Why Does The Tech Industry Love .IO Domains?

The growth in .IO domain name registrations from within the tech industry continues the trend of ccTLDs that have attracted domain name registrations from those with very little direct connection to the host territory.

It also appears to continue the trend of tropical island paradises providing ccTLD suffixes to the tech and software development industries. No former Soviet republic ccTLDs for these guys. If the ccTLD is not from an island that is sun-drenched and packed with luxurious sandy beaches, they don’t want to know about it!

Indeed, the strong uptake of .IO domains among the tech and software industry has caused the .IO registry to almost focus exclusively on wooing tech startups and others with a similar connection to the industry.

.IO also still operates as the ccTLD for British Indian Ocean Territory, a disputed archipelago in the Indian ocean with a controversial colonial past.

What Has Attracted the Tech Industry to .IO?

Just as gamers and eSports enthusiasts have adopted the .GG ccTLD or the Artificial Intelligence industry has commandeered the .AI domain (Anguilla), tech startups and coders have really jumped on the .IO domain name bandwagon.

To date, there are nearly half a million .IO domains registered, significantly more than more developed territories like .NZ (New Zealand) or more populous ones like .ID (Indonesia).

For many in the industry, it is seen as a more than viable substitute to a .COM domain. Its appeal lies in a number of factors:

• Input/Output – the fact that the initials IO reflect the standard computer programming term ‘input/output’, making it particularly desirable to the tech-savvy who take pride in the industry.
  
  
• Shorter/More Versatile – it is shorter and more versatile than .COM meaning it is more memorable and more likely to have fun names like domain hacks available e.g. cheer.io. 2016 Republican presidential candidate Mario Rubio used rub.io during his failed bid to get his party nomination.
  
  
• Availability – the adoption of .IO across the tech industry is fairly recent so there are far more .IOs available than .COMs for example.
  
  
• Efficiency – Registrations are accepted quickly with no local presence or other requirements.
  
   

So Who Are Using .IO Domain Names?

We all like to think we are hanging with the cool kids so let’s see who’s using:

card.io – bought by PayPal, this company devised a solution that allowed credit card details to be captured by smartphone cameras. Also, a great example of a domain hack.

auki.io – a WiFi based locations and analytics/engagement solution that is partnered with Facebook.

seats.io– a reserved seating application aimed at ticketing tech companies and venue owner. Seats.io not only uses the .IO domain name but has made .IO a part of it’s brand too. Their logo also includes the words IO.

bubble.io – helps users build an app without coding. It has over 1.5 Million visitors per month and is a part of Alexa’s op 1 million sites i.e. the most visited websites on the internet

material.io – is run by Google and dedicated to its material design and gets over

Should I Get a .IO Domain Name?

If you’re a budding tech developer or entrepreneur who has or is planning the latest digital disruption but doesn’t have spare cash to spend on the right .COM, then a .IO domain should definitely be on your radar.

You’ll also have far more choice in securing the domain name that will properly reflect your brand.

With the right strategy, hopefully your inputs convert into better than expected outputs!

What Else Do I Need To Know?

Anybody anywhere in the world can register a .IO domain.

As most of the good .COM domains are gone, you have a great chance of securing the .IO domain that will be talked about feverishly at industry events for years to come.