Domain name operator Rightside introduced the .family extension on Wednesday with a push toward encouraging families and brands to embrace the warm and fuzzy feelings such an online address would presume.
According to the Kirkland, Wash.-based company, annual pricing for .family domain extensions will vary based on market demand and are available on a first come, first serve basis.
The .family extension is the 39th top level domain released in Rightside’s portfolio, the company says. While Rightside expects families across the world scoop up their .family name, it says brands like Amazon, Apple, BMW, Deutsche Telekom, Google, Johnson & Johnson, Tyson Foods, Viacom have already jumped onboard.
“The word ‘family’ celebrates and encapsulates the things and moments that matter the most. But the beauty of the word is that it’s flexible,” Taryn Naidu, Rightside CEO, said in a news release. “For an individual, significant moments might be a simple dinner with the people you care most about or witnessing the birth of your child, then watching them graduate. For a business owner, those important moments might be the sense of camaraderie you feel with your coworkers or the successful completion of a project. Family belongs to us all and is the perfect domain extension to create a digital home base.”
The company illustrates the possibilities for web and email addresses with a screen shot for the Beckham family. If David and Victoria decide to register beckham.family, it will cost them $19.99 today. That’s a steal compared to beckham.net, which is listed at more than $4,000.
Rightside points out that there are more than 120 million .com domains registered today and that “smart brands are embracing a growing number of available domain extensions that go beyond the .com to create more memorable calls to action, drive more traffic to their website and microsites, and deliver a better user experience with a website name that’s more in line with their brand presence.”
