It’s not everyday I stumble upon a business or personal brand actively growing their business through the use of new top-level domains (new gTLDs).

When I do, I find most business or personal brands are simply experimenting with such domains with no sign of commitment or results.

However, I recently stumbled upon a LinkedIn post containing a video promoting an Energy Management Consultancy based here in Austin, Texas.

It’s crazy to realize the Internet is a little over 30 years old. Although I date myself when saying I remember life before the Internet and email, the invention of the Internet has forever transfigured how we live life and do business.

In some ways, the Internet has brought us together. In other ways, not so much.

From idea to planning to operate to find an audience, all personal and business brands have likely struggled with one thing when considering their launch.

Whether a new service, product, solution, or brand in general, finding the perfect domain can often feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack, thousands usually base the name of their brand on the availability of a .com domain name.

No sooner than a person is introduced to domain investing, affectionately known as “domaining” by domain investors as known as “domainers”, that they soon encounter the ramifications of legally transacting payment and agreement of domains.

Most new investors, a few old ones too, blindly play the payment roulette game when using PayPal or a non-secure payment method when transacting payment and agreement of domains.

Individuals soon come to find out they robbed themselves blind from receiving payment as well as losing their domain in the most horrific cases due to payment clawback, chargeback or disputed credit card payment by purchaser. 

While attending and participating at MERGE! this year, I had the privilege of meeting and moderating a panel — Secrets of Domain Leasing — that included Stevan Lieberman (opposite end of panel from myself), IP Attorney at Greenberg and Lieberman.

Whether a domain buyer or seller, one of the most challenging questions to answer realistically is how much a given domain is worth?

While one person could think their domain should be valued at 6-7 figures, another person would scoff at such a valuation, rendering the domain’s value as a few hundred dollars on the best day, or simply worthless.

While there are only a few new top-level domain extensions that have captured my attention and a few investment dollars, there aren’t many likely to stand the test of time.

While there are thousands of new top-level domain extensions to choose from, there are only a handful of industry professionals I’d be willing to put my money on being and building a profitable success.