Does it have to be a .com domain name?

The .com extension for domain name registration is undoubtedly the most popular and sought after. Many people will prefer to modify their names to fit the extension rather than opt for something else. However, with the introduction of more generic top-level domains (gTLDs) by the regulator, ICANN, .com’s dominance may soon end.

In the past, domain name registration was limited to a few gTLDs; .com, .net, .biz, .org, .edu, .gov, etc. But now, the story has changed as you can now make use of more interesting gTLDs that didn’t exist before. For example, if you have a band and want to register a domain, the .band extension is already available to you. So if your band name is ‘Soul Food’, you can register a name like ‘soulfood.band’ and anyone who sees that name will easily know that it belongs to a band. Other new gTLD extensions are .photography, .actor, .church, .ceo, .boutique, .academy, .business, .agency, etc.

As a result of this, it is not mandatory to register a .com domain name and many people will even prefer the new extensions due to their uniqueness. For example, churches in the past used the .org extension when registering their domain name, but now they will use the .church extension and this will greatly boost branding and marketing. The new gTLDs will also reduce the length of domain names and make them easier for people to remember. For example, the ‘soul food band’ exampled above will need to register ‘soulfoodband.com’ instead of ‘soulfood.band’ if the new gTLDs have not been introduced.

Also, it will allow newbies to get choice names as most of the popular names have already been taken. Also, the face of online marketing will change due to these new gTLDs. There is a possibility that search engines, especially Google, will change their algorithms to accommodate new top level domains. Internet marketers will also need to change their strategies as search engines may change their algorithms.

Domain name registration will never be the same as the path to registration has now been expanded with the latest gTLDs. You just need to make sure you’re dealing with an ICANN-accredited registrar to make your registration process cheap and hassle-free. You should also beware of trademark infringement when choosing a name for registration. In fact, it’s ideal that you obtain a trademark for your business name before registering a domain name.