Do people STILL think .uk will have its day?

[domainseller200]

http://registrars.nominet.org.uk/namespace/uk/launch/rights-holder-email

"2.8 million emails were sent, with an open rate of 26% (against an industry average of 17-30%)

The number of registrants signing up to receive further information was low at less than 150."

 

[julian]

This begs the question: what hope do the nGTLD's have..

 

[Skinner]

I still want to see the incidence of new .uk registrations where a corresponding .co.uk isn't owned by the same owner.

I see dozens of .co.uk without the .uk but I want to see the reverse, I think this number will be more telling.

My money says .uk is akin to how a .com owner buys defensively buy the ccTLD in target markets only for .co.uk owners. Either way nom make its money, and bonuses go on.

 

[mojoco]

http://registrars.nominet.org.uk/namespace/uk/launch/rights-holder-email

"2.8 million emails were sent, with an open rate of 26% (against an industry average of 17-30%)

The number of registrants signing up to receive further information was low at less than 150."

Shocking results. Out of approx 700,000 that opened the email, 699,850 have no interest !

 

[domainseller200]

And before anyone says it, no this wasn't my attempt to encourage lots of others to try a "frank" auction either

 

[Murray]

"frank" auction

Are you pleased you now have an auction style named after you :wink:

 

[mat]

I think the problem is that it should have been .uk from the start.

.co.uk has become such a major part of life that it is not being replaced anytime soon.

There are not many outside of the domain circle who know that .uk exists or care to use it. I have seen so many hand registrations lately from real businesses where they have bought the .co.uk and not registered the .uk. The registrars are throwing it in people’s faces and trying to upsell it, but people dont bother... It is also double the price of a .co.uk.

I would go as far to say as many people registering their first domain name for their business would think they are making a mistake registering the .uk instead of .co.uk and they are probably not aware that you could have 2.

What I find a real pain is having to now hand reg .co.uk and .uk which triples my spend every time, just so someone else can’t get one or the other.

The situation is really annoying as the .uk is "right" but by bringing it out this late it has caused such a mess.

 

[domainseller200]

Are you pleased you now have an auction style named after you :wink:

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

 

[Murray]

It is also double the price of a .co.uk.

It's the same price for the registrar, £4.20 1 year £6 two.

Have to say I haven't looked around for prices because I can register domains myself, but not all registrars charge double for .uk surely?

If so I'm sure there are people on here who will register them for you.

Edit> I see 123-reg ask for double but tsohost do £6.70 two years for co.uk & .uk both

 

[martin-s]

2.8m unique registrants in the .uk space then?

 

[grantw]

Shocking results. Out of approx 700,000 that opened the email, 699,850 have no interest !

It's OK, they appear to have expected virtually no interest in the extension they pushed through after 18 months of consultations, meetings and god knows how much cost.....

The results were broadly as expected

 

[domainseller200]

I think the problem is that it should have been .uk from the start.

.co.uk has become such a major part of life that it is not being replaced anytime soon.

There are not many outside of the domain circle who know that .uk exists or care to use it. I have seen so many hand registrations lately from real businesses where they have bought the .co.uk and not registered the .uk. The registrars are throwing it in people’s faces and trying to upsell it, but people dont bother... It is also double the price of a .co.uk.

I would go as far to say as many people registering their first domain name for their business would think they are making a mistake registering the .uk instead of .co.uk and they are probably not aware that you could have 2.

What I find a real pain is having to now hand reg .co.uk and .uk which triples my spend every time, just so someone else can’t get one or the other.

The situation is really annoying as the .uk is "right" but by bringing it out this late it has caused such a mess.

I couldn't have put it better myself.

I truly believe .uk will never take off, as .co.uk, is far too imprinted in peoples minds (and has been for the past 20 years) so why would they WANT to use .uk?

Maybe in 5 years time there WILL be a surge in .uk registrations due to people seeing they are now available to register when searching for a domain name when on something like 123reg, as opposed to currently seeing 'reserved for the current owner of .co.uk owner' but I suspect it will be as a result of looking for a domain and seeing that the extension is available to register, as opposed to actually REALLY wanting the .uk domain name extension.

Joe Bloggs are clueless when it comes to domain names and even more so when it comes to extensions, as all they see is 'I need a website' and 99% of them will go for the cheapest available option to them. I suppose it can be likened (not directly) to people who say 'a car gets me from A to B, so I don't really care what it is as long it is as cheap as possible to buy and to run' - same sort of mentality and not looking any further into the benefits of a different/better car as all they care about is how cheap they can get it for.

 

[willbon]

I think we'll only see whether there is a future for .uk when the automatic rights are either taken up or not... then used.. or not... so it's another 4 1/2 years to wait IMHO

 

[Retired_Member38]

I still want to see the incidence of new .uk registrations where a corresponding .co.uk isn't owned by the same owner.

I see dozens of .co.uk without the .uk but I want to see the reverse, I think this number will be more telling.

My

If you think .co.uk is going to win then there is no need to waste £5 on the .uk.

If you think .uk is going to win then you still need to buy a .co.uk today to tide you over until the .uk wins (otherwise you lose type in traffic).

So its very hard to compare reg numbers or draw any real conclusion from them. Some people are even using .uk registration numbers as proof of its success... completely ignoring the fact most people (imo) are just buying them to stop someone else effectively kidnapping part of their brand name. Nominet have made them cheap enough that you probably need to buy them even when you don't want them :lol:

 

[BeachLife]

2.8m unique registrants in the .uk space then?

That surprised me too, thought it would me much higher. I didn't receive any such email though.

 

[ian]

I haven't received an email on either my personal account, or business account encouraging me to sign up my entitled .uk's, or to obtain more information, so clearly something isn't working!

The biggest problem comes from the fact that those in the know (you and I) will essentially be forced to take up rights to the .uk in under 5 years time, even if it hasn't taken off; because the risk of it doing so is far greater. Imagine deciding not to and then on the 11th June 2019 BBC, Google etc switch to bbc.uk ....

I can't be the only one who's heart sank a little when successfully catching just the .uk of a domain, knowing its value is so low not as a pair.

As has been said already, .uk is better, shorter, easier, more appealing, but .co.uk is absolutely entrenched in the mindset of near enough the entire population of this country.

 

[getmein]

Imagine deciding not to and then on the 11th June 2019 BBC, Google etc switch to bbc.uk ....

You make an excellent point. The amount of time between registrants being forced to choose to take up their rights (or not) and them realising those rights were valuable may well be a number of years. In the meantime, it favours those who are clued on whats going on and not the average registrant. Nominet said that .uk would increase choice - i'm still skeptical.

 

[domainseller200]

Nominet said that .uk would increase choice - i'm still skeptical.

Well they weren't lying - you can either buy the .uk from a domainer, the .co.uk from the same domainer, the pair from the same domainer for double the price or the pair from two different domainers (if it was a caught name and two parties managed to get one each) or just buy one of the two.

If that isn't choice, I don't know what is.

 

[getmein]

You're right I should have said 'good' choices

 

[Stephen]

7,5000,000?

That surprised me too, thought it would me much higher. I didn't receive any such email though.

Although Nominet sent 2.8 million emails Nominet stated;

The mailing excluded registrants that have already exercised their right and emails that could not be pre-verified.

During .uk consultation Nominet stated the number of unique registrants
that they would email was 7,5000,000