New Generic Domain Names – what should I do?
17th March 2014
The domain name “landscape” just got bigger, and it is going to continue to grow over the coming months and years. New generic top-level domains (gTLDs), such as .club and .cool, will soon be available to register, and if you have enough money you could even have your own top-level domain! But is this choice really good for your business and customers?
The Pros
- It is becoming increasingly difficult to find good .com and .co.uk domain names that haven't already been registered. The new gTLDs will provide new options for your brand.
- Most people who don't know your web address will perform a search, so having the “perfect” domain name is becoming less important.
The Cons
- It will take some time before consumers become familiar with the concept that .anything could be a web address. Conversely, people instantly recognise anything ending in .com, .net or .uk as being a web address.
- Many people still just add .com or .co.uk to the end of the brand name if they don't know the correct address.
- It will now be much more difficult and expensive to protect your brand across all relevant gTLDs.
What should I do?
- Wherever possible, register your brand with .com and .uk, plus any other TLDs you feel are relevant or require protection for your brand (for example, if you have ambitions to grow your business into foreign markets, registering your brand in other country-code TLDs would be a wise move).
- Identify which of the myriad new gTLDs are relevant to your industry and brand and register these domains. We will be posting more information about which gTLDs are available to register once our gTLD partners have announced pricing and availability.
- Give us a call! We will happily discuss your options and talk you through the minefield of global domain branding.
Why .com?
For over 15 years, .com has provided the most credible and recognized home for businesses looking to succeed online. As the standard for doing business online, local and global companies rely more on .com than any other domain to confidently connect with new customers and partners.
Take the next step in growing your business. Join the millions of businesses that have found success on a .com.
- .com means business. .com is the standard for doing business online. Give your business the recognition that comes along with a .com to help connect with new customers and partners.
- .com means credibility. Your name says a lot about your business so why associate it with a less credible domain? Customers know .com, and that’s why every Fortune 500 company and the world’s 100 fastest-growing companies have a .com. Align yourself with the domain more businesses rely on to grow online.
- .com means confidence. Every business can benefit from an online identity customers know and trust. Thanks to over 15 years of reliability, security and availability, .com enables you and your customers to confidently connect online.
