Lessons from .CV: Making a gTLD Work Without a Registrar's Distribution Muscle

The typical route for growing a domain registry leans heavily on registrar distribution. But what happens when that channel isn’t enough - or isn’t working for your target audience?

.CV, originally the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Cape Verde, has undergone a quiet transformation. It now operates more like a generic top-level domain (gTLD) — repositioned and reimagined for global individual use, specifically for resumes and personal branding.

We’ve learned some tough but valuable lessons: registrars don’t always drive demand for niche-use gTLDs. Despite signing on with more than 20 registrars, .CV saw minimal movement in its audiences - curriculum vitae, cryptoverse. The product needed more than shelf space — it needed a purpose and direct distribution.

So we turned the model on its head: instead of waiting for users to find .CV through traditional channels, we built our own demand-side path. A product called Hello.CV now offers users theirname.cv — a complete, AI-powered resume site — bypassing the need to shop through registrars at all. Users sign up for a personal domain, generate a profile site, and link it to job applications or social bios in minutes. Think of it as Linktree meets LinkedIn, but with your own domain.

In doing so, we’re not just registering domains — we’re solving a problem. And that, more than anything, is what many new gTLD applicants should think about heading into Round 2: what job does your domain do? Who is it built for? And can you reach them directly?

We’re not anti-registrar — we’re just realistic. For gTLDs with a specific or emerging use case, assuming registrars will do the heavy lifting is optimistic at best. Building demand-side products, integrating into real-world workflows (like job applications), and going direct to users might be the only way to win in a cluttered namespace future.

.CV is a test case. It’s a ccTLD behaving like a gTLD, built to serve people — not just protect brands. The early signs are promising. We’ll keep sharing what we learn.

New gTLD reports: that's 12 months!

This is the last new gTLD report from 2023, for a total of 12 reports covering domain name registration volumes' captures according to specific groups, businesses or industries. These 12 new gTLD reports give an idea of how successful registries have been in 2023.

Of course, I keep hearing that "volumes don't matter" but come on: with no volumes, a Top-Level Domain just does not exist. Also: who would invest in a new gTLD project with that idea in mind? 

Check all reports from 2023 at www.gtld.report and a happy new year to you!

 

New gTLD .RIP : “Requiescat in pace”

Thinking twice about it: .RIP new gTLD is multilingual...

Why would you have a grave in a cemetery when you know that few people will visit in a lifespan? Much better to have one on Internet: people will be able to keep on hearing about you, after you have died. They could read about your life and, why not, find a set of pictures from that very person who died. It is much nicer than standing in front of a grave that has plastic flowers on it.

Read my article on gTLD.club

Changing to a new domain name (case figure)

Changing my .com website to a new .link one is a question that I have at the moment.

Prior to the first new domain name launchings, I had created a website entitled NEWSgTLDs.com to inform about new generic Top-Level Domains. New domain names didn’t exist yet so I had to find a domain name and .COM came to my mind. I considered .INFO too but let’s make it simple : you don’t launch a website with a .INFO domain name if you don’t own the .COM so I went fo NEWSgTLDs.com.

Read my article on gTLD.club.

Digital Marketing & gTLD Strategy Congress

Thursday November 8, 2012. New York: The Digital Marketing & gTLD Strategy Congress today announced the keynote, speakers, initial sponsors, partners and dates for the inaugural event taking place March 11 & 12, 2013 in New York City.

By mid-2013, the current top level domains (TLDs) such as .com, .net and .org will be joined by several hundred new generic TLDs (gTLDs). These include branded additions such as .Walmart, .Amazon and .Google as well as generic category TLDs like .shop, .money and .app.

The Digital Marketing & gTLD Strategy Congress has been created to bring together digital marketing & branding leadership from the world’s most iconic brands, the creative minds from many of the leading branding agencies as well as the domain and registry community for two days of learning and networking in advance of the release of the first tranche of these new top level domains.

“More than 1900 applications for new TLDs have been received by ICANN, the internet’s governing body, many from leading brands who are looking to dominate or protect their own corner of the web” remarked Christine Hess, event director. ''Today's digital brands need to work fast to ensure that they have a strategy in place for a future with more than 1000 new top level domains.”

The congress is supported by The Advertising Club of New York, Afilias, Domain Diction, Domain Incite, CircleID, WIPR, The Domains, Domain Name Wire and Jovenet and features senior speakers from Afilias, Neustar, Landor, Donuts, Citibank, Dot.Org (The Public Interest Registry), Dot.Ski, Columbia Business School, and Deloitte.

Roland LaPlante, CMO and Senior Vice President of Afilias commented. “ICANN’s new gTLD program will forever change the way brands leverage the Internet. Brand Managers and Agencies that figure this out early will gain first mover advantages and a real boost versus competition.”

With ICANN presently expected to make their initial approvals by June 2013, this essential event is perfectly timed and located to provide applicant brands with the information and support they will need prior to launch - as well as give non applicant, and prospective applicant brands the information and guidance they need to navigate the new Internet landscape.

Conference keynote, Louis Cohen, SVP, Citibank, North America Marketing, Head of Search & Affiliate Marketing remarked “Whether your organization has applied for a Top Level Domain or not, any digital marketer or brand manager that is not already working on their strategy will be at a marked disadvantage once the new gTLD’s come onstream in 2013.”

To review the agenda outline and to inquire about the few remaining speaking opportunities please visit www.gtldworldcongress.com . For more information on speaking, sponsoring, partnering or attending, please contact Christine Hess at christine@convenecom.com.