The Future of Premium Domain Names
I was out at a conference in Las Vegas a few weeks back and spoke to some friends about throne.xyz: the sneaker and street-wear site. Since I own some 30-odd pairs of sneakers myself, I fell in love with their website and Instagram account straight away.
After working in the industry for such a long time, you barely notice how previously new TLDs are starting to build momentum. Great examples of websites using alternative names are visible everywhere now –- be it on buses in London, billboards in New York City, or online presences for funky startups that like the sound of original, innovative names.
12 Million new TLD Registrations in Just Two Years
When most people think of domain TLDs, .com, .org, and .net come to mind. In just two years, however, ICANN, the organization responsible for delegating and maintaining namespace on the internet, has delegated almost 900 new extensions ranging from .club, .online, .rent, .family, .design, to .xyz and many more. Since their launch in March 2014, nearly 12 million* of these ‘new’ domain names have been registered. That’s over half a million each month, and the momentum behind these new TLDs grows considerably over time. Choosing the right TLD and name can be confusing for someone who is not familiar with the process.
I think that smart brands will want to take advantage of these shorter, more specialized TLDs in the future where mobile is king.
Grab the Premium Names While You Still Can
At Namecheap, we recently launched Premium Name Registrations. More than 380 TLDs that have a premium name reserve (names that are short, memorable and striking) can now be registered on our site. You can get a great deal on a name that will stand out and help you to create your presence online.
To make it a bit easier to understand what is a premium name, check out the below examples, which are still available for registration at the publication of this blogpost:
- tango.club
- mug.design
- kittens.online
- car.rent
- w.xyz
- smith.family
While some of the examples are pretty pricey, an easy illustration on how to make use of an nTLD comes with .family. As long as you don’t have a very common surname, chances are that it will actually not be a premium name. With your tailored TLD, you can secure your family heritage with a fun website (www.suarez.family), a great blog (blog.klein.family) and have fully personalized email addresses (mum@davies.family) and many more.
A great domain name can be a catalyst that enables your business or online project to become successful and unforgettable. That’s why you should check out our brand new search and get creative! If your favorite name has already been registered, you might still be able to buy it through our marketplace or make an offer for it, which is available in the search results.
* Courtesy of http://ntldstats.com
