Guest post from Fernando Espejel, VP Director, Digital Platforms at FCB Chicago
In advertising and marketing, regardless of company size, category or demographic, we all have one goal: great campaigns. Campaigns that resonate with our target audience, spark conversation and ultimately lead to conversion.
At a high level, the formula for this is relatively simple: integrate across all channels and focus on relevant and engaging content. It is the execution of this formula that often proves to be extremely difficult. The goal of this post is to provide a bit of guidance along the way, in the form of inspiration from those who’ve done it well.
Today, we released the latest issue of the Domain Name Industry Brief, which showed that the Internet grew by four million domain names in the fourth quarter of 2014. The total number of domain names across all top-level domains (TLDs) is now 288 million. This is a 1.3 percent increase over the third quarter of 2014. [1]
New .COM and .net registrations totaled 8.2 million, bringing the combined number of .COM and .net TLDs to 130.6 million domain names in the domain name base by the end of the fourth quarter of 2014.
At the end of the fourth quarter of 2014, 478 new gTLDs were delegated into the root; with 65 new gTLDs delegated during the fourth quarter of 2014. [2]
The chart below captures the initial 60-day registration volume rank for those new gTLDs reaching 60 days of General Availability (GA) during the quarter. In the fourth quarter of 2014, 78 new gTLDs reached 60 days of GA and of those, the 10 largest new gTLDs, as measured by zone size at the end of the quarter, were: [3]
Country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) reached 134.0 million domain names. The top 10 ccTLD registries by domain name base were:
Verisign’s average daily Domain Name System (DNS) query load during the fourth quarter of 2014 was 110 billion across all TLDs operated by Verisign, with a peak of 146 billion. Year over year, the daily average increased 33.5 percent and the peak increased 47.1 percent.
For more domain stats from the fourth quarter of 2014, check out the infographic below and the latest issue of the Domain Name Industry Brief.
[1] The gTLD and ccTLD data cited in this report are estimates as of the time this report was developed, and is subject to change as more complete data is received. Totals include ccTLD Internationalized Domain Names.
[2] The total number of gTLDs and their registrations is published through the Centralized Zone Data Service: https://czds.icann.org/en
[3] The new gTLDs that reached 60 days of General Availability during the fourth quarter was determined using: ntld stats
Today, we released the latest issue of the Domain Name Industry Brief, which showed that the Internet grew by four million domain names in the third quarter of 2014. The total number of domain names across all top-level domains (TLDs) is now 284 million. This is a 1.6 percent increase over the second quarter of 2014. [1]
Earlier this year we used Bitcoin as an example of how domain registrations could be an effective gauge of interest in a particular subject. Our analysis demonstrated a clear rise in the number of registered .com and .net domain names containing the term “Bitcoin” in 2013, as well as a positive correlation between increased registration activity and increases in the dollar value of bitcoin.
In this post, we decided to take a look at the history of Bitcoin-related domain registration activity since 2009 to see if we noticed any other trends.
Today, we released the latest issue of the Domain Name Industry Brief, which showed that the Internet grew by four million domain names in the second quarter of 2014. The total number of domain names across all top-level domains (TLDs) is now 280 million. This is a 1.4 percent increase over the first quarter of 2014. [1]
Guest Post from Richard Stevenson, 1&1 Internet
For many small businesses and start-ups, the first steps to creating an online presence can be a daunting prospect. With so much information out there, knowing exactly what is best for your business can be a challenge. Richard Stevenson of 1&1 Internet, Europe’s largest domain name registrar, outlines the first steps for business owners interested in getting online.
From choosing a hosting provider to creating a website, we know that creating a digital shop front can seem like it demands many steps with important decisions every step of the way, and that this can at first appear overwhelming.
In truth it’s a great deal easier than many assume, but in order to make the process easier, why not focus on just the first step? Once you have that first incredible idea for a company or product, what follows is picking a name that will help you stand out. The digital world is no different, so begin by imagining what your website name would be.
Guest Post from Emma Jones, founder of UK-based Enterprise Nation
Traditional independent businesses that don’t regard themselves as having relevance in the digital world are finding growth by getting online.
In the UK, an astonishing 50% of small firms are still not online. Enterprise Nation’s Go and Grow Online campaign, supported by Verisign, Microsoft and BT Business, has launched a 12-month programme of nationwide events to help the smallest firms get the skills and confidence to get their digital ducks in a row. Of course, small businesses can survive without a website, a Facebook page and a Twitter account – but how much could they grow if they took the plunge into cyberspace?
We’ve taken a look at three very British trades made famous by an ancient nursery rhyme – “Rub-a-dub-dub, three men in a tub” – that are increasing their trade and geographical reach simply via getting online, in addition to the traditional presence at a market stall or retail shop. And who do you think they are? A butcher, a baker, and a candlestick maker…
As you think about bringing your business online, look no further than .com, one of the most universally recognized domains on the internet. While .com is highly desirable for the businesses and individuals around the globe, did you know there are still millions upon millions of great .com domain names available for registration? Let’s take a look at the latest facts around .com availability, based on an analysis of .com domain name registrations as of July 2014: