Its Labor Day in the USA (on Monday, September 7). What does that mean? Lots of people have the day off, stores are having special sales to seize you hard earned dollars, and I’m taking a look at some domain names. But before we get into that, what really is Labor Day?
Labor Day is a national holiday in the United States. It’s not a specific date, but instead, the fist Monday in September. The day is a tribute to the American worker and the contributions and achievements that the workers have made to the overall strength and prosperity of the country.
However, this is not a history lesson. This is an article about domain names. So let’s get to it. I thought it would be interesting to check 10 random worker or job titles and see just what resides on those domains today. How can you know if they are truly random? You can’t, but why wouldn’t they be? I am jumping back and forth between singular with out reason other than what feels right in the moment. Here goes.
- BrickLayers.com – I am pleased to see that there is an actual, functioning site here. The site is the home of Hodgkinson, a professional brick laying service covering the UK. The site is clean and smoothly functioning. Well done!
- Mechanics.com – Great name! I could see this being a directory service for finding qualified mechanics in your area. Even a lead-gen site for mechanic schools. In this case, I found a dingy, bland, boring parked page.
- Pilot.com – Sweet name. What will to be? A dedicated page to the Honda Pilot? A place to hire private pilots for your next trip to NamesCon when the world returns to “normal?” Parked? Interestingly, Pilot.com offers booking, tax and CFO services for growing businesses. While not used in the traditional “category crushing” sense, this is still an excellent domain name and I imagine a solid branding choice for this business.
- Dentist.com – Here’s one you can sink your teeth into. A solid name with a huge industry. Let’s face it, everyone has teeth (although some of us hang on to them longer than others – Brush often my friends). Unfortunately, dentist.com did not resolve when I checked the name. The name definitely dates back as far as original registration date. With exception to what the purchase price of the domain may be, I see it virtually impossible to not make a profitable website on this name.
- Barbers.com. – This one I started with the singular, barber.com, and received an “Internal Server Error” message. Seems like an expensive error message to be displaying on a name like that. Curiosity made me look at the plural. I’m not quite sure what I was expecting to find, but I was happy with the results… or so I initially thought Barbers.com boasts the #1 Free Saloon Management App. But wait, that doesn’t say “salon” it says “saloon.” I’m pretty sure those are not the same thing cowboy. If you can afford the domain name, spring for a proof reader. It also says free, and thin is followed by a pricing chart where free is not one of the options. I wouldn’t even let these guys cut my hair, never mind manage my business.
- Meterorologist.com – Thinking of my local Chicago weather person, I thought I would check this one out. Did you know there is science behind the weather forecast? Turns out, they don’t just make that stuff up, although it often seems like it. I’m still not 100% convinced it’s not witchcraft.com. Back on track, this domain points to MyLocalForcast.com, a weather forecasting service based out of New York.
- Tailor.com – This was one that I was half expecting to be parked. It’s a great name, but I figured the value of the domain would put it out of reach for most tailors. Well, you learn something new every day. Everyone looks good in a well tailored suit. Tailor.com is the home of La Rukico Custom Tailors. Another one based in NY.
- Firefighters.com – I was rooting for this one. I wanted to see something fantastic here representing some of the bravest human beings in the world. But sadly, no. Just another parked page.
- Locksmith.com – If you have never needed a locksmith, you will someday, I promise. Whether you lock your keys in the car or you need someone to open Grandpa’s safe, the time will come. These guys are trained pros that know locks like you know domains… or better if you don’t know domains very well. This site appears to be location based, using your IP address to get a general location and then stating “Serving _Insert your area here_” to provide that local feel.
- Domainers.com – Lets not forget about the most important job of them all. Maybe not, but still, one we can all relate to. Not much happening at domainers.com but the landing page states “We are open to a 50/50 Development-License Deal.” I think there is great opportunity here, but not something I’m currently looking to get involved in. Maybe you have a great concept for the name and could partner up with the owner. If so, I would love to hear about it.
That concludes my somewhat random Labor Day list of worker / job domain names and what lives on them today. It will be interesting to revisit this post in future years and see how these sites change or develop. In the meantime, take the day off, rest up, sharpen the saw, reflect on your contribution to society. What can you do to make your involvement in domaining impact you, your family, your country, and the world?