David Warmuz
CEO, Trellian.com & Above.com

The first key trend to emerge from 2017 was the record number of portfolio transactions taking place throughout the year.    

But the most significant trend is the substantial increase in demand for domain traffic coming from our direct advertiser network.  This resulted in higher revenue payouts for our Maximizer clients.  In some cases, our clients saw direct advertiser revenue increase well over 400% during last year’s holiday season.   Not only are our advertisers demanding more traffic, they are willing to pay more for each visitor.  

The most notable event in 2017 was the exit of two major parking services and the re-entry of SmartName, which created huge uncertainty that still remains for domain investors.

Looking ahead into 2018, early indicators point to a great year for Above.com and our clients with some high brokered sales such as Supernatural.com for $215,888.   

In our industry, we anticipate more of the same consolidation and further increases in demand for domain traffic from direct advertisers due to the high conversion results.  

The opportunity for Above in 2018 is having access to big data to optimize where traffic is sent and to provide the data to empower investment decision-making. This is a particularly relevant opportunity for domain investors who have challenges finding the time and resources to manage their portfolios.  At the end of the day, we develop technology for all domain investors as we want to see this industry grow and increase in value year to year.   

Brian Cute
CEO, Public Interest Registry (.ORG)

In 2017, I believe data security was the most significant issue impacting the not-for-profit domain space. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), like many organizations, rely on technology to help them achieve their mission. In fact, according to the 2018 Global NGO Technology Report, 72 percent of respondents accept online donations, yet only 41 percent use encryption technology to protect data and communications. As the internet continues to evolve we see more issues threating online trust through hacks and data breaches. It’s more critical than ever to recognize the importance of online security and for organizations to ensure the safe keeping of the data entrusted to them from stakeholders. At Public Interest Registry, it’s a top priority to help nonprofits understand the risks they face online and provide education on the tools that can be helpful to create safe and secure connections with stakeholders, supporters and donors. While the surge of cyber threats is a concerning trend, it shouldn’t discourage organizations from using online tools to engage with key audiences.  

As we move into 2018, Public Interest Registry will continue to advocate for a safe and secure internet and be a voice for all users on the internet. We’ve implemented the Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) with the 

domains we operate to protect internet servers from domain name system attacks. We’ve also developed a strong anti-abuse policy that targets technical abuse, such as phishing, and will continue to be a resource for nonprofits working to keep their information safe and secure. For data security tips, nonprofits can reference our recent three-part blog series which includes best practices for preventing a data breach, the key elements of a data breach response plan, and what to do in the aftermath of a breach.

2018 is not only a big year for the internet, it’s a big year for Public Interest Registry. January 2018 marks Public Interest Registry’s 15th anniversary as the operator of .org. With this milestone, we want to continue to assist more people who are looking for a resource to help fulfill their missions, and grow .org to ensure it remains the primary domain and connector for mission-driven organizations. It’s also critical that we continue to educate both existing internet users and organizations coming online for the first time, about how to use the internet more effectively and the benefits of a trusted online identity like a .org. With social media platforms offering “free” services and networking, we need to educate users on the value and importance of a domain name and a website to control their messaging and how they interact with their stakeholders, supporters and donors.  

Another big item that will impact organizations from a variety of industries is the new European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance beginning in late May 2018, which will cause global organizations to operate differently. GDPR compliance will kick-start a renewed sensitivity to privacy and may present some operational challenges that global organizations will need to watch out for. The increasingly complicated environment surrounding privacy and security on the internet will also mean larger nonprofits with IT resources will need to review and update their policies, and possibly expand operational capabilities. Conversely, smaller nonprofits, especially those new to the online world, may need to pay close attention and seek out the resources they need to ensure they’re compliant.  

With these regulatory changes comes significant corporate and organizational challenges that will impact organizations both large and small in the year and years ahead. No matter the size, the .org domain represents noncommercial organizations around the world making a difference and Public Interest Registry remains committed to helping them navigate these shifts so they can continue making a positive impact on the communities they serve. 

Jeff Gabriel
Vice President of Sales, Uniregistry

There are two main trends that I have seen over the course of 2017. The maturity of the new GTLDs that are not so new anymore. Those who were early adopters have built matured, and successful businesses by leveraging the benefits of a GTLD. They have proven the concept. Other companies are following suit. The demand has risen, and thus average prices have gone up. Uniregistry and our competitors continue to sell big-ticket GTLDs, and such sales are becoming commonplace. We will have more sales to announce soon along with one huge one. 

We have also realized a healthy return of the Asian markets. In Q4 the number of sales we made as a company rose significantly in Asia in dollar volume, and in units sold. This was not just to China, but we had what could be the highest .IN sale of all time. Unfortunately, it cannot be disclosed.

Looking ahead to 2018...

A few years ago I was asked about what the next year will hold for the industry, and I said we would see a year where larger companies purchase other companies in the space.

That happened. It continues to happen. I think we are going to have more strings change hands than ever before. Additionally the Brokerage market will continue to grow, with .com remaining king. The large Brokerages and marketplaces will continue to innovate, and bring industry changing products to market. Uniregistry will certainly be one of them.

Anand Vora
Director of Business Development
Donuts Inc.

2017 was a terrific year for new TLDs. Some noteworthy trends

· Consolidation and expansion with registries / registrars. Donuts acquired Rightside in July, with a combined portfolio of 238 new TLDs, and is now the largest portfolio holder for new top-level domains. At the same time, new entrants included Wordpress, Baidu and Squarespace. New entrants make for new dynamics and fresh thinking: we welcome them!

· More high-visibility uses of new TLDs. Companies of all sizes are relying increasingly on new TLDs to promote their websites. Some examples: www.thecommuter.movie, www.io.games and www.tmobile.careers.

· New uses of new TLDs. Businesses are leveraging the power of “real words” for advertising and marketing. Often, this means use of a new TLD to redirect or deep-link traffic to a particular web page. Examples include:  www.home.credit and http://www.amazon.store. Others are using new TLDs as more meaningful pathways into social platforms. Example: http://www.fitlo.live (link to Facebook page).

These new uses are increasing the number of new TLDs per end buyer, too, as they realize the benefits of more consistently managing their brand identity across a variety of different environments.

· International growth – especially China. With government licensing of new TLDs finally under way by mid-2017, the Chinese market is poised for growth in 2018 and beyond.

What's in store for 2018...

· Quality becomes even more important. As businesses continue to form and expand, they will look to quality new domain names that help them manage their digital brand identity more consistently and more compellingly. In this context, “quality” means names that are meaningful, have been adopted by other quality companies, and are in active use for websites, advertising campaigns, digital marketing landing-pages, redirects and deep links to specific web pages, and shorter / more relevant links to social platforms.
Directly related to quality, we believe that new premium domain names will command even higher prices in 2018 and beyond, as businesses and domain investors alike recognize their  increasing value.

· New uses of new TLDs will continue (blockchain, voice apps). We are seeing blockchain start-ups embrace new TLDs for their digital brand identities, but we’re also seeing blockchain technology innovations that leverage the DNS. For example, Netki is leveraging the DNS for blockchain identity in compliance-related applications. GeoNetwork is leveraging the DNS for its highly precise, 3D geospatial mapping services platform.
Regarding voice applications, with the popularity of Siri, Alexa, Cortana and others, we predict that new domain names will be a very important way for companies to connect with customers. Think about it: it’s much easier to say a “real word” phrase such as “peets.coffee” than to say “peetscoffeedotcom”.

· More reasons for registrars / resellers to (re)engage with customers. The traditional model was to help a new business initiate its web presence, and then reconnect at subscription renewal time. But we predict expanded uses of new domains will increase the number of “buyable moments” in the end customer’s business lifecycle. There will likely be new kinds of value-added services (VAS) needed, to support these new uses. We predict that value-added services (VAS) will expand in scope and reach in 2018, and that will mean good things for registrars and resellers.

Sandeep Ramchandani
CEO,  Radix Registry (part of the Directi Group) 

Just this month Sandeep Ramchandani completed a 15-year rise through the ranks to become CEO at Radix Registry, the operator of nine new gTLDs and one re-purposed ccTLD and part of industry giant Directi Group. Radix now has over 3 million domains under management.