Is .Mobi Already Dead?

[Raider]

The Aftermarket may not be dead just yet, but the TLD certainly is. Ask the average handheld user what .mobi is and they dont know what your talking about.

[mediaadvantages]

Originally Posted by Raider

The Aftermarket may not be dead just yet, but the TLD certainly is. Ask the average handheld user what .mobi is and they dont know what your talking about.

Ask the average handheld user how to get on the internet with their phone and they won't know what you are talking about.

[Duke]

.Mobi spokesman Pinky Brand has come out counter punching in response to that upcoming search engine conference seminar that is proclaiming the extension's death:
http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/low...s/07-07-08.htm

[flamewalker]

It would be foolish of them to not rebut it. For mobi to have been a true success imho, they would have needed a lot of big corporations to start advertising their .mobi incessantly to start chipping away at the .com blockade in users minds...

It hasn't happened and doesn't look like they will.

While there may be a small niche for .mobi, IMHO, I don't see it ever becoming a true success (ie mass market appeal and recognition), and that won't happen unless companies use their advertising dollars to promote the .mobi over their .com for mobile resources, and phone makers make it easy to get to .mobi sites. And honestly, I don't see that happening either.

Some success, yes... wild/great success? I don't see it but thats just me.

EDIT: Just read that post on dnjournal... Yeah companies are sometimes using .mobi, but I haven't seen one .mobi advertised on TV yet... and that is imho, what it will take to make mobi a success.

[mediaadvantages]

have you not seen foxnews.mobi plastered all over their channel? i know its not a norm yet but how many .coms did you see advertised on TV in the first 2 years?

also coming from a marketing perspective which i have over 15 years in the industry....TV is not the correct medium for advertising .mobi yet. When 60% - 70% of the population is using their mobile phone to view the internet you might see more .mobis being advertised there. at this point it is considered wasting money to use a medium that reaches 90% of the population to actually target 15% - 20% of the television audience that is considered mobile internet users. the majority of .mobi advertisers spend their marketing budget on out of the box ideas, in store branding and advertising on other mobile sites. advertising on other mobile is more effiecient because your audience is already confortable using the mobile internet.

[Irish31]

I'm not sure how .MOBI is doing, but I know how the story with .CA went. No one knew about it until companies started promoting it and put big time money and time behind it, so it would get out to the public.

Now, you watch a Canadian station and almost every commerical has a .CA being promoted. Listen to a Canadian radio station, .CA is being drilled into the heads of all Canadians over and over and over again. Only now are people in Canada starting to really think ".CA" over ."COM".

If the boys with the big bucks aren't doing this with .MOBI, ..... enjoy.

[flamewalker]

Good point about the market, mediaadvantages. Most people don't browse the web with their phones because its pretty difficult at the moment (on most phones) and most providers charge oodles to use the web. Those are the two reasons I don't... plus I can wait till I get to a pc to check my email. Also, now there are mobile email apps that eliminate the need to go on a website to check your email.

I agree, mobile use will need to go up by a large % before it will even be worth companies to even think about it.

[Raider]

Originally Posted by mediaadvantages

have you not seen foxnews.mobi plastered all over their channel?

Honestly NO, and I'm a frequent Foxnews viewer.

Originally Posted by mediaadvantages

its not a norm yet but how many .coms did you see advertised on TV in the first 2 years?

Not in the first two years but we see thousands now, and their using .com, .net, .org and .gov. I dont think Marketers intentionally promote TLD's, they use whatever TLD best applies to what their marketing.

If .mobi is so great for Wireless devices, then why aren't the wireless companies themselves using them?

Examples;

att.mobi - Redirects to .COM
verizon.mobi - Dead URL
Sprint.mobi - Dead URL

[whitebark]

Originally Posted by Raider

If .mobi is so great for Wireless devices, the why aren't the wireless companies themselves using them?

Examples;

att.mobi - Redirects to .COM
verizon.mobi - Dead URL
Sprint.mobi - Dead URL

Indeed and good point Raider. The largest ones in Canada:
Bell.mobi - dead url
rogers.mobi - dead url
fido.mobi - dead url
telus.mobi - redirects to the .com
virginmobile.mobi - dead url

If the mobile companies themselves don't use it what does that say? As well look over the alexa top 100 for any Western nation. Nary one of those most used internet sites will be using a mobi in any fashion beyond forwarding to their .com or cctld.

Oh, and I won't hold your Fox news fetish against you!

[Raider]

Interesting to see that US wireless companies are not the only ones.

Originally Posted by whitebark

Oh, and I won't hold your Fox news fetish against you!

[dn-101]

The real problem... is not .mobi, but
the mobi mafia.
They try to control what people say here, at NamePros and a few other forums.

[mjnels]

Originally Posted by Raider

For those who invested in .Mobi, I suggest you try to unload them for whatever you can get and run.

you heard it here first, mobile expert "Raider" says to dump the mobi's....

[Raider]

Originally Posted by mjnels

you heard it here first, mobile expert "Raider" says to dump the mobi's....

You keep listening to your expert "Pinky" who's paid to promote .mobi and see where it gets you.

[mediaadvantages]

Originally Posted by Raider

Honestly NO, and I'm a frequent Foxnews viewer.



Not in the first two years but we see thousands now, and their using .com, .net, .org and .gov. I dont think Marketers intentionally promote TLD's, they use whatever TLD best applies to what their marketing.

If .mobi is so great for Wireless devices, then why aren't the wireless companies themselves using them?

Examples;

att.mobi - Redirects to .COM
verizon.mobi - Dead URL
Sprint.mobi - Dead URL

1) I have seen FoxNews.mobi promoted every day on Fox News
2) You obviously didn't read the explanation above on why they aren't advertising on TV
3) The telcos are using them. You are only mentioning the ones that don't besides ATT. What about Orange.mobi (not a redirect), T-Mobile.mobi. Its a transition for existing businesses. They don't just cut everything they have done the past and say lets start over. The majority of the .mobis you will see right now are new businesses, some who couldn't get the .com they wanted so its not a transition process for them.

Just because some businesses don't do exactly as you or others would like doesn't mean it's wrong and it's going to fail. If some of you were CEOs of Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, ATT and others then you could talk about why you are using your .mobi but redirecting at this time. If you feel so strongly about it failing then send them an email asking why they redirecting right now. Maybe they will tell you it's a transition or maybe they will tell you because they think .mobi is going to fail. But you shouldn't just assume something is dead or going to fail because you don't have the answers.

[mjnels]

Originally Posted by Raider

You keep listening to your expert "Pinky" who's paid to promote .mobi and see where it gets you.

no thanks... i'd rather listen to an expert like you. i can tell you are much, much more knowledgeable in this area.

[Raider]

Originally Posted by mjnels

no thanks... i'd rather listen to an expert like you. i can tell you are much, much more knowledgeable in this area.

Not really, You should get your knowledge from members like "Vision" instead, who tells us Foxnews.mobi recieved 1.34 Million visitors in March 08 and that only 1% is redirected with nothing to back it up.. That's REAL knowledge. ROFLMAO

[mediaadvantages]

if they went to foxnews.mobi then what does it matter if 100% was redirected? i'd be happy to forward you the email from foxnews to me if you have other questions feel free to follow up with them.

[Raider]

Originally Posted by mediaadvantages

if they went to foxnews.mobi then what does it matter if 100% was redirected?

Your missing the point, Where is the evidence that 1.34 Million visitors went to foxnews.mobi? My argument is that number is likely .com redirects.

Read:

http://www.dnforum.com/f408/foxnews-...ad-293812.html

[mediaadvantages]

I'm not missing any point. You are just coming up with more excuses. If you have questions contact them. We don't work for Fox News or FoxNews.mobi. I told you before I would be happy to forward the email to you and you can contact them yourself.

[mjnels]

Originally Posted by Raider

Not really, You should get your knowledge from members like "Vision" instead, who tells us Foxnews.mobi recieved 1.34 Million visitors in March 08 and that only 1% is redirected with nothing to back it up.. That's REAL knowledge. ROFLMAO

yea them crazy redirects. worthless i say.

btw, what is "ruffle" "lama" ?