Simply enough, Network Solutions created a profitable Net franchise by
selling domain names. Of course, it was convenient that the company had a
virtual monopoly.
This is no longer the case. Now, there are many hungry entrants in the
domain-name game. While it is competitive, there are still growth
opportunities. One to keep an eye on is Register.com
. Basically, it is the #2 player in the marketplace.
So it is no surprise that the company was the first register to launch its
competitive service against Network Solutions
(June 1999).
The company is growing at a furious rate. In the last quarter, revenues
were $12.4 million, which was an increase of 139% from the prior quarter. In
the last quarter, 923,000 domain names were registered. This constituted
18% of the market, which was up from 13% of the market in the prior quarter.
Losses are small; they were $991,000 in the past quarter. Whats more, in
the companys recent IPO, about $120 million was raised. Register.com’s cash
flow from operations in the first quarter of 2000 totaled $24.9 million, a
101% increase over $12.4 million in the fourth quarter of 1999.
The site is easy to use and provides great features. Some of the recent
features include FastFind, which helps you find alternative names if the
desired domain name is already taken. Another feature allows you to buy
domain names in bulk transactions.
Expect the company’s number to keep growing fast. Register.com has
aggressively signed marketing deals. Partners include AskJeeves (11 million
unique users per month); About.com (13.2 million unique users per month);
Stamps.com; and freeinternet.com.
The big opportunity for the company will be value-added product offerings.
Registering a domain name is the first step to launching a Web site. So Register.com
can sell the necessary products to create an effective Web
presence. For example, Register.com provides branded email with USA.NET.
With Network Solutions purchased, Register.com is the only pure-play
investment opportunity. With the recent fall in the stock price,
Register.com should be enticing to investors.