Is There Money in .Mobi Development?
Quality Domain Names, Web Development May 22nd, 2008
I know many people who make money from developed or parked domain names in the .com, .net, and .org extensions (myself included in the .com and soon .net). I haven’t spoken with anyone who has made money with .mobi names - other than a couple people who were very happy when they flipped a name to a speculator for a profit. Maybe I am just not networking with people who are doing big things with their .mobi names - a distinct possibility.
That said, I am wondering if any domain developer/investor has a financial success story around the development of a .mobi website (either generating revenue from direct to advertiser sales or even PPC). I don’t want to turn this into any type of pissing contest, but I am interested in knowing if there is money to be made in developing or parking .mobi domain names.
I am sure there is some traffic on the great one-word names like news.mobi or traffic.mobi or directions.mobi, but I am wondering what type of return people are seeing on these names. I am looking for independent investors and developers (like myself) rather than on large companies whose mobile websites can be reached using .com or .mobi (like BOA).
I paid a considerable amount of money for Lowell.com and Burbank.com knowing how I would develop these names and knowing the approximate amount of time it would take to earn a return on my investment, but I have no clue about .mobi. It’s been over a year and a half since the launch of .mobi names, and I would like to know if money has been made with development.
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Well, although I earn revenue from .com domains, I earn just as much from my portfolio of .tv domain names. I’m not sure how you failed to mention dot tv to be honest, it’s not going anyway *ANYTIME soon.
Ps: TurnHere.com launches TurnHereTravel.TV.
***UPDATED BY ELLIOT***
Sorry - wasn’t even on my radar screen. I am more interested in knowing if/how people are generating money from mobile Internet browsers.
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:10 pm
I doubt it, at least until the .mobi people clean up their act.
The same with .tv
May 23rd, 2008 at 1:14 am
In a word, yes. I make money on parked .mobi’s and developed .mobi’s. How much? My accountant and I know.
As for parking, as in any domain name, or better put “word” has intrinsic value simply by the popularity of the word(s) itself. So yes, I have had lows of $0.01 to highs of $7.58 per click on mobi’s. I have tried several different sites on parking to include Sedo, NameDrive, Bodis, and Parked for .mobi parking. And, as is the same with any extension and any domain “word” the success varies from one site to another. In other words, some words do better at one parking site to another.
Here is the thing about sites making money. Nothing earth shattering but steady. Infancy is not going to begin walking out of the womb. Admob is paying decent PPC.
The striking thing I am find is that I have more viewership AND a higher CTR on Google for Mobile than I have with my PC sites. This is totally reverse from a couple of months ago. Now if you thing this is exaggeration, then Google this as I have been seeing reports of greater results based on a more direct target audience.
As for established sites, I have been approached numerous times by proposed partnerships which equate to those wanting my sites as their private ad launch platforms. And, I have been approached by sponsorships for some of the more successful and higher viewership sites. Thus far, we have yet to reach terms.
And as for sale, I have sold none for the very simple reason that none are for sale. They are slated for development. Some I no longer saw a need for, I simply gave away to other members of the Mobility.mobi. It is hard to see what I saw in so many as I did previously.
As for making money with .mobi. I propose a better question as being…
since when do we have to make money with every website in existence?
There are things called “public service announcements” and I have a few Public Service sites.
You will not find ads or revenue generating spots on TheWordOf.mobi, a biblical verse of the day site. Nor will you find the on my planned Muslim Quran sites.
I am more interested in finding a void and filling that void. I invite all of you to see my latest launch iCPR.mobi. It won’t make a penny but it just might save a life.
What value do you place on that?