The new Internet namespace has proven to be valuable for startup companies; limited budgets save a lot of money for development, versus domain names.
Before the launch of several hundred new gTLDs tailored to many different specific uses, companies would be stuck with secondary tier domain names.
In the past, once these companies raised more cash, they would sometimes go after the big, expensive domain name that suited their function best.
Not any more.
Hundreds of new gTLDs, from .technology and .camera, to .coffee, .space, .ventures and more, have proven to be the ideal solution for hundreds of startups.
Registering a meaningful keyword+gTLD pair gives them equal, if not better, visibility on Google, which does not discriminate against the new gTLDs; in fact, it often treats them better than any .com.
Looking for Anchor Host? They are #1 on Google, thanks to their Anchor.Host domain name. They also own AnchorHost.com, but use it as a forward to the gTLD.
And why not?
After all, prolific writer Seth Godin didn’t spend $85,000 dollars to buy YourTurn.com, instead he spent $11 on YourTurn.Link and his web site is #1 on Google for “your turn”. Meanwhile, Mike Mann’s .com is nowhere to be seen.
Dozens of other companies follow the same principle to build their brands, products and corporate names. It’s the evolution of the domain name space.
For a great article titled “How to name your startup” click here.
I have analyzed thousands of startups and their domain names and there’s only been a handful of funded startups this year that use one of the new gTLDs. A ccTLD, .Co or .IO are the popular alternatives when the .com is taken, not the new Gs.
Doron – The .io is a joke choice. While .CO works great, the new gTLDs are shifting the paradigm. Be prepared to poll again those thousands of startups in the coming months and years.
I don’t have much of an opinion on .io, i’m just looking at the statistics – I analyze which extensions do well among funded start-ups weekly and a Q2 wrap up will be published the 1st week of July. I can already give you a spoiler and that is that all the new Gs combined account for less than 1% again. It was a meager 0.7% in Q1
Doron – Did you read the examples in the linked story? Here’s another one: http://yourstory.com/2015/06/internet-namespace/