Aftermarket for .pro? I don't know a single pro-fessional that actually uses a .pro domain for their business. How many do you know?
Based on that one observation I somewhat doubt there will ever be a vital/viable aftermarket . . but, ya never know . . maybe there's a vast underground of professionals quiety building .pro sites in their basements and garages . . .
Regards...jmcc
Having a keyword in the domain name might convey a slight advantage but even so, the owner would have to do the right things with it.
As of January 2010, the domains may be registered through 34 accredited domain registrars. The number of registered domains was approximately 36,000 with the majority of domains in the United States (51%), followed by France (20%) and Germany (4%).
Doesn't look that popular does it?
With hindsight perhaps we should have gone that way to begin with so that you know a business will always be a .com, a "not for profit" always a .org etc, but its a bit late for that now.
According to the registry it was supposed to be "the mark" of a professional.
From what I can see on the Web millions of professionals could care less about distinguishing themselves "by a gTLD". They would rather distinguish themselves by their really important credentials: education, years of experience, associations, etc.
.pro is .nonsense. Another money making grab. Another brilliant . . cough, cough . . misadventure of marketing.
OBTW, welcome to WebmasterWorld Todayisp.
.PRO is an exclusive top-level domain reserved for use exclusively by licensed business and service professionals and entities internationally. All applicants meeting the following qualifications may register a .PRO domain name:
* Provides professional services
* Admitted to or licensed by a government certification body or jurisdictional licensing entity recognized by a governmental body that regularly verifies the accuracy of its data
* In good standing with the licensing authority
In addition, registrants will be asked to provide the following information related to their professional eligibility:
* Identification
* Contact information
* Profession-specific information such as license number
From:
[registry.pro...]
the extension has a good sound to it.
With .pro I just see a rusty bucket . . with holes in it . . that was used for hauling toxic waste . . ;)
.Pronounced N-yuk.
a specific keyword.pro Registered in Jun 2004 ? So .pro has been out for a while. hmmmm... and why wasnt I aware of it? ;)
Regardless of TLD's and how stupid some sound I think people just snatch the good keywords and park them immediately. Im wondering whats gonna happen once anyTLD comes out!
[edited by: dailypress at 5:01 pm (utc) on Jan. 27, 2010]
You might just be right. Somewhere I read something about... oh, yes. "I've recently bought a few .pro domains and..."
.pro also sounds as bragging. Imagine dclawyer.pro and 'I'm a pro' notion :)
repro
semipro
superpro
:)
I desperately hope so because all those domain squatters will eventually get the message, every little helps.
Seriously, if they actually checked the licensing and only allowed .pro domains to remain in effect as long as the license was in effect and in good standing, then it would have value like the ultimate BBB.
If you screwed over clients your .pro site would vaporize.
A lot of the growth in .pro would, I think, be driven by domain speculation (the keyword domains being registered and then parked). The problem with direct navigation is that it requires people to type the website url into the browser address bar thinking that such a site exists. That type-in is generally .com or in ccTLD dominant countries, that country's ccTLD. The .pro domains have to rely on appearance in search engine results. That might work but the hard part is getting the site noticed.
The enforcement of registration conditions might have been a good idea but without it, it in the same situation as .biz but without that gTLD's figures.
Regards...jmcc
I don't think I've ever landed on a .pro site nor have I ever seen a .pro TLD in print or being promoted anywhere. Honestly, I had forgotten all about that TLD.
As for ranking Google SE and your visitors could careless what your TLD is. As long as your website provides valuable information they will link to your website and Google will index it without issue.
Good luck with your new website!
I'm not one for clubs. I'd choose a dot com to AVOID such controlling behavior from the powers that wish to regulate this.
Then again i'm still miffed that I can't buy a razor at my local mall without a secret shelf camera taking my picture and then tracking me with an rfid device to make sure i pay. If you like the idea of belonging to a club however by all means go .pro
As for ranking Google SE and your visitors could careless what your TLD is.
And therein you are wrong, Google does care and if you would care to check any Google.non.com you will find that it ranks .com v ccTLDs completely differently because Google checks extensions and where the business is located, e.g. my regional example.in outranks my example.com in Google.co.in for exactly the same keyword phrase whereas in Google.com it has been #1 since the beginning of time:-)
