Demand Media Announces Designs.com to Support New gTLDs

Demand Media, a leading media and domain services company, today announced the debut ofDesigns.com, the latest step in the company’s efforts to facilitate the launch of upcoming generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs). Today’s move brings a robust platform to create complementary, high-quality web experiences to leading new TLD registries, which are already working to categorize the Internet with more than a thousand new domain extensions.

As Demand Media prepares for this historic gTLD launch, Designs.com expands the company’s suite of offerings to current and future domain industry customers, and facilitates expansive consumer online and social engagement. New Designs.com websites will be included with the registration of newly available domain extensions, such as .DENTIST or .SOCIAL. Just as the new TLDs speak to the identity, interest and needs of specific audiences, so too will the layouts, functionality and user experiences associated with unique templates in the Designs.com platform.

“A consumer using .FAN needs features related to sharing, ‘liking’ and growing a community, while a professional using .ARCHITECT needs features related to a strong visual portfolio and self-promotion,” explained Nick Nelson, general manager of Designs.com for Demand Media. “Until today, tools and templates have been designed for no-one in particular. New gTLDs are for specific audiences, so we must have tools that create a web presence with the same tailored approach, making the website and web address inseparable.”

Designs.com will be integrated into the purchase process of partnering domain and web hosting providers, enabling consumers to create a high quality web presence specific to their chosen web identity already demonstrated by the domain name. In order to easily facilitate website creation and updates, theDesigns.com platform will have a point and click design tool. Customers will immediately see how their website will look on mobile devices, as well as have access to drag and drop social media tools.

A new national survey by Wakefield Research found that nearly half of small businesses are not completely satisfied with their current domain name. Furthermore, 52% of businesses would change their domain name given the opportunity. “The specificity and categorization offered by new gTLDs and Designs.com provides an opportunity for business owners to create, make over or add to their company’s online presence,” said Dave Panos, executive vice president of emerging markets for Demand Media. “For consumers, this is a chance to come online and register a new web address that ignites one’s passion personally or professionally with tools that are creative, intuitive and on par with high impact design experiences available from the leading design agencies.”

In 2011, ICANN initiated the process for creating new domain extensions and entrepreneurs, businesses, and governments around the world, in looking to operate a TLD registry of their own, submitted nearly two thousand applications. With the review process in full swing and entrepreneurs investing more than $350 million in application fees, the first new gTLD is expected to launch in Q4 of 2013.

Designs.com will be launching in parallel with the general availability release of its TLD partners. In addition, as Demand Media is the parent company of eNom and Name.com, the Designs.com platform will be accessible by customers of both organizations as new TLDs reach general availability.

About Demand Media

Demand Media, Inc. (DMD) is a leading digital media and domain services company that informs and entertains one of the internet’s largest audiences, helps advertisers find innovative ways to engage with their customers and enables publishers, individuals and businesses to expand their online presence. Headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, Demand Media has offices in North America, South America and Europe. For more information about Demand Media, please visit www.demandmedia.com.