Apple iPad And The Future Of Your Domains
I do not blog about it much but I am a bit of a gadget junkie, I had been waiting for the day that some sort of Apple tablet would be launched, now we know that is officially the Apple iPad. I even held off buying a new Amazon Kindle this past month as the rumor mill started heating up since it was obvious any Apple device would have more functionality than just reading books. I am not really big on single purpose devices so it was worth waiting.
As much as their may be a few people saying the iPad is not the end all be all of tablet computing devices they are really nitpicking items that the general user of the device will not care about, what you need to really look at is how the Apple iPhone changed the idea of what a mobile phone could be. It changed the way you accessed information and provided easy access to casual gaming without having to carry a separate device like a Nintendo DS.
With the growth of social networking due to the non-tech crowds acceptance and use of Facebook (have I mentioned that Facebook topped Google in traffic over Christmas, yes I have, and I just did again) apps for social networking were some of the most downloaded and used on the Apple iPhone. As a matter of fact Twitter apps were some of the most requested reviews on iFones.com during its initial launch.
Before I go any further on my thoughts on this Domain Name Wire did a story on this tonight as well, I had planned on doing mine later this week but wanted to give Andrew some link love while his article was still fresh.
And on that note, I think it is important to note that a source such as Domain Name Wire has pointed out the concerns with how devices like Apple iPad are changing how people access information. Although many domainers, and I am sorry to say this, have their heads in the sand and REALLY do not want to admit the times are changing they better be ready for it because it is happening even if you do not want it too.
I spoke to a few folks at the conference about type-in traffic and although the people that spoke to Andrew for his story may not be seeing it the people I spoke to admitted openly that type-in traffic had declined rapidly over the past few years. Now I have nothing that can show exact data but that coincides pretty directly with the growth of the iPhone, better smartphones in general, and also social networking.
Why does the iPhone and now the iPad matter?
It is all about the apps and also about the way people use browsers on their mobile phone. This is also the same thing on all the Android based mobile phones that are coming out, it is all about driving people to the internet through applications, it is the same information provided in an easier to access manner with more functionality thrown in than a typical website allows. People like this, the app store is making Apple millions/billions of dollars. This is not going to change, you cannot hide from this anymore. The Apple iPad is going to accelerate this, probably more so than we can even comprehend right now.
To give you an idea, within 48 hours after the iPad was announced I had 26 emails from people to iFones.com with tips about their upcoming plans for apps that will be optimized for the iPad. Most were small time developers, but so were many of the developers that now rule the app store.
You cannot hide from this....
I typically access Facebook and Twitter from my iPhone equally as much as I do from my laptop, this means I never hit a browser. With the iPad this will increase even more, with the larger screen and other applications that will be available on it there are many times I am not even sure I will have to take a laptop with me for travel. This changes things.
With visual and verbal search on the iPhone and now on the iPad typing in a website name will become something that is more of a hassle than anything, neither visual or verbal search is big right now, but it is coming.
Look, I hate to see type-in traffic decrease as the next person but I also know that there are trends you cannot fight, you have to see what is coming and plan on how to take advantage of the trends. Social media, mobile computing devices, these are things that change the way people access the sites we have.
Your goal should not be to fight them, it should be to find out how to take advantage of them. It is possible you just have to find the way.
SEO+Social Media+Mobile Apps=Success
Staying in the same place = Failure
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I believe that, for the time being, domains will continue to be important; however, we need to view them in another way: as keywords, not direct navigation tools–which, of course, means website development.
Parking, as we know it, is dying and will be DOA very soon. The domainers who own large portfolios will suffer the most, but they will have already made their fortunes, so I wouldn’t weep too much.
The rest of us will have to adapt or die.
End users will eventually figure out that it might be a good idea to own a generic term (it might not matter which gTLD) for their business, not necessarily the category killer in their sales area. For example, a buffet restaurant in New Orleans might acquire “BuffetNewOreleans.whatever” and “NewOrleansBuffet.whatever” or even “Buffet-New-Oreleans.whatever” and “New-Orleans-Buffet.whatever” (because with keyword searching, it won’t matter what TLD, as long as the page developed and resolves properly).
Aside from end users, I think domainers may be eventually replaced by developers who will acquire category killer and niche domains and develop them into rich directories, that is, specialized/enhanced directories that will offer good content (fresh reviews and current news about the subject matter).
What worries me the most is Google (or some other search engine) becomes so powerful that it, in effect, “owns” words and language. To a certain extent, Google adwords is heading in that direction. You want to rank high and in many categories? Fine, buy a banner ad on page 1 for 500 adwords.
Bruce, you have hit the nail on the head (I haven’t read the Domain Name Wire article yet). Domaining is at a crucial crossroads.
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If direct navigation decreases then won’t the remaining direct navigation be worth a lot more? After all, if all the eyeballs move to Twitter or iPad, then all the advertising will move there too which will make it not so fun anymore.
Also, correct me if I am wrong, but in iPad, are you not saying they will be the cotrollers of all info through apps? What if I want to go to KitesUnlimited.com but the “kite app” does not have them? How do I get to that site? Are you saying I must use the app services?
I also want to point out what the big domainers you spoke to said about direct navigation declining for years.
It actually has been declining since 1997. This is not some new phenomenon that just started four years ago or something. You need to talk to those that have stats going back way more years than that. I have stats going back to 1995.
What happened is that although millions and millions of folks were coming Online, there were also millions and millions of sites getting launched, albeit a bit behind the pace of folks getting Online. Well, after a couple, three years direct navigation traffic stared to taper off.
Many category killer domains I have had insane traffic in 1997. Domains that got 2,000 uniques a day now get 150 uniques. That 2,000 number did not last long. It dropped to 800, for example, after a couple three more years, like 2001, and has been dwindling at a slower pace ever since then. Direct navigation has ALWAYS been in decline, whether anyone wants to admit it or not. The only time it is reversed is if there has been news or a prodserv has gotten more popular.
Almost every domainer I have spoken to really can’t give you a clear answer b/c they don’t know about direct nav going back to 1995. They only have limited stats going back to 2002 or something.
It has always been in decline since 1997.
@MsDomainer – More and more there are less people just typing sites into their browser, even for branded sites, search matters, apps matter and people need to have a holistic approach. It is going to be all about development. As you mention parking as we know it has to change and evolve or it does not make sense to hold the number of domains most people do.
@Qaan – Getting the remaining 10 type-ins per day (just throwing a number out) is not worth the premium, people can overcome that with proper marketing and SEO. I do think there is some misunderstanding on my point, I am not saying domains are dead, but if people have been valuing them based on type-ins or living on that type-in traffic they may need to start rethinking that.
Sure people can still go to KitesUnlimited.com but more and more people just hit search and search for the site or the keywords, this shift has been going on for along time sure, but this combined with apps and social media changes the game even more.
About the second comment, declining since 1997, although I do not have the data I am sure you are correct. It is not new necessarily, but as people have changed the way they use the internet it has been accelerated. Category killers matter for branding, no doubt, and sure they top ones still get alot of type in traffic but that is going to become less important. A plan to put a holistic marketing approach around any category killer to keep it relevant is getting more important everyday.
Bruce, great meeting you at DFG. Interesting that we’re on the same wavelength.
I don’t think iPad kills domains, but we’re seeing a trend where more and more devices circumvent traditional web navigation. On the other hand, people will access web sites via their iPad browser, and they might typo more often
@Andrew – It was a pleasure.
And it is interesting we are on the same wavelength. I had been preaching similar things as of late in a few previous posts but the iPad really brought it home.
None of these things kill domains but it does change peoples behavior over time, successful domainers will plan on how to take advantage of that shift.
Coming, as you know now, from the mobile/voip space I have witnessed industries change in front of my eyes and learned to stay ahead of the curve the same thing is happening in this industry with social media, local search, and apps.
I think this whole topic has been a little overblown. Social media use is exploding, and so is the use of apps for sure, and it will only continue to grow. The talk for domainers for a few years now has been to develop, develop, develop, don’t rely on PPC which has been seriously declining. All of these issues point to developing your domains, get some quality content on there, and get listed in search engines. If you offer something good you will be found. Apps are great but I don’t want an app to limit where my search can go. If I am looking for something online, I’d rather have Google results and choose from the best options. I would liken domains to phone numbers, which have been around for decades now. Even with an amazing rise in technology, email, skype, social media, almost everyone still has a phone number, and probably more than one. When you hash through all the new fancy technology, you still need an email address, you still need a website, and you still need a phone number. Try running an online business with only social media accounts and apps and see how well that goes – lol,
I don’t think anywhere in my post (or Andrews) did anyone say people did not need domain names, although it would be possible it would not be a very good idea to not have one. That is not the point of the post and I have made it clear that domains will still be very important for the brand.
Not sure where you picked up that people are saying that domains are not needed.
All that said, there is no way anyone can possibly deny that more people are simply going to the search bar and increasingly so accessing information through apps on the iPhone or other app focused phones. It is happening, no way to deny that.
The iPad is going to make this even easier, right now with an iPhone sized device you do not actually end up using it as your primary access device. With the iPad that will change, there will be a certain subset of users who start to use this device as their most common access device, sure they will still browse the web through safari, and use email, etc. But as was found on the iPhone people like their apps, they like quick apps they can use that makes it even easier to consume their information, the end user could care less about the domain name.
So what does all that mean, and this was the point of my post, direct navigation traffic will decrease, simple as that. That means that a category killer domain matters still, but mainly for branding.
This has already happened somewhat but devices like the iPad, not just the iPad, will accelerate this. And then you add verbal and visual search in it gets even better.
Domains will not go away but their importance and the type-in traffic some receive will change.
End users will eventually figure out that it might be a good idea to own a generic term (it might not matter which gTLD) for their business, not necessarily the category killer in their sales area. For example, a buffet restaurant in New Orleans might acquire “BuffetNewOreleans.whatever” and “NewOrleansBuffet.whatever” or even “Buffet-New-Oreleans.whatever” and “New-Orleans-Buffet.whatever” (because with keyword searching, it won’t matter what TLD, as long as the page developed and resolves properly).
I think this whole topic has been a little overblown. Social media use is exploding, and so is the use of apps for sure, and it will only continue to grow. The talk for domainers for a few years now has been to develop, develop, develop, don’t rely on PPC which has been seriously declining. All of these issues point to developing your domains, get some quality content on there, and get listed in search engines. If you offer something good you will be found. Apps are great but I don’t want an app to limit where my search can go. If I am looking for something online, I’d rather have Google results and choose from the best options. I would liken domains to phone numbers, which have been around for decades now. Even with an amazing rise in technology, email, skype, social media, almost everyone still has a phone number, and probably more than one. When you hash through all the new fancy technology, you still need an email address, you still need a website, and you still need a phone number. Try running an online business with only social media accounts and apps and see how well that goes – lol,
@MsDomainer – More and more there are less people just typing sites into their browser, even for branded sites, search matters, apps matter and people need to have a holistic approach. It is going to be all about development. As you mention parking as we know it has to change and evolve or it does not make sense to hold the number of domains most people do
to be all about development. Konja Zayıflama Tozu