One word .com domains

One word .com domains are arguably the most sought after digital commodity on the web, but why?

Many companies, even from the beginning of the internet, realized that by using a memorable and iconic brand name, people would find it easier to remember and find them. Just like with an easy to remember phone number, the simpler, the better usually rings true.

English words are often used to brand international companies and seem to resonate with a global audience. A domain in the .com extension, something else that has become synonymous with the internet, is the most popular choice. A one word .com such as Apple.com cannot be duplicated. Only one exists. For that reason, certain positive and memorable words in the .com extension are extremely valuable.

An iconic and easy to remember .com domain solves many potential problems such as confusion when hearing the brand's name due to spelling or length of the domain, e-mail related issues and overall brand credibility. There is a connotation of integrity when you hear a domain such as Ring.com as opposed to Ring.biz for example, which sounds like it could be owned by anybody.

Many of the biggest domain name sales of all time have been in the one word .com format. Examples of these are;

Insurance.com — $35.6 million

Voice.com — $30 million

Internet.com — $18 million

Insure.com — $16 million

Fund.com — £9.99 million

Hotels.com — $11 million

Sex.com — $14 million

Porn.com — $9.5 million

Porno.com — $8.8 million

Shoes.com — $9 million

[Source: DNJournal.com]

It is also very common that start-ups upgrade to these premium one word .com domains after becoming successful. In their early stages, most start ups usually elect for a cheaper alternative, such as a .io domain, but once they become well-known, see the benefit in upgrading to their perfect .com. Examples of brands that have evolved include;

SumoMe.com >> Sumo.com ($1.5m)

MyMint.com >> Mint.com ($ undisclosed)

PacificPillows.com >> Pillows.com ($ undisclosed)

HelloExtend.com >> Extend.com ($ mid six figures)

Qihoo360.com >> 360.com ($17m)

RestorationHardware.com >> RH.com ($ seven figures)

The trend towards one word .com domains is still very much alive and this is reflected in the below recent sales. It is worth remembering that reported sales are only the tip of the iceberg. The vast majority of major domain name sales go unreported so these examples are merely scratching the surface of the true market.

Carrot.com - $565,000 - 29/09/2019

Links.com - $797,361 - 25/06/2019

Nursing.com - $950,000 - 09/06/2019

Voice.com - $30,000,000 - 30/05/2019

California.com - $3,000,000 - 20/01/2019

Zoom.com - $2,000,000 - 14/12/2018

Kush.com - $500,000 - 15/11/2018

Files.com - $750,000 - 09/12/2018

Christian.com - $600,000 - 10/08/2018

Snoring.com - $502,225 - 16/07/2018

Sleeping.com - $502,225 - 16/07/2018

Inception.com - $550,000 - 08/07/2018

[Source: NameBio.com]