Now that the chances for finding an attractive domain name for your global website are getting slimmer due to the large volumes of domain names registered any minute and the strong preferences for the .COM and .NET domains, it is time for smart alternatives to hit the WWW scene. Web experts predict that the domain name market is on the way to recognize some new TLD favorites for potential domain owners, which will let them have a greater choice in selecting their dream domain name.
.WS Domain Details
One of the most discussed potential TLD favorites is the .WS domain. The original purpose of .WS was to serve as the Internet country-code top-level domain name for the Island Republic of Western Samoa, WS representing an acronym for Western Samoa. However, the lack of any registration restrictions for .WS and its potentiality of being an acronym for 'Web Site' have given users a good reason to unofficially accept it as a new generic-type TLD.
Why register .WS Domains?
Actually, .WS domains boast some features that give them a competitive advantage over the current top-choice TLDs. First of all, you can freely register any killer domain ending in .WS, otherwise not available with .COM, .NET, etc. Second, referring to a website, .WS is completely neutral in meaning, contrary to the other top extensions (.COM for commercial sites, .NET for ISPs, .ORG for non-profits, etc.). Also, your .WS domain name will sound unconventional and will be much easier to remember than if it were ending with any of the standard TLDs. This will also help prevent your website from being mistaken for a competitor's site.
How to register a .WS Domain?
In view of its advantageous features, .WS is a strongly recommended domain choice for your prospective website. The fact that this TLD is widely open for registration makes everyone eligible to become a .WS registrant. Managing your own .WS domain is an easy task through the fully featured Domain Manager located in the Control Panel coming with all the plans on this website.
| Registry | SamoaNIC |
| Introduced | 1995 |
| Type | Country code top-level domain |
| Registration period | 1-10 years |
| Transfer options | Yes |
| Edit WHOIS | Yes |
| ID Protection | No |
Other supported TLDs:
Generic (gTLDs): .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, .mobi, .name, .we.bs, .co, .pro, .website, .services, .solutions, .space, .xyz, .club, .news, .top, .company, .deals, .guru, .ninja, .site, .family, .party
Country-code (ccTLDs): European ccTLDs: .at, .be, .de, .ch, .eu, .it, .me, .nl, .co.uk, .uk, .me.uk, .org.uk, .fr, .ru, .es, .se, .pl, .pt, .dk, .fi, .no
American TLDs: .ca, .us, .com.mx, .mx
Asian ccTLDs: .asia, .cn, .com.cn, .org.cn, .net.cn, .in, .jp, .ws, .tw, .com.tw, .org.tw, .idv.tw, .co.il, .ph, .qa, .ae
Australian ccTLDs: .com.au, .net.au, .org.au
Oceanian ccTLDs: .cc, .co.nz, .net.nz, .org.nz, .nu, .tv
African ccTLDS: .co.za
| Period | .ws + Hosting | .ws Only |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | $9.00 | $9.00 |
| 2 years | $50.00 | $50.00 |
| 3 years | $75.00 | $75.00 |
| 4 years | $100.00 | $100.00 |
| 5 years | $125.00 | $125.00 |
Feature explanation:
- .WS Registration Period – this is the period of years that you can register a domain name for; 1-10-year registrations are allowed for .WS domains;
- .WS Edit WHOIS – you are able to edit the publicly available WHOIS information of your .WS domain, if necessary;
- .WS Status Alerts – notification emails that will be sent to your email address prior to the expiration of your .WS domain name;
- .WS Domain Parking – this service allows you to park your .WS domain by pointing it to a parking page or to a real website and keep it with a parked status until you are ready to launch it online;
- .WS Domain Manager – easily manage your .WS domain name from the full-featured advanced domain management interface available in the Domain Manager section of your Web Hosting Control Panel;
- .WS Custom DNS Records – a set of DNS control options for customizing the A, MX, AAAA, NS, SRV, and TXT records of your .WS domain name;
- .WS Subdomains – you can create a number of subdomains in your .WS domain account; their exact number depends on the web hosting plan you have subscribed to;