Name.com Blog
September 19, 2013

New TLD ProTip: Take Advantage of the Founder’s Program

When picking which new TLDs to register, don’t you wish you had a crystal ball that would tell you the strongest new dot options—the ones that are bound to become established, marketable, and most importantly, recognizable? We’ve got a solution. It’s called Ca-Genie. Look into his eyes and he’ll tell you the answer: Not working? […]


The New Dots: Keeping you up to speed on new TLDs

When picking which new TLDs to register, don’t you wish you had a crystal ball that would tell you the strongest new dot options—the ones that are bound to become established, marketable, and most importantly, recognizable?

We’ve got a solution. It’s called Ca-Genie. Look into his eyes and he’ll tell you the answer:

Not working? Well, it was worth a shot. I guess we’ll just have to give you some real advice.

There are many factors in determining which TLD is right for you, such as your market sector, your digital scope, the amount of domains you’re looking to acquire, and how niche/broad you want your TLD to be. One very important aspect to consider early on in the development of new TLDs is how active the registry is in marketing and promoting their new dot—specifically, look for registries using a founder’s program.

What is a Founder’s Program?

A founder’s program (look at .XXX and .CO) aims to secure new interest and marketability in a launching TLD by inviting large-scale investors to purchase bulk amounts of domains within the extension. The program usually has the following parameters:

  • Registries court relevant businesses that are looking to develop their online presence.
  • Registries allow companies participating in the founder’s program to purchase large amounts of premium domains within the TLD before public registration.
  • These companies gain access to the most desirable TLD domain options, such as shoe.SHOP, new.CARS, or download.MUSIC.
  • In order to secure these highly desirable TLDs, the founding companies pay out on a large scale—sometimes $50-100K. This money helps the registry launch successfully, market on a wide scale, and ensure the popularity of the TLD.
  • Once several relevant large companies have signed on, the market is open to sunrise with a structured market niche, promising smaller-scale investors like small businesses, organizations, and individuals the visibility boost that comes from being associated with large companies.

How do I get involved?

There are different ways to get involved in the founder’s programs, and each depends on your level in the new TLD market.

  1. Registries: Are you a new TLD registry, looking to market your extension, strengthen your new dot brand, or secure early investing? Then you can launch your own founder’s program. For more information, read up on ICANN guidelines.
  2. Big Companies: If you own a large company, haven’t registered for your own brand TLD, and are looking for a way to hook into the new TLD program early, research which extensions in your niche market are offering a founder’s program and get in on the ground floor.
  3. Smaller Companies/Entities: Getting into the founder’s program of your favorite new dot is probably not obtainable for many small businesses, due to the cost associated, but securing large amounts of new TLDs isn’t as important to small entities, either. Smaller entities do better when they focus on building a unique branding structure, complete with tailored domain names in small scale. That shouldn’t stop you from researching which of your favorite new TLDs has a strong founder’s program. The new TLD that shows the strongest growth up front will be the most attractive to you when sunrise launches.

Want to keep up with new TLD news? Sign up for our free watcher service to follow your favorite TLDs, pre-register for your favorite domain names, and get the most up-to-date news on new dot development.

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