If you operate a website, you're currently tied to one of 22 different top-level domains. We're talking .com, .org and the ever-elusive .biz.
In June, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) agreed to create new generic top-level domains (gTLD), allowing companies and organizations to apply for domains that engender a more specific brand presence. For example, a car company could reserve .car or .bmw if it wished. Google applied for a staggering 101 gTLDs, including .lol.
This new opportunity comes with a hefty price tag -- $185,000 simply to apply and an additional $25,000 annual fee, should a company's domain application be accepted. For companies like Amazon, these numbers amount to chump change; however, the price forced most small organizations to bench their domain desires.
Other companies appeared out of nowhere to snatch up potentially lucrative gTLDs. Backed by $100 million in funding, domain registrar Donuts Inc. submitted 16% of all 1,931 applications. The company's bill? $56.8 million.
The infograhic below, created by Column Five for Demandforce, breaks down the numbers behind ICANN's new round of domain registration. We think you'll especially enjoy the more creative submissions: .wtf and .unicorn are sure winners in our book.
