In today’s digital world, having a solid online presence is very important for businesses and individuals. Using domain names creatively can help you stand out online and make a lasting impression. Whether you’re new to this or already experienced, this guide will give you helpful advice on using domain hacking effectively this year.
Let’s explore domain hacking to boost your online presence!
.com domains are by far the most popular. Out of the 359.3 million domain registrations in 2023, 160.8 million were .com domains. That’s over 44%!
If you need help finding a good .com domain, consider domain hacking. It’s a creative way to get a unique domain without requiring a .com. If you need help finding the perfect domain for your website, domain hacking could be the answer.
- Approximately 45% of domain hacks use country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) like .ly, .io, .me, and .it to create unique brand names (e.g., instagr.am).
- 35% of startups are said to consider using domain hacks for branding due to their uniqueness, availability, and SEO benefits.
- Some domain hacks are so clever that they act as punny or witty brand names, creating an instant connection with audiences.
- About 68% of users find domain hacks easier to remember than traditional domain names.
What Is A Domain Name Hack?
Domain hacking is a method of forming a domain name by combining the central part of the name with the domain extension (also called the top-level domain or TLD).
For example, let’s look at “blo.gs.” This combines “blog” from the central part and “.gs,” which is the country code for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, to make “blogs.”
Simple domain hacks like this are often already taken, but you can use the same idea to make your domain hacks using your business name.
Remember, domain hacking is not about someone maliciously hacking into a domain name; that’s called ‘domain hijacking.’
A domain hack is a smart way to use the ending part of a domain, like .uk or .com, to create a word that fits your business perfectly.
Traditionally, domain hacks used Country Code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs).
However, these types of hacks can be very specific. Now that many new domain extensions are available, innovative investors may devise even more unique domain hacks.
How Does A Domain Hack Work?
In a domain hack, you combine a word with a top-level domain. This domain ending might not relate to your business. For instance, “care. in”is used for a website promoting healthcare services or products, even though “.IN” stands for India.
A Brief History Of Domain Hacks:
In the early days of the internet, domain hacks emerged as a creative way to form unique web addresses. Here’s a simplified timeline of critical events:
- In 1992, “inter.net” was registered, and in the 1990s, pla.net domains were popular for creative naming.
- On May 3, 2002, “icio.us” was registered to create “del.icio.us,” later controlled by Delicious.
- The term “domain hack” was coined in 2004 by Matthew Doucette for unconventional domain names.
- Yahoo! acquired “blo.gs” in 2005.
- In 2007, .me domains were delegated, leading to creative hacks like “love.me.”
- Google launched “goo.gl” in 2009 and “abc.xyz” for Alphabet Inc. in 2015.
- National Public Radio and Apple used domain hacks like “n.pr” and “itun.es” to shorten URLs.
- Spotify uses “spoti.fi” to link to music-related content.
As of Sept. 30, 2023, the 10 largest TLDs by number of reported domain names were .com, .cn, .de, .net, .uk, .org, .nl, .ru, .br and .au.
Source: dnib.com
Domain Hacks are Good or Bad?
Remembering domain hacks can be both good and bad. On one hand, they can help you get the perfect name for your startup’s website. On the other hand, some users might need help remembering a long or obscure domain hack.
The most straightforward answer is: It depends. A well-crafted domain hack will be remembered and loved by visitors.
Pros of Domain Hacks:
-
Get Creative with Your Brand Name Online:
If you can’t find a simple .com or .net version of your brand name, you can try “domain hacking” to spell it out directly.
-
Easy Domain Search:
Finding a short .com domain nowadays is tough. But there are shorter domains available if you get creative with the words.
-
Stand out with a Special Domain Name:
Use a domain hack to create a catchy and memorable name for your business. It helps your business get noticed!
-
Marketing potential:
Even with a .com domain, you can still use creative domain names to promote your brand. You can use them for short links on social media or unique marketing campaigns.
Hurry up! Secure your Free domain name today before it’s gone.
Cons of Domain Hacks:
-
Understanding SEO Issues:
Google utilizes ccTLDs to identify your website’s target audience, potentially confusing if a ccTLD is used in a domain hack. Visitors from that country might also need clarification if they expected the website to be in their language, but it is not.
-
Balancing creativity with clarity:
Be bold when choosing a domain name. Make sure it still clearly represents your brand, what your business does, or your company name. Say the domain out loud to check if it’s easy for people to understand and write down.
-
Keep Your Website Safe:
If you have a catchy short domain hack, be careful, as cybercriminals might try to steal it from you to sell it for money.
-
Instability of Country Code Domain Governance:
Some country domain endings are controlled by foreign governments who can shut down a domain without warning. For example, the .io domain had issues related to outages and unfair treatment of the Chagos Islanders.
How to Create a Domain Hack?
Choose a Domain Hack:
It’s time to develop your unique website name, but where should you start? First, choose a word or phrase. If it’s for your website, it might be your business name. Can you divide it into two parts easily? Do the last few letters match a website ending or make a word?
Here are some tips for picking the right website ending:
- Think about famous endings: .com, .net, and .org are common but might be harder to find available.
- Look at country endings: These are two letters long, and there are lots of them. Check if the last two letters of your phrase match a country code. Remember, some country codes have special rules, so check those out too.
- Explore new endings: New website endings have been popping up in recent years, like .academy, .catering, and .services. Since many are whole words, making a catchy website name with them is easy.
Here are some examples of popular website endings you could use:
-
-
- .me — Montenegro
- .co — Colombia
- .it — Italy
- .ly — Libya
- .in — India
- .es — Spain
- .io — British Indian Ocean Territory
- .to — the Kingdom of Tonga
- .us — the United States
- .at — Austria
- .be — Belgium
- .is — Iceland
- .so — Somalia
- .de — Germany
-
Register Your Domain:
Once you’ve brainstormed innovative website names, check their availability on AccuWeb Hosting. We provide domain registration services for your chosen domain name.
If you can’t find the domain you want, use the Whois domain lookup tool to check if it’s available. It might take several tries to find one to buy.
After payment, you will own your domain for the specified period.
Tip: If you plan to create a website, web hosts like Accuweb Hosting offer a hosting plan with a free domain for 1 year.
Set up Domain Management:
Once you’ve registered your domain, you’ll get access to some tools to manage it. These tools let you adjust your domain if you’re using it for a website and tweak some settings.
Depending on what you’re using your domain for, here’s what you might want to do next:
Once everything’s set up right, your domain is safe and all set for your website.
Conclusion
Domain hacking is a great way to be creative and get a short, unique name. Finding a good domain can be tricky nowadays, so domain hacks are a good option. AccuWeb Hosting can help you find the right domain for your business. Remember to get web hosting, too, so your new domain can have a website connected to it.
