This year, 2015, is the 30th anniversary from the first .com registered domain. Interesting fact is that the first .com domain existed even before the World Wide Web. It was registered for the symbolics.com in 1985, while the Internet, as we know it, wasn’t there until the 1991. (StudentNewsDaily.com, March 17, 2015) After thirty years, a lot changed, so if you really want to stand out and do something cool with your website, try to avoid .com and do something more interesting. Here are the alternatives to this domain.
.IO
There are several things that work well for the .io type of domain. Google recognizes it as a good generic top level domain. It grows in popularity even though it is the domain of British Indian Ocean Territory. The abbreviation appeals to the tech savvy website owners because it resembles the input/output. You can use this domain freely from anywhere in the world.
.TK
Although it is registered as the country code domain for Tokelau, New Zealand, this domain is free to use for everyone and it rises in popularity. Some people don’t recommend it because they feel it is not recognizable enough, Google still registers it as a generic top level domain, despite the fact that it is actually a country code one. All because the fact that many people use it.
.FM
The obvious association to the radio stations made this domain very popular. This is one of the rare examples when a domain name can be even easier to remember with the .fm extension than with the .com one if it is about a radio. Many radio streaming websites have this domain and people worldwide associate it with their favorite stations.
.ME
There is a promising future for the, otherwise, Montenegro country code domain. There are numerous and exciting opportunities to come up with the company name that will be in the catchy and effective domain.me form. The resemblance to the pronoun form makes the name more personal and your business more approachable.
.LY
Originally, this domain name is used as a country code domain for Libya. However, it works perfectly with those business names that end with –ly. Imagine a domain name that spells love.ly. Something similar can be done with many words and it makes a really cool domain hack.However, any adult content on the website may cause the website to be removed by Libyan authorities since it is forbidden by their law.
Local domain extensions for your area work well for the small businesses. They make the whole experience more personalized for the user. That is why many big companies have localized websites for every country they are present at. For example, if you own a local bakery, calling it a localbakery.com gives out the impression that you are covering the world with your pastry. That is not what you need. You want a domain that gives out the impression that you are just around the corner with the sweet smell of baked goods filling the air. That’s the local domain for you.
