We’re happy to offer a wide variety of domain extensions to make sure you get the name that suits you best. Now you can have even more options with .IO!
By popular demand, we’re offering .IO along with the many other gTLDs (generic top-level domains) and ccTLDs (country code top-level domains) we already support. This domain extension has become one of our favorites, a rising star with increasing authority in the domain world!
What is .IO?
Technically, .IO is the official country code top-level domain for the British Indian Ocean Territory. You may be wondering where the British Indian Ocean Territory is. You’re not alone! Here’s a quick geography lesson, brought to you by one of Hover’s unofficial, in-house geographers:
The British Indian Ocean Territory is a cluster of over 1,000 islands in the Indian Ocean that lies directly between Africa and Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is a territory of the UK with a tropical climate and a small population consisting mostly of military personnel.
What’s so great about .IO?
Anyone can register
There are no restrictions for registering a .IO domain! It’s just as easy and accessible as other popular domain extensions, like .COM, .NET or .ME.
It’s techy
.IO has been gaining ground among the tech crowd for its natural connotation with the term “input/output.” It’s a perfect fit for Internet services and startups!
Endless domain hacking potential
Many clever domain hacks can be created with the .IO domain. A “domain hack” is what happens when the different levels of a domain are combined to spell out a meaningful word. It can also be used to shorten the domain by making an efficient use of space. Here are a few of my favorite .IO hacks:
Moustach.io – A feedback generating software service
Bibl.io – A rare bookstore in Switzerland
Serg.io – A “shamelessly self-referential” personal site
Get the name you want
With over 1.1 million domains registered under .COM alone, it’s increasingly difficult to nab a unique but memorable domain name. Plenty of great domains are available for .IO in spite of its increasing popularity. You can still find lots of catchy words and even three letter domains, so there’s no need to settle for a long or complicated one.
It’s searchable and findable
Wondering how .IO will fare in search engine ranking compared to other popular domain extensions? Google treats .IO as a generic top-level domain because it’s more likely to be used this way by users than it is for information specific to the British Indian Ocean Territory. This means that your domain name will be given equal treatment in search ranking, as opposed to being labeled as country-targeted.
Reach the British Indian Ocean Territory
If your goal is to reach the 4,000 people populating the British Indian Ocean Territory, then you’re in luck! The .IO domain name can allow you to show a commitment to local customers in targeting this unique market too!
