Owning a company branded .com may have once been the rage in the early days of the internet.
Because only a few top-level domain (TLD) options existed at the time, any brand seeking to develop an online presence was forced to adhere to the same domain naming conventions. As the internet exploded in use, however, traditional .com domains have been snapped up by individuals and organizations around the globe.
For fast movers, this may have been a great way to secure a long-term digital brand identity, but for start-ups and established organizations seeking to rebrand, expand or boost their online presence, limited naming options have forced many to settle for less-than-ideal domain options.
ICANN’s New gTLD (generic top-level domains) Program was established by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers to address the shortage of available domain names, and to introduce innovation and fair competition in a stagnating market. By introducing new gTLDs, the program encouraged innovation and enhanced consumer choice and competition by expanding the domain name system (DNS). Since the program was established in 2013, hundreds of new TLDs have entered the Internet’s root zone.