What to Expect with New Domain Names
Posted by aonenetworks On October 11, 2013
Earlier this year, new domain names were announced, ranging from “.cloud” all the way to “.cricket” and “.blog”. If you already have a great domain name, this probably doesn’t concern you too much – but if you’re interested in changing your domain name, now’s a great time to consider a .online, .web, or .website URL.
These new domain names will join the 300 or so specific country names (.de for Germany) and the 30 TLDs we’re all familiar with (.net). While thirty does seem like an awful lot of domain names, many of the names that some of us may like to have were snatched up long ago. So ICANN, the Internet decision-maker, decided to add a few more to the mix to change things up. This decision was made, in part, for branding and small business that never had the chance to choose a domain that was unique and also suitable.
To add to our 30 common TLDs, ICANN Is adding over 1,500 new domain name choices that can be sold worldwide. A few are still being reviewed, but the vast majority of them are just about ready to be sold to the Internet at large.
The new change to available domain names is expected to help everyone get an appropriate domain name in addition to increasing the relevance of search results.
Currently, there are a couple of problems with a few of the domains because of the companies who have applied to run them. Don’t expect to see the following domains for a while, even though ICANN has approved them for use:
.search
.app
.blog
.cloud
.home
While you can still reserve these names, it may be awhile before they become available to build on. For example, Google wants to run .search as a “dotless domain,” meaning you can simply type search into your browser. However, some companies and the ICANN believe this may be confusing to users, and negotiations are happening now.
In addition, some of these domains are restricted, such as .bank and .law, which are reserved for lawyers and banks and cannot be used by any other company. You may also have to go through Trademark Clearing House to ensure you’re not infringing on any trademarks when you take these domains, even if you are a bank or a lawyer.
Many TLDs will be working and available before Christmas, so if you think you’d like one or two, reserve them with the registrar of your choice before someone else nabs it.
 Widjaya Ivan
