How New Domains are changing the internet for the better

New Domains are growing at a rapid rate and seeing more usage than ever. With talk of a second round of gTLD applications happening in the next few years, it’s becoming more clear that New Domains are a valuable web asset that is here to stay. Although some people are still wary of these new extensions, New Domains have already proved themselves to be invaluable tools. Here’s why.

There’s more room for new websites and innovation

The internet started with just eight domain options to choose from, and it eventually became difficult for many businesses and individuals to secure a domain that matched their name, subject matter, or brand. In fact, up until now it was common for businesses who were just getting started to change their brand name if the domain they were interested in was unavailable. But now there are over 1,000 domain extensions to choose from, and while some are restricted to certain groups or organizations, there are still plenty of options out there that give individuals the chance to make their mark online.

Branded navigation is becoming a lucrative marketing tool

Having an online presence no longer means building and maintaining a website. You can now take ownership of a Facebook group, Periscope channel, your Twitter feed, or another third party channel by forwarding a custom domain. By using what we call branded navigation to help visitors access your content more easily, you can use the convenience of a third-party social media site while still enforcing your brand. New Domains like .LIVE, .SOCIAL, .NEWS, and more have spearheaded this movement, which was an uncommon practice before the surge in popularity of New Domains.

They will increase internet security

As mentioned before, there are a handful of New Domains that are restricted to certain companies, groups, and professions—and that’s a good thing. With an internet world that is sadly wrought with scams and spammers, it can be difficult to determine if emails, web pages, and other content are coming from legitimate sources. But some companies have registered .brand domains, or New Domains that reflect brand names. Among the companies that have secured their own .brand domains are Amazon, Google, Canon, Nike, and more. Because these extensions are not open to the public, customers will be able to trust that any email or web page with a .brand ending is coming from a legitimate source.

Restricted New Domains can serve the same purpose. For example, applicants for a .BANK domain must go through a screening process to make sure they are a legitimate organization. Extensions that require users to meet certain requirements before they can register the domain benefit form reduced risk that fraud or spam will originate from that domain ending.

Exact match domains can help users find relevant information quickly

It’s now a lot easier to register an exact match domain name with so many New Domain extensions available for use. Whether they match the exact name of your brand (with no hyphens or filler words necessary) or a commonly searched phrase, a domain that reflects search terms is more likely to rank well in search results and grain more traffic.

New Domains can also help visitors distinguish the subject matter that the website covers. For example, if you see a domain like hoverboard.reviews, you know implicitly that the site will contain reviews about the various hover board models available.