Report: New TLDs Cause Confusion

LOS ANGELES —  As a flood of new top-level domains (TLDs) enters the marketplace, providing websites with the equivalent of vanity license plates, a new report suggests it’s all too confusing for consumers and businesses.

Today’s announcement of ICM’s official go-ahead to launch the .SEX TLD punctuates the perceptual problems that the rash of new domains is bringing to the global Internet arena, where hundreds of new TLDs, such as .bike, .club and .today — and yes, .sex — reveal the beginning of major shifts to the overall landscape of the internet.

Domain marketplace and monetization provider Sedo recently released the findings of a survey of more than 1,150 U.S., U.K., Chinese and German respondents about their perception and awareness of new Top-Level Domains (TLDs). 

Perhaps surprisingly, the survey reveals that China leads the pack when it comes to awareness of new TLDs — with Chinese companies exhibiting the most positive outlook for the adoption and success of the new domain extensions.

“Most of us use the Internet every day in both our professional and personal lives, so it’s very important to understand the impact and awareness of the significant changes that are being made to how we navigate the web,” Sedo CEO Tobias Flaitz explains. “With a large portion of people still unaware that new TLDs exist, and others showing a lack of understanding of how to utilize them, it’s clear that organizations within the domain community must continue to invest in educating businesses and the general public.”

Among the Sedo survey’s most significant findings is that the majority of Americans (54 percent) were unaware of the launch of the new TLDs — showing the least favorable figure of the surveyed countries.

According to the report, U.S.-based marketers are more skeptical about the launch of new TLDs than any other survey group, with 75 percent stating that the new TLDs would make the Internet more confusing — up from 62 percent a year ago.  In the U.K., Sedo reports similar awareness of the new TLDs as in the U.S., but trending slightly higher, with 44 percent of Brits unaware of the new extensions.

The situation changes in Germany, where the survey finds that awareness of new TLDs is incredibly high, especially compared to the American market, with 71 percent of Germans being aware of the new TLDs. Add to this the 55 percent of Germans who think that introducing new TLDs is a good idea, and the future of alternate addresses looks promising for this market. With that said, Germans, especially those who run or manage small businesses, doubt the effectiveness and value of TLDs, with 38 percent saying that there is no advantage to these TLDs — the highest percentage for this question.

Where new TLDs are experiencing the most traction is in China, where the Sedo survey finds that a full 86 percent of Chinese respondents have a positive outlook on the new TLDs, with 62 percent saying that the new TLDs will make the Internet less confusing. Also of interest, 72 percent think new TLDs will have a positive impact on search results. Sedo reports that he high levels of Chinese acceptance for new TLDs may be tied to Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), which allow domains in non-English languages.

“Chinese respondents were very open to the new TLDs, with most reporting that they have purchased (20 percent), considered purchasing (46 percent) or would consider purchasing a new TLD after receiving more information (25 percent),” cites the survey, adding that “Three quarters of respondents reported that their company had already discussed or planned on discussing the use of new TLDs in an advertising campaign.”

The report notes that across the board, respondents cited the ability to better describe the content of a site and branding as the main advantages of the new TLDs. Confusion and awareness were named as the top problems facing new TLDs, pointing to a need for enhanced education and promotion by domainers.

For more information on the international domain name market, visit www.sedo.com.

View Document

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Adult Industry Educational, Networking Platform 'Imperfectly You' Launches

Imperfectly You, an educational and networking platform for adult industry workers, has officially launched.

Segpay to Launch News Network for High-Risk Merchants

Segpay has announced that it will launch the Segpay News Network (SNN) on April 15.

Age Verification Watch: Patching the Holes

This roundup provides an update on the latest news and developments on the age verification front as it impacts the adult industry.

Pineapple Support to Host Autism Spectrum Support Group

Pineapple Support is hosting a free online support group for performers and creators who are, or suspect they may be, on the autism spectrum.

ImLive Launches Revamped Member Loyalty Program

Cam platform ImLive has revamped its member loyalty program.

GoFundMe Set Up for Danny Ferretti's Medical Expenses

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for Fangear founder Danny Ferretti, who requires extensive lung surgery.

Byborg Acquires Cuties AI

Byborg Enterprises has acquired adult artificial intelligence startup Cuties AI.

Irish Government Releases Report on Sex Work Decriminalization Legislation

The Irish government has released a report reviewing a 2017 law that decriminalized sex work across the country.

Texas Bill Would Require Age Verification for Online Sex Toy Sales

A new bill in the Texas state legislature would require online retailers to implement age verification of purchasers before selling “obscene devices” to anyone in that state.

New York Assemblyman Proposes Banning the Term 'Sex Work'

Republican New York Assembly Member Brian Maher has introduced a bill to prohibit the use of the term "sex work" in government documents.

Show More