What are the new gtld domain extensions?


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What are the new gtld domain extensions?

Just recently, ICANN has publically revealed a list of over a thousand and more generic top level domain extensions or gTLDs that will come to the internet in 2013. It was during January this year that they received around 2000 applications for these new extension, from a diverse group of people. Some were companies; some were domain name registrars who aspire to make profit by selling these names in the future.

Today we are only familiar with a few gTLDs like .com, .net, .org, .biz, and .info, but with the advent of the new gTLDs the relative importance of each of these, especially that of the overwhelming .com is most likely to come down.

Newer domains like .web, .eco, .shop, .med, etc. will potentially offer new opportunities to businesses, organizations, individuals, and all the specialised domain holders. These domain names will send across distinct messages about the domain specializations like whether it is dedicated to the environment, tourism and hotel industry, films, sports, music, etc.

The bright side of the gTLDs is that they will bring more choice to consumers and allow more innovation and specialisation, and the underside may be that cyber squatting intensifies with so many extensions available. But, that is for the future to decide, at present let us discuss the most popular new gTLDs for which pre registration has already taken toll. These are:

  • .web – This is being considered the most versatile of all the new gTLDs as there are no limits to its use and perfect for people who could take a .com domain extension with the name of their choice.
  • .shop- .shop too can carry a number of connotations like indicate your speciality, your city, even the name of business, etc.
  • .site –  indicate your product, industry, name, or anything else you want with the .site
  • .hotel – this domain extension is more focused particularly on hotels, whether it is a large hotel chain, geographical hotel name, hotel guides, small inns, etc. the .hotel extension will give more leverage to the hospitality business.
  • .music– For all the music lovers, artists and performers, this extensive will give you more exclusivity.
  • .nyc- New York is the most aspired city of the world and for everyone hoping to do business there, join the tech industry or enter the tourism industry, you will now be able to use the exclusive extension .nyc
  • .film– films are a global way of entertainment, education and communication and their extravagance doesn’t seem to slow down. The new .film will thus become the new way of finding all coherent information about movies.
  • .eco – for millions of non profit organizations, and green business developers, the .eco extension will be an easier way to express their commitment to the environment.
  • .Berlin- Berlin is Europe’s largest economy and to further allow it to capture and develop local and international business, it can capitalise on the use of .Berlin
  • .sport- For everything related to business, from sports persons, equipment manufacturers, fans, and many others associated with the sports industry, the .sport extension will make it easier to reach to a larger audience.

The list mentioned above relates to the most popular new gTLDs, and there are many more included in this list across various categories. How effectively will these domain extensions help change the landscape of the internet is yet to be seen, but the stakes are high.