Exciting times.
We are about to enter a new www ‘dot’ world where business, brands and other organisations will be able to see their name on the right-hand side of the ‘dot’ in the domain-name URL: a brand name will soon be able to take the place of .com; .co.uk; .org etc, etc….
This represents a dramatic and historic development in the online world that will affect every user of the internet.
Despite the existence of millions of possible domain names on the ‘second level’ (www.TAGBOXMEDIA [etc]…..), there are currently fewer than two-dozen possibilities at the top-level (the .com, .net, .biz [etc], bit of the domain).
The introduction of bespoke generic top level domains (gTLD‘s) will see the online naming space expand dramatically, allowing the creation and management of top-level domains for those that want them (and can afford them – see below!).
The benefits to brands are pretty obvious. dot-brand extensions will allow owners to strengthen their online identity, better engage with their users/customers/clients and will help them reinforce brand security (by limiting the scope for fraud and cyber-squatting). .burberry for example, will only be able to be owned by the brand itself: better control for those charged with limiting counterfeiting in the world of retail, then.
Ultimately, we see these changes as key to creating new markets in the online space (therefore presenting new opportunity), but as yet, it is unclear how brands will be able to exploit these:
In search (SEO, VSEO) for example, newdrink.cocacola will allow search engines to return content with greater efficiency (better than www.cocacola.co.uk/newdrink), creating a more dynamic market is targeted search. It will also make the search experience easier. newdrink.pepsi is easier to add to a URL than trying to second-guess the .com-forward-slash extension.
A new commercial market is also inherent with top-level name conventions, as owners of gTLD’s will be able to sell second level domain registrations entirely at will (IE there is no reason why www.coffee.starbucks won’t be able to sell me www.paul.starbucks if they really want to – let alone the scope for multiple second level domains that allow closed or open domain-networks at the discretion of the owner).
At this very early stage, the value to the end user remain unclear. But what is clear is the value to ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), the supposedly ‘non-profit’ body overseeing such matters. An application costs $180,000 and requires applicants to take on onerous technical and commercial obligations to manage and maintain their TLDs; not to mention the 300-page guide book, 50+ questions and a requirement to convince ICANN of the legitimacy and viability of a claim to a TDL. Not therefore for an individual. Unless that individual is a brand. (dotBECKHAM?)
Applications opened on the 12th January 2012 – but don’t expect to see much change for a least a year; such is the pace of ICANN’s review and approvals system.
Do these changes democratise web-naming or hand too much power to the super-brands? Where does all this leave the end users? Ultimately these are the crucial questions that will need answering in the brave new dot-world we are all about to enter….
(Grateful thanks to those developers who consult with us and our contacts in preparing this blog – you know who you are – and we are happy to make the connection if you would like more information. Just drop us a mail).