As a domain registry, Vox Populi relies on registrar partners to get the .SUCKS name in front of brands and consumers—it’s their job to explain how companies can use this powerful domain to protect themselves online, provide for their customers and progress their brand at every opportunity. In this series, we introduce you to these registrars, and get their ideas on how to put a .SUCKS domain to work.
The second rendition of our “In Conversation” series is with Shani Yehezkel of 101domain, which provides domain management and B2B services to clients around the globe. For more than 15 years, they’ve helped companies big and small secure innovative and international online namespaces—so we caught up with them to find out how .SUCKS can play a role and why it should be in everyone’s domain portfolio.
Why is having a domain strategy essential to a brand’s success, and why do they need to move beyond the standard .com and .org?
SY: Everyone is online, so that’s where you need to be. Your website is the place where new and existing customers find and interact with your brand. Classic extensions are oversaturated—it’s hard to find short, memorable, quality domain names.
How many domains should a brand have in its arsenal, and why?
SY: At the very least, we like to recommend what we coined “CNOBI”. It stands for .com, .net, .org, .biz and .info. You should also have domains in territories you hope to expand to or that have a high case of cybersquatting, such as China (.cn) and Brazil (.br).
In addition, it’s important to factor in common misspellings and related ngTLDs like .SUCKS, .bank and .app. Your domain portfolio should be used to establish, grow and protect your brand.
How does domain management differ at a corporate vs. individual level?
SY: We don’t think it should. Your website is your brand, your greatest digital asset and a representation of you—whether you’re a corporation or an individual. Both need the same tools for seamless management and brand protection. Today, brands are threatened by cybersquatting, trademark infringement, phishing and spoofing, among other things. That’s why we offer multi-user logins, two-factor authentication, registry and IP local and logging, and other features for high levels of security.
What challenges have you come across when selling .SUCKS? How do you communicate the value of this domain?
SY: Customers, especially trademark holders, ignore the domain or think it opens the door to critical review. But a .SUCKS domain creates a space for your customers to share valuable feedback. Businesses can use it to turn critics into advocates, as .SUCKS not only provides an opportunity to control the conversation, but to change the conversation into something positive.
Find out what other registrars think about .SUCKS, or find your domain.
Photo Credits: Shutterstock / YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV, Unsplash / Glenn Carstens-Peters,
