United Internet taking market share from GoDaddy in fresh TLDs

Following slow start, firm is grabbing share in recent TLD launches.

United Internet, a group of firms that includes 1&1, Sedo, InterNetX, and United Domains, appears to be taking a good chunk of the fresh TLDs market share away from GoDaddy.

United spent regarding $50 million advertising pre-registrations for fresh top level domain names. Yet GoDaddy was kicking its butt in registrations for the first batches of fresh TLDs that hit the market.

That has shifted in recent weeks.

nTLDstats.com has released updated numbers for the latest batch of Donuts domain names released today, and United led the way on each one.

*Only includes registrations under 1&1 and United-Domains.

These numbers don’t include all of United’s brands, just the ones advertised most heavily for pre-registrations.

You’ll note that 1&1 beat GoDaddy on three two of the five, and when you add United-Domains it won each match up except .builders.

I’ve noticed similar numbers from other launches in recent weeks.

A number of things could be going on here.

1. United has improved its technology for getting domain names when there’s competition. Pre-registrations are essentially like drop catching.

2. 1&1’s cut rate pricing is attracting clients from GoDaddy. 1&1 is offering the first year at regarding half of GoDaddy’s prices.

3. United is promoting fresh TLDs more heavily on its home page and email marketing channels than GoDaddy.

When you look at overall market share of fresh TLDs, GoDaddy is down to regarding 30%. 1&1 and United-Domains each have regarding 10%.

GoDaddy’s overall numbers weren’t helped by sitting on the sidelines for .Berlin, which is the second most registered fresh TLD so far. (1&1, on the other hand, gave .berlin registrations for free for a year to local clients.)

Of course, we’re also really early in the fresh TLD rollout process.

What do you think has caused this shift?

[Editor’s note: this story has been updated with a fresh chart and comparison based on nTLDstats’ revised numbers for the first day.]