.IO has become one of hottest domain name extensions for startups. This is a little peculiar, since .IO has existed since 1997 and was originally assigned as the ccTLD for British Indian Ocean Territory. So, why are startups turning to .IO?

With .IO, startups can get short and memorable names, because .IO has great availability. A .IO domain name can be a better option than coming up with a long and confusing domain name that uses a more established extension (or buying expensive premium domains). To put it simply, .IO’s are an easy way to get a great domain for a great price, and .IO has a handful of other defining benefits.

The Benefits of Using a .IO:

It’s a unique extension compared to generic TLDs, which can help a startup stand out from a marketing perspective. It’s shorter than three-letter gTLDs, while being different, which makes it easy to remember. It’s just starting to become popular, which means it’s pretty likely you’ll get the name you want. In the tech and software development world, I/O means input/output, so .IO is particularly relevant to that audience. You can create cool domain hacks with .IO, like scenar.IO or pistach.IO.

Working with a .IO also became easier than ever this year, which contributed to the spike in adoption rate. The .IO registry, nic.io, switched its back-end to allow faster domain transfers and modifications. Nic.io now uses a standardized authorization code procedure that’s the same as .COM, .NET, and .ORG.

Do you have an idea that you’re ready to get online? Consider registering a .IO—it’s perfect for startups.