When will more new gTLD websites go live?

Thousands upon thousands of domain names are being registered with new gTLD extensions, 746,000+ new domain names at the time of this post, with endings like: .guru .berlin .club .photography .email .link .today .tips .company (gTLD stands for generic top level domain) – but I’m finding less than 1% (guesstimate) of them have real websites up-and-running yet. Until there’s more usage, these new gTLDs stay out of public awareness and that means they’ll have little value, though a lot of potential. Take a look at these top 12 websites with new gTLDs that I’ve recently found:

• http://hitchcock.zone
• http://gtld.club
• http://crackerscomedy.club
• http://chip.photography
• http://conventionbureau.london
• http://eastcoast.photos
• http://leadership.training
• http://fredericksburg.today
• http://nimaxtheatres.london
• http://cute.menu
• http://tumblrtheme.directory
• http://consumers.center

And these domain names are mostly self-evident and they don’t need an added description to tell what it’s about. (Note: The above list does not include previous websites listed in this blog series about new gTLDs.)

I think there are 4 things that will accelerate and increase the number of websites using these new gTLD extensions:

1. universal accessibility – to have URLs that are useable in all browsers, email account systems, login accounts that use emails, auto-linking hyperlinks, etc..
2. easier finding & registering – new gTLDs are still rolling out and the user experience in searching for a fitting name is currently quite a chore
3. big brand usage – companies with big budgets for marketing & advertising will engage a lot of people who’d want to connect with those brands, like .google .amazon .microsoft .apple .walmart
4. celebrity usage – celebrities today have a disproportionate amount of power, influence on media, economy, and popular culture

Imagine these domain names being used by the top 10 celebrities (in the Forbes’ Celebrity 100 List – The World’s Most Powerful Celebrities) [note: these are example illustrations, not real domains (yet?)]

• Oprah.Today
• LadyGaga.sexy
• Spielberg.productions
• Beyonce.watch
• Madonna.blue
• TaylorSwift.gallery
• BonJovi.foundation
• RogerFederer.tennis
• JustinBieber.buzz
• Ellen.dance

These illustrations are using currently available gTLDs. Many more are launching every week for the next year or so, and anticipated popular ones are coming, like: .app .web .online .music .site .blog  … this chart below shows the currently most registered new gTLDs to date: