We’ve all typed the common top-level domains into our browsers to visit certain websites. You know, the .com, .org, .edu and .gov.
These typically refer to different types: commercial, organizational, educational and U.S. government.
But what about .io, .ly, .me, .nz, .ca and .fm?
Those domains were designed for use by certain countries and territories: .io for the British Indian Ocean Territory, .ly for Libya, .me for Montenegro, .nz for New Zealand, .ca for Canada and .fm for the Federated States of Micronesia.
However, in many circumstances, you’ll see American companies straying from the norm and throwing a .io or .ly into the mix for varying reasons.
Sometimes, businesses may choose to use a specialized TLD for a stylized purpose, while in other situations, the more popular .com may just be too expensive.
Last.fm, fittingly, is a music website that makes use of the Micronesian TLD to play off its radio heritage.
Social bookmarking site Delicious is reached via del.iciou.us, a fun take on the United States’ rarely used TLD.
You’ve probably seen the .me TLD used for personal emails and branding websites.
Closer to home, digital marketing firm Mostly Serious LLC utilizes the TLD made for the British Indian Ocean Territory. However, MostlySerious.io is less about style than it is about the expense of a .com, company co-owner Jarad Johnson recently told me.
For others, it may be a way to stand out from a marketing perspective.
Technology companies, for example, can use the TLD .io as shorthand for input/output, representing communication between a computer and the user.
It’s similar to small, calculated adjustments made on resumes or business cards. You may use colors, bold type or other style features to make yourself show up prominently in a sea of paper that may otherwise sit unnoticed on a potential employer’s or client’s desk. When that person is sifting through paperwork, what’s going to catch the eye? The status quo or the exceptional.
The logic behind using unique TLDs can easily be equated.
There are around – if not more than – 1 billion websites, according to industry estimates.
I’ve probably typed in tens of thousands of domains in my time using the Internet.
It’s no coincidence I can remember Delicious’ domain years after having used that website. Mostly Serious’ TLD immediately caught my attention.
There’s something to be said for a gigantic website like Amazon.com, for instance, using that particular TLD to establish itself as a top dog. Amazon.nz doesn’t give the online retailer the same kind of authority.
Small or niche businesses may find the use of unique TLDs to be helpful in getting attention. If a user remembers your website – for whatever reason – it follows they’ll visit again or spread the word to others.
It seems a solid strategy up against the millions upon millions of websites vying for traffic. And, when it comes to the Internet, especially for avid Web users, all websites are competitors to each other for the user’s time.
Plus, the name you want in a .com or .net might already be taken.So, why not use that competitive atmosphere as an opportunity?
You can be a part of the herd or a standout. Sometimes, the road less traveled makes all the difference, as poet Robert Frost wrote.
Uniqueness matters. Make your presence on the Internet one that won’t be forgotten. Others will if you won’t.
Web Producer Geoff Pickle can be reached at gpickle@sbj.net.
