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Hostnet: Finding Success with New TLDs

December 9, 2019

Founded in 1999 by two students offering web-design services, Hostnet has grown into one of the largest and most customer-friendly hosting providers in the Netherlands. Today, they offer domain names, website hosting, a website builder, and other business services to a growing number of customers. Since 2000, they’ve used Tucows to power domain registrations and management for a large part of their business.

Here’s a snapshot of our conversation with Bas Schouten, Product Manager (Domains), Hostnet BV. We touch on Hostnet’s successful journey and how their partnership with Tucows (Enom’s parent company) has helped them create value for end-customers and capture growing business opportunities.

1. Tell us about your journey from a two-man web design company to the Hostnet of today?

In the beginning, Hostnet was selling hosting and domain names from an attic. This was back in the days when customers placed their orders via fax. Needless to say, it involved a lot of manual work. A lot has changed over the years. For one thing, orders are no longer sent via fax, but via the Hostnet webshop. Requesting and registering a domain name is now automatic. But we’ve also expanded our product offering. In addition to hosting and domain names, we’ve added solutions such as email, Microsoft Office 365, and various other Managed Services.

In 20 years we have become one of the largest and most customer-friendly hosting providers in the Netherlands. During this time, we grew to a 50-person, then 100-person company. Along the way, there have been milestones in the number of registered domains and active hosting packages we have under management.

2. What role has Tucows played in this journey?

Hostnet has been a Tucows reseller since 2000—nearly 20 years. Tucows is our valued partner in areas such as domain registration and SSL certificates. By working together with Tucows, Hostnet has been able to offer registrations under multiple top-level domains (TLDs) since 2000. Tucows also helped us effectively expand our top-level domain offering when the new TLDs became available, starting in 2014.

3. What’s your perspective on new top-level domains? How have they impacted your business, and how do your customers perceive them?

With the right marketing, new top-level domains can be the biggest opportunity (growth rate wise) at this time, which is great. I think, in general, customers like new domains, although there are many new extensions that are just too long/niche to be actively used. The beauty of new extensions such as .SITE, .ONLINE and .TECH—all of which are popular in the Netherlands—is that domains in these zones are so valuable when the more traditional options (like .NL or .COM) are already taken. This has already begun to happen to a large extent.

4. Which domain extensions do you think most resonate with the Netherlands market?

I’d say .ONLINE and .SITE are quite popular in the Netherlands. In fact, .ONLINE is currently Hostnet’s best performing new domain extension and tops the charts in terms of sales volume and growth rate. I believe that .ONLINE is the largest new extension in the Netherlands.

With the eCommerce market booming, we are also seeing a good uptake for .STORE, with live websites from our customers growing consistently on this extension.

Other than that, .NL and .COM are well-known in this region.

5. How have you taken advantage of Tucows’ promotional TLD pricing? What success or changes have you seen as a result of TLD promotions?

We have made the most of Tucows’ promotions mostly by reducing the pricing to our customers for those TLDs, in some cases paired with marketing initiatives such as Social Media posts or mentions in newsletters. In addition, some registry partners, such as Radix, consistently put forth content that has helped us keep the offers fresh and exciting for our customers. These efforts, in most cases, contributed to a significant rise in sales.

6. If you could select a few new TLDs to recommend to other companies not currently selling them, which ones would you pick and why?

My recommendations would definitely include .ONLINE, .STORE, .SITE, .SHOP and .APP. All of these are great TLDs. .ONLINE and .SITE are more generic, while the other three clearly state what they’re used for.

7. Other than pricing, what value do you think new TLDs bring to your customers?

New extensions definitely offer a lot more options to choose from and allow people to register a domain that may be unavailable under the more conventional .NL and .COM TLDs. More importantly, new domain extensions are an opportunity to state more clearly what your website or product is all about.

8. What aspects of your business are you most proud of?

I am most proud of the exceptional service we provide to our customers. We’re professionals who are reachable by phone, chat, and email most of the week and are committed to assisting our customers with any problem, as thoroughly as possible. Hostnet is definitely a customer-first business and that has significantly contributed to our growth and success over the last two decades.

This post was sponsored by Radix. Many of their TLDs, including the super popular .ONLINE, .STORE, and .TECH are on sale now through Enom. Learn more.

1. What is a domain name and how is it different from a website?

Websites and domain names are closely related, but they’re two different things. You can think of your website as your house and your domain name as its address. In order for someone to access your website, they need to know its domain name.

Every domain name has two basic parts: the “top-level domain” (TLD) and the “second-level domain.” For example, in the domain name [yourbrandname].tech, “.TECH” is the TLD and “yourbrandname” is your second-level domain. Together, these form a complete domain name.

Your domain name will usually include your brand name or the name of a particular sector or product that you’re promoting. When choosing a domain name, you’ll realize there are now numerous TLDs available such as .STORE, .PRESS, .SPACE, .ONLINE, .WEBSITE, .SITE, etc. So, make sure you choose whichever brands your business best.

2. What should I consider when buying a domain name?

What some businesses don’t realize is that choosing a domain name is one of the most important decisions they make when establishing their online presence. The domain name is more than just a glorified IP address. It is important for search engines and for customers. Moreover, it is an incredible branding tool, which is why it is crucial to choose a name that adds value to your business and will help you stay relevant even a decade later.

Here are a few factors to keep in mind when choosing a domain name for your business:

Buy domain names that are easy to spell and remember. Avoid using misspelled words. A unique spelling may seem creative, but such domain names fail to be radio friendly—a very important factor in the voice search era.
Keep your domain name as short as possible. Anything more than 18 characters is too long. For example, [healthysnack].store is a better domain name than [healthysnacks-store].com.
Avoid using hyphens and numbers in your domain name. They are just extra characters for your customers to remember. A user might forget to add the hyphen or get confused between the numerical “6” and the word “six”.
Make sure to do your homework and check global databases to ensure that your domain name isn’t trademarked or copyrighted. This will help if you plan to expand your business to other countries in the future.
Consider leveraging new, descriptive TLDs to brand your business and act as a home for different marketing and sales endeavors. For example, Emirates has emirates.com as its commercial website and emirates.store as its online merchandise store.

3. If I have multiple domain names, how can I use them together?

You don’t just have to stick to one domain name! Using multiple TLDs in interesting ways can create memorable customer interactions with your brand, or, perhaps, promote your personal side-project alongside your primary business. Here are some of the many ways one can make use of new domain names:

Primary Domain: Use a domain name to create an online identity for your business. For example, louder.online or stronger.tech
Professional Email ID: Use a domain name to make a strong first impression with a unique email id. For example, [firstname]@[brand].online.
Branded URL Shortener: Use a domain name to enhance brand visibility and build trust with every link that you share online. For example, [yourbrandname].tech/contest looks more official than “https://bit.ly/2taRHVV”.
Domain Redirect: Use a domain name to make an important inner page easily accessible by creating a deep-link. For example, kindle.store redirects to Amazon’s Kindle store.
Product Launches: Use a domain name to attract customers to your new product, store upgrades or seasonal promotions. For example, if you are introducing a new car and want to position it as a “fun” car, you can launch it on [carname].fun.
Personal Brand: Use a domain name to build an attractive online persona for yourself. For example, terrene.space is the portfolio website of a freelance photographer, writer, graphic designer & illustrator, Ana Petre.
Vanity: Use a new domain name to share your social media profile. For example, [yourname].tech could forward to one of your social media profiles.
Blog / Press Page: Use a domain name to make your brand gain visibility online with a [brandname].press. For example, cars.mclaren.press is McLaren’s official media site.

4. How can I decide between a ccTLD, geoTLD, gTLD, or nTLD?

Let’s first clarify the difference between these terms.

Generic top-level domains (gTLD) are, as their name suggests, generic. They have a broad application based on the purpose of the website. For example, .COM (commercial), .ORG (organization), .NET (networks), .EDU (education), etc.

Country code top-level domains (ccTLD) are regulated by a specific country and are best used to target customers within that country. Some examples include. US, .CA (Canada).TR (Turkey) .IN (India), .CO.UK, .AE (UAE), .DE (Germany), .FR (France), etc.

GeoTLDs are similar, but they are tied to a specific region, rather than a country. City extension like .NYC or .LONDON as well as options like .AFRICA and .ASIA exist.

New generic top-level domains (nTLD), which are sometimes just referred to as “new TLDs” are recently launched generic domain extensions.

They tend to be more industry- or product-specific, so their adoption has the potential to make the Internet more organized and business-friendly. Some other examples of nTLDs include .STORE for eCommerce and retail, .TECH for technology, .FUN for leisure, .PRESS for media and news.

Plus, there are many with universal appeal, like .ONLINE, .SITE, etc. In fact, .ONLINE and .SITE have become so popular that over 1 million domain names have been registered on each of these extensions so far. And these nTLDs are still relatively new, you are likely to find that your perfect domain name is available on one of them!

In summary

When it comes to choosing the right domain extension for your domain name, you need to look at the nature and purpose of your business. For example, if you have a tech business, then a .TECH domain would be an ideal choice.

With the information above, you are well-equipped to make an informed choice. Get started with a search for your perfect domain name.

It’s All Fun and .GAMES

September 20, 2016

Featured, New TLDs

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We love launching new domain extensions at Enom, from .DENTIST to .SOCIAL and everything in between. Every new domain extension represents an innovative way for people, companies, and brands to put themselves online, but not many embody pure, unbridled fun the way the new .GAMES extension does. Fortunately, .GAMES goes into General Availability on Wednesday, September 21, 2016 (and if you act today, you can still grab a domain in the last day of the Early Access Phase), so the time to get this incredibly fun domain is here.

If you’re a gamer yourself, you’re in good company, with over 155 million Americans regularly playing video games. On top of that, add in those that enjoy board games, card games, sports, and casino gaming, and suddenly, you can see why .GAMES has the potential to click with so many people.

With so many gaming fans, it’s no wonder that games are big business, too. Game software is expected to be a $115 billion a year industry by 2020, and tabletop gaming (card games, board games, miniatures, etc.) is already an $880 million market. There are over 3,500 game development companies worldwide, not to mention independent and freelance games designers, many of which could benefit from a descriptive, memorable .GAMES domain.

Whether you’re a gamer, a game developer, or just enjoy fun and entertainment, .GAMES is the perfect domain extension to make your mark online.

Who can benefit the most from .GAMES?

Gamers
Game streamers and live video content creators
Game development companies, publishers, and distributors
Independent and freelance game developers and designers
Games journalists and bloggers
Professional and amateur sports teams, leagues, and events
Casino gaming
Hobby shops and gaming lounges

Where else can I find information on .GAMES?

Even though it hasn’t even entered General Availability, there are already several sources to get more information on .GAMES:

Gamasutra
DomainGang
Rightside Registry blog posts (1, 2, and 3)

Are you inspired to take your passion for gaming online? Start searching for a .GAMES domain today, or reach us at sales@enom.com if you’d like to know more.

Platinum Domains: How to Make an Offer on High-Value Names

August 30, 2016

Advice, New TLDs, Premium Domains

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As a domain registrar, we’re often asked what makes for a “good” domain name. In general, the best domains are short, memorable, and provide some value in Search Engine Optimization (SEO). A small subset of all possible domain names fit that bill—called Premium domains—and are priced higher as a result. An even smaller subset of names, which we call Platinum domains, are some of the most valuable and sought after.

Many people invest in Premium and Platinum domains, expecting to be able to sell them to another party for a profit. There have been no shortage of high profile domain sales over the years. In 2001, for instance, the Hotels.com domain was sold for $11 million. While that seems like a steep price, the domain was and still is absolutely central to the brand, and likely contributed to the company being acquired for $1.1 billion, just a couple of years later.

Aside from the disparity in value between Premiums and Platinums, the actual process of purchasing the domains also differs slightly. While Premium domains can be registered much like standard domains—search for a name on the website, add it to your cart, and check out—Platinum domains do not have a listed price. Instead, when you come across a Platinum domain on our site, you are prompted to “make an offer” to purchase it. A representative will contact you regarding your offer, provide some background information on the domain, and begin negotiating on the price.

.Com domains aren’t the only ones seeing big offers. Despite being just a couple of years old, new generic TLDs are gaining traction in the primary and secondary markets. Domain names with extensions such as.LIVE and .LTD have recently sold for six figures in the last few weeks. More such sales seem likely as end users and customers become more aware of new domains.

Enom has access to many short, memorable domains in new gTLDs. To give you an idea of the types of domains that fall into the Platinum category, here are just a few examples still available for purchase at the time of this writing:

.ATTORNEY
- Tax.ATTORNEY, Bankruptcy.ATTORNEY, DWI.ATTORNEY, NewYork.ATTORNEY
.FORSALE
- Cars.FORSALE, Home.FORSALE, House.FORSALE, Property.FORSALE
.LAWYER
- Criminal.LAWYER, DUI.LAWYER, California.LAWYER, Immigration.LAWYER
.LIVE
- Watch.LIVE, A.LIVE, Football.LIVE, News.LIVE, Chat.LIVE
.MARKET
- Super.MARKET, Stock.MARKET, Money.MARKET, World.MARKET
.NEWS
- Latest.NEWS, World.NEWS, Tech.NEWS, Live.NEWS, Daily.NEWS, Global.NEWS
.VIDEO
- Live.VIDEO, Streaming.VIDEO, Free.VIDEO, Exercise.VIDEO

As you can tell from these examples, Platinum domains tend to be highly descriptive and easy to understand and remember for end users. Like Hotels.com, they are ready made to have strong brands built around their names, and can make a big splash at the national or global scale.

Ultimately, we’re interested in building awareness for new gTLDs, and helping end users find the right domain name. What that means is, if you have a great idea for using a Platinum domain name—and are prepared to develop it into a web property that people will see and use—we’re willing to take that into account when negotiating a price.

We’re always open to hear what you have to say about domains we’re offering, whether they’re standard, Premium, or Platinum. Search for a Platinum name now and make us an offer, or contact the registry directly at premiumsales@rightside.co so representatives can work with you to find the perfect domains.

Get Personal with a .ME Domain

July 28, 2016

New TLDs

1

There are many places on the internet that claim to be the all-encompassing “you,” but we know this isn’t always true. Yes, you can have a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and dozens of other platforms. These are all places where you can show part of yourself, but none of them might feel like home base to you. Defining your home base can be much simpler with a .ME domain.

Register your name, blog, or business name and you’ll instantly have your own piece of the internet with your choice of branding. The .ME domain easily shows everything you want people to know about you. You can use it to speak for you and tell your real story.

Registering your own name with .ME is the obvious choice, and often the most useful. Take MatteoBertoli.me as an example. This domain goes to the personal website of the Italian director and cinematographer Matteo Bertoli. He can easily share this domain name on his resume, on his business cards, as external links in his social media profiles, and to share verbally. Using your own name is memorable, near impossible to forget, and always professional.

Speaking of professional, you need not be an Italian film director to take advantage of a personally branded domain name. Do you offer professional services as a sole proprietor, either as a part- or full-time job? YourName.Me is a great way to brand those services and make it easy for your clients and customers to refer you to their friends.

Using a .ME domain to speak for you is just as easy as using your own name. As ambitious individuals, we all have hobbies and goals that could easily transfer into a .ME domain name. Take AMatterOfTaste.me, for example. This blog is dedicated to traveling and food experiences. It’s a simple, yet truly effective example of how you can use a .ME domain to speak for you.

When you meet someone in person, you have a limited opportunity to tell them the real story of who you are and what you do. These first impressions last, which is why getting your online impression right the first time starts with your domain name. Keep it simple, showcase your hobbies, your work experience, or your real story with the .ME domain extension.

New TLDs
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Hostnet: Finding Success with New TLDs

1. Tell us about your journey from a two-man web design company to the Hostnet of today?

2. What role has Tucows played in this journey?

3. What’s your perspective on new top-level domains? How have they impacted your business, and how do your customers perceive them?

4. Which domain extensions do you think most resonate with the Netherlands market?

5. How have you taken advantage of Tucows’ promotional TLD pricing? What success or changes have you seen as a result of TLD promotions?

6. If you could select a few new TLDs to recommend to other companies not currently selling them, which ones would you pick and why?

7. Other than pricing, what value do you think new TLDs bring to your customers?

8. What aspects of your business are you most proud of?

Top questions from domain name buyers

1. What is a domain name and how is it different from a website?

2. What should I consider when buying a domain name?

3. If I have multiple domain names, how can I use them together?

4. How can I decide between a ccTLD, geoTLD, gTLD, or nTLD?

In summary

It’s All Fun and .GAMES

Who can benefit the most from .GAMES?

Where else can I find information on .GAMES?

Platinum Domains: How to Make an Offer on High-Value Names

Get Personal with a .ME Domain

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Tucows Celebrates 20 Years in the Domain Industry

Our Ongoing Commitment to Combatting DNS Abuse

We’ve refreshed our Webmail

What Domain Resellers Should Know About ICANN’s Temporary Specification

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New TLDs Category

1. Tell us about your journey from a two-man web design company to the Hostnet of today?

2. What role has Tucows played in this journey?

3. What’s your perspective on new top-level domains? How have they impacted your business, and how do your customers perceive them?

4. Which domain extensions do you think most resonate with the Netherlands market?

5. How have you taken advantage of Tucows’ promotional TLD pricing? What success or changes have you seen as a result of TLD promotions?

6. If you could select a few new TLDs to recommend to other companies not currently selling them, which ones would you pick and why?

7. Other than pricing, what value do you think new TLDs bring to your customers?

8. What aspects of your business are you most proud of?

1. What is a domain name and how is it different from a website?

2. What should I consider when buying a domain name?

3. If I have multiple domain names, how can I use them together?

4. How can I decide between a ccTLD, geoTLD, gTLD, or nTLD?

In summary

Who can benefit the most from .GAMES?

Where else can I find information on .GAMES?

CATEGORIES

ARCHIVES

New TLDs
Category