember. In addition, KYT.com can be used both inside and outside China because it is much easier to pronounce than “Kuai Yun Tu” when used outside China. Many companies have chosen this route to go global, such as JD.com (Jing Dong), ZBJ.com (Zhu Ba Jie), and DJI (Da Jiang Innovations).

There are still many companies in China like Kuai Tu waiting to upgrade to better domains. Since corporate China prefers .com, this also suggests opportunities for domain investors holding short and meaningful .com domains.

Let’s talk about Sex (.com) at NamesCon

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Kieren McCarthy and I will discuss the fight for one of the world’s most valuable domain names.

Image of book cover for Sex.com book by Kieren McCarthy Many of you know that Sex .com sold for a (then record) $13 million in 2010.

That’s the boring part of the story.

Next month at NamesCon Online, I’ll interview journalist Kieren McCarthy about the fight for Sex .com before the record-breaking sale. A fight involving two men who would stop at nothing: Stephen Cohen, the man who stole the domain name and fled from justice. And Gray Kremen, an internet entrepreneur who had to go to ridiculous (and expensive) lengths to get the domain name back.

We will discuss:

  • How Cohen tricked the .com registry (Network Solutions at the time) into transferring the domain to him
  • What Cohen did to his mansion before handing the keys over to Kremen
  • How the two antagonized each other in late-night phone calls as they battled in court
  • If that gun battle in Mexico really happened

McCarthy’s book is a fantastic read for anyone who is interested in domain names and crime capers. You can buy a copy here. And join us next month for a lively talk.

What is special about Chip domains?

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Kassey Lee explains the concept of Chip domains.

The word Chips on greenish background

Remember the Chip boom in 2015/2016? Chip was the talk of the town when it was introduced to the domain circle as a new investment theme. Even today, there are many investors trading in this category. The question remains: what is really special about Chip domains?

Chip stands for “Chinese premium”. It refers to a name which does not contain the letters A, E, I, O, U, and V. While such names can be of different lengths, investors often focus on 4-letter domains because of historical reasons. Some investors also write the term in its plural form “Chips”.

In China, letters can be used as acronyms for Pinyin words. Therefore, a Pinyin-based company can use a matching Pinyin or acronym domain. A good example is Jing Dong, the third largest internet company in the world. Jing Dong owns both JingDong.com and JD.com. The name “Jing Dong” is 2-pin (two Pinyin words).

If a company name is 4-pin (or longer), then its acronym becomes very useful because of its length. Investors are attracted to 4-letter domains because these domains have genuine demand from corporate China as acronyms.

Among 4-letter domains, Chip domains are most valued because of one reason. Generally speaking, a Chip domain can represent more names than a non-Chip domain. In other words, a Chip domain may be sold to more companies. This is seen in the following table.

Letter Pinyin representation
A Yes, but very limited
E Yes, but very limited
I No
O Yes, but very limited
U No
V No
Others Yes, many possibilities

Although investors value Chip domains more, non-Chip domains are still used in China. For example, Yi Xi Wei Wei (伊西威威) is an ecommerce startup which recently raised Series B+ funding. Its corporate domain is ECVV.com (two Vs not W). The domain is used because ECVV rhymes with Yi Xi Wei Wei.

Because Chip domains can shorten long Pinyin names, they have genuine use in corporate China and therefore will continue to be in good demand.

July’s top domain name news stories

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A former ICANN CEO was part of the most-viewed story on Domain Name Wire last month.

The words "Top 5" written on a purple background

Here’s a look at the top stories on Domain Name Wire last month.

1. Fadi Chehadé is now co-CEO of Ethos Capital – The former ICANN CEO is now the co-CEO of the private equity company that tried to buy the .org registry. Was this the plan all along?

2. Original Calculator.com owner sues, claims domain is stolen – This case is getting messy and someone is going to be out a lot of money.

3. Intuit missed TurboTaxSucksAss.com – It’s impossible to register every negative domain about your company. Just ask Intuit.

4. Riskless domain investing for beginners – Just getting started with domain investing? Here’s a way to dip your toes in the water without spending a dime.

5. We’re seeing innovation in domain sales – Companies like Squadhelp are helping domainers sell more.

Podcasts

#293 – Elkhan Agamirza (listen)

#294 – Sell more domains with a crowd (listen)

#295 – The best way to pick a company name (listen)

#296 – 2020 (so far) in review (listen)

6 Reasons Why You Should Become an ICANN Accredited Registrar

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[This is a sponsored post from our friends at LogicBoxes.]

There are businesses and then there are businesses that build a legacy. What sets them apart, is that they remain flexible to adapt to the ever-changing industry and upgrade their offerings accordingly.

When we think about the web hosting and domain name industry, the first thing that comes to mind is reselling. However, there is more to it.

A reseller, be it a domain or hosting reseller, a domainer or an ISP, can choose to upgrade their business and brand to become an ICANN Accredited Registrar.

ICANN Accreditation is the verified mark or identity of trust granted by the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in the Domain Name industry. Registrars that are ICANN Accredited are seen as authentic, secure and credible in the industry. In spite of this, many domain resellers avoid getting accredited as they believe it is a lengthy process and a costly one at that. But there are significant benefits to be had in becoming a registrar that help a brand not only grow their business and their customer base but increase its revenue potential incrementally year on year. If you are one of them, here is a quick sum-up of the 6 worthwhile benefits of ICANN Accreditation.

1. Better Consumer & Industry Recognition

A logo can mean a lot of things and as an ICANN Accredited Registrar, the accreditation logo symbolizes trust, integrity and stability. This is extremely important as no Reseller irrespective of their size can match the assurance you provide.

2. Registry Promotions

As an ICANN Accredited Registrar, apart from having to buy domains directly from the registries which isn’t the case as a reseller, you now have a direct channel of communication with registries regarding promos and discounts.

What this means is, you have far greater control and flexibility on how to go to market with your business and also reap the profits you earn from them directly!

3. Registry Marketing Grants

Not everyone is an ICANN Accredited Registrar. If you are one, it helps you stand proud in a sea of Resellers. Moreover, you are qualified for reviewing specialized Marketing Development Funds from Registries. In fact, with the advent of new gTLDs in the market, this trend is on the rise!

4. Leverage the New gTLD Basket

New gTLD is the buzzword in the web hosting industry. One of the key benefits of being ICANN Accredited is that you now have complete autonomy and freedom to offer lucrative and profitable new gTLDs selectively. In fact, you can make this choice based on the needs and demographics of your customers.

5. Domain Handling Post-Expiry

Domain parking can be profitable if only you can park it smartly. As an ICANN Accredited Registrar, you can easily leverage domain smart parking and domain transfer fulfillment. Therein opening additional revenue channels for your business.

6. Complete Control & Autonomy

Having full control of your domain registration business helps you plan and strategize better. With an ICANN Accreditation, you gain complete liberty and flexibility when it comes to facets like support, marketing and all other mission-critical features of your business.

So, what are you waiting for? Get in touch with us today and be on your way to becoming a leading certified Domain Registrar with LogicBoxes!

LogicBoxes, for over 13 years, has been the leader in providing ICANN Accreditation Consultancy services to web hosts, resellers, ISPs and more. As part of the service, we assist you with the entire ICANN Accreditation process as your consulting partner. From building and submitting the application, to setting up your registry connections as a registrar post accreditation as well as managing your ICANN compliance, we take care of everything, so that you can focus on growing your business.

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