The Present and Future of the .INFO Extension

A recent HackerNoon analysis of the domain name choices of some 30,000 startups showed that while .COM remains the domain name of choice, its usage has dropped from 66.5% in 2021 to 57.3% in 2023. Even more strikingly, the .INFO extension has risen to third place in terms of usage, occupying 10.9% of the startups in the dataset. This phenomenon triggers deeper thinking about the business use of the .INFO extension.

Despite the increase in .INFO usage among startups, analysis of established and well-funded startups shows a different trend. Y Combinator's companies, for example, have little to no .INFO domain presence among them, while .AI domains are more prevalent, suggesting that well-funded startups are more inclined to opt for high-end domain names.

Further research into the .INFO extension reveals, is it really popular for business use? In this regard, a review of the historical sales records of .INFO domain names provides some clues. Of the 50 best-selling .INFO domain names of all time, many are currently in an unused or underutilized state, although most of these domain names have high-quality word combinations. The highest sale among these domains was $116,000, but sales of .INFO domains have gradually declined in recent years, with 2011 being the peak of sales for the extension.

Annual volume trends from 2005 to the present show that .INFO has rebounded slightly over the past few years, but overall sales are far less than those of the emerging domain extension. Within the last five years, .INFO sales have typically been low, with a peak sale price of only $23,000 and only a handful of domains reaching five-figure sales.

When analyzing these sales figures, it is worth noting that the use of .INFO domains has diversified over the past five years, and while more than a quarter of the domains are unused, most are still being redeveloped or redirected to other sites. Many of the .INFO sites developed or redirected to are not in English, demonstrating some of the extension's influence in the international marketplace.

In exploring the reasons why startups use the .INFO extension, it may be related to the rising importance of information and data in modern business. With the development of artificial intelligence technology, the dissemination and accessibility of information has become more important, and the .INFO extension may have gained new utilization as a result.

Overall, the status and future of the .INFO extension remains uncertain. While its use among startups has risen, its use in mature markets appears to be sparse. Future market performance will depend on how the extension adapts to the fast-changing digital environment and its practical application in business.