Should you go for it?
The first step in applying for a new TLD is deciding whether you really want to — or not. There is some significant risk involved, so it makes sense to make sure.
Here are some things you should think about when deciding if your idea is really as good as it seems.
Generic Name Considerations
- Is it — be honest! — an obvious idea?
- Is the name short and catchy?
- Is the market that the TLD represents one that you know well?
- Is the market that the TLD represents a big one? Is it a consumer market?
- Is it a name you can see people wearing on a T-shirt or baseball cap?
- Is the meaning of the name immediately apparent to any 10 random people?
Considerations for Brand Owners
- The prices charged by ICANN, and the inviting green fields offered by non-contentious generic-word TLDs, make cybersquatting at the top level unlikely. If you have a valuable brand, your issues are much more likely to come from others who have a trademark on your brand, perhaps in a different class.
- Do you own a famous trademark (i.e., you are the only one with that mark)? If so, you may not want to get a TLD for defensive purposes.
- Do others own your trademarked brand name in a different class or jurisdiction? If so, a defensive TLD might be in order.
- Is it important for you to own your brand at the top level? How would you feel if someone else got it?
- How much do you spent on marketing? Do the costs of a TLD represent a significant part of your marketing budget? If so, this is something you might want to consider very closely.
- Do you have a large customer base with a strong affinity for your brand?
Special Considerations for Geographical TLDs
- Do you have permission from the relevant government(s) to do this?
- A geographical TLD is nearly always a community TLD except in rare cases. Does your plan serve that community? Is there likely to be significant objection?
- Consider that you are leveraging a brand that belongs to all the residents of geographical area of your TLD. What are you proposing to give back to those residents? How will you distribute your give-back?
- The government will call you when someone puts up a porn site. What will you tell them?
Whatever kind of TLD you’re planning to start, we can give you some candid feedback from a knowledgeable perspective.
