Will new gTLDs Crush .NET and .ORG?

I’ve been reading more and more speculation about the impact that new gTLDs will have on existing gTLDs. A comment I read yesterday was that with all the new gTLDs coming-out, .NET and .ORG will become just like any other gTLD rather than your next best option compared to a .COM. There are a lot of very high-quality .NET names dropping in the near-future which has caused some reasonable speculation that major portfolio owners may be finally saying goodbye to some of their .NET domains in favor of keeping their more liquid .COM’s.

Just look at some of the names selling on Namejet right now:

Traditional.net
GolfBags.net
CameraLenses.net
Drinkware.net
EducationalGames.net
WineCellar.org
EnglishCourse.org
BikeGloves.org
PearlBracelet.org

Of course there are also great .COMs dropping as well but it’s hard to ignore the fact that some Domainers out there are dropping some pretty nice .NETs. Could this be an indication of changes in the Domaining market due to the influx of gTLDs coming our way?

I personally think that in the next era of Domaining TLD will not matter as much as brand. Think of all the great .COM domains that have not been developed and are just sitting parked collecting dust. In many cases the owners are holding-out for the “right” price, which I can understand…but as the market changes the “right” price may never come.

A great example of how brand can outweigh TLD is with the recent acquisition and development of Mortgage.org by Domain Holdings. If you haven’t had a chance to read Ron Jackson’s article about Domain Holdings stop everything and read it now! In the article, Domain Holdings talks about acquiring Mortgages.org for their client even though the .COM was taken, by a competitor no less! They did this because they are building a real brand on the domain so TLD really was secondary to the brand.

So now for my answer to the question I’ve posed in this post. Do I think new gTLDs will crush .NET and .ORG? No! However I do think that real brands will crush their competitors that aren’t keeping-up, and yes this means that a .NET or a .ORG could crush a .COM just like a .TRAVEL or .XXX could if they do a better job building the brand, engaging users, and providing useful content.

Now it’s your turn, comment and let your voice be heard!

Morgan Linton

Morgan Linton