Is .Mobi Already Dead?

[Duke]

Is .mobi already dead? The folks putting on next month's Search Engine Strategies conference apparently think so. One high profile seminar is titled Mobile SEO: Death of the .mobi. Flak jackets anyone?

http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2008/dailyposts/07-02-08.htm

 

[exponent]

Personally, I thought .mobi was a bad idea to start with. Something simpler like .M would have worked so much better than a 4 letter extension. I'm glad I never bought into the .mobi hysteria because I don't see it going anywhere.

 

[Poker]

Is .mobi already dead?

Interesting article Duke, strange that no one on this forum has ever voiced any concerns about .mobi

 

[Theo]

Don't do it Duke....thousands of mobings (mobi lemmings) are shaking their cellphones in anger

 

[Duke]

Don't do it Duke....thousands of mobings (mobi lemmings) are shaking their cellphones in anger

Don't shoot the messenger. I'm just reporting what SES has planned for their show which is obviously a pretty big one in search engine circles. Was surprised when I saw that on the agenda. They may end up getting picketed as this is obviously a sensitive issue with strong opinions on both sides.

Personally, I thought .mobi was a bad idea to start with. Something simpler like .M would have worked so much better than a 4 letter extension. I'm glad I never bought into the .mobi hysteria because I don't see it going anywhere.

As it happens I just saw a big ad in our local newspaper (The Tampa Tribune) this morning promoting their new mobile website for TBO.com (their web property, short for Tampa Bay Online). They are doing a specially designed site for mobile but the URL they are using is a subdomain:
http://m.tbo.com/

 

[Onward]

I have seen the 'm.website.com' quite a bit as well in print ads.

 

[EM @MAJ.com]

The .mobi is dead to me when I've got my iPhone.

 

[DomainsInc]

SEO doesn;t like mobi because of the content and format requirements so its no surprise they would say this.

 

[maroulis]

The .mobi is dead to me when I've got my iPhone.

ditto...

also funny that some claimed that iPhone wouldn't kill mobi but rather "raise awareness" re: mobile web... LOL

 

[alexsimon]

Was it ever alive? I don' mean the sales, but the tld was never a living one.

 

[GAMEFINEST]

My brother brought couple of mobis, thought he knew more than dnforum hahaha

 

[jasdon11]

Funny, isn't it, when those who have the least knowledge of a subject, group together in a Beavis and Butthead type of way, and snigger - pretending to each other that they know something others don't.

So, is that funny...or sad? Well to me, it's funny.

Check me if I'm wrong, but if I wanted to 'sell' SEO, wouldn't I want to talk down any threats. At this conference, do they have a workshop entitled; "Bollocks to SEO - go and buy domains instead", or do they want to promote 'search engine optimization' ?

And really, this is great timing for me. I can't wait to pick up some great .mobis come early October - in fact I've already bought some landrush names the past few weeks, for a pittance of what they would've cost four months ago.

Now, to all the naysayers: I'm sure you know what you're doing. I know what I'm doing. But do you know what I'm doing? Obviously not....

 

[Theo]

My brother brought couple of mobis, thought he knew more than dnforum hahaha

I only have one .mobi

 

[PRED]

didn't think you were hard up for traffic Duke?

 

[Seraphim]

Is .com going to die, is .mobi dead, are IDN's dead, is .biz dead, is .us dead... Got to love the optimism floating around the industry these days.

 

[hugegrowth]

I think the title of that session was chosen to generate a big attendance.

The blurb on the session makes it look like they'll give you tips to make your regular website more mobile friendly, so you can design one site that suits pc or mobile use.

I can't see every website being adapted for both pc and mobile screens, and by mobile screens I don't mean the iphone, but the common cellphone size screens.

Doesn't change the fact you can still make a mobile website and use a .mobi to get that point across, and for the coolness factor.

I really think the mobile experience and the pc experience are two different things, and you have to design differently for each. If not, we'd all be throwing out our laptops and pcs and using our cellphones to surf the net.

 

[jasdon11]

Is .com going to die, is .mobi dead, are IDN's dead, is .biz dead, is .us dead... Got to love the optimism floating around the industry these days.

Is that optimism.com, or optimism.mobi - or maybe optimism.whatever - who knows....

Probably best if everyone goes away, and comes back in two years, and tells their story then.

One thing that you can be sure of; things won't be the same as they are now!

 

[Theo]

and for the coolness factor.

If there is one cool TLD, it's this one - and no, it's not open to us mortals.

 

[hugegrowth]

They are doing a specially designed site for mobile but the URL they are using is a subdomain:
http://m.tbo.com/

Could be because they couldn't get tbo.mobi, or don't know .mobi exists. I don't think subdomains work well for print ads, or especially audio ads. I think people like - easy.

There are hundreds/thousands of examples of companies going either way with their mobile site.

People who are pro-.mobi are hoping the companies using .mobi will get the public familiar with the extension, and it will catch on for mobile sites. .mobi isn't even close to dead if you look at all the big companies using it going on two years from landrush - it's a significant number of companies.

 

[jasdon11]

Excellent point, courtesy of HipHop - maybe they're just pissed that someone grabbed their .mobi name before they knew what was happening.....be too much to get them to admit as much though I guess....