Heading for New Domains
Will seven new TLDs refertilize the barren fields of domain-name registration?
With seven new top-level domains (TLDs) working their way into circulation--presumably to alleviate the congested .com space-business owners have to decide whether they want to register a new domain name. Until recently, your choices were limited to the .com, .net and .org suffixes. But last year, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)--the governing body that oversees the Internet's domain name system--approved a few new TLDs: .aero (for the air-transport industry), .biz (for businesses), .coop (for co-operatives), .info (for all uses), .museum (for museums), .name (for individuals) and .pro (for professionals such as doctors, lawyers and accountants). ICANN is now assigning the new TLDs in limited release during a "proof of concept" stage. In November of last year, it made available names registered with .biz and .info. Your company should be able to get a .pro domain name in the second quarter of this year; applications are currently being accepted.
There are more than 36 million Web sites on the Internet. SOURCE: Netcraft |
But will the new TLDs really help the Web addressing problem? Opinions are mixed. On one hand, if you missed the opportunity to register the .com you wanted the first time around, now could be your chance. But on the other hand, who's to say these new TLDs won't become congested as well? And many attorneys, domain-name managers and e-business owners are now spending time and money to register URLs they won't necessarily use in order to defend themselves from online predators and competitors.
Memorial Day Subscription Sale- Unlock this subscriber exclusive article and more for 20% off today.
Access all Entrepreneur content with no ads, unlock discounts, and get exclusive advice only available to our subscribers. Plus, our magazine delivered straight to your door.
Get a year subscription today for 20% off. Just use code SAVE20 at checkout.
Entrepreneur Editors' Picks
-
James Dyson Created 5,127 Versions of a Product That Failed Before Finally Succeeding. His Tenacity Reveals a Secret of Entrepreneurship.
-
7 Meaningful Ways Your Business Can Honor Memorial Day
-
Breast Implants Left This Founder With Debilitating Symptoms, So She Launched an Intimate-Apparel Line That Goes Beyond Buzzwords
-
Kids in the Hall's Bruce McCulloch Says TikTok Is the New Punk Rock
-
'I Am Not a Diversity Quota,' Says the Founder Disrupting the Dessert Category
-
Memorial Day Is a Time for Remembrance, So What's With All the Mattress Sales?
-
Pharrell Williams, Contemporary Artist Nina Chanel Abney and Brand-Builder Shaun Neff Announce Launch of Game-Changing NFT Platform