The top-level domain (TLD) .trading refers to a generic keyword domain extension that is often used by businesses and individuals operating in the trade and commerce sector.
It is important to understand that the structure of a domain name is not random. For instance, in the domain name www.example.trading, .trading is a generic top-level domain (gTLD), while www.example part is the second level domain. The combination of the second level and top-level domain constitutes the domain name, also often referred to as the URL.
Top-level domains are categorized into two main types: gTLDs (generic top-level domains) and ccTLDs (country code top-level domains). While ccTLDs are geographically specific, gTLDs, on the other hand, include more common domain extensions like .com, .net, .org and newer ones like .trading. These gTLDs are managed by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), a department of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
The .trading domain extension, as mentioned earlier, falls into the gTLD category and is aimed at professionals, organizations, and enterprises engaged in trading and commerce. These can range from online trading platforms, trading firms, stock exchanges, individual traders, and anyone else involved in the broad scope of business transactions.
Using a .trading domain extension allows businesses to signal their industry alignment and offer relevant information to site visitors even before they land on the website, making this a strategic choice for enhancing online visibility and reputation credibility.
An example of a .trading TLD use can be www.forex.trading, where ‘forex’ is the second-level domain, and ‘.trading’ is the TLD. This could be the URL for a business that offers forex trading services.
Interestingly, the .trading top-level domain is managed by Boston Ivy Registry. Boston Ivy is running six new domain endings including .trading, according to their official website. These new domain extensions are part of the new wave of gTLDs that came into existence following ICANN’s decision to expand the domain name system in 2011, to support the increasing demand for new domains.
Boston Ivy, which is backed by IG Group, a global leader in online trading, also operates other financially oriented domain extensions like .forex, .broker, and .cfd. IG notes on their website that they aim to support online communication by providing ‘clearer, more focused, domain names’ for the financial services industry.
Therefore, the .trading domain extension is a brilliant tool for online businesses that want to communicate their services instantly, right in their domain name. It also opens up more possibilities of domain names that might not be available in the ‘overcrowded’ .com space.
References-
1. ICANN – Interview with Dr. Stephen D. Crocker, Chairman of the ICANN Board of Directors, 2012
2. Boston Ivy – What’s in a domain?
3. IG Group – The domains making a good investment better, 2016
