One of the best things about .PH and .COM.PH domains is that it somehow felt like the 90′s where a lot of premium generic keyword domains are still available for hand registration. Here I experienced how it would be like owning one of the premium domains and how it really ranks you high in Search Engines.

My recommendations to dotPH

Marketing support

Everyone in the Philippines has started to love our country more, people are becoming more patriotic towards our country (unlike before that it was only about US or imports). It would be nice if they can sponsor events, make print ads or do more promotions to raise awareness on why use .PH or .COM.PH. You do have a Why.PH, why not expand it to offline print ads to get the support of more people to invest or to develop their websites with your domains. We’d love to see more promotion and ads to encourage people to get into .PH.

Unregistered domains list

Andre have told me about a website that used to list all the unregistered domains with traffic before. What would be nice is if dotPH could release a website like that but instead on focusing on traffic, it would be all the dictionary word domains listed in it. That way you promote what is still unregistered and encourage or entice people to register it first. Developers are constantly on the look out for domains they can use on their projects (which they don’t have an idea on what to name).

Lower Registration / Renewal Fees

Registration Fees are really high, I understand that with high fees comes more quality and serious developers. But the problem is it attracts domainers like us into it and discourages a lot of developers in the process. A lot of web developers I know of, have a great plan on how they intend to develop but are discouraged by the registration fees compared to .COM or .NET. It would be great you can lower fees (but I’m not saying that you should drop it down to .COM prices) or do a promotion once in a while to encourage more people to join. I’ve also had a message from disappointed domainer, that he’s about to lose his big client since he can’t use his prepaid credits (as a registrar) to renew his domains. (I still am waiting for a reply from dotPH for this matter) But if this is so then it is unacceptable as we did pay for it a lot.

Payment Options

In the Philippines, a lot of people still don’t trust the web. They think of the web as a dark place that is full of hackers and their data is always at risk. But the great thing is that Paypal is doing a great job getting them to purchase online. It would be nice if dotPH could start to accept different payment options which can really help them decide faster.

Advancement of system

Right now, as a registrar, you need Internet Explorer to go to the admin. But I use Ubuntu and MAC, I feel that it would be great to have a cross browser support since when I purchased my registrar credits the person I spoke to said that you’re working on having it work on FireFox. I’m not saying that you should be able to make it like Godaddy’s (which if you can, that would be really really great), but, at least, show us that you’re improving the system and it would be easier for us to use it. Just imagine owning 100 or 1000+ domains and try changing the nameserver one by one.

Other Articles you might also like:

1. DotPH releases new Registrar Console, different browsers are now compatible and multiple nameserver editing!
2. Observations with my dotPH investments in .ph and .com.ph domains
3. dotPH using unregistered and unused (.COM.PH, .PH, .NET.PH, .ORG.PH) domain names for online advertising for companies

My mistake with .PH and .COM.PH

It was one of my mistakes when I first gotten into investing in these domains, it felt like a kid being left in a candy shop (where he haven’t had any candies for years and had a strong craving). I quickly registered a huge chunk that I thought was amazing, not thinking about what I’ll do with it, and just thought that wow this was sold for this much in .COM this is a sure winner! Guess what, I was wrong!

– Time and the renewal fees are always the problem –

Time was my enemy with my domains

I registered so much that I lost my focus, not only that, but also didn’t have enough time to develop all of them and with some minisites not earning enough to repay their renewal fees. It was a mistake that I diversified my focus and started building one category and jumping to another which really got most of my time. With me collecting almost a hundred of .PH and .COM.PH domains, it was going to take me a long time to finish developing and would keep paying the renewal fees without much revenues. Google Adsense pays a low CPC in our local area.

I’m dropping a lot of domains

So I’m left with not choice but to drop a huge chunk of domains which I couldn’t develop and take my chances of reregistering again one day if its still unregistered than keep paying the renewal fees. DotPH has still got a promising future, but again not for a huge number of projects but more on focusing on specific topics and a few domains that is worth paying renewal fees for.

Other Articles you might also like:

1. Should I start Buying and Selling Domains?
2. Rather than park your domains, Redirect domains
3. Observations with my dotPH investments in .ph and .com.ph domains

… If you go to their website, it’s really nothing too impressive but has an interesting story. It only started in 2005 and has franchised its way to over 15 branches that operate in different places in Manila. The concept is interesting, unlimited ink refill for companies and personal use. It’s somehow economical to have this if you do print a lot (apparently 70% savings!).

– Ink.com.ph Promotional material –

What I admire is their domain Ink.com.ph, using this domain, the company is getting a much deserved domain SEO point. However, as I looked at the web development, they didn’t really have an SEO website and that’s why they’re not ranking highly as they should be. The Meta were missing and the worse part is that Ink.ph is taken and is owned by another domainer (it’s best to own both domains for a company, as it is generic). For a company that is expanding at more than 15 branches and has a billboard in the main road, it is just right to own the proper domains that link to their company. And as .PH is overtaking .COM.PH, where will the traffic be going to? It’s just a waste to see it this way.

Great domain but poor web design and online marketing efforts. Domain is one thing, ranking highly is another. I just hope one day they’ll be able to rank highly online, just think if I was looking for ink refill stations, they’ll be the first one to show. I’d love to see a Filipino Company with a great domain be successful and be seen more online.

Other Articles you might also like:

1. DomainNameSoup: Many Many Many ways in generating a great domain name
2. .PH domain that’s great, my daily read Philippines Technology blog – Technogra.PH
3. Tips in searching for Great Domain names to register

.PH and .COM.PH’s restrictions

When I first started registering .PH and .COM.PH domains, my thought was that it was going to be worth a lot in 5 years time. This is when Search Engines would localize and bring value to those that use their own country’s domain. However, I also noticed the amount of .PH and .COM.PH’s owners are domainers and simply parks their domains with ads. Domainers make money by selling these domains, but the transfer process is difficult as you’d need a signature from buyer and seller and send it back to DotPH’s office. It’s nice that its secure but, with the long transfer process, how many buyers are willing to wait? (considering that other gTLD’s take only hours to complete a transfer) So domain sales would somehow be a tough thing for people who’re looking to invest in our domains.

– DotPH should market it more –

What should dotPH do?

Domainers love the fact that its high priced and premium domains are still available, however a ccTLD full of domainers is really worthless if they don’t develop it into useful websites. Minisites isn’t great for this ccTLD, but full blown developed websites. I suggest that they do more promotions and promote it to Web Developers and to Businesses to use. The more that people see the credibility of a ccTLD (and not just a page full of ads) the more it would attract more credible buyers and registrations on their domain.

Other Articles you might also like:

1. Rather than park your domains, Redirect domains
2. Domains with Dash “-” vs Domains without
3. Should I start Buying and Selling Domains?

… I’ve always been a big fan of development, all I want is to keep developing websites before I even got into domaining. As a matter of fact, my main goal was to make web 2.0 websites but as it got too complicated I had resorted to something more simpler to scale up. My favorite type of development for my domains are minisites and that’s what I did with my .PH and .COM.PH domains.

– My interest lies in web development –

Building minisites on .PH has shown me what the power of a generic domain can do for your SEO, in a matter of days, I was ranking highly in my own country’s searches. However, as I time went by, the minisites I had can’t really pay for its own renewal fees and are only earning a few dollars (sometimes cents) from PPC (CPC is low) compared to a gTLD (.COM / .NET / .ORG / .INFO etc) which earns those in a day. There’s also another thing that I found both good and bad to .PH domains is that the transfer process is hard. To transfer a domain, you’d need to sign paperworks and fax both to buyer or seller then back to dotPH company. It’s very secure on domain hijacking but can really be a hurdle in selling domains to others.

So did I make the wrong decision to invest in .PH? No, its simply because .PH domains are not built for minisites, it is for full blown web development. It’s great SEO and can get significant traffic in the local area, but its just that you’d need to spend more time on really developing interesting websites before launching it as opposed to minisites. Best thing as well is that since there are only a few websites launched locally, there’s not much competition for direct advertisers. I’m currently developing some interesting website concepts which I expect to launch really soon, I’ll post it up when its launched.

Other Articles you might also like:

1. Rather than park your domains, Redirect domains
2. Domains with Dash “-” vs Domains without
3. My Biggest Misconceptions on Domain Name Investments

… One of the things that I had questions about was this topic, I wondered why should I use .PH or .COM.PH if the .COM was international (Filipino thinking on imported products). But I understood ccTLD’s, I quickly realized that PH character in the domain is worse than a .PH or .COM.PH domain.

– I’ll definitely go for .PH or .COM.PH –

One of the biggest factor that affects this decision for businesses is the cost associated with .PH or .COM.PH ($70 for 2 years) vs the .COM ($8 per year). But, as the saying goes “You get what you pay for”, there’s definitely a reason why it’s cheaper.

• First reason that comes to mind is SEO (Search Engine Optimization). ccTLDs, like .PH or .COM.PH, rank higher in their own respective countries. It is generally faster and easier to get on the top 3 results in Searches.

• Second, if I remember your brand name, I might mistakenly type in BRAND.com rather than BRANDPH.com right? And if that’s the case how much traffic are you losing?

• Third, Businesses normally know how much domains costs, your company ‘can’ look quite dodgy as it seems like you’re becoming cheap on your website. Spending a little bit more and getting the right domain can show that you’re a legit and credible business.

I find it quite ridiculous sometimes when I meet someone with a PH on their .COM domain, they could’ve spent more and look better image-wise and enjoy the not so obvious benefits of paying more. ccTLDs are set to rule the Search engines, and as Search engines are fast becoming the ‘Yellow pages’, it is worth your while to be in the top results. Definitely a .PH or .COM.PH over a PH .com domain is better.

Other Articles you might also like:

1. How to choose the best Brandable domain name for your website
2. Website Development don’t need a good domain to be successful
3. Free Domain Names / website, are they really worth it?

… We all dream that one day we can have a multinational company such as Google or Yahoo, but how do we start? It’s not the 90’s or the early 2000 anymore, and strategies and developments have changed tremendously since then.

– Dominate a niche and you have control –

I’d personally say that it’s best to be first in Philippines market than last in the Global market, that’s the reason I’ve started investing in PH domains. I wanted to dominate the Philippines Internet market than putting my site out there for the international world. It allows me to focus on Filipinos therefore making my site fit my audience well (rather than the other way around) and adjust to certain cultural or informational barriers that a developer could encounter. Rather than I go with the Global market, burn loads of money just to acquire visitors and end up not continuing as there’s no more money to burn.

In the Philippines Market, I could:

• Advertise more effectively (no culture barriers etc.)
• Connect with Offline Methods
• Deeper understanding of the needs of the visitors / users
• Fit the users than the users trying to fit in
• Less Competitors therefore we’re in control
• Support by the Filipino people.

The Philippines Internet market is so open that its simply waiting for website developments and you’ll find almost instant traffic and visitors to your website. What we need are developers and designers who would just listen to the needs of the Filipino Internet users. There’s huge opportunities here, just see how Chikka was acquired by PLDT, I guess that shows it all.

Other Articles you might also like:

1. What you need to know on How Businesses should market to Bloggers in the Philippines
2. How to start a website startup in a recession (Part 3)
3. How to start a website startup in a recession (Part 1)

… I’ve went to check on the WHOIS of .PH domains, and found that the domain is privately registered so there’s no way to find out whose domain it was. But what it did was leave a definition from the dictionary word A-loof, which meant distant physically or emotionally.

– Screenshot Aloo.PH homepage –

If you’ve guessed it right then you’ll have the chance to win a Nintendo Wii, there are 2 ways of joining. Follow them in Twitter or Facebook (Be a fan) and post what you think Alooph will be all about. Now, my guess is that this website will be geared towards OFWs and their families in the Philippines. It could be a video chat software that needs no installation and is very easy to setup.

I applaud whoever is developing this website, it seems like they did invest quite a bit on this project and is getting pretty good responses from people guessing what it is. I’m excited for this development, .PH domains needs this badly and that they need this to promote the use of .PH domains in the Philippines. It’s about time someone does it, Good Job Aloo.PH team.

Other Articles you might also like:

1. Rather than park your domains, Redirect domains
2. Domains with Dash “-” vs Domains without
3. Should I start Buying and Selling Domains?

… My experiences with .PH Domain Names has so far been great, I’ve used the same method which is thru WordPress and making a minisite out of it. One of the obvious questions is that how much is it earning? I’ve developed a minisite that targets a topic that the counterpart gTLDs were not developed, it’s earning great, raked in around $10 in 5 months. I’m expecting it to get ROI which is about $25 for the registration fee. But there are also some which were developed for 4 months but only earned around $2.50. My earnings varied from one topic to another some yielding high profits less clicks while some are more clicks but less PPC cost.

– Revenues are breaking even with Renewal fees –

So if the earnings are not enough to cover the hand registration fee, why do it?

1. The traffic its going to grow once it ages (after 1 year).
2. Higher traffic means higher value and revenues on the minisite.
3. Getting traffic internationally as the gTLD counterpart isn’t developed or ranked.
4. Once .PH domain names catches up, I’ve got all the premium domain names that end users would want.
5. It will be a nice avenue for development especially on the web 2.0 field focusing on one country.
6. Domination of internet space, the target is to get a few % of traffic in that country.

If you’re looking to invest short term in .PH Domain Names then it’s not the path for you, it will take time (really long time) when things do catch up (could take 3 – 10 years depending on the country). It is a long term investment and that you’d really have to prepare for the long days that you have to live off small revenues. My approach is not really to sell but to grow the minisites and one day get a full blown site made for it. I believe now is not the time to sell .PH Domain Names for developing countries but instead to buy and develop them, as you’d really want the internet to mature and increase in value first.

Other Articles you might also like:

1. Developing Minisites: How to develop a good minisite for your domain names
2. Developing a domain into a minisites doesn’t guarantee success
3. Developing Brandable domain names: Good idea or not?

… I wouldn’t condemn dotPH for what they do, it is simply up to us domainers or domain name owners to use our domain names when we register it with them. These ads are only served to domain names that are unused (left with the default name server) or unregistered domain names. It is our choice whether we allow it to happen or not, we could direct it even to a parking page or point it elsewhere if we didn’t want ads to appear for dotPH.

– DotPH Ads on unused domain name —

What dotPH is doing is actually what it should’ve done a long time ago. If you look at unused domain names in GoDaddy, notice how its all parked with ads which you have no share of and goes to GoDaddy. I would even say is that what they’re doing is great for us who invests in domain names. Why? It’s not like GoDaddy that uses PPC ads, but it’s direct advertisers which raises awareness towards huge companies like Robinsons etc., this then sets the trend for other companies to follow and advertise more online.

This move by dotPH is a fair move, it raises awareness and they also earn from it. With this move, I believe that it shouldn’t be too long before people get to understand the power of domain names and how it affects SEO in a big manner, therefore increasing our domain name’s values and potential advertisers to advertise on our PH websites. Thank you Del for pointing that out.

Other Articles you might also like:

1. Philippines Companies are now switching to PH Domain Names
2. Offline vs Online Marketing: Billboards vs Domain Names for companies
3. Official Statement from DotPH on the future of COM.PH vs. .PH Domain Names