dot what?

For the longest there was only one premier neighborhood on the internet and it ended in .com. We weren't doing this in the 1990s but we're pretty sure no one ever started their web address brainstorm session with a desire for ".net" UNLESS you were the genius folks over at fishing.net back in 1997. Yeah, those folks where about two decades ahead of the rest of the world when it came to domain-as-marketing-tool ideas. 

Now the internet, out of basic real estate necessity, has caught on to what the fishing.net team already knew: there would eventually be no more real estate in .com and we'd have to branch out. Now of course websites registered in other countries have different domain extensions (such as .co.uk for the United Kingdom or .pe for Peru). But the real gold standard was always a US-registered .com. 

Well welcome to the new wild west of domains. Besides the old standards (.com, .net, .biz, etc.) there are now 367 new domain options available with 277 more coming online soon. The new domains are meant to diversify away from .com and allow businesses to associate themselves immediately via their domain with either a product, service, or place. Some examples (these aren't real web addresses): 

MemphisTraffic.Attorney 
BuyLocal.Boston
FirstStreet.Coffee
DetroitQuickBooks.Expert

If you're reading this blog then you're already somewhat familiar with the concept because you came to SQFT.Management. The reality is that the internet needed to develop new neighborhoods as a result of literally every thing on earth having a web presence. The smart use of this is that you can now have a domain that reflects a Google search for a business, product, or service. Look at the examples above. If you're aiming for cold Google search results and hardcore SEO, then consider something that is less brand-driven and hit the "what" right on the head with a new (or secondary, defensive domain). What's a defensive domain, you ask? It's a secondary domain you buy to protect your brand and search results. You own it so a competitor won't (either point them to the domain you use or just let them lie fallow). 

Head over to GoDaddy.com and check out all the new (and soon-to-be-released) domain names if you think it's time (it probably is) to rethink your domain name game strategy. Check them out here or reach out to us to strategize if you need some creative help.