The acceptance of the new domain endings has been pretty split since they launched in 2012. Critics hemmed and hawed that they would never amount to .com while early adopters excitedly jumped on board. With country code domain hacks like .io domain and .ai domain trending for various industries, and notable brands adopting new domain names, it’s clear that the Internet is moving in a new direction and everyone from start-ups, fortune 500 companies, and the general consumer are recognizing and adapting to these changes. The recent and record-breaking sale of the https://home.loans domain for $500,000 would indicate the viability of new domain endings.
Home.loans is the highest domain sale for a new domain on record. In an interview with Andrew Allemann, the man behind the purchase discusses his motives behind choosing a new domain ending for his brand which brings about a few important concepts we want to highlight.
The new domain endings offer opportunity
New domain endings offer the opportunity of alternatives in the real estate of the Internet. However, this isn’t the only the opportunity they offer. Brands are beginning to register new domain endings as the first choice and home of their online presence. Google has said it doesn’t make a difference what comes after the dot and even registered abc.xyz as the website address for their parent company Alphabet. Google’s adoption of the new domain endings was one of the first “aha” moments that sort of legitimized the introduction of new domains in the market. Since then, studies have found there are even advantages in having keywords at the domain level and to the right of the dot.
If all things similar, why not have a domain that represents your brand, niche or broad, and is an intuitive choice for customers? The new owner of home.loans, Blake Janover asked himself this same question. When he started with his first new domain name, multifamily.loans he had never built a website before. He used a website builder, and within a day was ranking on Google for key terms surrounding his brand. Starting with no backlinks and no domain authority and moving into the number one spot with a new domain ending and website created with a website builder is impressive and he attributes this success to all have begun with the domain.
Why choose a new domain ending over a .com?
We know why people choose .com. Many Internet users don’t understand domains, let alone know they have so many new domains available to them. What they do understand are brands. .com is a brand and a well-established one at that. .com was originally created for “commercial” use, but what does that even mean anymore in today’s online market? Brands are beginning to realize they can tell the same story without tacking on .com at the end. Every single character in the domain name can have a purpose and work towards communicating the true meaning of the brand.
New domain names and branding
A unique selling proposition of new domain endings is that they are one of the best marketing assets for the brand. The domain name is one of the first things a user will engage with. Besides the ad, the URL is a fundamental element that works early in the awareness phase in communicating a message of who the brand is. New domain names facilitate cohesive branding where the domain name is the company, is the theme, is the story, and even the email address. All of these pieces work together to create a branding hierarchy that starts with the domain name. New domain endings represent change and evolution and a brand’s willingness to take risks. A concept that that resonates well with Millennials and many brands in the market today.
New domain endings are an intuitive choice for companies to build their online presence and for Internet users to engage with when searching for new, applicable, cutting-edge content online. We predict the home.loans sale is just the first of many indications we will see of the viability of new domain endings in the coming years.