What is the WS domain extension all about? I'm guessing it's a country extension, but it sure seems like it's more popular than the average country extension...just curious what all the hype is about regarding the ws domain extension.
Guru of Search Forum » Research » Domain Names
WS Domain Extension?
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Posted 1 year ago #
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The WS Domain extension (ie. example.ws) was heavily marketed (via an MLM, ie. pyramid scheme) as an alternative to the dot com domain name, beginning in the late 1990's, by the company Global Domains International (GDI).
You're right in that the ws domain extension is much more popular than it should be. It hails from a tiny island in the South Pacific - Samoa, whose population numbers less than 200,000.
Regardless GDI used a pyramid/ commission structure to setup a multi-level sales force to get the word out on WS domains. As a result, quite a few people registered WS domains, and if you look at the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages), you'll find quite a few established sites with this extension.
Interestingly, country coded domain extensions are often used as an acronym - for example, the .tv extension could be used for television domains, the .us extension (United States) is a classic; used by the popular social media/ bookmarking site del.icio.us.
The WS extension could be used, for example, by anyone from the town of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is a legitimate domain name, but I wouldn't focus too much energy on it. .COM is still king, and generally you want to get this, followed by your country domain extension. But most important are the keywords you select for your domain name. Read our articles on Keywords in Your Domain Name and Domain Name With or Without Hyphens? for insight into how to effectively choose a domain name for your business.
Posted 1 year ago #
