Revisiting Why Yellow Pages Bought YP.com
Value sells, people like convenience, yp.com added branding power and technically, it was AT&T that bought Yp.com to help Yellow Pages dominate the space.
Value Factors Apply
Convenience, dominance, branding power, making up for name angst.
Shortcuts = Convenience
HELLO!! YP.com is a shortcut and people like shortcuts!
- Yp.com is short and easy to type.
- Yellow Pages name is loooong and people become impatient typing it out
- .YP.com is an additional memory trigger for Yellow Pages.
Dominance and Tremendous Branding Power
AT&T wanted to brand itself as the dominant player with tremendous branding power amongst consumers.
Making Up for Name Angst!
People hate being in last place…
- Connecting with people by giving them a shortcut makes up for being last in lists.
- Walmart’s name is last in lists, the business implication is that they chose to make up for being the last name in lists is to provide everyday low prices.
“So, if AT&T has paid a premium to buy all of the YellowPages domain properties and toll free numbers in the United States, what’s left?”
What’s left if you have a pizza business and didn’t buy pizza.com?
YP.com Domain Name Acquired by AT&T for $3.85 Million …
Jan 14, 2009 – Today internet history has been made with the acquisition of the domain name YP.com for an eye popping $3.85 million.
“That kind of daily volume does not substantiate a nearly $4 million cash purchase price, especially with the current state of the U.S. economy,” said Matt Panella of Domain News.
With AT&T’s obvious intentions to dominate the YellowPages brand within the U.S.,
With AT&T branding itself as the dominant player in YellowPages, … tremendous branding power amongst consumers.
Compete!
Compete with a 1-Keyword domain name with features organic domain names don’t have.
