Are you looking to make a website for your business?
You may want to get one of the custom domain extensions 2019 has to offer. It’s a creative addition to your web address that helps it stands out.
That said, ever wondered how these domain name extensions work? The most common one is .com, though there are also several others, like .org or .edu. As of 2018, there are over 1,500 registered domain nameextensions.
In this guide, we’ll help you understand what custom domain names are and why you want them. Read on to discover one of the more fun and creative ways to bring traffic to your site:
Brief History
Did you know that the .com domain extension has been around since 1985?
It was part of the first set of generic top-level domains, or generic TLDs, introduced in 1984. Along with .com, there were four other generic domain extensions. They are .edu, .mil, .gov, .net, and .org.
The earliest country-code TLDs were also registered in 1985. There were only three. They are .us, .uk, and .il.
The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority overlooked the registration of the domain name extensions. In 1999, IANA became an operating unit of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. In the present, ICANN manages and maintains all domain names.
Up until 1997, there was a steady growth of domain name extensions. There was a sudden stagnation in its growth from 1998 to 2013. In the years 2003 to 2004, there was no new domain extension registered.
Late 2013 was the beginning of the custom domain boom. That was also the year when the first non-Latin TLDs launched. In 2015, ICANN made a policy that’s all about accepting any general TLD application.
Common Domain Extensions
The domain extension .com is still the most popular TLD. It takes up almost 47% of all top-level domains. The next highest percentage is 5.2, taken by the domain extension .org.
Upon their conception, each domain had intended uses. The well-known .com was for commercial entities. The TLD .mil was for military use, but now it’s intended for the US military only. At the time, they were also limited to specific people or entities that could meet certain criteria.
Most top-level domains are now unrestricted. Restricted domain extensions are now often reserved for those that are area-specific. Examples are .miami and .sydney.
Other than the original six, the popular TLDs are .biz, .info, .jobs, and .xyz. Popular country-code top-level domain extensions include .DE, .CN, .UK, .NL, and .EU.
Newer Domain Name Extensions
It can take a long time for some domain extensions to launch. In 2017, we anticipated TLDs like .autos, .motorcycles, and .music. Top-level domains launched in 2018 include .charity, .page, and .museum.
This 2019, we’re expecting to see the introductions of brand new domain extensions like .hot and .here. If your business is all about beauty and health, you can expect domain name extensions such as .beauty and .skin. If you want a website that caters to foreigners, non-Latin characters are available.
Although there is now a lot of domain names to choose from, it’s still a challenge to find the best one. While there are no bad domain names, it’s possible to choose the wrong one. Be careful with what domain extension you choose.
Why You Should Customize
This year, the estimated growth of online buyers worldwide will reach shy of 2 billion. That’s almost 2 billion potential customers for your business. The difficult part is getting their attention.
Who doesn’t want their business to stand out?
Be it online or offline, you’re going to want a site for it. When you do, get a custom domain extension. There is a better way to make your site easy to remember and unique.
Extensions like .tech, .food, or even .fashion give clues. The moment people see your custom URL, they’re going to know right away what they can expect from you. You can even increase clickthrough with reliable domain extensions like .news, .link, or .bio.
You can also avail city domains like .nyc or .vegas. They’re useful to small business with physical shops. You never know, you could be a drive away from your customers.
How to Register Your Domain Name
Have you decided to get that exciting custom domain extension? Great! Here’s how you go about getting it.
It’s a simple process. Before anything, make sure you have a credit card or a Paypal account. This is a requirement because this is the usual method of payment to registrars.
If you already have a web host, get the names of the primary and secondary name servers. You’ll often see this information in the web host’s site under FAQs. Look for the DNS or domain name category.
If you don’t have a web host yet, that is also fine. The registrar will park your domain name. This means they will secure it for you at a temporary website so nobody else can take it.
The next step is going to the registrar’s site. A domain name registrar is a company that manages the reservation of domain names. At the registrar’s site, you will enter your desired domain name into a search box.
This would be the time where you hope for the best results because this is the time your registrar checks for the availability of the name. If it isn’t, you’ll have to think of a new one. If it is, lucky you!
The next step is to enter and confirm your details. After that, you pay for it and the domain is yours. Simple, right?
Things to Note
There are a few things you should remember before you choose a custom domain name.
Though you may think that you’ve come up with witty new domain names, it’s always a great idea to double check first. You may get into legal trouble with trademarked names.
Another note is that domain names can be expensive since you pay yearly.
The cost to register a completely new top-level domain begins at 185,000 USD. Buy a domain name extension instead of registering. New domain extensions can cost you 10-15 USD a year, depending on the registrar and TLD.
Let’s Get Creative!
That’s what you need to know about custom domain name extensions.
Get ready to blow your customers away with your new creative domain name! Hey, nobody’s stopping you from taking the .ftw domain extension.
Looking for more? Feel free to read our other blog guides for answers. Here’s our guide to help you buy the right domain names.
