What is a .AI Domain? Everything You Need to Know

Remember the dot-com era of the 1990s? For a short while, a lot of folks in the tech world were almost printing money. Well, that is until the bubble inevitably burst.

Today we look back on the dot-com era as a cautionary tale. Investors should be more cautious. Companies need to grow more organically. But do you know what hasn’t changed? The value and dominance of .COM domains.

Well, there has been one change. Not many .COM domains are available anymore. Most of the premium ones have been tied up for decades. How can new companies get relevant domain names when the big boys own all the valuable real estate?

Out-of-the-box thinkers in the tech world have found creative solutions to this problem by searching elsewhere. The internet is global, after all. So .AI doesn’t just mean a business operating Anguilla. The .AI domain now represents artificial intelligence and is used by tech innovators globally. 

Regardless of who discovers it first, a good idea is a good idea. Chances are, you’ve encountered a few websites that end with the .AI domain – and for good reason. The .AI domain, makes sense for tech companies for a variety of reasons.

Despite being around almost a decade, .AI domains are often overlooked. Businesses like yours stand to reap great benefits by paying attention to this untapped source connecting to your audience.

Ready for .AI?

Read On to Know More:

• What is a .AI domain?
• 6 Reasons .AI domains are popular
• Considering a .AI domain? Here’s what you need to know
• 6 Big companies that own a .AI domain
• .AI Domain safety and security
• A 3-step guide to setting up your .AI domain
• Kick-off your .AI domain with OnlyDomains

What is a .AI Domain?

.AI domains were introduced in 1995 as the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for the island of Anguilla. For those of us who missed geography class (including me!), Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean.

Normally, any ccTLD would require a business to be based in or have ties to the representative country. But since 2009, the .AI domain has been made available worldwide without any restrictions. Essentially, it is as open to ownership as .COM or .NET.

In the modern age, Anguilla is probably the last thing most people in the English-speaking world think of when reading the letters ‘AI’. And no we aren’t talking about a Stephen Spielberg film from 2001. For many, AI stands for ‘artificial intelligence.

Because of this, many organizations have seized the opportunity to make .AI the home of their websites. But more imaginative thinkers have found other ways to make the .AI domain work for their brand, too.

The .AI domain isn’t the only option available to interested businesses. Popular domain extensions can be used as second-level domain names. This means domain name extensions like .COM.AI, .NET.AI, .ORG.AI, and many more are available. These nearly endless possibilities can work wonders for many startups and growing companies.

6 Reasons .AI Domains are Popular

Since making it onto the global scene in 2009, .AI domains have become increasingly popular. There are many reasons for this and chances are one or more of these will apply to your business.

1. Great for SEO

Whenever a business is looking for a domain, search engine optimization is at the top of their mind.  Google, Bing, and other search engine users are actively querying the term ‘AI’. And of course, having an .AI domain can help businesses reach those users more easily. Google treats some ccTLDs like .AI, .ME the same way as .COM, .NET and .ORG so you don’t need to debate between a .AI and a .COM domain (at least from an SEO perspective).

2. Value for Money

.AI domains have been available for well over a decade now. But despite that, one word, premium second-level .AI domains are typically far cheaper than its .COM counterpart (that you may buy from aftermarket sites like Afternic.com or Sedo.com).

3. No-Fuss Registration Process

.ai – Artifical Intelligence Domain Names

Registering a .AI domain is as simple as any other unrestricted TLD. Simply pick the registrar of your choice and fill in the required details. Once the payment has been processed, you now own the domain for a minimum of two years.

4. Tech Reputation

Today, users all over the world can’t help but think of artificial intelligence and tech when they see ‘AI’ on the internet. By having a .AI domain, your company will demonstrate credibility and boost its reputation. Also, .AI can help differentiate your brand and generate higher brand recall from potential customers.

5. You Don’t Need to be From Anguilla

Often, for a country code domain, registrars require proof of local presence. This usually requires some amount of documentation. So any organization hoping to register a .AE name, for instance, would need to be doing business within the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The .AI domain is international and unrestricted. Any business operating from anywhere can own a .AI domain. Unlike most ccTLDs, Google’s algorithms treat .AI like any other generic top-level domain (gTLD) like .COM, .NET, .ORG etc.

6. Better Availability

As .AI is relatively new to the world wide web, there are more domains available for registration. This helps any business looking for one word or exact-match domains to boost their SEO ranking.

While some category killer domains may be taken, the availability is higher than .COM which has over 135 million domains registered – simple probability. This is because many of those registered .COM domains are owned by investors as opposed to actual companies.

Considering a .AI Domain? Here’s What You Need to Know:

Like many companies, yours may be considering registering a domain in the .AI realm. But it’s not always plain & simple. We like new and shiny things, especially in the tech world. However, before taking the plunge, you must do your due diligence and decide if .AI is right for you and your business.

Cons

Okay, so there are a few reasons why .AI may not be for you. Time for some tough love.

1. Website Traffic

Most internet users when attempting to guess a website address, will simply type the brand and add a .COM at the end. This is the case if they hear about the brand (from a friend, on the radio) without the .AI domain at the end. So with a .AI domain, you don’t get that spillover/bonus traffic.

What’s worse is that another company may have the same second-level domain name registered as a .COM. This means your potential customers end up on another company’s website. And most likely, it’s a site owned by one of your competitors.

Imagine helping increase website traffic and conversions for a competitor through your marketing efforts. This can be avoided by clear and consistent brand messaging across all of your marketing channels. A simple solution (when applicable) is to make the .AI part of your brand name. One successful example of this is copy.ai – it’s a tool that uses artificial intelligence to generate copy. Their Twitter handle, profile photo clearly includes the domain name so the reader is never left guessing.

2. They’re Cheaper, But Not Necessarily Cheap

Registering a new .AI domain will cost you ~$100 a year and .AI domains have to be registered for two years at the minimum. That is fairly expensive when compared to the $8-$14/year fee you would pay for a .COM, .NET or .ORG domain.

Buying an already registered .AI domain can be as expensive as any premium .COM or other domain. Like most things related to the internet, it depends on how high or low the demand is for a particular name.

At OnlyDomains.com, though, we offer a .AI domains for as low as $67.99/year, for a minimum of two years.

Pros

Alright, now that we are done being negative nellies, here is the good stuff.

1. Shorter URLs = More Memorable URLs

Customer attention spans are shrinking ¹ as we are constantly bombarded with increasingly curated messages.

Social media and fear of missing out have trained us to scan and discard tons of information. In a world full of too much information, less is more. Shorter URLs are easier to read and remember. 

Using a .AI domain is one of many popular domain hacks. It may just be one letter, but with more imagination, it can be even shorter. A classic example of this would be the domain ch.ai for an e-commerce merchant specializing in delicious hot and spicy beverages.

But in another example let’s look at a company named “Anderson AI”. Now which domain name is more concise, catchy, and easier to recall: andersonai.com or anderson.ai?

2. Shows a Clear Connection to Artificial Intelligence

For companies that focus on artificial intelligence and deal with machine learning, getting a .AI domain is a no-brainer. It adds meaning and credibility to your brand’s domain name. Tech businesses can have names that imply they offer AI products and services.

The world of tech moves fast. And many startups fail before they get off the ground or are replaced in the blink of an eye. Potential customers and clients using Google to find solutions like automation and machine learning will know they’ve landed at the right place when they see the .AI domain name extension.

3. Bang for Your Buck, Especially for Premium Domains

While it’s true that annual domain registration costs for a .AI domain is on the higher end of the spectrum, buying a pre-owned and premium .AI domains is normally much cheaper than its .COM counterpart. 

Take, for example, emailmarketing.com, estimated at an eye-watering price over $150,000 versus emailmarketing.ai which is most likely well under a thousand or even one hundred dollars. ²

6 Big Companies that Use a .AI Domain

Many companies have joined the movement to register .AI domains among other new domains. Some are actively using these to connect to their audience or for e-commerce, while others are holding onto them with a look towards the future.

You will probably recognize many of these companies, even if you aren’t already familiar with their domain names ending with the .ai TLD.

• Facebook.ai: As one of the biggest companies in the world, Facebook hosts all of its products and apps related to machine learning and artificial intelligence on this domain
  
• Deeplearning.ai: This company teaches everything there is to know about machine learning. The .ai domain boosts DeepLearning’s credibility with search engines and visitors alike.
  
• Autonomous.ai: They focus on literally the backbone of any a tech employee – desks and chairs. Autonomous offers a variety of electric smart desks and home office solutions. Having a .AI domain helps them connect with their target customers.

Other companies:

• Uber.ai: Redirects this domain to its main site 
  
• Notebook.ai: Intuitive planning software for creatives like writers and designers
  
• Zoom.ai: Used by a web meeting and scheduling platform

.AI Domain Safety and Security

Like other TLDs, .AI domains must adhere to certain rules and restrictions. These regulations help to ensure the authenticity and legitimacy of any registrars. All .AI domains must be registered for at least two years with the options for four, six, eight, or 10 year renewal periods.

At OnlyDomains, we value your privacy and security. If you register a domain with us, our Domain Privacy service acts as a shield to protect your personal details from the public database.

And like any .COM, .ORG, .NET domain, if you want a secure website for your business, you need to use the right technology. This means using SSL certificates to encrypt links between you and your customers. OnlyDomains offers SSL certificate options to suit your needs.

A 3-Step Guide to Setting Up Your .AI Domain

It’s really easy to set up your .AI domain. Just three simple steps and you will be up and running in no time:

1. Verify the Availability of the Domain Name

You might be thinking to yourself, “well, duh”. But before any idea can take off, a quick domain search is highly recommended.

You can try typing the domain name into the web browser of your choice to see if a company with the same name exists. If nothing comes up, then you’re most likely in the clear (although this isn’t always the case).

A better option is to head over to our domain search page and verify the availability of your desired domain. And don’t worry, if your first choice isn’t available, you will see many relevant alternatives. You might even find a better option that also saves you money. Time to your Add it to Cart.

2. Choose Your Registration Term

You found the domain of your dreams or at least, you’ve found the domain that suits your needs. Now it’s time to decide on the registration duration you’d prefer. Unlike most domains, the .AI domain doesn’t allow odd-year registration terms i.e. it can only be registered for 2, 4, 6 or 8 years. This is a registry-level restriction that all domain providers need to abide by.

At OnlyDomains, you can find this information in your shopping cart. Click on the dropdown box under the ‘Duration’ column and pick your desired option. The price to the right will update automatically.

3. Proceed to Check Out

Now that you have the domain and registration period of your choice, it’s time to check out. At this point, you can configure your DNS settings or go straight to the payment page. 

Before making the payment, you can view the price breakdown, recheck your domain (to ensure there aren’t any typos). If everything looks fine, enter your payment details, and click “PAY NOW”. You now own a future-forward .AI domain.

The real work starts. It’s up to you and your team to maximize your shiny new domain to reach your audience and grow your brand.

Kick-off Your .AI domain with OnlyDomains

At OnlyDomains we make it easy for you to register your .AI domain in minutes. But it doesn’t stop there, we have all the tools to help you make the most of your .AI website.

Our website hosting plans can fit any need or budget. Need to host a WordPress site? We’ve got a plan for that. Plus you get 1,000+ themes and plugins along with free SSL and email hosting.

Our Website Builder makes it easy for any business to craft a creative and responsive website. The intuitive drag and drop editor means just about anyone can build a beautiful website in no time. This also includes free email hosting and an SSL certificate to protect your site.

If you are looking to use a .AI domain for a branded email address we also have a host of email hosting options to choose from.

All our services include 24/5 tech support over chat, email, and phone. We genuinely like to help our customers and see them get online. Don’t take our word for it.

Footnotes:

¹ https://www.dtu.dk/english/news/nyhed?id=246BBED3-8683-4012-A294-20DB7F0015F4

² http://freeevaluator.com