Why Is Iceland the Third Country In the World for Registered Domains?

Anything’s possible in the world of domains since millions of businesses and billions of people worldwide have understood how crucial online presence has become. The boost in acquiring digital assets became more apparent with the emergence of the Web3 ecosystem.

The Web3 landscape not only introduced decentralized TLDs, but it also infused competition among ccTLDs and geo-location extensions. We’ve already witnessed how the .ai took the world by storm. However, it needs to continue the trend in order to compete with top contenders, such as Iceland TLD.

Iceland TLD .is (because Ísland is the name of the country in Icelandic) holds the third spot for having the most registered domain names globally. This post analyzes the Whys and Hows of the Iceland TLD. Going down the road, we’ll also share some close alternatives to the .is  TLD (available soon on Freename).

Iceland Ranks 3rd in the World for Registered Domains

That’s true. A report from Hosting Advice  revealed that Iceland stands right behind the U.S. market in terms of having the largest number of domains in the world. Here’s a quick look:

The U.S. Domination

The latest studies indicate that there are 762 million domains around the world, of which approximately 142.68 million belong to the U.S alone (that’s a huge number, isn’t it?).

Understandably so, because the U.S. consumer market is one of the largest in the world, with the most diverse audience; therefore, almost every business aims to capture its share of the U.S.-based audience, resulting in the highest number of domains. 

Iceland Stands Tall in the Third Spot

Iceland, on the other hand, isn’t the same. The country is smaller in terms of both size and population, and its audience isn’t as diverse as those in China, India, the U.S., the UK, or other parts of the world. But still, around 24 million domains have been registered in Iceland (courtesy of the number of .is domain registrations). 

China Ranks 4th 

What makes matters more interesting is that countries like China (.cn), which is one of the biggest countries in terms of population, products, and services, has more than 19 million domain registrations. The percentage may have been quite low, 2.48% of the total number of domains. But it dominates the Asian domain market.  

Canada Ranks 5th

The fourth spot is occupied by Canada with 10 million registered domains. The Canadian domain market is showing progress, garnering more than 1.23% of the global market share.

Other Significant Domains

• Tokyo city dominates the domain name registration for geographical domains, with its .tokyo domain claiming over 290,000 registrations.
• Newer generic TLDs have been gaining popularity with over 14.6 million registrations. The .top (12.86% market share) dominates the list, followed by .info (9.2% market share). 

The .ai TLD has showcased exponential growth of 146%, outperforming any other TLD. 

Why So Many TLDs (.is) Registered in Iceland? 

The .is extension is the ccTLD (country code top-level domain). It was assigned to Iceland in 1986, an era when domains like .com, .net, and .org were at the top of the food chain. However, it began to gain traction when the lines between international top-level domains (TLDs) and country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) started to blur. 

Due to its versatility, it’s being used worldwide. What makes it more eye-catching is the country code itself. Brands and businesses with the word “IS” in their name find this extension more attractive as it blends perfectly. 

Let’s understand why so many TLDs, the .is TLD in particular, have been registered in Iceland.

Short and Concise Names

We’ve already mentioned why short and concise names are the most valuable ones in the domain landscape. The .is extension offers the same opportunity. All you need is to be creative with your brand name. Here are a few examples of short, memorable, and attractive business names:

• Tax.is
• Par.is 
• Ax.is
  
• Isolex.is (available at Freename's Aftermarket)

Offers Wider Customer Base

The .is extension can subtly convey a connection to Northern Europe and its associated positive attributes, which can be beneficial for marketing and branding. Whether you belong to Norway, Sweden, or other European countries, you can choose this domain extension to target businesses and customers from neighboring countries.  

Global Recognition

As said, brand names with the word “is” can go with the Iceland ccTLD. It doesn’t matter where you live. We’ve already discussed that the Iceland-based domain is climbing up the ladder quickly. 

• Compared to .com or .org, the .is domain would be more suitable for businesses operating within the limits of Iceland, thereby reducing competition.
• It can blend with most brands, like “Nexis”, “Basis” 
• The domain name can complement information-packed websites, e.g., “What is”, “Who is”, “Sports Is”, and others. 
  
  
  

Open Registration

Unlike some ccTLDs, .is has a relatively open registration policy. While it represents Iceland, it's not restricted to Icelandic individuals or businesses, making it accessible to a global audience. 

Quality and Credibility

The regulation for registering with the .is TLD are relatively stricter compared to those of the .com, .net, or other TLDs. These regulations strengthen the quality of the domain and reduce the number of malicious sites. This, in turn, makes websites registered with the .is TLD more credible.  

Alternative Iceland Domains

Iceland has gained a strong reputation for providing memorable, user-friendly, and credible domains. Since the .is TLD has gained a lot of traction around the globe, there is a likelihood that:

• Businesses may not be able to capture the domain names they’re looking for
• A secondary domain would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to acquire.

Considering these factors, it’s a great opportunity to acquire the Iceland domain alternatives now and earn commission upon every new domain name registration. Freename offers Iceland-alternative TLDs, like .iceland and .island, at fairly reasonable prices.  

The .iceland TLD

Available for $19,000, the .iceland TLD is suitable for brands, businesses, and individuals belonging to Iceland. Considering TLD’s name, it’s a perfect match for local brands and businesses operating within the country. 

.island TLD

This TLD offers an attraction to businesses operating on Islands, such as resorts, beach-view restaurants and hotels, and real estate listings dealing in rentals and sales of private Islands. The TLD showcases luxury and comfort, and will make a mouth-watering investment for domain flippers and investors. 

Also, if you’re into Metaverse, the .island extension aligns perfectly with your goals of selling virtual islands. This TLD is available for $4,999.

Conclusion

Iceland’s top-level domain securing the top spot is a clear indication that businesses should reconsider their marketing strategy and consider securing the .is extension to gain a competitive advantage. The .is TLD represents open registration with strict regulations, helping businesses gain credibility.

To help businesses find better traction and secure memorable domain names, Freename offers alternatives like .iceland and .island. These TLDs have a bright future ahead. Owning either of them now would mean jaw-dropping profits in the years to come.  

Get .iceland or any other TLD on Freename!