The Rebirth of of Dot Biz. (Part I)

By Duane J. Higgins, ceo
xtradot.com

There is a massively underutilized resource that has been languishing in the back alleys of the Internet for the last 13 years. That resource is the .biz top-level domain name extension and it may be poised for explosive growth (finally). 

Below is a small chart of registered top-level domain names to date:

From Whois.sc dated Feb. 1, 2014

TLD Overview for February 01, 2014

All	New	Deleted	Transferred	TLD
148,562,332	131,782	111,530	216,922	All TLDs
112,561,214	98,361	80,458	176,743	.COM
15,234,841	12,745	11,598	15,966	.NET
10,419,443	8,509	6,603	9,465	.ORG
5,826,055	7,059	9,023	9,869	.INFO
2,660,044	2,948	2,200	3,307	.BIZ
1,860,735	2,160	1,648	1,572	.US

 Just to summarize. That's 2.5 million .biz registrations compared to 112 million .com registrations.  Or just over 2% percent for .biz compared to the .com giant. In other words, there are millions and millions of good .biz domain names unregistered and there for the picking if someone were to find a use for them. The same can not be said for any of the other TLD extensions. Dot info (.info) is the closest you will get with the same low numbers however .info clearly has an established target market or brand identity (information).

There's a famous saying that goes something like "what's new is old and whats old is new."  I have heard this phrase many times however never expected to see it come to roost squartly on the shoulders of the domain name industry.  Especially, with the impending release of upwards of 1000 new domain extensions onto the global marketplace. What would you say if I told you that very possibly the next blockbuster domain extension has been in existence since  2001. That the next wildly successful domain extension has been sitting nearly idly with no significant identity or branding success since 2001.

Of all the previously released top level domain extensions- .biz is probably the one that has been the most battered and bruised. If you listen to many of the prognosticators you will likely conclude that .biz is undoubtedly on life support if not already deceased. This extension has actually been lingering around the Internet since 2001 with very little fanfare or attention.

What if I told you that I had three words could launch the .biz extension to a rebirth and possibly even a prominent role in the Internet  economy?

What if I told you that the three words are "mobile based business."

With the rebranding of .biz to the home/mobile based business extension.  I'll post the remarkably simple formula here:

Low End Phones +Handsets + Low End Tablets+ Home/Mobile/Based Business opportunities+ .Biz extension= An Internet Revolution?

So, why .biz?

1.) Because its a relatively unused and untapped resource (many good domain names left).
2.) Dot biz is an established extension. Infrastructure and registrars are fully in place. Just underutilized.
3.) The extension is a natural for this use. (short, memorable and already established).
3.) The extension really doesn't have a specific brand established. Narrowing the focus (to this unlimited market or mobile based business) could have immediate and revolutionary results. Rebranding .biz as the mobile based business extension would be an easy coup for the registry.

By the way, I have read recently that we now have more mobile devices connected to the Internet than we have people in the world. Or we very soon will. (I don't have an exact count). That's a pretty large target market.

How could the next Behemoth (i.e. monster) domain extension be sitting so quietly and innocently on the shelf right in front of our eyes? The answer is simple. The timing has not been right. That is until now.

First of all here are the catalysts for this new domain extension boom.

1.) The mobilization of the masses across the globe. From Tokyo to Timbucktu everyone is getting online. There is now an ease of entry to almost anyone to get online, get engaged and make money. All you need is a handset. That's a low barrier.

2.) Low end mobile devices are taking the world by storm. Take a look at all of the mobile companies. From Google to Nokia to Samsung and even Blackberry. They are all getting on board in a big way with low end phones, smartphones and tablets. The potential target markets are massive, profitable and easily cultivated through viral marketing.

3.) Business opportunity models that capitalize on these trends (of everyone owning a mobile device and being connected to the Internet) are in a position to dictate another wave of Internet engagement and commerce. In a way that hasn't been done before.

Mobile Based Business can be the great equalizer for economic inequality in our society.

Are you listening Mr. Obama?

The ventures/companies/organizations that capitalize on these trends will be big winners.


If your are curious yourself you might try a quick search at news.google.com for the term "low end phones." There are 90 news stories/results today regarding all of the major handset makers focusing on the low end phones. That isn't to even mention low end handsets and tablets.

That is not just a trend. That is an avalanche. It is really a revolution. All of the (handset) makers have noticed. It's now up to the individuals to devise ways to capitalize on the proliferation of the low end devices and provide opportunities for the users.

I say that "mobile based business" is the way to go. Stay tuned for some projects that I am co-developing in this space. There are some specific strategies that I believe will be key in propogating this Mobile Based (.biz) model. As is often the case, there are likely just one or two key "distinctions" that will be key.