What the .uk?
This week Nominet announced a three month consultation on a new top-level domain (.uk) that could soon be available alongside the long established and highly popular .co.uk extension, but what is it all about? The wider TLD market As discussed on this blog previously the liberalisation of the top level domain market by ICANN is set to further expand the potential options for domain name purchasers, but with the obvious availability advantages will come potentially great confusion for the consumer. The .uk would be designed to combat some of that and provide a trusted and accepted standard for UK based businesses, giving greater clarity to potential visitors. More stringent checks means more authority The current .co.uk registration requirements are very wide, you don’t even need to have a UK address, meaning that the system is potentially open to abuse. Under the .uk system every registrant would need to have a valid UK and this would be regularly policed and checked. Coupled with a digital signature and a supporting trustmark, those operating .uk domain names would immediately be identifiable as rightful owners of the domain and UK-based. Visitors to .uk domains would also be able to do so in the knowledge that all .uk domains will be safe to visit, subject to daily monitoring for malicious software and viruses. The aim is to give a boost and advantage to legitimate British businesses Shorter for Social Sharing As anybody writing a Twitter message will know, in the modern era the extra three characters for a message afforded by a .uk over a .co.uk domain can be crucial to getting your message across. In the era of social search where full URLs potentially win over shortened links, so a brand operating from brand.uk could have a massive competitive advantage. Not just another domain So in fact, with the tighter security, more shareable nature and the more stringent ownership rules, the .uk in it’s initially proposed form is one of the most innovative and exciting domains for many years. Rather than being just another domain to add to your portfolio, it is a domain that immediately would make a statement to customers, competitors and those within your own business. If you are committed to safe, secure business and being proud of your British base then the proposed qualities of the .uk domain are likely to prove incredible value for less than the cost of a decent three course meal for two. Certainly at 123-reg we are fully behind the current proposals and looking forward to seeing how the plans develop. That is what this consultation period is about though to gather feedback and thoughts of those it most effects… you. So if you do have concerns of even words of support, your input into the consultation would certainly not be wasted.
Why short domain extensions are better
We live in the world of social media and we have to do everything we can to adapt. This is a world where over 400 million tweets are shared every single day and each message has no more than 140 characters. If you’re using Twitter often, you know how difficult it is to convey your message in so few words, don’t you? When every character counts… There are some methods you can use to save up space and get more words in. One of them is to get a two letter domain such as .co, .tv, rather than a three or four letter one. A short domain extension is easy to remember and social because you can squeeze more in your tweets. Also, the number of people using mobile devices to navigate on the Internet is increasing by the minute, so this is another reason short domain extensions are an excellent solution. Using branded shorteners Many big companies started using a branded shortener when they discovered the benefits of short domains. Twitter, for instance, has registered t.co to convey the idea that every character counts. Now t.co is one of the most used domains on the web and it currently ranks 22 on Alexa. Not long after, Google also registered g.co, the official URL shortcut just for Google websites, Cisco got cs.co and Starbucks started using sbux.co. Why did so many of the big brands choose .co domains? Because it’s short, generic and easy to remember. Also, it’s similar to .com but not as popular just yet, which means the chances of finding your favourite domain name available are higher. For a limited time only, you can buy .co domains on 123-reg for just £14.99 for the first year instead of £29.99. That’s a fantastic 50% saving that’s hard to pass, especially with such a cool domain like .co, so go grab yours today.
ICANN finally reveals all but what next for gTLDs?
So today, after months of build up, the odd system failure and plenty of hype, we finally learned who had applied to run their own generic top level domain and what they were after, but what does it all mean? Well, 13 June 2012 will forever be a milestone in the history of domain names and for certain the internet’s addressing system will never be the same again. Until now, whatever the prefix combination the suffix extension choice was limited to just 280 ccTLDs and more importantly a mere 22 “generics”, that is about to change wholesale. The new gTLD application window opened on 12 January 2012 and closed on 30 May 2012. ICANN received over 1,900 applications from around the world, but reveal day was just that, just revealing who had applied for a gTLD and what they had applied for, just stage one in a long process. Of note though looking at the ‘revelations’ online retail giant Amazon made 76 applications including .cloud .drive .shop .store & .mail, Microsoftmade 11 applications mainly based on their existing product names such as .hotmail .azure .bing .docs .skype .office & .xbox and Google put in a whopping 101 applications including .gmail .google .gmbh .web .shop .search & .youtube. There will certainly be a number of disappointed applicants however, as where more than one applicant is seeking the same gTLD their application fee is absorbed and they then have the ‘opportunity’ to outbid the competition for that name, set to make the application even more expensive. 13 applicants have made an application to .app, 11 each for .home and .inc, even .bog has 9 vying for it’s ownership and the far from short .restaurant has 4 applicants in the mix.Perhaps more surprisinly only one applicant has lay claim to the potentially lucrative .abc and The British Broadcasting Corporation will be expecting .bbc will be granted to them being the only applicant and also worldwide rights holder of the abbreviation. There are a number of bizarre gTLDs being sought too, especially given the price-tag for the application. .sucks and .wtf may well become the future domains for those bizarre and wonderful things that make the internet such a vibrant community, but quite how, when, why and where .dog and .duck are likely to repay their investment is probably more open to discussion. Perhaps noticeable omissions are .facebook and .twitter but that probably says more about their owners self-belief than business acumen or desires for world domination. One potential new gTLD does however remind us of what actually this was all about. .domains has just one applicant, who are probably as shocked by that as everybody else looking on. Now begins the lengthy Evaluation periods, including background screens on application, evaluation panels and a whole host of tests, hoops and requirements to met. Even if ICANN is to hit its original schedule these phases are likely to take months even years if there are objections and appeals, so in reality the great change to the internet is a long way off, but the way ICANN and its panels scrutinise the applications in this stage could have a very big impact on the future development of the internet. Too lenient and ICANN risks losing credibility, too harsh and it risks the wrath of some of the world’s most powerful businesses, who have already invested a great deal of time, effort and money in applying for a new gTLD. We will be keeping an eye on how things develop and keeping you updated but we are also interested in how you feel about the whole concept? Are you surprised at the popularity of the new gTLD procedure? Do you think it will have a massive impact on the internet of the future?
Commuting the message – why domains are so important
I am sat on a London Underground tube train on my way into London as part of the commuter morning rush-hour. I don’t do this journey often now but 15 years ago it was part of my daily routine. Boy has it changed! Back in the day, we (myself and fellow commuters) would sit staring into space, out of the window or into each others eyes. Sometimes a few would scan a paperback novel and the odd newspaper but mostly it was a time to reflect about the day ahead – or the heavy night before. Nowadays WE are all connected! Standing (the overcrowding issue hasn’t really changed) here tapping away on my tablet, I look around and think that an alien landing on earth for the first time seeing this scene may believe us humans are actually powered by electronic devices. All bar three people on this crowded train carriage, from what I can see, are plugged in, absorbed or certainly engaged with an e-reader, a tablet, an mp3 player. I can even see one guy turning contortionist as he attempts to type on a full-size laptop with less arm room than a corpse in a coffin. Even those flicking through the pages of he free commuter newspapers are all plugged in with headsets into another device hidden about their person. Some fight with reception as we dip in and out of tunnels and they optimistically attempt to continue their mobile phone conversation. It’s a modern world! Then I look further at our surroundings. The adverts in the carriage, the branded clothing worn by my fellow commuters, the bags they carry, the buildings flashing by outside the odd overground bits of our journey, there another wave of technology is becoming day-to-day with few consciously realising. Back in the day, I would probably have been one of a few on that train with a domain portfolio. Many probably hadn’t even used the Internet! Nowadays the domain name is as vital as your formally adopted name – indeed some even think more important! Domain names are everywhere…and quite rightly too. I am an information junkie and a domainer but I know I am not alone in getting excited when I see a new domain name, perhaps with a catchy ring to it, or an intriguing description built in. One of my domaining regrets is letting a batch of off-the-wall domains expire when I had a domain cull, because nowadays it seems the quirkier the name for a business the better, especially if it includes an animal. So back to my commuter train. You see, full domain integration into our daily lives is not far away. You can already have a full range of personal domain names, some people have even tattooed that onto their physical being in some form or other. On your way to work you will probably ‘see’ tens of domain names but you may not take them all in. Domain names are very close to becoming a commuters norm as the electronic device has, but domains will become more powerful, especially for businesses. They will stand alone, with the catchy, memorable ones becoming etched on the minds of commuters, while many more will also be accessed during the commute via one of the multitude of connected devices the commuters handle. So there has never been a more important time than now to secure your domain name. Commuters love them, kids love them, even business entrepreneurs love them, so make sure it is your domain they are loving. A commuter train is not exactly the most obscure location for a domain name to be promoted, but is there anywhere in the modern world yet untouched by domain name fever? We’d love to hear the most unique place you have used or seen a domain name promoted.
.UK is the place to be
Last week the .uk registry, Nominet, announced that it had surpassed the landmark of 10 million domains to re-inforce its position as the world’s second largest country code registry. Here at 123-reg , as the UK’s largest .uk Registrar we are very proud to have played and continue playing such a big role in the importance and value of .uk domain names. The strength and brand benefit of using a .uk has never been stronger…and it continues to rise. As we reported last month multi-year registration periods come into effect from 1 May 2012 for .uk domain names, making it easier to secure your domain for longer. We love the statement a .uk makes and the immediate attraction and esteem it has amongst our customer base and we think you should too. A .uk domain defines your business at being at the heart of the fastest growing internet economy so why not show that off? Secure your next batch of .co.uk domains now with us from just £2.79 per year.
What’s in a name?
If you are serious about your new project, then you should be considering covering all international options in terms of your domain name. You may be starting off in the UK, but if things go well, it is very easy in the modern online well to have a service or range of goods that appeals to people of all countries. So grab the .uk domain, grab the .com and .co, but also grab the .de and .in -a few pounds now could save plenty of headaches in the future. It makes sense too to grab the same ‘name’ with different extensions, but just be careful. Google Translate will help to an extent but if you are creating a brand the same name is probably better than a translation. However, if you are not an expert in the languages of the other nations you could be heading down a slippery slope. For example your very English name could sound great to most of the world but in specific countries it could offer a completely different suggestion as to what your company is about. The easiest way to show this is by people’s names. There are planty of Dave’s Cabs, John the Plumber type company names, but they wouldn’t necessarily cross the channel very well. For example ‘Adam’ could be your name and you may fancy selling PC parts, so AdamPC might be attractive as a name. Not so attractive in Arabic countries however, where Adam means skin! Alan another great English name, but Alan Funeral services would not be the best choice in Indonesia where alan is used to refer to a comedian. Equally Susan may not be ideal in your global domination as the word means cemetery in Thai. OK, those examples may sound a bit far-fetched, but that’s partly the idea, to make you remember and make it stick in your mind. Names are what brands are built upon, and just as the Plop chocolate bar from Scandinavia has never caught on in the UK, so your choice of name for your company, brand and domain may not have the global appeal you first thought.
Failure to renew really can prove costly
We’ve not run with a story for a while of somebody nearly losing their business by failing to re-new their domain name, so we thought this story last week from the other side of the world was worth repeating. Last week investmentproperty.com.au was sold at auction for an Australian domain name record of Aus$125,000, a fantastic windfall for the domain name owner who sold, but a sickener for the person who used to own it. That’s because it appears the former owner appears to have let renewal lapse on the domain, leaving it available to the open market and a new owner. Indeed according to this report it appears the former owner wasn’t even aware he no longer owned it, let alone the fact that he had just seen a potential fortune slip from his grasp. The moral, make sure your domain names are set to auto-renew and make sure suitable payment methods are also registered on your account. With 123-reg you can register several different payment methods as well as use auto-renewal to make sure you won’t miss a vital renewal. Even if you don’t intend to use the domain immediately, it is well worth renewing a domain. If you felt it had a value when you registered it, the chances are others will feel the same now and in the future and with the supply of snappy, easy to read domain names ever limited, that domain may one day form your pension. In relation to the investmentproperty.com.au domain name, even the domain name speculators and experts on web forum DNTrade.com.au only thought that domain would sell for $10,000, so the final price of $125,000 shows just how value of a domain can reach far above expectations. Do you auto-renew domains? Have you ever let a domain expire and later regretted it?
Fast-track closure for criminal domains
UK Police could find it easier to close down .uk domain names being used for suspected criminal activity if draft recommendations out for discussion are adopted by national Internet registry Nominet. Under the present system police need a court order before Nominet can act on ‘.co.uk’ domains that are being used for criminal purposes, but the Nominet issue group are seeking comments on ‘Dealing with domain names used in connection with criminal activity‘ which could remove layers of bureaucracy. Domains used to sell counterfeit goods, fake tickets and pharmaceuticals could soon be shut down in a matter of days, even hours if the new regime is adopted. Under the ‘expedited’ procedure police will need to provide “a declaration that the suspension is proportionate, necessary, and urgent.” The key deterrent from invoking these sort of procedures previously appears to have been Nominet wanting to ensure they are not forced to make decisions over legality, and the new procedure should eliminate thosse worries. The draft recommendations can be downloaded and viewed here with comments invited before 20th September 2011 to policy@nominet.org.uk. The Issue will then meet the next day and discuss any suggestions. The final proposals will then be put before the Nominet board and could feasibly be adopted as early as October.