Name.com Blog
November 14, 2013

Three great TLDs for startups

Even before all of the New TLDs hit the streets (the first batches of New TLDs are still a few months away from general availability), there are already some great domain extensions for startups beyond the traditionally popular generic TLDs like .COM and .NET. The internet is changing, and extensions that were originally created as […]


Even before all of the New TLDs hit the streets (the first batches of New TLDs are still a few months away from general availability), there are already some great domain extensions for startups beyond the traditionally popular generic TLDs like .COM and .NET. The internet is changing, and extensions that were originally created as country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) have been repurposed as trendy TLDs for startups. Here are some of our favorites:

.CO

co-color.CO is the ccTLD for Colombia, but it’s since become one of the most popular extensions in the startup world. Did you know the Vine app uses a .CO domain name? Or that Twitter uses t.co for URL shortening? Overstock.com is making the most of its alternate domain name, O.co—it’s used as the name for the Oakland A’s and Oakland Raiders stadium: O.co Coliseum.

.CO is great because it’s even shorter than .COM and just as memorable, but has much greater availability. And when you purchase a .CO, you get some pretty cool membership perks via the .CO registry.

A few other cool .CO websites:

.IO

We’re seeing more and more startups with .IO domains recently. Along with being short, memorable, and available, .IO is unique because it can stand for input/output (I/O), making it popular among developers.

It’s also useful for domain hacks. Just think of all the words that end with .io.

Cool .IO websites:

.FM

.FM is the ccTLD for the Federated States of Micronesia, but even in the digital age, .FM is synonymous with radio—even online radio. If you’ve got an audio-focused startup, a .FM domain will immediately let users know that they can expect audio content (and online radio in particular), similar to .TV’s association with video content.

Great .FM websites:

There are so many great up-and-coming TLDs available for startups. The right keyword and TLD combination can provide a cool branding opportunity that might not exist with traditional TLDs. Take advantage of the availability and uniqueness of TLDs like .CO, .IO, and .FM and start your search now!

startup-search

Share this article!