We’re in the midst of the biggest change to the Internet since it was first created.
For almost 30 years there were only 22 domain extensions, or generic top-level domains (gTLD). The likes of .com, .co.uk and .org are completely entrenched within the fabric of the web.
By April 2015 there were 558 new gTLDs active, with hundreds more waiting to go live. But take-up so far has been inconsistent. Some 37% of the new gTLDs have less than 100 names active, while the biggest is .xyz with 843,674 live sites.
These domains have created a wealth of opportunities for businesses. But they have also established new avenues for cyber criminals and have the potential to cause confusion for both consumers and organisations alike.
Consumer attitudes to these domains are key. They are the ones who will be making the decisions on what sites they visit – what they deem as trustworthy and what they would steer clear of.
This discussion paper explores consumer attitudes to the new gTLDs. It details and examines a poll NCC Group carried out in collaboration with IDG Research Services into consumers’ opinions about the wider online world.
