AleydaRocha.xyz – GoDaddy customer (Austria)
Your own personal website gives you an ideal platform to share your accomplishments and interests with the world. If you have a lot of information you want to share, it can be challenging to publish it all in an interesting and engaging way. This week’s #WebsiteWednesday, AleydaRocha.xyz, offers a great example of how to do just that. She uses eye-catching video on her website to make her work as a researcher and artist as enthralling to her visitors as it is to her.
Aleyda Rocha is a researcher and artist, based in Vienna by way of Mexico. Aleyda completes most of her work in her role as a Scientific Researcher at the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Her research examines practices of extractivism and colonialism. More specifically, she’s focused on sustainability and fighting for social justice. Aleyda completes this work in her role as founder of the Dismantle Extractivism Network, which aims to visualize and fight extractive environmental practices. She’s also a founding member of Revoltosas Mexico, a non-profit organization dedicated to pushing forward gender equality in Mexico. Because Aleyda’s work deals with large social issues and complex global crises, it can be difficult to grasp and jump into right away. To make it engaging to non-researchers, Aleyda uses her artistic abilities to create unique videos for the projects she features on her website.
The dedicated page for Aleyda’s Dismantle Extractivism Network is a perfect example of her design strategy. She uses a visual intended to help the viewer understand her work on different levels. The warping image, though not fully clear, appears to be of a tree or other common symbol of nature. By having the image become distorted, Aleyda aims to create visions of extractivism in the viewer’s mind. Using this video, Aleyda creatively conveys the impact of the organization’s work by visualizing it in an emotionally resonant way. Aleyda uses the project page itself to explain the organization’s goals and research in more detail.
For her academic research project “Narratives of the desert,” Aleyda features a video of a cactus set against a bright blue desert sky. The cactus moves in and out of focus, almost as if it were a desert mirage. With this imagery, Aleyda gives the viewer the feeling that they are in the desert themselves. The video is strange yet inviting at the same time, enticing her visitors to click and read more about the project. The goal of the project is to highlight biocultural diversity, so it’s fitting Aleyda chose an image of a cactus that takes on many forms across the desert.
Aleyda has made some videos on her site interactive by allowing her website visitors to move their mouse over an image for an effect. One example of this is Aleyda’s page for her global program teaching inclusion, called the Peace Machines Workshop Series. She made an interactive video showing a fractal design of students from the workshop completing their projects. The design catches viewers’ eyes and also evokes a feeling that students are working to heal the fractures. To create more connection to the page, Aleyda made the image so that scrolling a mouse over it shifts the fractals’ movement toward the mouse. This is a great way to keep her website visitors engaged and even to entice them to click on the image to learn more about the program.
Aleyda uses a similar interactive video as the visual for her data exploration project “You Are The Dream Of Poles Awoken.” At first look, the video shows a tall, majestic mountain that is slightly obscured by horizontal lines. The lines cut through the mountain and make the image of the mountain move slowly up and down, towards its poles. Scrolling your mouse over the video lets you push the lines toward the top or the bottom of the image. This is a clever way Aleyda draws attention to poles on opposite sides of the image. It also sets up the project itself, which focuses on one pole in a small, snowy village in Norway and another pole in the Atacama Desert.
Making your website’s visuals engaging and interactive helps bring your work and your website to life. If a single picture is worth a thousand words, then Aleyda has made her site an example of how to speak millions of words and evoke emotion without using much text at all. Her website’s visuals inspire visitors to interact with them, and helps improve the likelihood they will click and read more about her work. If your visitors can feel they are a part of what you do, there is a better chance they will take it in and remember it. Follow Aleyda’s lead and try exploring videos and visuals to showcase projects on your website. Get more from Aleyda herself by signing up for her newsletter, following her on Instagram, or jumping into her portfolio on AleydaRocha.xyz.
In this XYZ Quarterly we’ll cover five important features to add to your app’s promotional website and recap XYZ’s Q4 2020 activity.
Read on for Part 1: “How to build the ultimate website for promoting your app or project”
Or jump down to Part 2: “XYZ’s Q4 2020 Recap.”
Making a strong promotional website for your app or project is critical to its success. Showcasing your app on your website, a platform that you control, can help you reach potential users worldwide. A website enables you to promote and present your app independently, giving you creative reign over your marketing and your audiences. Launch your website on a short and memorable domain, and it becomes easy to share through social media, email, and word of mouth.
We’ll show you five essential features to consider in order to get the most out of your app’s promotional website. In this edition of the XYZ Quarterly, we’ll explore five app websites that offer stellar examples of these features that you can use to market your own app or project.
A key step to marketing your app is to succinctly tell users exactly what it does. This important information should be quick to read and front and center on your website. Make it easy to understand the purpose of your app by using short sentences designed with high visibility. This strategy helps visitors decide immediately what they want to do next. By providing simple information from the start, you can lead website visitors down the path to the next steps you want them to take. To see how this tip works in practice, look to UseMy.xyz.
UseMy.xyz is an app where users can lend everyday items to others or find and borrow an item they need. Their homepage features a two-sentence elevator pitch of the benefits to users, along with a quick description of what the app does. UseMy.xyz includes a prominent button with a call to action (CTA) to download the app, located immediately under this description. Their strategy is to tell users what their app does via the elevator pitch, then make it easy to get to the app with a simple click. In less than 30 seconds, UseMy.xyz gives future users what they need to know to get started.
Try this strategy on your homepage to quickly relay information that new users need about your app, and encourage app downloads.
Crafting a promotional website for your app can help generate downloads and add new users. It’s essential that you make download links clear and highlight them so that they are one of the most important elements on the page. A call to action (or CTA) is an element of your website that tells your audience what to do. Websites most often will utilize a highly visible button with action text, that makes it easy for the user to see and click right off the bat. An example of a solid CTA layout can be found on POAP.xyz’s website.
POAP.xyz is an app that uses decentralized technology to create a system where users can collect badges to confirm their participation in activities at events. POAP.xyz’s homepage is colorful and simple, and right in the center of the screen they feature a small group of calls to action. POAP.xyz uses the brands of Apple App Store and Google Play in their CTA buttons to show users where the app is available. A third button calls out “Questions?” which leads users directly into messaging with their team.
Try placing prominent marketplace-specific buttons on your website to immediately signal where potential users can get your app and help increase download conversions.
Your elevator pitch and images of compatible devices help viewers create a solid understanding of your app. To showcase the full range of benefits of your app, you can present a magnified version of each feature on your website. Use short, easy-to-read sentences that explain important individual features and their benefits. Share close-up images of these features next to the descriptions so users will know how to use your app as soon as they open it. A great example of this strategy is Mee6.xyz‘s website.
Mee6.xyz is a bot made to integrate into the messaging platform Discord, and gives users more control over their community. Mee6.xyz allows users to add custom commands and roles for members, or gain ranking based on activity related to the community. These services can be difficult to picture, so Mee6.xyz features screenshots of each one as they would look in use on a Discord server. These visuals help explain, showing potential users how the features work, and also make it easy to visualize the benefits.
Help users grasp the benefits and get them thinking about the ways your app can solve their problems by illustrating your app’s features.
There are an overwhelming amount of apps available today. Generating trust in your app is important if you want folks to try it out. One of the strongest ways to earn that trust is by showing your app has “social proof” of its legitimacy and benefits. While app platforms already provide reviews, you can use your website to highlight the best reviews from your users, and also feature testimonials posted on other mediums. These could be social media posts, quotes, or even videos of users talking about why they like your app. GitHistory.xyz can help provide some inspiration for trying this tip.
GitHistory.xyz is a browser application that enhances a key feature of Github, a popular platform amongst the developer community for code collaboration and version control. GitHistory.xyz’s website proves the app’s popularity and legitimacy by listing testimonials from well-known members of their target audience in a section on their website titled “What people are saying…” This adds social proof and shows the app is popular with makers and developers, which are GitHistory.xyz’s ideal user base.
Try this tip on your website to increase trust with new users and help increase downloads of your app from your target audience.
New users often want to see your app in action before they try it themselves. Seeing how it works helps them feel more comfortable by trying before buying (or downloading.) Get inspiration for your website by seeing an example of how this is done, and also preview a useful tool that will help you do it yourself on Overframe.xyz.
Overframe.xyz is a recording service that helps users make demo videos of their app in use. Overframe.xyz knows the value of adding app demo videos to your website, because their app is a tool that creates demo videos! On their own website homepage, they feature a gif of the Overframe.xyz tool in use, showing the user interface of the app. They include a secondary call to action right next to their “Get it now” button, and an option to watch a demo. Clicking on the “Watch demo” button pops up a video that shows how a user can use their app to record their own app demo. This video helps potential users get a quick idea of the quality and ease of use of Overframe.xyz’s tool.
Try giving your audience a look at your app in action so they can know what to expect from the user experience. They’ll be able to see the benefits your app offers firsthand, and go into using it with more trust.
When it comes to making the ultimate website to promote your app, focus on making information easy to find and process. Give your visitors a quick pitch of your app, use clear download CTAs, and give social proof that others like your app to help turn website visitors into app users. Visualize the features and benefits of your app, offer videos or demos, and share the devices it works on to start users off on the right foot. Provide potential use cases to help your site visitors get a clear picture of how they will use your app, as well.
Following the example of the five .xyz websites above can help you make your app’s promotional website as effective as possible for generating users.
2020 has finally drawn to a close. For XYZ, Q4 was filled with just as much activity, innovation, and excitement as always. Here’s how the XYZ team, our partners, and allied organizations helped make the most of the end of 2020.
On December 1, XYZ introduced the first-ever domain names made for the beauty industry: .Beauty, .Hair, .Skin, and .Makeup. The naming opportunities of these new domain endings give brands, professionals, influencers, and communities of the multi-billion dollar beauty industry an exciting new way to build a flawless, industry-specific online presence.
.Beauty, .Hair, .Skin, and .Makeup allow beauty brands, professionals, and influencers to get affordable, memorable URLs that match their brand name, first and last name, social handle, or creative idea. The domains will carry an expected MSRP of $15-$20 and are going through an early access period for trademark holders called the Sunrise period now until February 5, 2021. An unrestricted early access period will be held for anyone willing to pay an extra fee to get their domains before everyone else from February 10 until March 2. On March 2, 2021, the domains will become available to beauty pros, brands, influencers, fans, and everyone else worldwide.
December 1st also saw the arrival of .Quest, the domain made for gurus, experts, and authorities in any field. .Quest is the perfect domain for internet users to prove their website as the destination their audience is seeking.
.Quest follows the same launch phases as .Beauty, .Hair, .Skin and .Makeup, with a Trademark Holder Landrush period taking place now until February 5th. The domain will embark on its journey to serve online authorities everywhere on March 2, 2021.
The virtual hackathon scene is continuing to flourish, and XYZ helped support attendees at seven hackathon events in both India and the U.S. in Q4 of 2020.
Thanks to XYZ’s ongoing relationships with Script India Foundation and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in India, XYZ supported five events in the region in Q4. Participants at IEEE Elysium, Let’s Hack, Hack the Bond, and Hack with CodeWarriors received .xyz domains to help them get their ideas and projects online. The hackathons focused on coming up with solutions to big problems like climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic. XYZ is proud to help participants share their ideas and solutions with a global audience via their new .xyz domains.
XYZ was also a returning sponsor of US-based events Cutie Hack and Hack RPI in Q4. Participants were happy to see XYZ return and welcomed another year of access to .xyz domains for their projects, portfolios, and ideas. They also appreciated XYZ’s guidance on how to set up their perfect .xyz website.
Higher education institutions have had a challenging year. To help them adapt to online learning, many XYZ partners shared how .College domains provide a platform for these schools to keep students and teachers connected. In addition to offering a sale on .College domains, GoDaddy, Dynadot, Rebel, and Porkbun each shared blog posts on how .College domains can take higher education organizations to the top of their class online.
Porkbun, Pananames, Rebel, and Domain Cost Club also shared a short video helping educators visualize the benefits .College could have for their institution. We’re proud to have our partners’ support in spreading the word about .College during this critical time for learning institutions online.
Creatives, out-of-the-box thinkers, and those seeking a unique domain for their website got a spooky surprise this Halloween thanks to cdmon and Pananames. Both partners served up spooky good deals on .Monster domains, with sales of up to 92% off standard price.
As Halloween is fast approaching hurry up to get your .monster domain name with a huge 92% discount https://t.co/6sKWdyysD7 #monster #Halloween2020 pic.twitter.com/wi775a9XzZ
— PanaNames (@PanaNames) October 26, 2020
Celebra un #Halloween de miedo con la #promoción más monstruosaaaaa 😈
🎉 Consigue ahora el #dominio .monster por solo 0,95€ 👻
👉 https://t.co/4mm3i5ogeE pic.twitter.com/DTxe8dEJxU— cdmon (@cdmon) October 29, 2020
The sale was the perfect opportunity for ghouls and ghosts everywhere to grab deals on domain names that are sure to help their websites make a beastly impression.
The XYZ Anti-Abuse Team is at the forefront of safeguarding the namespaces of all XYZ extensions. In Q4 2020, they welcomed five new partners to join in their efforts to keep these zones safe and reputable. Thanks to the Anti-Abuse Team and our partnerships in the cybersecurity industry, .xyz concluded Q4 with a lower average badness score than other legacy TLDs during the quarter, according to Spamhaus.1
Adopters of XYZ’s family of domains can count on the XYZ Anti-Abuse Team and its partners to aggressively halt abusive use of any XYZ domains in accordance with XYZ’s Anti-Abuse policy. To report abuse of a .xyz domain, submit evidence at gen.xyz/abuse.
Online shopping was the go-to gift buying method this holiday season. XYZ helped online shoppers get the world’s favorite new domain, .xyz, for as low as $0.50 on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. XYZ’s partners Alibaba, Tencent, WestCN and Xinnet rang in the start of 2021 with holiday sales on .xyz domains. Their customers can start the new year with a memorable .xyz name and set themselves up for a productive year all for customer-friendly prices under $1.
2021 is finally here, and XYZ has big plans for the upcoming year ahead. Stay tuned by subscribing to our newsletter, following us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Sources:
1. https://www.spamhaus.org/statistics/tlds/
Wave.xyz – GoDaddy customer (United States)
Creative companies are often guided by their unique identity or mission, and use that to stand out to potential clients. AandB.xyz uses their “born digital” identity to help clients create successful online campaigns. Byld.xyz trusts their process and uses it to help established brands innovate solutions by creating new startups. AtelierInteriors.xyz follows the creative guidance and unique design vision of their founder, Adri van Zyl. This week’s #WebsiteWednesday features another .xyz adopter fueled by their own unique philosophy to make a positive impact through their work: Wave.xyz.
Wave.xyz is a “cause first creative collective” specializing in promotional initiatives that make a positive impact. Wave.xyz’s name is a reference to their company philosophy. Featured on their About page, Wave.xyz’s philosophy uses a memorable metaphor that fits perfectly as the company’s elevator pitch.
“Life is made of waves. Both modest or massive, waves make impact, washing upon shore for a fleeting impression.
Through constant connection with sand, waves have the unique ability to shift boundaries.
A wave is also a moment in time for brands.
Applying such logic to brands is critical for making meaningful waves that break through disorder, generate change, and accelerate impact.” – Wave.xyz
To help brands achieve influence, Wave.xyz offers services spanning the full promotional process. This includes developing a complete strategy, creating materials, and managing the rollout of a campaign as well. One way they aim to set themselves apart from other creative agencies is by choosing to be “nomadic.” This means Wave.xyz goes to their client and works from the front line. Their goal is to immerse their team in the environment and create the most meaningful final product.
Wave.xyz have brought their impact-focused solution to a few notable brands. In 2018, they created a film for NOVA Hope for Haiti to help the organization raise funding at their annual casino night event. The overall project goal was to recount 16 years of NOVA Hope for Haiti’s work in the region. To accomplish this, Wave.xyz filmed on location in South Haiti and spoke with residents to show the challenges the region is facing. Then, they created promotional collateral and managed a full campaign on social media to raise awareness of the film. The full campaign shows how NOVA has helped bring the region much-needed medical care and the positive effect it’s had. NOVA has continued to use Wave.xyz‘s film as an introduction to their work on their company website, showing the lasting value that Wave.xyz‘s work had for them.
For the Church of St. Francis of Assisi’s LGBT+ Ministry in NYC, Wave.xyz completed a full branding overhaul. They developed a new branded color palette and communication strategy that reflects the ministry’s values. They then adapted this new strategy to the ministry’s print, email, digital and social media presences. Wave.xyz says the ministry loved the new branding, which was also well-received by many parishioners at their church.
In one of their larger projects, Wave.xyz worked with the Alzheimer’s Association in San Antonio and South Texas to create a national fundraising campaign. This campaign was set to kick off the organization’s biggest fundraising event of the 2018-19 fiscal year – the #ENDALZ campaign. Wave.xyz filmed a video featuring individuals who have a loved one with Alzheimer’s to inspire change by showing how many lives Alzheimer’s affects. Wave.xyz say their work helped to “invigorate advocates” ahead of two major fundraising events for the association that year.
Wave.xyz chose the perfect brand name to fit their mission, and their globally recognized .xyz domain is ready to grow alongside them as they continue to make waves in their industry worldwide. Wave.xyz makes it easy for those interested in working with them to begin the process via their website or branded social media. They have secured @wave.xyz on Instagram and Facebook and @wavedotxyz on Twitter and LinkedIn. These handles make them easy to find and promote their website URL right in their social media handle. Their CEO Jason Syptak has gotten creative with their memorable URL as well, listing himself as “🌊.xyz founder” on LinkedIn. Reach out to Wave.xyz via their website’s contact form, or stay up to date on their latest projects by subscribing to their newsletter.
Ingenio.xyz – Gandi customer (Spain)
Online course platforms have steadily risen in popularity. These platforms use the connective power of the internet to teach general skills from some of the most notable names in their fields. This week’s #WebsiteWednesday features an online learning platform that is built specifically to serve engineers and architects by offering courses on architecture taught by real professionals: Ingenio.xyz.
Ingenio.xyz is an online training platform for both students and professionals in the field of architecture. Ingenio.xyz‘s goal is to share education on key elements of architecture via courses taught by industry professionals. The platform selects teachers with years of experience that have achieved a working knowledge of their field. Teachers are also selected based on Ingenio.xyz’s belief in their ability to teach what they know in a straightforward way. Ingenio.xyz‘s platform covers relevant subjects like structural technique, materials, management, and even design software. This allows platform users to gain a strong baseline knowledge straight from the pros who are working in the field every day.
Courses on Ingenio.xyz vary according to either material type or construction type. This way students can find and enroll in courses that are most relevant to their specialty or interest. Students with no specified interest can jump right into learning by choosing one of six featured courses on the Ingenio.xyz homepage. This gives students the chance to try out a course and plan their learning as they go. Each course has a dedicated page with information on who it’s for and a breakdown of the main topics it will cover. Students can also read reviews from those who have completed the course, so they know what they are getting into before they begin. Teachers also give an overview for each of their courses, which Ingenio.xyz publishes on their branded YouTube channel. Courses vary in price, but users can start a free version by entering their email on the course page. Ingenio.xyz says they have more than 1,000 students and 70 companies currently using their courses as guides.
Each course utilizes a similar whiteboard-style drawing system, where the teachers illustrate lessons as they are speaking. Ingenio.xyz‘s goal with the whiteboard system is to make it easier for students to visualize the techniques they are learning. They also hope to help create a classroom feel and build a connection between student and teacher. Ingenio.xyz works to help build this connection further by featuring a questions page where students can interact with course teachers and find advice. Students are encouraged to ask anything – from problems they are facing, to doubts they may have about their progress on a project. The course teachers will then lend their expert advice and help address the student’s issue. This page is also designed for course participants to network with teachers and other professionals, so they can build up industry contacts. Ingenio.xyz ranks the most active users on this page as well, which incentivizes them to complete more courses so they can gain a higher rank. For those still on the fence about trying the platform, Ingenio.xyz features testimonials from over 70 companies who have used the courses when training employees. This helps build trust for potential users by showing the platform’s backing from industry pros.
Online learning can help students and professionals sharpen their skills by giving them access to expert knowledge at the click of a mouse. Ingenio.xyz exemplifies the benefits online learning can have by offering a specific platform tailored for engineers and architects. Their .xyz domain has helped them create uniform branding across social media and will help them stand out to reach a global audience. Connect with Ingenio.xyz on Facebook and Twitter @ingenioxyz, or by subscribing to their newsletter on the Ingenio.xyz homepage.
Foodism.xyz – GoDaddy customer (India)
The holiday season is in full swing, and food lovers, home chefs, and seasoned professionals alike are sharing their favorite meals and discovering exciting new recipes. The internet is a major force driving these individuals to connect and network. This week’s #WebsiteWednesday harnesses the power of their website to reach these individuals and build a community made for all kinds of food lovers, wherever they are on their culinary journey: Foodism.xyz.
Foodism.xyz is a media brand that aims to be the one-stop destination for all things food. Based in India, Foodism.xyz offers culinary professionals and food lovers a place to discuss cuisines, network, and share recipes or opinions. Foodism.xyz says their mission is “to gather all food enthusiasts under a single roof and help solve their everyday issues by connecting them to the right people.” Indian cuisine-lovers can chow down on Foodism.xyz’s recipe-filled magazine, or grab new meals to try from their recipe sharing platform. They can also cook smarter by reading Foodism.xyz’s “feed bites,” which give tips on healthy ingredients to incorporate into your cooking alongside suggestions for developing better eating habits.
The Foodism.xyz magazine seeks to deliver interesting and exciting food content directly to your inbox each month. Each issue features different seasonal food topics, deep dives into regional cuisines, and articles about what dishes to serve when celebrating upcoming holidays. Regular sections include chef interviews, snack reviews and even a home decor section. Foodism.xyz’s magazine features recipes for both health-conscious readers and those with a sweet tooth, with the overall goal of inspiring their next favorite dish. Past months’ issues are downloadable or can be read directly on the website if you create a free Foodism.xyz account.
November’s issue centered around sharing recipes and comfort foods to cook for cold winters. A few of their “must have” winter recipes include fruit and nut-based dish vasaanu, sweet-flavored Kehwa tea, and Ghugra pastries, which are popular during the colder months. For their regional food focus, Foodism.xyz offered a vegetarian twist on the typically meat-based Kashmiri Pandit cuisine. They wrapped up the comprehensive issue with chai inspired dishes and unique sweets to help bear the cold, along with stories from transplants to India about their favorite chai meals.
Another key element of Foodism.xyz is their interactive recipe sharing platform. The tool features step-by-step recipes searchable by keyword, cuisine type, or author. Those who have created a Foodism.xyz account can submit their favorite recipes using the site’s five step process. Users’ submissions require a description of the dish along with written instructions for making it and photos or video of the cooking process. Foodism.xyz adds even more helpful info for readers by choosing a “recipe of the day” from the recipes submitted.
Another way Foodism.xyz users can connect more closely with their passion for cooking and their fellow users is by sharing food stories. This section features Foodism.xyz users recalling memorable meals and giving tips they’ve picked up from past culinary experiences. Foodism.xyz’s aim for this section is to gather experienced chefs and food fans alike to improve their recipes, find new dishes, and share their journey with others.
Users of Foodism.xyz have new features to look forward to on the horizon as well. Foodism.xyz plans to launch an e-commerce marketplace through both a mobile and web application. They say this new marketplace will allow users to network and swap or sell cooking products.
Gathering with others who share your interests and hobbies helps add to your overall enjoyment of them. Foodism.xyz shows that you can join a community around your interests from anywhere in the world through the internet. Their work also serves as a great example of how .xyz users foster community and help individuals build a deeper connection with the things they love.
