A few months ago, when it was announced that the .xxx TLD (top level domain) was to become available for adult entertainment (porn) sites – it got me thinking. What’s in a (domain) name?
Is the extension beyond the dot just as important, or even more important than the actual name?
When the internet was young, .com’s were enough for everyone. There weren’t domain poachers & squatters (they call themselves investors…), you didn’t have to research what names were available before you decided what to name your business (see: this guy) and you certainly didn’t have to lock down multiple .extensions (.net, .org, etc) to ensure your brand was properly maintained.
But now, with most of the .com names taken, companies have had to be more cute in choosing their domains. Using different TLD’s, companies are becoming domain marketers before even getting started. Ping.fm, About.me & of course Will.I.am are a few that stand out.
There are many different TLD’s and now that many countries allow use of their country codes, TLD’s like .us, .to, .at & .co are available for usage.
The problem with using these unique TLD’s is that it has to be memorable for marketing purposes. If you aren’t creative in the way you choose your domain, you run the risk of sending clients to your competition. People are still hard-wired to head to a .com version of the website.
Personally, I’d rather have a longer name with the .com than shorten the domain with a .net or .org. I own ShoutItOutDesign.com as well as ShoutItOutDesigns.com because I commonly heard people referring to my company in the plural form. I also purchased ShoutIt.at for a URL shortener (like bit.ly, etc). It still has a bit of my branding in the name and allows me to shorten my links for Twitter and other social media outlets.
What are some other creative uses of TLD’s have you seen? Did you have difficulty coming up with a clever and memorable domain for your company’s web site? Tell me about it in the comment section below.