How Did .uk Fare after its Launch?

When it comes to the World Wide Web, there is no shortage of extensions. Obviously, .com, .net and .org are the most common web domain name extensions. However, there are many others, some of which most people might not even be aware. In fact, several countries even have specific extensions to distinguish them from other run-of-the-mill extensions. So what’s in an extension anyways? Is it as important as a phone number or a zip code, for example? To some people, or rather countries, the answer is yes.

.uk Is Born

Recently, the United Kingdom launched the new domain extension .uk., replacing the previous country domain extension .co.uk. The launch was welcome news for citizens of the country who can now type just three characters after a domain name instead of typing six. So is a country code TLD really necessary and if so why?
Web Evolution
Although typing fewer characters for a domain name is nice, there are actually some real tangible benefits to the new .uk extension. First, by cutting back on the length of the domain extension, web developers can create shorter and sharper website names, which can have some advantages. Namely, the shorter your domain name, the better chance users will have of remembering it. Another advantage is that by eliminating the .co it helps put the emphasis on your web site name, which is exactly where you want it to be.
Other Benefits
Another benefit to the .uk extension is that it provides a new place for a company to create and build its online identity and develop its Internet business. You can also use the new .uk extension to launch an online community in a digital world that is always changing. Although the web is full of literally millions of domain names the number of dot-com extensions is not endless. That’s just one more reason that the creation of a .uk extension could have major implications. The new extension can help create more space on the web, which is actually very important.

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Image ©Nominet
Other New Extensions
Meantime, there was some other important news that was also recently reported on webhostinggeeks.com that could change the face of domain name extensions forever. Earlier this year, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) started to release more than 1,000 new web address endings. These endings include all kinds of suffixes made up of non-Latin characteristics. That means people or businesses now have a huge increase in the amount of possible web addresses available to them.
More Possibilities
Imagine the possibilities. If you own a salon or a boutique, you can now use the extension .boutique instead of the usual .com. Here’s a look at just a few of the other new domain extensions now available. They include, but are not limited to:

  • Geographic – .tokyo, .melbourne, .paris
  • Services – .wedding, .plumbing, .marketing
  • Travel – .hotel, .tickets, .flights
  • Lifestyle – .luxury, .community, .club
  • Hobbies – .travel, .photo, .games
  • Technology – .app, .cam, .tech
  • Shopping – .shop, .deal, .forsale

Make a Name for Yourself
One of the biggest advantages of having all of these new target domain extensions is that they will most likely help businesses with their SEO efforts. Plus, with so many new possibilities an individual or business can create a name that fits exactly what it’s looking for. You can even choose a domain name that already exists by using a different extension. For example, if your domain name has already been taken by a .com extension, you can simply use a different specific extension, like buyfromus.com can now be changed to buyfrom.us.

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Early Results Are Encouraging
Although according to some reports, there is a lot of doom and gloom going on in the cyber economy in the UK, the launch of the new .uk extension appears to be a bright light in an otherwise dim situation. According to early numbers, more than 50,000 businesses jumped on board with the new .uk extension within the first 24 hours after it launched. This is a great sign that the companies are still eager to make their mark in the UK business market, especially the digital market.
The Names Are Coming
Although the 50,000 in 24 hours is a real positive sign, according to Nominet, the domain name registry in the UK, it expects somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 million websites to follow suit. In fact, according to Nominet’s Chief Operating Officer, the country’s daily registration rates have been ten times higher than the normal rates were before the .uk extension was launched.

These are just some of the new, targeted domain extensions. ©ICANN
Welcome Aboard
It appears that both consumers and businesses alike are excited about the newer, shorter .uk extension. One specific example given was the cruise agency, which dropped the .co from its domain name and will now go by the shorterBonvoyage.uk in an effort to improve its online presence.

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What About Other New Domain Extensions?
Meantime, as for the other new extensions recently announced by ICANN, there are plenty of people interested in taking this path. The reason for that is with 270 million web addresses already owned and 110 million of those being of the .com variety it’s getting harder and harder to find a good domain name. However, with these new extensions available startup companies now have two great opportunities, including choosing their registries from the new extensions and then building their actual business around them.
Targeted Marketing; More Savings
Another important aspect of the new domain extensions is that smaller companies can grab several new domain names to better serve the specific industries. The thought is that by having more descriptive names they will be able to produce better exposure to specific industries. In turn they might be able to save big bucks on SEO and pay-per-click marketing.

Slowly but Surely

So far, at this point, the number of websites with the new domain extensions is less than a million. However, many new companies feel it’s just a matter of time before we see more businesses and consumers adopting this new way of thinking when it comes to the business domain extensions. That could have a huge affect on the digital business world and it could mean we start seeing more descriptive extension names and less .com extensions.
Top image ©GL Stock Images