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The rules of online branding are being rewritten—right before our eyes. Things that we used to consider basic elements of branding are now being called into question. 

Domains are one of them.

I was recently asked, “Will my domain name matter 10 years from now?” The online world, after all, looks nothing like it did five years ago. Back then, we were preaching the importance of domain name on brand stickiness—the idea being that without a solid domain name, you’d have a hard time building a website that would rank on search engines or getting customers to remember your brand. 

But now, we live in an era of AI search engines and de-influencing. The online world is noisier than ever. And customers are less and less attached to specific brands (one report by McKinsey found that more than 50% of GenZers in the U.S. and U.K. would ditch their favorite brands if another brand offered products that were cheaper or higher quality). 

So, where does that leave us? As the product manager for Wix’s domain offering, I knew I had to take a closer look.

Find the perfect domain name on Wix. 

Domains, then vs. now 

Most of us wouldn’t realize how much has changed over the years when it comes to domains. But a lot has happened. The biggest changes worth calling out: 

• The rise of new domain extensions: Most site owners used to only entertain .org versus .com. But these days, the list of generic top-level domains (gTLDs) is growing to include .tech, .shop, .xyz, .gifts and others. This has allowed businesses to align their domains more closely with their industry, geography or brand identity. 
  

• Popularity of premium domains: The demand for premium domains—or popular domain extensions that are short, keyword-rich and easy to remember (e.g., hotels.com)—has been steadily growing over the years. Some businesses are now willing to pay a pretty penny for them. For example, CarInsurance.com was sold for $49.7 million in 2019. (View 20 of the most expensive domain names ever sold.)
  

• Increased demand for personal branding: The growth of the creator economy has, in part, led to the rise in individuals and influencers who are using custom domain names for personal branding (e.g., janesmith.dev or myportfolio.me).
  

• Emphasis on privacy and security: There’s a growing demand for domains that bundle features like SSL certificates and privacy protection. As site owners are becoming more educated on website security, they are starting to expect domain registrars to offer security features out of the box. 

While it’d be impossible for me to pinpoint exactly when all of these changes came to be, here’s a rough breakdown of my observations.

Related reading: The basics of website infrastructure, or what is a domain?

The future of domains: where we’re headed 

Considering how things have been changing, I’d bet money on certain things happening further down the road. Namely: 

• More and more people will adopt niche domains: I predict that more businesses will turn to gTLDs like .design, .shop or .tech to stand out in crowded markets.
  

• AI will play a big role: At Wix, we’ve already built an AI-powered domain engine that has benefited tons of users—and these types of AI capabilities will only get better. AI will help to suggest the best, most creative domain names for businesses, while predicting how these domains will help them with their online visibility.
  

• We’ll have high standards for security: Rather than being viewed as optional add-ons, SSL certificates, DNS security and privacy protection will become baseline offerings. Domain providers in general will need to abide by stricter global privacy and security regulations, such as GDPR-style policies.
  

• New tech will influence domain trains: New technologies might facilitate processes, such as reclaiming unused or parked domains, to make more names available. In addition to this, advancements like voice search will influence brands to purchase domains that are easy to pronounce or remember—and AI-driven search engines will reduce brands’ reliance on traditional SEO. 

And because I like to visualize my thoughts, here’s an updated version of the table from above. 

So, will your domain name matter in 10 years? 

My final answer: yes. 

I’d even go as far as saying that your domain will become integral to your digital identity, if it isn’t already.

While the role of domains is evolving, their impact is as strong as ever. For example, even though your domain name might not matter as much for SEO—it’ll serve as your name tag online. It’ll still help people recall and locate your brand.

You could link your domain to a decentralized profile, where consumers and technologies (like AI search engines) can see what you’re all about. And you can always trust that your domain is something that you fully own, providing stability and independence from third-party algorithms or policies. 

Therefore, a strong domain name will continue to anchor your brand’s identity and serve as its home base in the digital ecosystem.

10 tips for future-proofing your domain

Taking everything we discussed into account, here are some of my recommendations for how to safeguard your domain in the long run. 

01. Prioritize branding over keywords 

Just like the name you give your pet, the name you give your domain should be meaningful. For this reason, you’ll want to avoid keyword-stuffing or choosing a domain name just because it sounds trendy. At the same time, avoid a name that’s too niche because it might cause complications later on. Instead, think about how you want to expand your brand and try to pick a name that works, both now and in the future. 

02. Keep it simple

Short, easy-to-spell names are more likely to be remembered, especially in the age of voice and social searches. In general, you’ll want to avoid complex spelling, hyphens or numbers. 

Note that these types of domains are also easy to read and type out on smaller screens, which is (and will remain) important in our mobile-first reality. 

03. Invest in the right extension 

A .com domain is still the gold standard for credibility, but new gTLDs can work well if they align with your brand’s industry or goals. A creative gTLD like .store or .tech could communicate what your brand is about, even before someone clicks on it. Local businesses can consider geographic TLDs like .mx or .london that, once again, can appeal to the right crowd.  

Explore a list of TLDs that are trending. 

04. Buy from a reliable registrar 

Don’t just buy from any domain registrar you stumble across. Look for a registrar with a reputation for strong security practices, including encryption and proactive monitoring. You’ll be grateful you did, as a reputable registrar can reduce the risk of hacking, unauthorized changes or potential domain hijacking. 

In this sense, having everything in one place could also work to your benefit. For example, using Wix, you can buy a domain, manage your domain and manage the website it’s connected to—all from the same platform. This reduces security risks by limiting potential points of compromise and providing unified security features, including centralized support. Plus, it’s cost-effective (every Wix plan includes a free domain for one year) and saves time on setup and maintenance.

Read also: Best place to buy a domain name

05. Secure complementary domains to protect your brand

Investing in domain variations is a strategic move to protect your brand’s online identity and avoid issues like domain squatting or misuse. Consider purchasing domain variations that: 

• Relate to a future product, service or campaign. This prevents others from preempting or capitalizing on your ideas. Example: if your company plans to launch a new app called “BrightPath,” register brightpath.com, alongside related domain names or TLDs like brightpathapp.com and brightpath.tech.
  

• Is specific to another region that you serve. If your brand operates internationally, consider domains in other languages or that use country-specific TLDs, like .uk, .fr and .de.
  

• Include a common misspelling, abbreviation or hyphenated version of your domain. Example: If your brand is brightideas.com, consider purchasing briteideas.com or bright-ideas.com too. This helps to ensure that customers trying to reach you won’t end up on a competitor’s or malicious site.
  

• Could be mistaken for your brand’s property. Registering similar domain names prevents competitors or bad actors from hijacking your brand equity or impersonating your business. This is especially critical for high-profile brands or industries prone to phishing scams (e.g., finance, tech).

It’s important to pay attention to brand variations, especially if:

• Your brand name is distinctive or has high visibility

• You’re in a competitive or scam-prone industry

• The cost of securing variations is small compared to potential brand damage or customer confusion
  

06. Practice healthy habits for managing a domain portfolio 

If you’re managing multiple domains or plan to grow your portfolio, make sure you have a system in place for managing them effectively. Use domain monitoring tools, such as alerts, to track when desired domains become available or if someone registers a similar domain. As a best practice, consolidate your domains under one registrar to reduce complexity and to stay on top of renewals. 

07. Monitor domain expiration dates closely

Domains need to be renewed before they expire. Otherwise, someone might snatch up your domain and take it over.

Use tools or registrar services to monitor expiration dates and set up renewal alerts. If you manage your domain with Wix, you’ll get emails as the expiration date approaches and/or can set up auto-renew. 

08. Back up your domain data

Keep a backup of your domain’s registration data, including registration details, expiration dates  and any associated services (like email and hosting). In case of a security breach, you’ll need a backup of your domain details to quickly recover your domain and regain control.

09. Implement WHOIS privacy protection

WHOIS privacy (or domain privacy) hides your personal contact details from public domain registration databases. This helps to prevent spam, phishing and social engineering attacks by obscuring your personal information. Furthermore, it protects your privacy and reduces the chances of malicious actors targeting your domain.

Most major registrars provide WHOIS privacy services. Make sure to enable this option from your account. 

10. Consider adding DNSSEC (domain name system security extensions)

DNSSEC adds an extra layer of security to your domain’s DNS (domain name system, which is essentially the phone book of the internet), making it harder for attackers to redirect traffic to malicious websites. Check that your domain registrar and DNS hosting provider support DNSSEC (not all do). Then, log into your account with your DNS hosting provider and follow the instructions to enable this option. 

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