.LINK domains are a little different from many of the other new domain extensions. While most of the new TLDs are descriptive and have meaning built right in, .LINK is completely generic and non-specific.

Descriptive TLDs can be great because they’re keyword-rich and represent what your website is all about. For example, artists can showcase their work with .GALLERY domains, while .CLOTHING is perfect for storefronts, tailors, and anyone in the clothing industry. On the other hand, .LINK can mean just about anything online, which is also great. Since a hyperlink is the way we connect with info online, the .LINK extension can be a good fit for nearly any domain. It’s for, well, links.

With seven billion increasingly tech-savvy people on Earth, it can be very difficult to find the perfect domain for your project, especially if you’re looking for a .COM. There are plenty of great .LINK domains still available, so you have a better chance of finding the one that’s right for you without compromising. That also means there are endless opportunities for entertaining single serving sites and microblogs. Searching for funny keywords can spark fun ideas, like notrickroll.link, linkable.link, or thelegendofzelda.link.

By the way, .LINK domains are on sale for just $5/yr right now. So you can get four letters for less than the price of three in the comparable .COM. Bargain, right?

What can I do with a .LINK domain?

We’ve seen all kinds of creative uses for .LINK domains. Here are three ideas we think are pretty neat:

1. Create a social directory

Use your .LINK domain name to direct users to all your social profiles, such as yourname.link/facebook, yourname.link/twitter and yourname.link/linkedin. Those customized social links can be handy (and look fancy) on your portfolio or resume. Follow our step-by-step tutorial to set up domain forwarding on your domain.

2. Make it a home for your personal website

Your .LINK domain name would make a great choice for a personal website. Rather than relying on your social profiles for your online presence, take it one step further by creating a simple website to show off your portfolio, employment history, or blog. Fortunately, there are a lot of tools that’ll help you easily create your own personal site.

3. Set up a custom URL shortener

Use your .LINK domain to create your very own short URLs by setting it up with a URL shortening service, like bit.ly. Setting up your own custom URL shortener is pretty simple, and helps make your links appear more personalized and branded. Here’s our handy guide on how to create a custom URL shortener.

Ready to get your own .LINK domain? Search for one at Hover: