Welcome to 9500 Online

Introduction to Four Digit, Numeric Domains

In domain nomenclature, four digit, numeric dot coms, like 9500.com, are collectively referred to as NNNN.coms. They have a kind of uniqueness and cool-factor that appeals to computer people with math backgrounds (like myself), web designers, domainers and companies. NNNN.coms can be brandable and many receive a steady stream of traffic.

The traffic is inherent due to the fact that numbers, like 9500, can be used to describe many products and entities, so for this reason and others, they can get typed into the browser and search engines quite frequently. In addition, NNNN.coms can attract curiosity seekers; People will sometimes look the numbers up, just to see what's there.

The aforementioned and other factors, such as limited supply, have combined to increase their value over the years. There are 10000 NNNN.coms in total, ranging from 0000.com to 9999.com, and all were registered years ago. Despite so many being around, they're becoming increasingly difficult to acquire. If you're able to find an owner willing to part with one, you can expect prices to begin at $500 US (if you're lucky) and go much higher, depending on quality.

If you visit various NNNN.coms at random, you'll soon discover that some have been developed and a lot haven't. Many are parked or used to redirect traffic to other sites. Ironically, the traffic-inducing quality that entices most to buy numeric domains can also hinder their development. E-commerce is the culprit.

Most site owners with traffic producing domains will choose commerce over altruistic ventures and even fun most of the time, which is fair enough. Most numeric domain owners, after deciding to take the commercial route, soon realise that it's simply more cost-effective to capitalize via paid parking whilst waiting to sell for a profit, than to take a chance on development. The next owner usually does the same and the cycle repeats itself. Sad, but true.

Gradually, however, more and more NNNN.coms do get developed, which means each year less get put up for sale; This, of course, contributes further to the price increases. In recent years, there have been several notable names, such as 7777.com, that have sold well into the five figure range. Perhaps with time, there may be none left to buy... or the bubble could burst and we'd regress to a point where NNNN.coms could be hand-registered again. :)

As a programmer with an interest in design, I'm hoping to go against the parking trend and actually develop this one. I'm just not quite sure which direction I'll be taking it in, so for now, this place-setter will have to suffice while I have a think about it. :)

So, for those of you not in-the-know who are wondering what NNN.coms cost; Well, $10,000 plus is the going rate these days. I understand 800.com sold for about $250k, and as for NN.coms... Trust me, you don't want to know. :)

Notes

By the way, if you're using Windows, this page is best viewed through a Safari Browser with the Quartz Engine running. On a Mac, it shouldn't matter. Under all circumstances, high pixel density (ppi) is preferable. Text-based webpages simply don't look right on any other setup.

This webspace was constructed from scatch pretty quickly. Over time I'll endeavour to improve things.