Five Top New TLDs for 2017

Hundreds of new top level domain names (TLDs) have been released over the past few years, leading to over 27 million domains registered. Some of these TLDs have millions of domains registered while others have tens of thousands registered.
What’s important about each new TLD isn’t just how many domains have been registered, but also how companies use them. Some are popular for forwarding to longer URLs on social media networks. Others are being used by companies that are establishing websites for their business.
The addition of these new names has helped companies find affordable alternatives when their preferred name is already registered in .com.

Here at Namecheap, we cut through the noise to identify five new TLDs that have been trending. Consider registering one of these names to start your new website in 2017.

.Club – 900,000+ registered

The domain extension .Club found quick success for a handful of reasons.
A big reason for its success is that .club is a natural fit for a lot of people seeking a domain name. Sports leagues, membership organizations, hobbyist groups and fan clubs have all found a home on .club. .Club also makes sense for box-of-the-month and subscription businesses, a business model that’s very popular right now.
Another selling point is that the word club is universal.  Even countries that don’t use English as a primary language recognize the word.  In China, for example, the word ‘club’ is quite common.

.Tech – 300,000+ registered

The short top level domain name .tech is a good fit for tech companies and startups.
The registry behind .tech has done a great job marketing the extension at startup events to promote it to the next generation of technology giants.
One of the bigger groups using a .tech domain is the Consumer Electronics Show with CES.tech. This group puts on a huge technology conference in Las Vegas each year with nearly 200,000 participants. Having an organization like CES using .tech really helps promote the domain to a wider audience.

.Shop – 200,000 registered

It’s becoming easier to start your own online store thanks to plugins for WordPress and online shopping platforms like Shopify. This is part of the appeal of the .shop TLD. You can register your e-commerce site with a .shop domain and everyone will immediately understand the kind of business you have.
The .shop domain name launched in September 2016. Already it has amassed over 100,000 registrations, and we expect this growth to continue for some time to come.

.Cloud – 100,000+ registered

The term ‘cloud’ started out as a word to refer to web hosting services, but it quickly expanded to refer to any service offered online. There’s an immediate connection for most people between ‘cloud’ and online activity. This association makes .cloud an ideal domain name for ‘software as a service’ (SaaS) companies.
Beyond SaaS companies, though, there are lots of other companies that are getting creative with .cloud domains. For example, take a look at Food.cloud, a group that matches businesses that have too much food with charities that can use it.

.Live – 100,000 registered

What does “live” mean to you? Perhaps live TV? Entertainment?
The domain name .live has become popular with live streaming celebrities who forward simple .live domain names to their profiles on live streaming channels. It’s a lot easier to remember a short domain ending in .live, for example, than trying to find a site with a generic social media platform URL.
Maybe one of these five new top level domain names will be the right fit for you. If not, you can choose among one of hundreds of other options. Take a look at all of the new TLDs that Namecheap offers and register your new name today!
Registration volume data sourced from nTLDStats.com.

Andrew Allemann is editor of Domain Name Wire, the longest-running blog covering the business of domain names. Domain Name Wire has covered the business of domain name investing for over ten years.