Domain name extensions: so many choices
15 years ago if you wanted to set up a new domain name you were limited to a handful of extensions such as the universally known ‘’.com’’. Since then various registry operators have applied for an abundance of new extensions. Let’s explore some of the various options available to consumers and organizations today.
Colors
“Color-based’ extensions such as .black, .blue can be an interesting option from a marketing perspective. Colors convey powerful imagery and are deeply ingrained in our minds as consumers and persons. Furthermore many brand names are based on color associations.
Sports
The sports market is expected to reach $73.5 billion (USD) by 2019 in North America alone, and of course that encompasses digital marketing. Many entities such as sports associations, teams, equipment manufacturers can make great use of specialty extensions such as .soccer and .tennis.
Occupations
Various extensions designating occupations have been registered such as .taxi, .media,.actor. They can be useful for industry boards, government agencies and professionals of all kinds.
Food and beverages
The food market is another important segment totaling sales of several trillions every year worldwide. This makes new extensions such as .coffee, .pizza quite attractive to any organization involved in food production or marketing.
Location
Location specific extensions are nothing new. Indeed country-specific extensions have been available since the early years of the Internet. However many new extensions referencing cities and territories have been registered in recent years such as.brussels, .quebec, .barcelona. This is an interesting option for government agencies and local businesses. It is good to note many citizenship and residency requirements have been relaxed which makes registration much easier.
Classics
The original top-level domain extensions such as .com, .net, .edu are widely recognized by consumers and still a good choice for any new domain name registration.
New ‘’general’’ extensions
There is a new generation of domain extensions including .info, .xyz, .global that convey general purpose. .Info has been particularly prized by government agencies such as New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (mta.info), whereas Alphabet, Google’s parent company, decided to go with xyz (abc.xyz).
Many many other options
Besides the extension types mentioned above there are further available options such as the very granular .hiv (specifically created for non-profit organizations fighting the hiv/aids epidemic) or .mba catering to Master of Business Administration degree programs and graduates.
A few things to consider with newer domain extensions
Before you contemplate choosing one of the many newer domain extensions, there are a few things to consider.
- Many domains, especially shorter ones can come with a hefty price tag. If you are on a budget it is probably best to weigh your investment against potential returns.
- Some dns management software (including email management products) will not work with newer extensions. That being said one can expect vendors to improve compatibility in the near future.
Looking ahead
The proliferation of new domain name extensions is a great opportunity for digital marketers whose work is now simplified when it comes to customizing domain names, better matching their respective products and services. I highly encourage readers to explore their favorite domain registrar’s offering beyond traditional extensions.
This article was originally published on LinkedIn.
Research, thoughts and opinions are my own. For more information please visit my professional websites: kartlad.info and konttent.com.
