“Should you buy new top level domains for your brand?” Before we answer that question, let’s look at how we got here. Join me on memory lane with this brief timeline on TLDs:
Before 1998: There was eight generic TLDs: .com, .net, .org, .gov, .int, .mil, .edu, and .arpa.
1998: There became a need to privatize the management of Internet addresses that allowed for competition and global participation. ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) was created to ensure the network’s stable and secure operation.
2000: ICANN successfully carries out the first application round for new gTLDs: ,aero, ,biz, .coop, .info, .museum, .name, and .pro
2004: ICANN launches a second application round for new gTLDs: .asia, .cat, .jobs, .mobi, .post, .tel, .xxx, and .travel.
June 20, 2011: ICANN’s board votes to end restrictions on the 22 generic top-level domain names. Companies and organizations can now choose arbitrary top-level Internet domains. Over 1,300 new names or “strings” could become available in the next few years. Scroll to the bottom of these article to see the confirmed TLDs.*
October 2013 to Now: The new TLDS launch on October 23, 2013 with 游戏 (Chinese for game) and continues on a rolling basis, with the newest TLDs as of August 2014 include .diet, .help, .hosting, .property, .restaurant, .gifts, and so on. If you would like to register the domain itself, and sell to others, organizations will have to pay $185,000.
Sedo, a leading domain marketplace, ranked the top ten new TLDs based on value and they are .shop, .web, .site, .music, .hotel, .one, .blog, .eco, .sport, and .love. ICANN believes these and the rest of the new TLDS will “potentially change the way people find information on the Internet or how businesses plan and structure their online presence.”
Why You Should Hop on the New TLDs
The Basics First. Before you buy any new TLDs, make sure you have .com, .net, .org and the ccTLD (country code top level domain) of your country and any country you target heavily for business. After that, then grab the TLDs you think are related to your business’ niche, interest, and mission. There are also country code new TLDs like .tokyo, .newyork and so on that can help you succeed with the locals.
Protect Yourself. With some of these TLDs, your brand may have to play defense. If you are in an industry where your customers may get upset (ahem, web hosting perhaps), you might have to look into some “negative” TLDs so a disgruntled client doesn’t scoop it up first. These TLDs include .sucks, .boo, .fail, .wtf, among others.
Why You Should Not Waste Money on the New TLDs
Is there a need? When .us, .biz, .co, and .xxx were first released, there was buzz that these alternatives would be the new “.com”‘s and your brand would need to buy them up. Obviously that didn’t pan out. In fact, most of the public now associates these domains with viruses and adware. This same risk exists with these new TLDs. Companies, but especially customers, will need to agree that there is a certain level of functionality and need for these domains in the first place.
Technology hasn’t caught up. The acceptance of these new TLDs is not only a slow process for the public, but for technology as well. Some browsers and most apps don’t recognize the new TLD URL structure yet. If you are on an Android device, as of September 2015, entering in an acceptable new TLD website will treat the request as a search query instead of directing to the site, even with http:// attached.
Only good for domain registers? Perhaps the biggest critics of new TLDs is founding chairperson of ICANN Esther Dyson, who says the expansion is not because we are running out of domain names. “This is a way for registries and registrars to make money… There are huge trademark issues. If I own a trademark, now I have to go register it on 2,800 domains. It will create a lot of litigation.”
OpenSRS, a HostDime partner, has an easy-to-read price and release list for the new TLDs. Are you thinking about buying any for yourself or your brand? Sound off in the comments or at our Facebook page.
*Full List of ICANN TLDs so Far
AC
ACADEMY
ACCOUNTANTS
ACTIVE
ACTOR
AD
AE
AERO
AF
AG
AGENCY
AI
AIRFORCE
AL
AM
AN
AO
AQ
AR
ARCHI
ARMY
ARPA
AS
ASIA
ASSOCIATES
AT
ATTORNEY
AU
AUCTION
AUDIO
AUTOS
AW
AX
AXA
AZ
BA
BAR
BARGAINS
BAYERN
BB
BD
BE
BEER
BERLIN
BEST
BF
BG
BH
BI
BID
BIKE
BIO
BIZ
BJ
BLACK
BLACKFRIDAY
BLUE
BM
BMW
BN
BNPPARIBAS
BO
BOO
BOUTIQUE
BR
BRUSSELS
BS
BT
BUILD
BUILDERS
BUSINESS
BUZZ
BV
BW
BY
BZ
BZH
CA
CAB
CAMERA
CAMP
CANCERRESEARCH
CAPETOWN
CAPITAL
CARAVAN
CARDS
CARE
CAREER
CAREERS
CASH
CAT
CATERING
CC
CD
CENTER
CEO
CERN
CF
CG
CH
CHEAP
CHRISTMAS
CHURCH
CI
CITIC
CITY
CK
CL
CLAIMS
CLEANING
CLICK
CLINIC
CLOTHING
CLUB
CM
CN
CO
CODES
COFFEE
COLLEGE
COLOGNE
COM
COMMUNITY
COMPANY
COMPUTER
CONDOS
CONSTRUCTION
CONSULTING
CONTRACTORS
COOKING
COOL
COOP
COUNTRY
CR
CREDIT
CREDITCARD
CRUISES
CU
CUISINELLA
CV
CW
CX
CY
CYMRU
CZ
DAD
DANCE
DATING
DAY
DE
DEALS
DEGREE
DEMOCRAT
DENTAL
DENTIST
DESI
DIAMONDS
DIET
DIGITAL
DIRECT
DIRECTORY
DISCOUNT
DJ
DK
DM
DNP
DO
DOMAINS
DURBAN
DZ
EAT
EC
EDU
EDUCATION
EE
EG
EMAIL
ENGINEER
ENGINEERING
ENTERPRISES
EQUIPMENT
ER
ES
ESQ
ESTATE
ET
EU
EUS
EVENTS
EXCHANGE
EXPERT
EXPOSED
FAIL
FARM
FEEDBACK
FI
FINANCE
FINANCIAL
FISH
FISHING
FITNESS
FJ
FK
FLIGHTS
FLORIST
FM
FO
FOO
FOUNDATION
FR
FRL
FROGANS
FUND
FURNITURE
FUTBOL
GA
GAL
GALLERY
GB
GBIZ
GD
GE
GENT
GF
GG
GH
GI
GIFT
GIFTS
GIVES
GL
GLASS
GLOBAL
GLOBO
GM
GMAIL
GMO
GN
GOP
GOV
GP
GQ
GR
GRAPHICS
GRATIS
GREEN
GRIPE
GS
GT
GU
GUIDE
GUITARS
GURU
GW
GY
HAMBURG
HAUS
HEALTHCARE
HELP
HERE
HIPHOP
HIV
HK
HM
HN
HOLDINGS
HOLIDAY
HOMES
HORSE
HOST
HOSTING
HOUSE
HOW
HR
HT
HU
ID
IE
IL
IM
IMMO
IMMOBILIEN
IN
INDUSTRIES
INFO
ING
INK
INSTITUTE
INSURE
INT
INTERNATIONAL
INVESTMENTS
IO
IQ
IR
IS
IT
JE
JETZT
JM
JO
JOBS
JOBURG
JP
JUEGOS
KAUFEN
KE
KG
KH
KI
KIM
KITCHEN
KIWI
KM
KN
KOELN
KP
KR
KRD
KRED
KW
KY
KZ
LA
LACAIXA
LAND
LAWYER
LB
LC
LEASE
LGBT
LI
LIFE
LIGHTING
LIMITED
LIMO
LINK
LK
LOANS
LONDON
LOTTO
LR
LS
LT
LTDA
LU
LUXE
LUXURY
LV
LY
MA
MAISON
MANAGEMENT
MANGO
MARKET
MARKETING
MC
MD
ME
MEDIA
MEET
MELBOURNE
MEME
MENU
MG
MH
MIAMI
MIL
MINI
MK
ML
MM
MN
MO
MOBI
MODA
MOE
MONASH
MORTGAGE
MOSCOW
MOTORCYCLES
MOV
MP
MQ
MR
MS
MT
MU
MUSEUM
MV
MW
MX
MY
MZ
NA
NAGOYA
NAME
NAVY
NC
NE
NET
NETWORK
NEUSTAR
NEW
NF
NG
NGO
NHK
NI
NINJA
NL
NO
NP
NR
NRA
NRW
NU
NYC
NZ
OKINAWA
OM
ONG
ONL
OOO
ORG
ORGANIC
OTSUKA
OVH
PA
PARIS
PARTNERS
PARTS
PE
PF
PG
PH
PHOTO
PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOS
PHYSIO
PICS
PICTURES
PINK
PIZZA
PK
PL
PLACE
PLUMBING
PM
PN
POST
PR
PRAXI
PRESS
PRO
PROD
PRODUCTIONS
PROPERTIES
PROPERTY
PS
PT
PUB
PW
PY
QA
QPON
QUEBEC
RE
REALTOR
RECIPES
RED
REHAB
REISE
REISEN
REN
RENTALS
REPAIR
REPORT
REPUBLICAN
REST
RESTAURANT
REVIEWS
RICH
RIO
RO
ROCKS
RODEO
RS
RSVP
RU
RUHR
RW
RYUKYU
SA
SAARLAND
SARL
SB
SC
SCA
SCB
SCHMIDT
SCHULE
SCOT
SD
SE
SERVICES
SEXY
SG
SH
SHIKSHA
SHOES
SI
SINGLES
SJ
SK
SL
SM
SN
SO
SOCIAL
SOFTWARE
SOHU
SOLAR
SOLUTIONS
SOY
SPACE
SPIEGEL
SR
ST
SU
SUPPLIES
SUPPLY
SUPPORT
SURF
SURGERY
SUZUKI
SV
SX
SY
SYSTEMS
SZ
TATAR
TATTOO
TAX
TC
TD
TECHNOLOGY
TEL
TF
TG
TH
TIENDA
TIPS
TIROL
TJ
TK
TL
TM
TN
TO
TODAY
TOKYO
TOOLS
TOP
TOWN
TOYS
TP
TR
TRADE
TRAINING
TRAVEL
TT
TV
TW
TZ
UA
UG
UK
UNIVERSITY
UNO
UOL
US
UY
UZ
VA
VACATIONS
VC
VE
VEGAS
VENTURES
VERSICHERUNG
VET
VG
VI
VIAJES
VILLAS
VISION
VLAANDEREN
VN
VODKA
VOTE
VOTING
VOTO
VOYAGE
VU
WALES
WANG
WATCH
WEBCAM
WEBSITE
WED
WF
WHOSWHO
WIEN
WIKI
WILLIAMHILL
WORKS
WS
WTC
WTF
XXX
XYZ
YACHTS
YANDEX
YE
YOKOHAMA
YOUTUBE
YT
ZA
ZM
ZONE
ZW
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