In this XYZ Quarterly we’ll cover seven website types and tips that can help you optimize them. We’ll also provide a recap of XYZ’s Q4 2022 activity.
This year we have reviewed the importance of selecting a memorable domain name, how to help optimize your website for search engines, and how an effective UX design can help your website make a lasting impression. In your quest to develop an online presence, it’s helpful to understand different website types and what distinctive characteristics they possess. While there’s certainly some overlap between the various categories, each type of website has specific objectives to accomplish and its own set of best practices. That’s the reason we’re sharing seven different website types coupled with helpful tips to make them most impactful as part of this year’s XYZ Quarterly theme of Back to Basics. Once you determine which category your own website belongs in, you can review the tips that can help. We are also providing some shining examples in the .xyz community for further inspiration.
Read on for Part 1: “Seven website types and helpful tips”
Or jump down to Part 2: “XYZ’s Q4 2022 Recap.”
A portfolio website can be a great opportunity for showcasing your work, highlighting your special skills, displaying your employment history, and just about anything you wish to present to the world. Everyone from artists, graphic designers, photographers, models, and more can use a portfolio website to present their work to potential employers, clients, or collaborators. A portfolio website can be designed like a resume, demonstrating your full potential beyond what can be shared on a traditional resume. With that in mind, your portfolio website could be one of the first interactions people have with you. This is your opportunity to make a lasting impact with a website that reflects you.
TIP: Launch a personal website to share a multi-dimensional resume or portfolio of who you are. Present a well-organized menu of pages to share your skills and talents, tell the story of who you are, or help your work shine through.
MichaelHo.xyz is an example of a personal website that makes an impact and communicates important information about its owner. Michael Rikio Ming Hee Ho is a Cantonese, Japanese American contemporary artist currently based in Tokyo. He specializes in creating art that is aimed to encourage dialogue about today’s society. Michael graduated summa cum laude with a BA in Fine Arts from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2018. At the end of that year, he moved to Tokyo and began showing work in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Los Angeles. Michael designed MichaelHo.xyz to be easy to explore with a simple and informative website design. Visitors can easily navigate to each page, which can help make Michael’s information easy to find. Prospective buyers and curators can easily visit Michael’s Selected Artwork, CV, and his Bio pages to get a strong understanding of Michael and his art. MichaelHo.xyz features a slideshow of his unique, text-based artwork on his homepage. For a more detailed experience, you can visit the Selected Artwork page to see each art piece with a full description, such as a work titled Good Enough. This work is made of enamel, acrylic, ink transfers, spray paint and resin on canvas and stands over 4 feet tall. It is a black and white oblong structure that has been spray painted with the words “GOOD ENOUGH” in bright orange. With Michael’s inclusion of his CV page, potential collaborators, galleries, and clients can gain a full understanding of Michael’s talent, background, and experience.
Developing a personal website that communicates who you are and presents the information you wish to share with the world can emphasize your talent, promote your skills, and attract valuable opportunities.
A blog is a type of website often used for personal commentary or business content. Blogs can be interactive and include sections at the bottom of each blog post where readers can leave comments. Blogs can be written in a conversational style to reflect the voice and tone of the “blogger,” or the operator of the blog website. In fact, the primary difference between a blog and a journalism website is that journalism is supposed to be fact-based, while blogs contain the opinion of the writer. A “blog post” is the piece of content in a blog. Blog posts are typically presented in reverse chronological order, so that the newest content appears first. Some corporations include blogs as part of a larger website, where they publish informational articles pertaining to their business. Blogs can also function as online journals, available for the world to read. You can even create a family blog to keep your relatives and loved ones informed about your family updates.
TIP: Regularly updating your blog with new posts can increase the chances of return visits and the accumulation of dedicated viewers. Well-written and accurate content can even help your website show up in search engines for specific keyword search terms, generating more visitors.
TheLushLife.xyz is an example of blog website that offers sommelier Sarah Tracey’s wine knowledge and professional advice for the best pairings, wine gifts, style guides, and more. Sarah Tracey is a certified sommelier who has shared wine advice for MarthaStewart.com.1 Her website includes a dedicated blog page featuring resourceful and informative posts like 3 Invaluable Tips for Wine Gifts, From a Sommelier and 4 Unexpected Ways to Pair Sauternes Like a Pro. Each blog post shares more of Sarah’s insights and can encourage visitors to return often to continue learning. Sarah shares blog posts fairly regularly, as often as once a week. She also regularly uses her Instagram account to post inviting content for over 20K followers, including 12 days of cocktail recipes leading up to Christmas, and guides her followers over to her website. She links her bio to TheLushLife.xyz, which serves as her permanent online hub for her online identity and her blog content.
Blogs are websites or parts of websites that are actively and routinely updated with articles, which can demonstrate that you value your visitors and can foster a positive association with your website.
A business website is a website that is committed to representing a particular business or corporation. Many businesses, whether big, small, established, or brand new, have a business website and an online presence. Many potential clients may expect that if they look up your business online in search of more information, they will find your business’s website. Having a website and meeting that expectation can help make your business appear more professional and legitimate.
TIP: Business websites are typically branded identically to the company itself, with matching logos and messaging, and promote the services offered by the business. They may also showcase awards and accolades earned by your business, demonstrate examples of completed work, and even share positive customer testimonials.
Dragonfly.xyz is an example of a business website that promotes their services, conveys their messaging, and demonstrates authenticity. The San Francisco-based crypto investment firm backs teams building generational companies designed to exist for decades and products in crypto across sectors and stages. Their website says they particularly enjoy backing teams working on “something weird” and pushing the boundaries of the industry. Dragonfly.xyz introduced their hacker-inspired website at the same time as they announced their newly rebranded name and logo in an effort to signal a global presence and deep technical expertise. In a post shared on the firm’s Medium profile, managing Partner Haseeb Qureshi provided information about Dragonfly.xyz’s messaging and values. “We’re dropping the ‘Capital’ from our name, and our new look is more crypto-native, inspired by the hackers and weirdos (we say with love!) who have built this industry from the ground up. Our aesthetic is less Patagonia, more ASCII; less stock photo, more glitch art.” Dragonfly.xyz includes company information and resources to help demonstrate their authenticity and legitimacy. There is a section devoted to their successful investment portfolio, and an opportunity for visitors to learn all about the members of the Dragonfly.xyz team. You can hover over each team member’s animated portrait, including CFO Sylvia Liu and Controller Stephen Li, to show their bio and learn more about them. This look inside the firm and at their investment portfolio can help them convey an image of being a professional and reputable business.
Business websites feature branding and messaging that match the business it represents. They promote the services offered by the business and can help convey authenticity and legitimacy.
An eCommerce website is where users can shop and make purchases online, without leaving the comfort of their home. A well-designed eCommerce website can seamlessly guide customers through the process of making a purchase, and help them feel as if they are seeing the products in person in your shop. You can include product photos, detailed specifications, and interesting details to help your customer feel as informed as possible without being able to see the product in person.
TIP: Consider how to set your products apart from the competition. If you are as descriptive as possible, your customer may gain the best understanding of what they are buying.
PlantsAnimals.xyz is an example of an eCommerce website that helps its customers understand their featured products. Specializing in local delivery of natural wines, limited-release beers, and specialty coffee beans, PlantsAnimals.xyz helps customers enjoy the same feeling they would have while shopping at their local specialty shop. You can peruse the natural wines by style, region, and distributor, and read product descriptions and suggested food pairings, almost as if you were receiving an in-store personalized overview of the product. PlantsAnimals.xyz describes Meinklang’s Prosa Rosé Frizzante as a lightly sparkling Pinot Noir with a hint of ripeness on the palate that pairs nicely with sushi, while Olympia Coffee’s Big Truck organic coffee features tastes of sweet chocolate and ripe berry flavors, all in a dense heavy body.
eCommerce websites can help increase the revenue of a business by seamlessly guiding customers through the process of making a purchase. This includes providing detailed information and high-quality visuals to help potential customers feel as confident about making a purchase as they would in person.
Apps & Tools websites come in various forms. They can include web applications, project tracking tools, search tools, and more. These websites are typically designed to help individuals accomplish a task, provide a solution to a challenge, or streamline productivity. Apps & tools websites can be a go-to resource or simply a means to connect with other people.
TIP: Some crucial elements of a successful Apps & Tools website include a useful function, a simple and friendly user interface, and a visually appealing design. These features can help attract and retain new users to your website and help develop a successful and popular platform.
Lore.xyz is an example of an Apps & Tools website that offers a unique professional networking element coupled with a visually appealing design. The innovative web3 platform aims to help potential investors meet new people in the crypto space, connect with verified investors, and find new opportunities. Users of Lore.xyz can find crypto investment opportunities by following verified investors and seeing what they’re investing in. Users can follow other members and then view their cryptocurrency and NFT transactions unfold on their feeds. Profiles on Lore.xyz are backed by on-chain track records which help you to verify the investment activities of “experts.” Users can connect their crypto wallet to follow each other’s profiles and receive a live feed of all on-chain investment transactions. Social feeds derived from crypto wallet activity can help users to view the investment activities of their friends and crypto influencers, and share in potentially lucrative opportunities. These features combine with a well-designed interface to provide users with a unique social media experience that can help to develop a popular following.
Apps & Tools websites can help individuals accomplish a task or overcome a challenge and can include a useful function, friendly user interface, and visual appeal.
Membership websites are gated websites that include features available to members only. They can be used by organizations, clubs, and businesses in order to provide additional value. Memberships can be a fixed monthly or annual price, or operate on a tiered system that offers different levels of membership for different values. Some membership websites are free, and only require members to establish an account.
TIP: Membership websites can attract a large community if they regularly post quality content, offer reasonable pricing, and provide exciting, added value.
A0k1verse.xyz is an example of a blockchain-based membership website. Created by DJ Steve Aoki, the NFT-driven membership community helps its members, otherwise known as citizens, to gather perks like exclusive access to concerts and limited edition merchandise. As the website states, “CITIZENS OF THE A0K1VERSE GAIN UNRIVALED ACCESS TO BOTH ON-CHAIN AND PHYSICAL EXPERIENCES.” To join, you can use Ethereum-based cryptocurrency known as A0K1 Credits to redeem the A0K1VERSE Passport NFT, which serves as your personal admission ticket to the community. Each Passport NFT can be upgraded using additional A0K1 Credits. As members take part in community events and amass more A0K1 Credits, they will earn stamps in their evolving passport which can unlock access to new perks.
Membership websites can be used by organizations, clubs, and businesses to provide additional value and exclusive perks to help develop a strong community.
A landing page is a one-page website that makes an impactful first impression and persuades visitors to take a specific action. Concise content and straightforward design can lead the user to one specific CTA (call-to-action). A landing page can serve to reach prospective customers and nurture their interest in your product or service. Some offer customers valuable resources, like an ebook or checklist, in exchange for an email address to keep in touch. Your landing page could serve to educate potential customers about your app and direct the user where to download it and how to use it.
TIP: Your landing page can implement a concise, easy-to-understand Call to Action (CTA) to help expedite the mission of your website. A CTA can provide your visitors with added value and help encourage them to complete an action to unlock that value.
RDY.xyz is an example of an informative and impactful landing page. The website is the online home of the RDY app, a mobile app that helps users order ahead at local independent coffee shops. RDY.xyz uses your phone’s location services and an innovative order queue to time your drink to your arrival. The location-based ordering option alerts the coffee shop when you are within one mile away, so they can start making your order and serve your coffee at the proper temperature. The landing page website is designed to inform coffee drinkers as well as coffee shops about the app and its usage. Interested coffee shops are directed to a CTA that states “For Cafes” to help them join the RDY network. Coffee drinkers interested in ordering ahead at their local cafe are guided to a pair of CTAs that will take them directly to the mobile app store of choice.
A landing page website can be concise and designed to attract customers and foster their interest in your product or service. The inclusion of an easy-to-understand CTA can help guide your visitors to complete an action and accomplish the goal of your website.
This year, we’ve been putting the “FUN” in fundamentals and sharing valuable tips to help you break down the essentials of a powerful online presence. We have ended the year with a breakdown of some of the most prevalent website types. Registering a new domain is the easy part. Learning about the various website categories can help you determine which category you are aiming for as you develop your new website. Determining your website category can help you identify the goals of your website. Once you understand your website’s objectives, you can begin designing accordingly.
The conclusion of 2022 marked another successful year of significant growth. From the popularity of our informative Domains Reports, to the success of our eth.xyz service, and the support of 52 hackathons and their dedicated student participants, it’s been a remarkable fourth quarter. Here’s what we’ve accomplished in Q4.
We continue to see distinctive projects from across the globe developed on XYZ domains. Brands, businesses, and individuals from all over are using our diverse set of 34 domain endings in the XYZ family to develop their online presence.
Some of the inspiring websites we recognized this quarter include:
Creators, innovators, and imaginative brands have 34 versatile domain extensions to choose from within the XYZ family. Join the movement – register your own domain today!
We couldn’t be more excited that .Lat has officially joined the XYZ Family of domains! Inspired by LATAM pride, .Lat is the domain ending that includes all of Latin America in your online presence. XYZ is dedicated to the growth and enrichment of online prosperity in Latin America and around the world, where an affordable, short, and generic domain ending is essential for representing Latinos worldwide.
.Lat is ideal for brands, individuals, businesses, and organizations that wish to develop memorable websites that connect with Latin America and over 805 million Spanish and Portuguese speakers around the world. You can use .Lat domains for eCommerce websites, web forums, new apps and tools, personal websites, organizations, blockchain-based platforms, NFT projects, and more.
Check out these established websites already making an impact on .Lat domains:
At this time, .Lat has a great selection of available domain names. XYZ has big plans for .Lat in the year ahead, and the time to score your ideal name is now. There are plenty of short and professional domain names available today, infused with Latin pride! Don’t hesitate, get .Lat today.
The XYZ Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales provided a great opportunity to score the perfect domain and put our Back to Basics tips to use to develop your online presence.
Our partners offered .xyz for as low as $0.99/1st year, .Monster, .Quest, .Christmas, .LOL, .Pics,and .Mom for as low as $1.50/1st year, plus exciting deals on other great domains in the XYZ family. We offered extraordinary savings on Beauty, .Hair, .Skin, .Makeup, .Homes, .Autos, .Motorcycles, .Boats, and .Yachts domains for as low as $1.50/1st year! Also up for grabs was .College, .Baby, and .Rent domains for as low as $5/1st year!
There were some great domains registered, and many already have live websites up and running, including:
In case you missed the sale, subscribe to our newsletter now so the next one won’t pass you by.
The Double Eleven Shopping Festival refers to China’s annual online promotion day on November 11. Also known as 11/11, it originates from the online promotion held by Taobao Mall (Tmall) on November 11, 2009. During this year’s Double Eleven sale, our partners offered special pricing for many of our versatile domains. Individuals, businesses, and brands picked up .xyz, .College, .Baby, .Rent, and .Monster domains for as low as $0.99! These sales helped people and organizations across the globe begin 2023 with powerful new websites. We saw many unique domain registrations including:
Don’t miss the opportunity to register your perfect .xyz domain today.
This quarter we offered inspiration and ideas to get a head start on the Halloween and Christmas holidays with the two of the most festive XYZ domains. We shared standout websites developed on .Monster, the spookiest domain extension in the XYZ family, as well as merry websites developed on .Christmas, our most spirited domain extension.
We highlighted the following scary good .Monster websites:
After Thanksgiving, we took out the tinsel and the ornaments and shared the following .Christmas websites:
Each of these festive websites can help inspire you to launch your next big idea on .Monster and .Christmas domains. Get yours today!
Each Wednesday we proudly feature a #WebsiteWednesday spotlight on an exciting and creative member of the .xyz community. Businesses and organizations of all sizes are building their online homes on .xyz domains. We had the privilege of featuring a few.
Skilled artists and talented developers continue to build well-organized portfolio and personal websites on .xyz domains. We enjoyed sharing an inspiring selection:
.XYZ’s community of web3-focused innovators continues to flourish, and we wanted to share as many of the exciting blockchain projects we could. We simply needed to expand, so this quarter we introduced our new series titled #BlockchainThursday to complement #WebsiteWednesday.
We spotlighted an assortment of web3-based platforms, including:
Blockchain-focused businesses are establishing their online homes on .xyz domains. Here’s a couple that we’ve shared:
We look forward to highlighting many more web3 platforms, NFT projects, blockchain-focused business, and more in the year to come. Be sure not to miss a single installment of #BlockchainThursday!
Last December, we launched eth.xyz, a service we developed to help ENS users share what they want to the world. With eth.xyz, all .eth name holders can display their ENS profiles in all web browsers. 2022 saw over 3 million visits to eth.xyz profiles!
The eth.xyz shortlink can work for .eth holders in a few ways. Eth.xyz works as a lookup where you can more easily find the profile and wallet information connected to an .eth name. It can also function as a way to share your addresses. Or, you can simply use eth.xyz as an easy way to showcase your NFT collection.
To use the eth.xyz shortlink , just add “.xyz” to the end of any .eth name in any web browser and the corresponding ENS profile will display. The profile content is automatically populated from publicly available information provided through ENS, and is ultimately controlled by the relevant ENS user.
In the final quarter of last year, we introduced the XYZ Registry Domains Report. Each month, we share exciting highlights from the previous month, including which XYZ domains took the lead, most popular keywords in domain name registrations, and the highest aftermarket sales of the month. We are excited to share that this insightful report has become our second most popular feature.
In the months ahead, we aim to continue enhancing the Domains Report with even more features. Right now, you can also learn about inspiring businesses and new ideas launching on XYZ premium domains, as well as notable influencers using XYZ domains. You can even read powerful testimonials from registrants of premium and aftermarket sales. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss a single XYZ Registry Domains Report.
In addition to over 200 partnerships with registrars and retailers, we engaged in some new creative endeavors. Check out more about our enriching new partnerships and our growing support of global hackathons.
Unicorn Platform is a no-code website and blog builder for startups, mobile apps, and more. Our partnership helps us to support many Unicorn Platform customers as they develop their impactful websites with .xyz domains. We’re proud to see innovative websites being developed, like StudentFinder.xyz, a platform designed to help private colleges in Canada and the United States to increase enrollment for career-oriented programs, and QuantumObjects.xyz, a collection of unique NFTs on the Tezos blockchain.
Ladipage.vn is a Vietnam-based landing page design platform that can help businesses and organizations to promote sales and market their products and services. Through our exciting new partnership, we’ll be able to support Vietnamese businesses develop landing pages on .xyz domains that can help generate more conversions and increase their revenue.
SuperstarX.xyz is a digital publication whose main theme is “We See You” – it strives to amplify diverse voices to celebrate being human and destigmatize being different. The magazine’s topics include multidimensional wellness, art, film, music, and fashion, all with an aim to help promote greater awareness, understanding, solidarity, and celebration of Indigenous Peoples, Black People, and People of Color. Through our unique partnership, we can help the platform’s growing community of subscribers and creators to develop mission-driven websites on .xyz domains.
XYZ helped support participants at 52 hackathons in the final quarter of 2022! Inspired coders received .xyz domains to help encourage them to develop their creative ideas online. Many hackathons were held virtually, while others took place throughout the world:
Spark, Engage Hackathon, ClockHacks, hackCBS, Exun 2022, Code breaker competition, dCTF, REVA HACK 2022, INSPIRATHON 2.0, EconBowl 2022, PyHacks 2022, WarP 2022, UHACK 5.0, CodeX V4.0, Hack On Hills, Keep Austin Hacking, Elithon V5.0, Inspire Hack, Hacknovate 4.0, SpreadLove, Bear Hacks 2022, AIHacks4Good, Cryptic Hunt, Technophilia, Fortune hacks, Trihacks, SHISTECH, ALCHEMIA HACKATHON, ROBOHackIT 2022, CelesteCon, Technorax V8.0, HackHW 2022, ComposeNCompete, NeoFest, HACK AT SITS, SacHacks IV, VELOCITY 2.0, Hacktoberfest, Unie Hacks, MakeUC, Code Wars, Stretch Your Imagination, Fall Club Fair 2022, Tri-Valley Hacks, TecHacks 3.0, WinterHack, Horizon 2022, AstraHacks 3.0, CelesteCon 2022, Datahacks 2.O, Recalibration, CODE
XYZ enjoys helping dedicated non-profit organizations and educational hackathons share their ideas with a worldwide audience on their own .xyz domains. If you are interested in registering your own hackathon with XYZ to help the next generation of internet users develop the future of technology, contact us today!
Q4 was a strong ending to another accomplished year. XYZ is inspired and looking forward to all the possibilities that lie ahead in 2023. We resolve to continue helping the next generation of internet users create an impactful online presence. Stay tuned by subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
1. https://www.marthastewart.com/author/sarah-tracey
In this XYZ Quarterly we’ll cover seven user experience tips that can help you create a brand website that leaves a lasting impression. We’ll also provide a recap of XYZ’s Q3 2022 activity.
We have previously reviewed the importance of selecting a memorable domain name as well as how to help optimize your website for search engines. User experience refers to the overall experience that a visitor has while visiting your website. UX includes all the aspects of the interaction between your brand and your current or potential customers, and your website plays an integral role. An effective UX design can help you ensure a positive association between your website and the interests of your customers.
A positive association generates a lasting impression that can keep your customers coming back, and even develop organic brand ambassadors who will speak positively about your website. For a strong online presence, complement your domain name and SEO strategies with an overall experience that will leave a lasting impression. That’s the reason we’re sharing user experience tips for an impactful brand website as part of this year’s XYZ Quarterly theme of Back to Basics. We’ll provide you with seven UX tips that can help you develop a brand website that makes an impact, as well as seven .xyz websites that are putting these tips to use.
Read on for Part 1: “Seven user experience tips for a brand website that leaves a lasting impression”
Or jump down to Part 2: “XYZ’s Q3 2022 Recap.”
Your website is one of many crucial ingredients of your brand. Your brand is the experience, perception and reputation that people have of your services, including their experiences using your website. Your brand identity is an expression of your brand, and a logo can go a long way to communicate your identity, values, and services. A great logo can stick on the minds of your visitors. It can be applied on social media profile pages, merchandise, business cards, and most importantly, your website. Your branded website may be one of the first interactions people have with your company and it is your opportunity to make a lasting impact and visually express your purpose.
TheHug.xyz is an example of a community-focused website that has branded with a logo that communicates their values. The platform is created by Facebook Live creator Randi Zuckerberg and venture capital firm M13 founder Debbie Soon, and is designed to embrace and empower all Web3 creators, including women, non-native English speakers, BIPOC, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, and LGBTQ+ folks. As such, TheHug.xyz features branding using two specific logos: one of a happy emoji enjoying a hug, and the other is the word “hug” adorned by the same two hugging hands featured on the emoji. These logo choices help communicate the platform’s interest in embracing, advising, mentoring, and empowering aspiring web3 creators of all kinds.
Developing a logo that helps visitors understand your brand, remember your website, and communicate your core services can emphasize your brand’s values, promote brand awareness, and leave a lasting impression.
Customers want to easily find the information they need as quickly as possible. To help customers find the answers to their questions, your website can include helpful resources like tutorials, FAQs, instruction guides, related articles, and other materials that are designed to help customers understand your product or service. By not making resources readily available, you risk causing your visitors to experience frustration or confusion instead of satisfaction. A frustrated or confused visitor may decide to move on to the next service.
ForceofNature.xyz is an example of a website that makes a wide assortment of resources readily available to its visitors. This non-profit organization is dedicated to helping young people realize their change-making potential in the face of climate change. ForceofNature.xyz works to accomplish this goal by leading student programs, speaking at schools and universities, and creating curriculum and supporting resources for educators. The website features a Resources link where students and educators can acquire all the helpful materials they could need to take advantage of the organization’s services. For teachers, ForceofNature.xyz offers continuing professional development in the form of training sessions to help educators respond ethically to climate change concerns, navigate difficult conversations, and create spaces that promote wellbeing. They feature a Climate Anxiety Discussion Guide, which is a 4-module discussion guide aimed to help facilitate conversations about the climate crisis while safeguarding young people, navigating strong feelings, and fostering emotional resilience. They even have a video that highlights the purpose of the guide. For students, ForceofNature.xyz offers programming intended to foster change by uncovering their interests as aspiring activists and clarify what they need to be effective as change-makers.
By featuring helpful resources on your website, you can leave an impression of preparedness, thoughtfulness, and a dedicated interest in earning and retaining the attention of your visitors.
Brand voice is the specific personality that a brand uses in all of its communications. Particular people likely stand out to you because they’re great talkers and storytellers, and do so in a unique way. That is the type of memorability and lasting impression you may want from your brand voice. If your brand was a person, what personality traits would they take on and how would they speak? How would that person respond in different situations? Taking that into consideration can help you develop your brand voice. This voice can then be applied to every communication from your brand, especially your website. A distinct brand voice can help your website stand out from the crowd and give your brand a personality.
NaN.xyz is an example of a website with a distinct brand voice. The Germany-based practice has collaborated on typefaces with leading agencies and global brands, including Google and Virgin. NaN.xyz seems to pride themselves on creativity and whimsy, and indicates on their website that they can be found “at the intersection of serious and slaphappy.” Throughout NaN.xyz’s website, you can discover a true understanding of their witty and tongue-in-cheek personality. Atop their homepage, they state “NaN is an exploratory and service-driven type design practice, creating for and collaborating with the weird, the wise and the wonderful.” In the descriptions of nearly every typeface offering, one can read something that will yield a smile. The description of font NaN Holo states: “Think about your favorite hairdresser that you’ve known for years. Holo is the AI recommended automaton which replaced your hairdresser without you even noticing.” The font NaN Juane indicates a practiced motto: “Take a bad idea and do it well, or at least die trying.” Where they intend to list open source typefaces in the future, they state: “We’ll be adding our Open Source fonts here soon. Patience grasshopper.” NaN.xyz does not miss an opportunity to inject a distinctive brand voice into all of their copy.
Developing a distinctive brand voice can help your website stand out, express an endearing personality, and create a lasting impression on your visitors.
When considering an effective UX design, it is important to remember that there may be other websites offering similar products or services as yours, and customers often choose the one with an easy and attractive user experience. Well-designed navigation can help users discover and absorb all of your information quickly and self-sufficiently. A visitor’s feelings about your website and your organization can vary based on the presence of obstacles in their search for information. A well-structured, user-friendly website could suggest that your brand or business is equally well-organized and customer-focused. An easy-to-navigate website with pleasing visuals, engaging content, and helpful resources can demonstrate that you value your customers. Demonstrating an unparalleled interest in your customers can encourage word-of-mouth advertising and organically increase the number of visitors to your website.
Islands.xyz is a long-scrolling website. This means that most of the information is contained on one long webpage, and visitors can typically access what they need without a need for multiple clicks. With all the information right there, visitors can simply scroll down without the need to click off the page or over to a different website. There are additional menu options found on the top of the page, including a career opportunities page, but most of what a first-time visitor may wish to learn about can all be found on the long-scrolling homepage. At the very bottom of the page visitors find an opportunity to sign up for the platform’s newsletter and locate an informative FAQ that can answer any remaining questions. This type of page format helps foster natural storytelling. You can engage visitors in your brand’s story with a creative design using a clear beginning, middle, and end. By adding dynamic content like imagery, you can create a level of engagement that helps your audience absorb your information and gain a complete understanding of your services without having to click over to multiple pages.
Your website’s navigation experience can play an important role in how your visitors feel about your website and your brand. A navigation design that clearly leads your customer down a distinct path with minimal distractions or causes for confusion can help them find the content they’re looking for quickly and easily. A strong navigation experience can help reduce the need to leave your website. Your website’s navigation experience can also help immerse your customers in your brand’s story.
If your brand website includes an eCommerce option, then sales are often your main goal. To achieve this goal, you can aim to make your website’s marketplace design as easy to use as possible. A well designed online marketplace can seamlessly guide customers through the process of making a purchase. An impactful marketplace is likely easy-to-navigate and can result in continued use. If your online marketplace is not easy, you risk losing your visitors to a website that is more intuitive. Including an ample amount of product photos, specifications, and interesting details can help your customer feel as informed as possible without being able to see the product in person. This can reduce their reluctance to make a purchase and leave a positive impression of your website.
Black.xyz is a specialty coffee roaster located in Bratislava, Slovakia. Their e-shop section is a prime example of eCommerce that is impactful and easy to use. Black.xyz’s knowledge of their coffee is evident in how they describe each type they carry. They explain each coffee’s variety and exactly where it came from on their website. For example, their Tanzania Blackburn coffee is meant to be light and citrusy with notes of lime, tangerine, green tea body, grapefruit acidity, and an herbal honeydew finish. If a bolder variety is what you’re looking for, their Black Sheep blend is more full bodied with notes of dark chocolate, wild berries and dried stone fruits. Each product description includes photos of the front and back of the packaging, and images of the rich coffee beans. Black.xyz also sells merchandise, such as the Black Mirror nano scale. The product description explains that this compact scale is ideal for checking and preparing espresso, and is enriched with a coffee flow control function that can make it easier for you to monitor the coffee flow in real time. Black.xyz’s description is optimized with the inclusion of a simplified list of properties as well as a 90-second video highlighting the scale’s attractiveness and ease of use.
A thoughtful and customer-focused eCommerce platform can establish trust, boost revenue, and encourage return visits to your website.
Much like your logo, the color choices you use in your materials can influence how people perceive your brand. Colors can affect mood. For instance, studies say that orange and yellow can foster happiness, while gray can elicit sadness. Many brands carefully select their color schemes to help build their recognizability over time. Many people across the globe can immediately recognize McDonald’s red and yellow color palette. Google’s website features a primarily white background, with their logo using distinctive traces of blue, red, yellow, and green. .XYZ uses purple, which studies suggest can represent courage, creativity, mystery, and magic. Studies in logo color psychology suggest that if people are familiar with your logo, color can become a shortcut for conveying visual details about your brand. Colors can help establish familiarity. That familiarity can create a lasting impression of comfort, and comfort can encourage your website visitors to return over and over again.
Wunks.xyz is a community platform centered around a collection of 6,000 NFTs aimed at paving the way for equity of access in the NFT space. The Wunks.xyz website serves as an example of how to establish a color palette for your brand. The NFT collection has a tagline of “Women Punks with Purpose” and is inspired by the Cryptopunks, Larva Labs Studios’ original NFTs that debuted in 2017. Throughout Europe and the United States, the color pink is thought to be a calming color associated with love, kindness, and femininity. Wunks.xyz is taking ownership of that color, and applying it to their website to pay homage to influential women and to attract more women to the web3 space. Their homage even states: “We, Wunks, are here to stay with our own style and rocking a whole lot of pink!” The easy-to-navigate website is rich with dark hues of pink, broken up by images of Wunks NFTs that feature a pale pink background. Because color can also help important features to stand out, they have included a pink call-to-action (CTA) button against a black background to encourage visitors to join their Discord community. The color palette and design of Wunks.xyz helps the website express female empowerment, representation, and equity.
Establishing a pleasing and strategic color palette on your website can help communicate a feeling, create a memorable association, and generate an impression of familiarity that can encourage your website visitors to return.
Your website visitors should have an easy way of finding out how to contact you. Contact information improves the user experience, and user experience is something considered by today’s search engines when it comes to determining your website’s ranking. Without easy access to your contact information, some visitors may opt to consider another business with a website that makes it easy for them to get in contact. A “Contact Us” page can play a crucial role in turning your website visitors into your repeat customers by generating trust and providing them with a place where they can find all your contact details easily, including email address, postal address, and more. You can include a live chat option, which helps customers chat directly with a customer service representative, or a customer contact form, which helps people email you directly without having to visit a separate email platform. Social media sections containing Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other profiles are another great way to provide access, and can also help you gain followers and interact with potential customers who may have questions.
ArtsandLetters.xyz is an example of a website with a comprehensive contact page. This independent creative agency is based in Richmond, Virginia and was founded by former creative director Charles Hodges, who previously worked for Google Creative Lab. Charles continued fostering this relationship across a range of projects, and ArtsandLetters.xyz launched in 2017 with Google as its first client. At the top of the ArtsandLetters.xyz homepage, visitors can easily click Contact to reach the agency’s full assortment of contact information. The page features three different email addresses to use, depending on whether you are proposing new business, seeking public relations assistance, or simply want to say hello. On the page footer, the agency shares their postal address and phone number, as well as their Instagram and LinkedIn profiles. This is all the contact information one might need in order to seek further information or inquire about becoming a new client.
When you have a contact page that clearly provides your contact information, you can help generate trust and demonstrate your interest in hearing from potential customers.
Enriching the user experience of your website can help you build a strong online presence and develop a strong brand. A thoughtful user experience can help grow your amount of website visitors and keep their attention. Your easy-to-navigate and resourceful website can generate trust and word-of-mouth advertising. Enjoyable and memorable visuals can create comfort and familiarity. Recognizing the importance of your visitor’s experience can help keep you on track in your efforts for a powerful online presence. Following the examples of the seven .xyz websites above can help you develop a website with a user experience that makes a lasting impression.
We are nearing the conclusion of 2022 and entering the final chapter of another successful year. With the acquisition of a 34th domain ending, a return to NamesCon, and releasing more .xyz premium domains for registration, we’ve been quite busy. Here’s everything we’ve accomplished this past quarter.
In August, XYZ Registry welcomed .Lat as the 34th domain in our XYZ Family of memorable and intuitive domain extensions. We are excited to share this versatile option of branding online with Latinx identity. There are boundless ways of branding with a .Lat domain. Take a look at some established websites already using .Lat:
In September, XYZ returned to the annual NamesCon conference. The Austin-based global conference aims to bring together the domain investors and service providers who develop the digital asset industry, including domain names, NFTs and more. We had a great time catching up with our industry friends, and enjoyed great conversations with our registrar partners, industry insiders, and bloggers. It was really great to see each other in person to celebrate the domain industry and share about our successes.
We continue to see unique projects from all over the world developed on XYZ domains. With even more domain endings in the XYZ family, there are brands, businesses, and individuals from across the globe using our diverse range of options to develop their online presence.
Some of the standout websites we highlighted this quarter include:
Artists, innovators, and creative brands have 34 versatile domain extensions to choose from within the XYZ family. The time is now – register your own domain today!
With the holiday season fast approaching, we suggest taking action to register your .Christmas domain. And don’t forget about our other perfectly distinctive domains: .Game, .Guitars, .Audio, .Diet, .Flowers, .Hosting, .Pics, .Mom, and .LOL.
These descriptive, memorable, and keyword-rich domains offer so many opportunities to establish your idea online and make a lasting impression. Let these celebratory dates spark inspiration to launch your big idea:
Register your festive domain today!
On September 1, 2022, the XYZ Registry made new .xyz premium domains available. This release featured highly brandable domain names such as Fave.xyz, Refi.xyz, and Authentication.xyz (available as of September 2022), as well as 3-letter domains, 3-number domains, 4-letter domains, and more.
You can take advantage of these valuable options to help you launch your next big idea. Don’t miss out – register your own .xyz premium domain before someone else snags it first!
You can discover a curated selection of available .xyz domains with our unique search tools:
Every Wednesday we share a #WebsiteWednesday feature about a creative and forward-thinking member of the .xyz community. Web3 developers are continuing to launch exciting projects on .xyz domains, and we featured a great selection of crypto-focused websites:
NFT projects are heavily populating the .xyz community, and we enjoyed sharing a captivating assortment:
Unique organizations and businesses establish their online homes on .xyz domains. Here’s a few that we’ve shared:
We also highlighted some well-organized personal websites.
Typedream is a no-code website builder that helps you build and customize web pages in minutes. Our ongoing partnership affords us the opportunity to support many Typedream customers as they develop their online presence with .xyz domains. We’re proud to see innovative websites being developed, like BitChick.xyz, a Bulgaria-based collection of 3,333 unique NFTs on the Polygon blockchain, and IcedOutBallerz.xyz , a United Kingdom-based collection of 2,222 NFTs on the Solana Blockchain.
Tellie is a website builder designed for quick and easy web2 and web3 websites. Through our exciting new partnership, we’ll be able to support Tellie customers as they launch their ideas or build their personal portfolios with .xyz domains.
For the past five years, XYZ has been a domain industry cycling jersey sponsor for Elliot Silver of DomainInvesting.com and his riding partner John Berryhill as they participate in the Pan-Mass Challenge. This 80-mile charity ride raises funds for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, whose efforts are to help people fight cancer and help to find a cure for cancer. XYZ was once again the lead jersey sponsor for the 2022 event, and we were happy to donate to such a great cause. Elliot raised $23,500 for this year’s ride, and we couldn’t be prouder of his accomplishments. As shared on Elliot’s blog, he and John have raised over $105,000 for Dana-Farber in the past 9 years.
XYZ helped support participants at 45 hackathons in the third quarter of 2022! Motivated coders received .xyz domains to help encourage them to develop their unique ideas online. Many hackathons were held virtually, while others took place throughout the world:
FOCUS Youth Organization, HACKERZ STREET, Hackclub Rait Summer of Code, Tech Optimum Hacks 2022, Escalade, YBT Pitch Competition 2022, Ordinatrix by Pyrotech, XINO’22, ADL Appathon, REDESIGN – DESIGN FOR THE FUTURE, Odyssey, Z3NITH’22, HACK O HEIST, Error404 Hackathon, Web3Hack, ProjectBeta 6.0, imAgine.py v3.1, Funathon, Impact Hacks, Garuda Hacks 3.0, BtB Hackathon, NextStep Hacks, Katy Youth Hacks, Hackonix, PeddieHacks, UNNAT 2022, Future Hacks 2022, Halocon 4.0, Ignition Hacks 2022, Hackducation, Createch 4.0, MesoHacks, [email protected] 2022, DITU ACM SC Hackathon 2022, HackOdisha 2.0, <enTECHed>, AutumnnHacks, Hack The Mountains 3.0, TechnoQiz, EVOQUE, WWPHacks, INNERVE
XYZ is happy to help educational hackathons and mission-driven non-profit organizations share their ideas with a global audience on their own .xyz domains. If you are interested in signing up your own hackathon with XYZ to help the next generation of internet users build the future of tech, contact us today!
Q3 was filled with innovation and accomplishment, and we look forward to more developments in the .xyz community for the conclusion of the year. Stay tuned by subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
In this XYZ Quarterly we’ll cover seven examples of how to improve SEO and increase traffic to your website. We’ll also provide a recap of XYZ’s Q2 2022 activity.
Your selection of a memorable and easily discoverable domain name is an epic start in your quest for a powerful online presence. In today’s digital world, potential shoppers, collaborators, and clients come across countless websites on a regular basis. There are things you can do to help your website stand out, to appear first in internet searches, and to provide potential visitors with a sense of confidence about your website. This fundamental aspect of a strong online presence is called Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Strong SEO can lead your website to appear in more search results, which can generate authority and trust. Appearing in more search results can also generate more traffic to your website. More visits to your website means more people are experiencing your online presence, considering your products and services, and learning about your skills and talents.
For a strong online presence, complement your domain name with SEO strategies that can help deliver more of what you want the most – engaged visitors. That’s the reason we’re sharing SEO tips, to help increase traffic to your website, as part of this year’s XYZ Quarterly theme of Back to Basics. We’ll provide you with seven SEO tips that can help generate more traffic to your website, as well as seven .xyz websites that are already putting these tips to use.
Read on for Part 1: “Seven SEO tips to help drive traffic to your website”
Or jump down to Part 2: “XYZ’s Q2 2022 Recap.”
When people visit your website, your goal should be to provide them with the information they are looking for and make it easy to take full advantage of your website. This can be accomplished with thoughtful consideration of the design and organization of your website. A common feature of a successful website is the smart layout of its content. Your website should be structured and organized in a logical way with an easy-to-follow navigation system. Visitors should feel encouraged to explore the content. Encouraging exploration with an inviting layout will help your visitors gain access to all the content you want them to find, absorb, and share. If your website’s layout is confusing or the content is difficult to find, your visitors may decide to quickly move on to the next website where they might have an easier time finding what they’re looking for. A well-thought-out layout can keep your visitors engaged and interested in continued or regular use of your website.
Questy.xyz is an example of a website with a structured layout of its content and an easy-to-follow navigation system. This digital talent measurement solution aims to help organizations automate recruitment workflow, assess candidates’ skills, and map a complete employee development lifecycle. The top of the homepage features an easy-to-navigate menu to help visitors learn more about the company and their services. By clicking on the Education page, you can learn more about Questy.xyz’s multidisciplinary assessments, which can help organizations screen, select, and hire appropriate candidates. This page also details Questy.xyz’s library of questions, which contains curated questions of varying difficulty levels designed to measure domain knowledge, aptitude, cognitive, behavioral, and technical skills. On the company’s Remote Hiring page, you can learn about features such as the “Interviewee Only Test.” At the base of their website, Questy.xyz makes additional features available under the “Company” heading. This includes a Blog, with insightful posts such as Live Video Assessment: An Aid for Those Who Want to Hire the Best Remotely, which reviews the benefits of conducting video interviews with potential employees. Questy.xyz also provides a Sitemap that clearly illustrates the logical organization of their content. With Questy.xyz’s organization method, potential clients can quickly see the variety of services being offered. The cohesive organization of Questy.xyz makes it inviting for visitors to explore the website and gain a strong understanding of each of the available features.
A structured and logically organized website can encourage visitors to explore, absorb, and share your content. A straightforward design can help your visitors find the information they are looking for and make it easier for them to take full advantage of your website.
The content of your website can influence your ranking in search results. The value of your content determines whether or not your visitors will come back for repeated visits. A great way to provide value is to focus your content on a specific topic, and break that topic down into subtopics, called content hubs. This can encourage visitors to discover and absorb your full range of expertise. Providing valuable content can demonstrate that you’re an expert in your niche, which can help your website show up more frequently in search results.
BostonSeaport.xyz is an example of a website that features content hubs that break down and categorize its content. Boston Seaport is a 7.6 million square foot lifestyle center in Boston’s Seaport district. It is comprised of residential, hotel, office, retail, entertainment, and public open spaces. The overall topic of the website is the lifestyle center, but the content is broken down into hubs, including a regularly updated calendar of events, transportation services, parking information, lists of services and amenities, and more. There’s also a comprehensive directory of over 35 shopping destinations. BostonSeaport.xyz has become an online information hub for all things related to the development project. By breaking their content down into hubs and silos, BostonSeaport.xyz demonstrates they are the authority on all things related to Boston Seaport. This may also be helping them rank higher in search engines. If someone is searching for information about “snowport winter village” or for “lolita boston,” BostonSeaport.xyz will appear on the first page of Google search results with information about the center’s Snowport winter holiday market or the Lolita restaurant and tequila bar (as of July 11, 2022).
A website with focused and unique content that is broken down and categorized into hubs can help you demonstrate authority and help you rank higher in search engine results.
Images play an important role on your website. They can keep your visitors engaged by enticing them to check out your products and services or entertaining them while breaking up large blocks of text. It is important to ensure your images are sized correctly and are not so large that they take too long to download. Making sure your website loads quickly is a good experience for the user, which is factored into search results. Another way to optimize your images is to utilize alt text. Also called alt tags and alt descriptions, this text helps screen-reading tools describe images to visually impaired readers, and allows search engines to showcase your content for the appropriate keywords.
SuperstarX.xyz is an example of a website that optimizes images and implements alt text. The multimedia collective is aimed at destigmatizing and celebrating our differences, with a goal of connection and eradicating oppression. They work to support their goals through the production of art, film, music, and fashion. SuperstarX.xyz shares the work of their collective through assorted channels such as TheXShop.xyz, an e-commerce art gallery with products that feature artwork by the collective’s artists. The online catalog of products includes items like hoodies, tote bags, and kitchenware, and the imagery is properly sized and optimized for immediate display. They highlight the products for sale, and break up large text blocks to keep visitors engaged. They also utilize alt text, which contributes to their keyword strategy. Take for example the WOMXN’S ALL-OVER-PRINT T-SHIRT. The main image is using the following alt text:“X” by Edward K. Weatherly – Womxn’s All-Over-Print T-Shirt. If you search Google simply for “Edward Weatherly T-shirt,” TheXShop.xyz’s listing is the very first result (as of July 11, 2022).
Optimized images can decrease download times, highlight the product or services that you want to sell, break up large text blocks to keep your visitors engaged, and contribute to better SEO.
When you want to link certain words in your content to other pages, there are two main types of links. Internal links point to other pages on the same website, and external links point to pages on other websites. Linking to pages within your own website can send visitors deeper into your site, allowing them to interact with more content and keeping them engaged longer. For SEO purposes, internal links help search engines find, index, and understand all of the pages on your site. When implemented strategically, internal links can show search engines the relevancy of your content, which can help increase your website’s position in search results.
TimeMarket.xyz is an example of how internal linking can help lead visitors deeper into your website, and encourage them to explore more of your content. Tucson-based TimeMarket.xyz is a bakery, restaurant, grocery store, and gift shop located near the University of Arizona. Their online store makes it easy to enjoy their selection of products if you’re unable to shop there in person. The marketplace has categories of products such as Cookware, Candles, and Cookbooks. When a visitor selects a product, such as the hand-stitched full grain leather potholder in the Cookware section, they will discover additional selections at the bottom of the screen under a heading of “You may also like.” This is designed to help make sure visitors don’t miss out on any available options. The multiple opportunities to access each of their products and dig deeper into the selections helps ensure that visitors will fully explore all of the available content on TimeMarket.xyz. These internal links show search engines the relevancy of the content.
Implementing internal linking can encourage visitors to dive deeper into the content throughout your website. Internal links can also demonstrate the relevancy of your content to search engines, which can help increase your website’s position in search results.
Using strategic keywords can help improve your SEO. These are words and terms that help define what your website’s content is all about. Keywords are often the most popular search terms that users enter into search engines. You should aim to make the keywords on your page relevant to what people are searching for so they have a better chance of finding your content among the results. You can also consider backing up standard keywords with long-tail keywords, which are more specific searches. You may find that long-tail keywords have less competition, allowing opportunity for a smaller website to appear on the results pages. For more information about the importance of keywords and implementing keyword research, look into popular keyword research platforms.
Foodism.xyz is an example of a website that uses keywords. The food-centered social media platform aims to gather all food enthusiasts under a single digital roof. What began as an online presence for their print magazine evolved into a full-fledged platform with content including user-submitted recipes and blog posts written by the Foodism staff. These posts have topics from “what is continental food” to “why it’s time to change up your cooking oil.” The platform’s website uses keywords that may be contributing to their visibility in Google searches. Searching keywords such as “continental food,” and the popular Indian dessert “paisam” in Google shows Foodism.xyz at the top of the results page (as of July 11, 2022).
If your website uses relevant phrases and content that matches people’s search intent, there is a greater chance that your website will appear when someone performs a search.
An excellent way to increase the chances of return visits to your website is by regularly updating your content. Keeping things fresh and exciting on a regular basis provides value that can make people want to return and see what’s new. There are many ways to keep your content updated, depending on the nature of your website. You can update landing pages with seasonal promotions, feature an active blog with a consistent schedule, or even add new videos that visitors will want to watch and share. The idea is to keep your great website updated with quality content that will encourage people to revisit.
TrashMag.xyz is a prime example of a website that encourages return visits to their page by regularly updating content. Trash Mag is a women and queer-led independent zine aimed at cultivating community through creativity. The zine has core values such as independence, empathy, vulnerability, community, and representation, which help inform and guide their issues. Each issue features submissions from around the world, including an interview with Madison Sinclair from the Harry Styles-focused merch brand, BugGirl200, and an essay on normalizing embarrassing moments, because we all have them. New essays, features, and merchandise selections are added nearly every week, which can help capture their audience’s attention and encourage a positive impression on their brand.
Showing your brand is active and cares to provide value to visitors can help establish trust and foster a positive association with your brand. Regularly updating your website with high quality content can increase the chances of return visits, which is a factor that contributes to your overall ranking in search engines.
Last but not least, including a Call to Action (CTA) on your website can provide your visitors with added value and help encourage them to complete an action to unlock that value. A CTA is simple instructional text guiding the visitor to take an action that aligns with your shared goals. For example, if your goal is to be able to connect with your visitor after they leave your website, and your visitor likely wants to get reminders and future information, your CTA might be “Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated!” Encouraging subscriptions and collecting a mailing list creates a great opportunity to keep subscribers informed. If your goal is to bring awareness to helpful resources and organizations that align with your own mission, and your customer is interested in learning more about the topic, your CTA can be “Visit these resources to learn more!” Sending visitors to like-minded organizations can help them better understand your mission and gain the helpful resources they may need.
Launchpool.xyz is an example of a website that implements clear and obvious CTAs. The London-based cryptocurrency investment platform operates under an egalitarian investing philosophy that states “all project stakeholders are as important as each other.” Launchpool.xyz aims to connect investment funds and communities to work together towards the same goals. They host investment projects and offer valuable exposure to their growing community, who combines their knowledge and pools their resources. Launchpool.xyz’s website features a CTA encouraging visitors to “Launch App.” By reminding visitors to take the action of launching the app, Launchpool.xyz stands to increase usage of their platform, which can help the platform and all involved stakeholders to prosper. The website also has a CTA recommending that visitors “Buy $LPOOL,” the platform’s crypto token. $LPOOL is needed to register your interest in the platform’s investment projects, and with more community members involved, there can be greater benefit to the platform and all stakeholders.
Including CTAs on your website can simplify the user experience, and help your visitors determine what to do next. A strong CTA can provide added value to your visitors and help you achieve your desired goals.
Mindful SEO practices can help you reach a global audience and keep their attention. Recognizing the importance of your website’s structure, demonstrating your subject matter expertise, and careful attention to search terms can keep your quest for a powerful online presence on the right track. Following the examples of the seven .xyz websites above can help increase the amount of traffic you receive.
We are sailing through 2022 and still riding the wave of joy from our recent 8th anniversary celebration. For XYZ, the second quarter of 2022 was packed with great ways to help the new generation of internet users to get online. We celebrated our anniversary with an 8-day sale, featured #WebsiteWednesday posts that showcase our creative community members, supported 39 hackathons and their dedicated student participants, and more. Here’s everything we accomplished during Q2.
We spent the month of June celebrating the 8th anniversary of .xyz’s launch! Now with over 4 million registrations, we are excited to share that .xyz surpassed .info in 2022, becoming the #4 generic domain ending. That’s right – at only 8 years old, .xyz is only trailing 3 generic domains from the 1980s. Many thanks go to our global network of registrar partners and their customers whose support has helped make .xyz a top choice worldwide. To make the anniversary celebration extra special, our retail partners offered .xyz domains for as low as $0.88 for 8 days only!
Every Wednesday we present a #WebsiteWednesday blog post highlighting an innovative and creative member of the .xyz community.
Blockchain and web3-focused developers are continuing to build on .xyz domains, and we featured some very awesome websites this quarter:
Some memorable music, culture, and lifestyle websites have been developing in the .xyz community. We showcased a few:
Unique businesses and changemaking organizations establish their online homes on .xyz domains. Here’s a couple of standout organizations that we’ve recognized:
Useful digital solutions and innovative services are setting up shop on .xyz domains. We had the pleasure to highlight a couple:
At the start of the quarter, the XYZ Registry’s no-tolerance policy for abuse in our zones was recognized by Spamhaus, the leading authority on IP and domain reputation data. Spamhaus published a 3-part series of collaborative blog posts with XYZ regarding domain abuse, combating bad actors, and best practices when emailing from a new domain.
Getting the low-down from XYZ Registry on combating domain abuse – Spamhaus Technology
We started off our series diving into what XYZ considers abuse, the XYZ Anti-Abuse Policy and the process we use to protect the internet from bad actors.
XYZ discusses industry collaboration to ban bad actors – Spamhaus Technology
For this installment, we discuss how the registry, registrar, and cybersecurity organizations should work together to stop bad actors.
XYZ’s best practice on new domains and email deliverability
In the final part of this series, we identify what it takes to get you flagged for spamming, and common deliverability issues that new domain users come across and ways to potentially overcome them.
The XYZ Registry continues to enhance the Anti-Abuse process by partnering with cybersecurity companies, regularly scanning our zones for bad actors and seeking out more ways to keep the XYZ namespace safe. For more information on reporting abuse or partnering with the Anti-Abuse Team please visit https://gen.xyz/abuse.
With 33 amazing domain endings in the XYZ family, there are individuals, businesses, and brands from all over the world using our diverse range of options to launch their ideas. We continue to see unique projects ranging from innovative blockchain based games and cyber awareness solutions to cosmetic beauty services based all over the world. Some of the remarkable websites we highlighted this quarter include:
Innovators, creators, and makers have 33 versatile domain extensions to choose from within the XYZ family. Now’s your chance – register your own domain today!
Small businesses, creative individuals, and dynamic brands all over the world have already started building on our newest selection of domains: .Game, .Guitars, .Audio, .Christmas, .Diet, .Flowers, .Hosting, .Pics, .Mom, and .LOL. Here are a few more unique projects on our newest selection of domains that we’ve recognized this quarter:
Use these descriptive, memorable, and keyword-rich domains to establish your brand online and stand out to your audience. Don’t miss out – register your .Game, .Guitars, .Audio, .Christmas, .Diet, .Flowers, .Hosting, .Pics, .Mom, or .LOL domain names today!
XYZ helped support participants at 39 hackathons in the second quarter of 2022! Inspired coders received .xyz domains to help encourage them to develop their creative ideas online. Many hackathons were held virtually, while others took place throughout the world:
HACKTRIX, MEGAHacks2022, Techotsav, Ctrl Alt Delete, HackOFiesta v3.0, TechX’22, GDSC – VIT Vellore, Jaypee Hacks, Pitcher’s Den, RECURSION 3.0, Hack 36, HackNUthon 3.0, Multiverse Of Coding, Design-a-thon, HACKFIT, GATES 2022 ,Chimera, Labyrinth, MasseyHacks VIII, InnoHacks, HACKFLEDGE, HackMoreish Hackathon 2022, Holiday Hacks, ML Hacks, JAMHacks, NHacks VII Hackathon, Execute Hackathon 2.0, StuyPy-a-Thon, Hack the Woodz, Devhost:22, Hydra Hacks, MontyHacks, V Hack-a-bit, Hacking Heist 2.0, Quantum v1.0, FreyHacks, VSHacks, Learnathon22, SPSHacks
XYZ is dedicated to helping young coders share their concepts and ideas with a global audience on their own .xyz domains. If you are interested in signing up your own hackathon with XYZ to help the next generation of internet users build the future of tech, contact us today!
We are enthusiastic to see continued growth and more exciting development in the .xyz community for the second half of the year. We will continue helping the next generation of internet users bring their amazing ideas to life… 4 million domains and beyond.
Stay up to date by subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
In this XYZ Quarterly we’ll cover seven examples of how to choose your domain name and develop a foundation for a strong online presence. We’ll also provide a recap of XYZ’s Q1 2022 activity.
A standout online presence is complemented by a strong domain name. A domain name is an address that you can give out so that people can go directly to your website online. In today’s heavily populated digital world, a standout online presence is extremely important to help differentiate yourself. A carefully crafted website with a strategic domain and a focus on the details can help you to reach audiences all over the world.
An effective website fulfills its intended function of engaging the visitor and retaining their attention. It provides them exactly what they are looking for and more, to engage their visitor and provide them value. There are important fundamentals in the development of a successful and effective website that contribute to how it is perceived. Sometimes new website owners don’t know where to begin, so we’re offering helpful guidance to stay on course for a website that grabs attention, and keeps it.
That’s the reason this year’s XYZ Quarterly theme is Back to Basics with .XYZ. Each quarter we’ll put the “FUN” in fundamentals and provide you with tips to help you break down the essentials of a powerful online presence. We’ll closely examine the techniques that can help you build a strong foundation for your knockout website.
To begin, this quarter we’ll be taking you back to basics by helping you select a memorable domain, a branded email address, and strategic social media handles. We’ll offer you seven helpful tips that you can use to establish a powerful domain from the ground up, as well as seven .xyz websites that serve as prime examples of these tips.
Read on for Part 1: “Seven tips for choosing a domain name for a standout online presence”
Or jump down to Part 2: “XYZ’s Q1 2022 Recap.”
If you’re starting a new business and planning to establish an online presence, you may wish to give strategic thought to your business name as well as your domain name. Essential factors to consider are whether the name is unique, memorable, easy to pronounce, easy to understand, and if it communicates your brand’s identity. Choosing matching names for your business and domain can help you keep your brand and your website aligned. Matching names can be easier to promote and can help your website stand out.
Sipher.xyz is an original example of how a unique matching brand name and domain name can help align your website and your brand. Blockchain-focused gaming studio Sipher developed their namesake game built on the Ethereum blockchain. Because the gaming studio shares a name with their debut game as well as their domain name, every tweet or promotion of any of those assets provides equal promotion for the rest.
The game encourages players and investors to acquire NFTs as they navigate their way through Sipheria, a vast online universe where players can go on missions, join factions, compete in races, make new friends, earn money, and more. Sipher.xyz’s characters are called Siphers, and they are user-designed, limited edition sets of NFT game characters owned by the player who acquires and customizes them. If you search for “Sipher.xyz” you can see that one of the highly coveted “People Always Ask” Google results show a common question “What is sipher XYZ” – which shows that the strategic use of matching domain name to brand helped people find what they were looking for.
Gamers and NFT collectors found interest in Sipher.xyz very quickly. Before completing their seed round, Sipher.xyz released their first NFT collection, known as Sipher Inu, which consisted of 10,000 playable characters for the game. This collection sold out in less than fifteen minutes at an average cost of 0.4 ETH per NFT. Hopeful players of the game and other NFT enthusiasts who could not purchase a Sipher Inu raced to NFT marketplace OpenSea to try to buy them in the aftermarket.
The decision to acquire a domain name that matches their brand name and debut product was effective. As of April 2022, Sipher.xyz is the first website listed in Google search results for just the term “sipher.“
Building your brand by securing a matching domain name and business or brand name can make it easier to attract attention to your website.
It is beneficial if your domain name is easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember. Make sure it passes the radio test; if someone heard it aloud on the radio or a podcast or in conversation, is it memorable and easy to spell so they can look it up later? Additionally, if someone reads about your website, it is a bonus if they can talk about it without worrying if they’re pronouncing it correctly. If you opt for a domain name that might have alternative spellings, you can register multiple versions of the domain name, and forward them to your main domain.
Sound.xyz is an example of how an easy to pronounce and spell domain name can make it effortless to remember, share, and discuss. This new crypto music publishing platform aims to disrupt the music industry by helping recording artists gain more of their music’s value. Sound.xyz accomplishes this by harnessing the power of blockchain technology to turn songs into collectible NFTs. The innovative platform was developed by former Pandora Product Manager David Greenstein, Web3 programmer and DJ Matt Masurka, and former Apple Software engineer Vignesh Hirudayakanth. Having worked for major tech companies, they would understand the need for accessible technology, and a domain name that passes the radio test is easier to access for audience members using voice-assistive technology.
Sound.xyz’s first tool, Listening Party, was released in early December 2021 to great praise from the platform’s inaugural artists. After launch, Sound.xyz featured a Listening Party for each of seven songs from independent artists on the platform. Each song sold out in less than a minute and generated revenue for the artists equivalent to 21 million streams on leading platforms. With a platform based on listening, it makes sense that Sound.xyz would choose a domain that is easy to understand and verbally repeat.
The subject of NFT music startups, including Sound.xyz, and the disruption of the streaming industry has been reported on by entertainment news platform Morning Brew.1 When Sound.xyz has an opportunity to be discussed on a platform like Morning Brew’s Business Casual podcast, it is easy for the hosts to pronounce their website and effective for the audience to type it into their browsers.
Selecting a domain name that is easy to spell, pronounce, remember, and repeat can make it much easier to spread awareness of your website.
In many industries, much of a company’s business will come from online leads. Paired with relevant content, employing specific keywords in your domain can help you rank higher in searches for that product or service, and can attract potential visitors. You can consider using keywords in your domain name if it sounds natural and if you determine that people are actually searching for those keywords and if they will help make your domain name memorable.
Fingerspelling.xyz is an example of how employing specific keywords in your domain can help you rank higher in searches and attract potential visitors. “Fingerspelling” is a form of sign language in which individual letters are formed by the fingers to spell out words. Fingerspelling.xyz is a creative and engaging resource created by non-profit organization American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC) to help families of deaf and hard of hearing children learn American Sign Language (ASL). They are employing the use of a keyword in their domain name that is commonly used to research sign language online. As of April 2022, SEMRush reports that website advertisers are paying an average of $2.13 per click to be visible for the keyword “fingerspelling.” Fingerspelling.xyz organically is getting 1,900 monthly visits organically purely from the keyword “fingerspelling,” which is worth $4,047 per month that they don’t need to pay for to get traffic.
ASDC worked with creative studio Hello Monday to build the innovative and educational website that teaches fingerspelling, and it is gaining increased attention. Organizations praise the website for its design and innovation. England’s FWA, whose mission is to “showcase cutting edge creativity, regardless of the medium or technology used” named Fingerspelling.xyz their “FWA of the month” in May 2021. That same month, global web design organization Awwwards named Fingerspelling.xyz their site of the day. Since keyword domains are common terms, they usually pass the radio test, which is also necessary for accessibility.
By creating their domain with a keyword tied to the intent of their website, Fingerspelling.xyz ranks on the first page of a Google search for the keywords “fingerspelling,” “fingerspell,” “finger spelling,” “asl finger spelling,” “finger spelling practice,” and more. As of April 2022, Fingerspelling.xyz is the first website listed in Google search results for “fingerspelling,“ outranking many other popular websites for this term.
Establishing your niche by using a domain name that includes related and commonly used keywords can help you rank higher in searches, instill confidence, and increase visibility of your website.
Short domain names are easier to remember and faster to type, especially on a mobile device. In a study done on the top 1 million websites as ranked by Alexa, leading entrepreneur resource platform Gaebler found that sites became less popular as their character length increased, and the top 10,000 domains in the list had 8 characters or less.2 This means that a short and easy-to-remember one-word domain name can leave a lasting impression. You can make good use of tools such as our CNOX Search or Premium Search to help find your ideal domain name.
Block.xyz is a perfect example of how the selection of a short and easy-to-remember one word domain name can leave a lasting impression and create a strong foundation for prosperity. The visually captivating online home of newly named financial services-focused Block, Inc. (formerly Square, Inc.) was introduced with the announcement of their exciting rebrand. The company, which has a net worth of $89.72 billion3, officially rebranded on December 10, 2021 to acknowledge their growth beyond their Square product, and to signal their intention to continue expanding their roster of products and services, including Spiral.xyz, aimed at making Bitcoin the planet’s preferred currency.
“Block” is a five letter memorable word that is closely associated with the word “square.” Block launched a press campaign to inform the world of their new change, and this news was reported in video and audio broadcast by major networks like CNBC and ABC News. Short domains can appear more exclusive, and historically have been incredibly expensive to obtain. Paired with a major company, Block.xyz is immediately trusted by an audience.
After their announcement, Square released a thread of Tweets sharing the news about the parent company’s name change, and included their inspiration behind the name Block: “Block references the neighborhood blocks where we find our sellers, a blockchain, block parties full of music, obstacles to overcome, a section of code, building blocks, and of course, tungsten cubes.” It is easy to get to their website, because the short nature of their domain makes it easy to type without accidentally introducing typos or misspellings.
Making your domain easy to recall with a solid, one-word domain name can increase your website’s popularity.
Registering YourName.xyz affords the opportunity to create a website for any topic you want associated with your own name. A personalized domain name is great for your own personal marketing. You can brand yourself as a creator, showcasing your works of art or writing on your website. You can connect your name to an online resume or portfolio website. You can market your accomplishments and projects. People may be able to find your accomplishments more easily if they are searching for your name. Consider registering YourName.xyz while available, even if you don’t decide to use it immediately. It is an asset that may not always be available that you might wish to take advantage of later.
Serwah.xyz is an example of how a unique FirstName.xyz domain name is making Serwah Attafuah’s website ideal for marketing and branding herself as a creator. The Serwah.xyz domain is branded with Australia-based digital artist Serwah Attafuah’s unique, short, and memorable first name. She uses Serwah.xyz as her online portfolio to showcase her work as an oil painter and self taught digital artist. Her surreal cyber dreamscapes and other beautiful visuals are captivating the digital art world.
In March 2021, Serwah was commissioned by Nike and JD Sports Australia to create assets for the Air Max Day 2021, but she also first found herself at the center of the global NFT conversation due to a few high profile sales of her work. One of her pieces of work sold for 10 ETH (approximately $27k at the time). This led to her being selected to be part of Sotheby’s curated NFT collection. One month later, in time for Pride Month, she collaborated on an animated audio NFT with Charli XCX.4 Proceeds from the collection were donated to benefit Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). As of March 2022, Serwah.xyz is the first website listed (after her social media platforms) in Google search results for “Serwah“ and “Serwah Attafuah.”
Another example of a strong YourName.xyz website is MarquesColston.xyz. Marques is a former National Football League (NFL) player and Super Bowl Champion who pivoted to a career in business development. He uses MarquesColston.xyz as the official website to book him for management training, performance coaching, and corporate development consulting. When running a Google search on his name, MarquesColston.xyz appears on the first page of results along with other major sites including Wikipedia and the official website of the NFL, helping to enhance trust and visibility in his new personal brand in business development.
Using your name in your domain will make it easier to be found online, and can help to market your personal goals or accomplishments connected to your name.
A lot of work-related communication will likely be conducted over email, and using a custom email address can generate trust. An email address that ends in the same strong domain as your website can appear more professional by verifying that the owner of the website and the owner of the email are the same person. Using your domain name to create custom, branded email addresses connects all of your company representatives and public contact emails with your website. Be certain to follow best practices while utilizing that email address to avoid diminishing your brand.
ArtsandLetters.xyz is an example of the benefits of establishing a trust-inducing branded email address. This independent creative agency is based in Richmond, Virginia and was founded by former creative director Charles Hodges, who previously worked for Google Creative Lab. Charles continued fostering this relationship across a range of projects, and ArtsandLetters.xyz launched in 2017 with Google as its first client. They work primarily with other tech-focused national brands such as ESPN and MSNBC, and have also welcomed online wedding registry Zola as a new client. ArtsandLetters.xyz uses the branded email address [email protected] to correspond with new and potential clients like Zola, which adds to their professional image and generates trust.
The creative agency has produced some incredibly popular and widely viewed media campaigns. Most notably, ArtsandLetters.xyz is responsible for Google Assistant’s Home Alone Again campaign of 2018, featuring a grown up Macaulay Culkin reprising his iconic role from the Home Alone film franchise. The agency reports that within its first 24 hours, the 60-second commercial received over 36 million views and became the number one trending video on YouTube. With a branded email, you can set up common generic emails like [email protected] or [email protected] You can create shared inboxes that a support team can manage, so that you don’t have to distribute everyone’s individual email to the public.
When you have an email address directly associated with your domain name, customers can use that email address to find your website and have trust that they’re reaching out to the appropriate individual.
Social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook can be very useful for promotion of your website. Using your domain extension in your social media profiles ensures you’ll get the handle that most closely matches your brand, and also doubles as a promotion of your website.
Proof.xyz is a great example of how using your domain extension in your social media handle can double as a promotion of your website. The website is the online home of Proof, a podcast hosted by Silicon Valley-based venture capitalist Kevin Rose. Episodes of the podcast feature interviews with NFT artists, developers of new tools for NFT creators and collectors, and discussions about NFT marketplaces, blockchain gaming, and the metaverse. Kevin is a partner at Silicon Valley-based True Ventures, a venture capital firm that has invested $2 billion in early-stage technology startups, including Peloton, FitBit, and Ring.
In July 2021, Kevin created a Twitter profile for Proof.xyz using the handle @Proof_xyz. The podcast’s Twitter profile has reached over 21,000 followers in under a year, and helps attract NFT enthusiasts and fans of Kevin Rose to his entertaining and informative podcast website.
Using your domain extension in your social media profiles will make it easier to secure a social handle that matches your brand and can enhance the promotion of your website.
A standout online presence is extremely important, and it begins with a strategic domain name. A carefully crafted website with a strategic domain and a focus on the details can help you to reach a global audience. Giving deserved attention to short, memorable, unique domain names, a branded email address, and matching social media handles can set you on a course for success. Following the examples of the seven .xyz websites above can help you select the best domain name and lay the groundwork for a flourishing online presence. For more helpful info, check out our previous feature, How to Choose a Domain Name.
The XYZ family now consists of 33 domain options, and 33 incredible ways of helping the new generation of internet users get online. We continue to see innovation from the .xyz blockchain community with many emerging platforms like Mojito.xyz and also big names like Steve Aoiki (a0k1verse.xyz). XYZ continued to support an increasing number of hackathons, with 72 inspiring organizations participating this quarter. We’re extremely proud of our start to the year. Here’s what we’ve accomplished this past quarter.
In this quarter, XYZ proudly announced our most dramatic expansion of the XYZ Family. We introduced ten new domain names to bring you an even wider variety of naming options for a powerful online presence. .Game, .Guitars, .Audio, .Christmas, .Diet, .Flowers, .Hosting, .Pics, .Mom, and .LOL are descriptive, memorable, and keyword-rich domains that can help you establish your brand online and stand out to your audience in a terrific range of industries.
In fact, brands, individuals, and organizations all over the world are already using .Game, .Guitars, .Audio, .Christmas, .Diet, .Flowers, .Hosting, .Pics, .Mom, and .LOL to build their websites and establish their brands online:
Don’t delay – register your .Game, .Guitars, .Audio, .Christmas, .Diet, .Flowers, .Hosting, .Pics, .Mom, or .LOL domain name ideas today!
Every Wednesday we proudly feature a #WebsiteWednesday spotlight on an exciting and creative member of the .xyz community.
Web3 developers continue building on .xyz domains, and we featured even more awesome blockchain-focused websites this quarter:
Many businesses and organizations are building their online homes on .xyz domains:
We also featured some memorable and creative portfolio websites:
Notable tools and digital solutions have been making their online home on .xyz domains. We had the pleasure to share a distinguished one:
The XYZ family of domains has grown to 33 amazing domain endings! As that number continues to soar, we enjoy using social media to share some of the many exciting individuals, businesses, and brands from across the globe establishing their online presence on our assorted domains. Some of the unique websites we shared this quarter include:
Businesses, brands, professionals, and creatives of all kinds now have 33 versatile domain extensions to choose from within the XYZ family. Don’t delay – register your own domain today!
XYZ helped support attendees at 72 hackathons in the first quarter of 2022! Participants received .xyz domains to encourage them to launch their ideas and projects online. The hackathons each celebrated technology with workshops and mentors that helped participants learn and develop their skills. Some hackathons were held virtually, while others were located throughout the world:
Devcation, Lean In Hacks, Nexture Summit, IEEE Computer Society, VIT Chennai, Google Developers Student Club JIIT128, HackHoodie, ACM-JUIT, Week Of Geek, Alphasians, HackMoL3.0, AzTech, JGEC Winter of Code, Documatic, Google Developer Student Clubs of Amity University Mumbai, Code Chef SRM Chapter, MacHacks, JUSC Technophilia, Coding Your Future, Exun Clan, Full Stack Squared, Reverse Coding’22, Make4thon, Hack-O, Eventlore, Hack the Education, HackShetra, Eclipse, HackTU 3.0, HackBMU, YPStem Hackathon 2022, Psych Hack – Google Developer Student Clubs RAIT, Kurinji Hacks, SnowHacks (GDSC – SITS), MEGAHacks2022, Pixelhacks VI, TuffyHacks Youth Helping Youth BC, UofTHacks, XdHacks Mini Clueminati, Sanganak Vimarsh 2022, Bug Byte League, HACKTRIX, Ingenious Hackathon 2022, CyberHack, National Innovators Hackathon, Enkryptia 2022, ROBOWEEK 2.0, Synergyietevit, Hack Club NMIT, Lines Of Code, Vihaan, Artificial Intelligence Student Association, CEG Tech Forum, Dotslash 5.0, New Horizon Rocketry Club, W-Accinge, Codechanakya 2.0, nCrypt, GirlScript Summer of Code 2022, Indian Society for Technical Education, OWASP Student Chapter, Code2Develop, Randomize, What The Hack, ACMHacks 6.0, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Technology, UPES-CSI
We remain enthusiastic about helping participants share their ideas and solutions with a global audience on their own .xyz domains. If you are interested in signing up your own hackathon with XYZ to help the next generation of internet users build the future of tech, contact us today!
XYZ is excited for the possibilities still ahead in this new year. We have every intention to continue helping the next generation of internet users create a strong online presence. Stay in the know by subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
1https://www.morningbrew.com/daily/stories/spotify-web3-nft
2http://www.gaebler.com/Domain-Length-Research.htm
3http://https://stockanalysis.com/stocks/sq/statistics/
4https://twitter.com/serwah_attafuah/status/1410033306373038088
In this XYZ Quarterly we’ll cover eight examples of how to expand your skill set and share about your growth online. We’ll also provide a recap of XYZ’s Q4 2021 activity.
Expanding your skill sets and sharing your growth online shines a spotlight on yourself and helps you to stay ahead of the curve. As many industries continue to evolve, it is more important than ever to continue growing your skills to keep up and continue excelling. A strong and growing skill set can be especially impressive to employers. Growing your skills can demonstrate your dedication and your interest in advancing your career. Your new skills can diversify your job options and help you develop new techniques to keep up with the fast-changing industries. It is valuable to include your new skills on your website to make them count in today’s digital world. Using your website to market yourself and your new skills can help earn new customers, clients, or employers and help generate new connections or revenue streams.
It can be challenging to figure out what new skills to explore and where to begin your journey in growth and development. That’s why we’re sharing how to continue innovating and staying current by expanding your skill sets and making your growth known, as part of this year’s XYZ Quarterly theme of Staying Ahead of the Curve with .XYZ. We’re offering you eight helpful ideas that you can use to expand your skill sets, paired with eight websites that demonstrate these ideas.
Read on for Part 1: “Expand your skill set and share about your growth online”
Or jump down to Part 2: “XYZ’s Q4 2021 Recap.”
One method of expanding your skill set is to mint your creative works into NFTs. Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are one-of-a-kind digital collectibles that can become a valuable and sought-after investment. By learning how to transform your artwork into NFTs you can develop proficiency in the purchase of cryptocurrency and how to use minting platforms. You can gain an understanding of gas fees and how to list your NFTs for sale on marketplace platforms. NFT collections make an eye-catching and progressive addition to personal websites, and you can learn how to attractively organize and display your NFT collection on yours. Minting your work into NFTs and sharing them on your website can lead to a more diverse audience base and added attention to your website.
Serwah.xyz is an example of an artist who enhanced her cryptocurrency skill set and learned how to transform her digital 3D art into NFTs. In 2013, after predominantly creating with oil paints, Serwah began working in digital 3D art. She found NFTs to be her preferred way for her digital art to be consumed and sold in its organic form, and began adding her creations to her website. In May 2021, Sotheby’s featured her piece Creation of My Metaverse (Between this World and the Next) in their NFT collection. A few months later in October, Paris Hilton listed a few NFTs on Sotheby’s NFT marketplace, including work from Serwah Attafuah.1 She was even featured in an article in The Fashion Law, which references Serwah as one of the first Australian artists to sell an NFT (a piece titled “Voidwalker”). Serwah’s decision to expand her skill set to digital 3D NFTs helped her become a pioneer in the NFT space and achieve notoriety for her art.
Expanding your artistic portfolio by transforming your creative artwork into NFTs can greatly extend your customer-base and attract more attention to your work and your website.
Another method of expanding your skill set is to broaden your range and venture in a new direction by developing and hosting a podcast. You may find that you’re well equipped to speak easily and confidently, and able to harness your expertise or unwavering curiosity about a particular topic to create an entertaining and insightful podcast. By learning how to make a podcast you can acquire new skills in recording, producing, and editing. The podcasting process can help you become skilled at planning a programming calendar and booking guests. You can learn interviewing best practices and strengthen your conversational and public speaking skills. Once your podcast is ready to share with the world, you can learn how to post the episodes on your website and on podcast platforms. Your audience may learn quite a bit from you and your programming, which may lead you to become a subject matter expert or put you on course for exciting new projects.
Proof.xyz is a successful example of how podcasting can make you a subject matter expert, grow your audience, and lead to new projects. Silicon Valley-based Kevin Rose is a partner at True Ventures, a venture capital firm that has invested $2 billion in early stage technology startups, including Peloton, FitBit, and Ring. With a growing interest in the NFT space, Kevin created the NFT-themed podcast Proof.xyz in March 2021. There are over 30 episodes of the podcast featuring interviews with NFT artists, like Sarah Zucker, and platform developers, like Tyler Ward of Universe.xyz. Kevin’s interviews demonstrate his understanding of what the average newcomer may be wondering, and he manages to simplify the discussion for easy digestibility for all audiences. He uses his new podcast to share his passion and growing knowledge, and provides a platform that offers valuable visibility to artists and developers of this new space. Proof.xyz helped grow Kevin’s audience, and led to the development of the new Proof Collective. This unique membership program entitles Proof Collective NFT holders to benefits such as a private Discord for the Proof Collective community, early access to Proof.xyz content and live interviews, in-person local meetups, and more. Kevin’s decision to create a podcast based on his passion for NFTs increased his visibility, helped him make a name for himself in the NFT community, and led to the creation of the Proof Collective.
Sharing your knowledge on a podcast and promoting your podcast on your website can lead you to become a top-of-mind industry expert and help you discover new projects.
With the continued growth of e-commerce, now is a good time to consider monetizing your creative talents to a global marketplace. Demonstrate growth and improve your brand’s success by offering a marketplace feature to your website. Doing so can help you learn how to compose product pages and product descriptions. You can learn about inventory management and choosing and setting up Point of Sale (PoS) software. There is also much to learn about packaging, shipping, and handling. Developing this knowledge and growing your website by adding an e-commerce platform can generate a new revenue stream and increased attention to your website.
MightyType.xyz is an example of a website that demonstrated growth by adding an e-commerce platform feature to increase revenue. Skilled creative Tanner Vargas created MightyType.xyz while studying at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He uses his website to share articles he’s written on architecture as well as pieces on creative mediums like music, movies, and short stories. He’s since expanded his website to include his photography work as well as a dedicated page for e-commerce. Tanner’s online store carries photography prints, stretched canvas artwork, stickers, T-shirts and more, all featuring Tanner’s original artwork and photography. Tanner created a profitable layer to his existing website and generated a new audience of online shoppers.
Expanding your brand and adding an e-commerce feature to your website can demonstrate growth and attract profitable attention to your website.
If you have valuable knowledge to share, enhance your skill set by writing an educational and inspirational book. Among many benefits, writing a book can unlock new ideas for research and development, lead to future book deals, and earn worldwide attention. You could even go digital and consider writing and self-publishing an eBook. Adding a dedicated section of your website to promote your book or eBook can demonstrate your growth and generate new audiences. Writing a book encourages development of new skills like writing for a mass audience, finding a publisher, negotiating a book deal, or earning passive income from an eBook. It can also help develop your time management skills as you learn to make all of your deadlines. Writing and promoting an educational and inspirational book or eBook can demonstrate growth, generate innovation, and increase attention to your website.
JJDelgado.xyz is an example of a knowledgeable leader who expanded his skill set by writing a book and adding a dedicated page about it on his website. Juan José Delgado is a professional in business growth and development and holds a PhD in Digital Economy and Online Human Behavior. He is a successful digital strategist and has over 12 years of business experience at well-known brands across Europe and Latin America, including Amazon Marketing Services South Europe, where he’s known to have led the biggest international sales day in the platform’s history. JJ expanded his skill set by becoming an author, and now has three books on marketing strategy, including the recent title, Smash It. The dedicated page he added to JJDelgado.xyz increases exposure of his book to his website visitors. And for those that first become familiar with his book and opt to search for more information about it online, the dedicated page increases the overall exposure of his website. JJ also uses this page to offer a complimentary digital marketing download in exchange for an email address, which can help him bolster his mailing list. Reviewers of Smash It say it is a “must read,” “rich in practical examples,” and that it is “a great book to unleash the potential of digital in your company.”2 JJ uses his knowledge and valuable professional experiences to write influential books that add value to his website and his brand.
Compiling your wisdom and valuable personal experiences in book form and displaying it on your website shows the world that you have valuable expertise to share.
Another way to expand your skill set is to share your valuable expertise by teaching online courses. Offering classes on your website can continue attracting students who will benefit from your instruction. Teaching an online course can help you develop skills in being an educator, creating a lesson plan, and organizing the coursework. You would also learn how to produce and record the classes, and then how to add them to your website. You can add new classes regularly and build your brand as an educator.
Realtime.xyz is an example of how to enhance your skill set and your website by offering online courses. Yue Jia is a VFX Director for Shanghai-based game developer and global publisher, XD Inc. Realtime.xyz is where he shares his experiences as a real-time VFX artist, including his previous position as a designer for Epic Games, where he worked on popular games such as Fortnite and Paragon. Yue added a new layer to his website when he began offering online courses for aspiring VFX creators looking to develop skills. The Course page of Realtime.xyz provides detailed information about Yue’s course content options. Interested students can create a login and purchase their classes of interest. One of the courses he teaches is on Niagara, one of Unreal Engine’s advanced VFX development tools. Epic Games developed the Unreal Engine platform in 1998 and uses it to build their own games, including Fortnite, Gears of War, and Unreal Tournament. The platform has since been used in a variety of 3D game genres, and has also become adopted by the film and television industry. Since Unreal is now available to all aspiring developers, and learning how to use it requires particular skills, Yue’s distinctive experience gives him the tools to teach others. As more and more students enroll in Yue’s classes, he can cement himself as a knowledgeable leader in his field and continue sharing his expertise with others.
Showcasing your talent and making instructional classes available on your website demonstrates your proficiency and adds a valuable new layer to your brand.
You may also consider expanding your skill set by exploring philanthropic organizations and helping to further the causes that are important to you. Promoting your passions and dedication can lead to greater attention to your work and lead to more career growth and opportunity. Becoming involved in philanthropy can develop important organizational skills, such as how to develop and plan fundraising campaigns. You can also learn about outreach and recruitment. Finding success in the philanthropy space can lead to new career opportunities and increased attention to your website.
BrianTan.xyz is an example of a user who expanded his skill set by exploring philanthropy. Brian is an accomplished designer who uses BrianTan.xyz to share his experiences ranging from the co-creation and launch of the Hangtime app (a platform that helps students compare schedules with friends) to joining a startup called HeronChat to work part-time as their lead UI/UX Designer. He expanded his skill set by exploring his interest in an organization called Effective Altruism (EA), which is devoted to helping overcome the obstacles that many people face when trying to figure out the most impactful way to do good. EA uses evidence and reasoning to determine how to help others as much as possible. Brian expanded his skill set to co-create his own chapter of the global EA movement. He wanted to bring together the local community of Filipinos interested in EA, and now he works full time in this role. Brian’s dedication to the exploration of philanthropy led him to create a new layer to his personal portfolio website, as well as a new full-time career.
Exploring philanthropy, getting involved with causes that are important to you, and highlighting it on your website illustrates your growing list of skills and your passions.
Exploring your passions and interests to create an entertaining and insightful blog is a great way to expand your skill set. You may find that you can develop your hobby into an added revenue stream or even a successful career. Creating a blog can help you develop skills in content writing, research, engagement, and more. Channeling your passion into a new outlet can lead to greater attention to your brand.
SaltandPepper.xyz is an example of a website belonging to a marketing professional who decided to explore her personal interests. Sarah Wohlner works in the field of food-related marketing. She expanded her interest in food and recipe writing to create SaltandPepper.xyz, a recipe-themed blog. She further expanded her skills beyond recipe-writing to bring her recipes to social media platforms, where her content earned her incredibly large followings. Sarah’s dedication to her passion for food and recipe writing helped her develop a significant social media following. Sarah’s biggest audience is on Tik Tok, where she has over 680K followers and over 12M likes. Her popular content has also made her appealing to culinary brands and helped her gain partnerships. Sarah found great success as a content creator by exploring her interests, and was able to build a brand identity centered around her passion for food and recipe development.
Writing about your passions can uncover exciting new opportunities and open you up to new audiences.
Another method of expanding your skill set is to harness your passions and offer educational, motivational, and inspirational speaking engagements. By doing so, you can become a beacon for so many and attract new audiences to your website. Exploring public speaking can develop skills in cadence, speech writing, crafting inspiring messages, and even life coaching. Motivating and inspiring others can lead to powerful word of mouth attention to you and your website.
MarquesColston.xyz is an example of someone who found great success by adding “motivational speaker” to his list of talents. Marques Colston is a former National Football League (NFL) player and Super Bowl Champion who pivoted to a career in business development. He began his business development career by serving as President and General Manager of professional indoor football team the Harrisburg Stampede and purchased a share in Arena Football League team the Philadelphia Soul. Marques shares his wealth of experience from his various business development roles through his own consulting service, MC Consulting. He uses MarquesColston.xyz as the official website to book him for management training, performance coaching, and corporate development consulting. To expand his skill set further, Marques began offering bespoke training and speaking engagements focused on corporate development. The attention Marques receives from his speaking engagements generates more attention for his website.
Harnessing your passions to inspire others with public speaking engagements can spread word-of-mouth awareness and attract new audiences to your website.
Staying ahead of the curve means being on top of your game, growing, and striving to add value to your brand. It is beneficial to your online presence to share your continued growth on your website. Go ahead and give your audience added reasons to be impressed.
Enhancing your skill set with knowledge on new technology such as NFTs and other trending topics can lead you to become a top-of-mind industry expert. Expanding your brand with the addition of e-commerce offers a profitable reason for return visits to your website. Sharing your expertise in a comprehensive book or online classes can encourage others to learn from your proficiency. Expanding your talents and offerings can attract more customers and direct more attention to your website.
Following the example of these users by enhancing your skill set and sharing your experiences online can help demonstrate growth and add a valuable new layer to your website.
The final quarter of 2021 was nothing short of exciting. We packed the past few months with incredible ways of helping the new generation of internet users get online. From the introduction of our informative Domains Reports and attention from the blockchain community, to the launch of our eth.xyz service, and the support of 37 hackathons and their inspiring student participants, we’re extremely proud of our finish to the year. Here’s what we’ve accomplished this past quarter.
Blockchain pioneers have been choosing .xyz domains for their innovative and exciting new projects. In December, financial services-focused Square, Inc. officially rebranded to Block.xyz to acknowledge their growth beyond their Square product, and signal their intention to continue expanding their roster of products and services. One of those services is their Bitcoin-focused Square Crypto project, now known as Spiral.xyz, aimed at making Bitcoin the planet’s preferred currency.
Technology venture capitalist Kevin Rose was recently a guest of entrepreneur Tim Ferriss on his podcast The Random Show, where he discussed the crypto community’s attraction to the .xyz domain.
Blockchain companies show strong aftermarket interest in .xyz domains. Some of the biggest sales of the quarter include:
We’ve recognized strong growth in the number of blockchain-based live sites being launched this quarter. These include NFT marketplaces and minting platforms, like X.xyz and Mojito.xyz, and Ethereum’s Login.xyz, a new form of authentication that helps users to control their digital identity with their Ethereum account and ENS profile.
Read more about why so many Web3 startups are using .xyz domains in this article from technology and startup-focused online publication Techcrunch.
On December 20, 2021, we launched eth.xyz, a service we began developing to help ENS users share what they want to the world. The XYZ Registry is committed to supporting the next generation of internet users, including Web3 trailblazers and beyond. In 2018, we helped pioneer the original Ethereum Name Service (ENS) and DNS integration, helping you to use your .xyz domain for your Ethereum wallet address. With over 3 million registrations worldwide, .xyz is quickly becoming a top choice for those that value freedom and versatility online.
With eth.xyz, all .eth name holders can display their ENS profiles in all web browsers. This shortlink can work for .eth holders in a few suggested ways: a lookup where you can more easily find the profile and wallet information connected to an .eth name, a way to share your addresses, or an easy way to showcase your NFT collection.
To use the eth.xyz shortlink , just add “.xyz” to the end of any .eth name in any web browser and the corresponding ENS profile will display. The profile content is automatically populated from publicly available information provided through ENS, and is ultimately controlled by the relevant ENS user.
Eth.xyz and our longstanding partnership with Ethereum greatly contributes to our mission of supporting the next generation of internet users.
In this quarter we introduced the XYZ Registry Domains Report. We’ll occasionally share exciting highlights from the previous month, including which XYZ domains took the lead and the highest aftermarket sales of the month. You can also learn about inspiring business and new ideas launching on XYZ premium domains, as well as trends – such as the blockchain industry’s special interest in .xyz.
Looking ahead and planning for a big splash in an upcoming new year is an ideal time to invest in a strong online presence for your growing business or brand. A strong online presence can help you reach new audiences all over the world, communicate your offerings, and create a memorable user experience. Enter the XYZ Black Friday Cyber Monday sales.
Our Black Friday Cyber Monday sales created a great opportunity to score an amazing domain to develop your online presence. Our partners offered .xyz for as low as $0.99/1st year, .Monster and .Quest for as low as $1.99/1st year, plus exciting deals on other great domains in the XYZ family. For the first time ever, we offered extraordinary savings on Beauty, .Hair, .Skin, .Makeup, .Homes, .Autos, .Motorcycles, .Boats, and .Yachts domains for as low as $7/1st year! Also up for grabs was .College, .Baby, and .Rent domains for as low as $9.99/1st year!
There were great keyword-rich domains registered, such as Acne.Skin and ASAP.Autos. Some of the domain names registered already have websites up, including:
If you missed the sale, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for updates and news so the next one won’t pass you by.
The Double Eleven Shopping Festival, also known as 11/11, refers to China’s annual online promotion day on November 11. It originated from the online promotion held by Taobao Mall (Tmall) on November 11, 2009. At that time, the number of participating merchants and promotion efforts were limited, but the turnover far exceeded the expected result, so November 11 became a fixed date annually for the e-commerce industry to hold large-scale promotional activities.
During this year’s Double Eleven sale, our partners offered special pricing for .xyz, .College, .Baby, .Rent, and .Monster for as low as $0.99! These sales helped people across the globe pursue their resolutions of making a grand entrance into 2022 with an attractive new website. We saw many unique domain registrations such as LinkVerse.xyz, MetaSwap.xyz, and HiBlockchain.xyz. Don’t miss the opportunity to register your perfect .xyz domain today.
Creatives, innovators, and those seeking to sink their teeth into a unique domain for their website got a special treat this Halloween! Our registar partners handed out scary good deals on .Monster domains, with sales of up to 80% off retail price: .Monster ($1.99/1st yr) and .xyz ($.99/1st yr) domains.
Wickedly good domains were registered, including MetaTrader.Monster, Hologram.Monster, and CoffeeWorld.Monster. The sale was the perfect opportunity for ghosts and goblins everywhere to score deals on domain names they can use to create websites that’ll give ’em pumpkin to talk about.
Every Wednesday we proudly feature a #WebsiteWednesday spotlight on an exciting and creative member of the .xyz community. Web3 and metaverse developers have a wonderful appreciation for .xyz domains, so we featured some awesome blockchain-focused websites this quarter.
Many businesses and organizations are building their online homes on .xyz domains. We had the privilege of featuring a few.
We also featured some attractive, well-organized blogs and portfolio websites.
Additional spotlights included a roundup of inspired websites from Readymag users around the world and our Small Business Gift Guide, aimed to help you find incredible small businesses in the .xyz community that carry gifts for nearly everyone on your list.
XYZ helped support attendees at 37 hackathons in the final quarter of 2021!
Participants received .xyz domains to help them launch their ideas and projects online. The hackathons each celebrated technology with workshops and mentors that helped participants learn and develop their skills. While many hackathons were held virtually, others were located throughout the United States, Canada, and India.
HyperHacks, Geekhaven, HackeRam, EconHacks Bangalore, Aerospace Society, The Quizzing Club, Developer Student Clubs, Hack This Fall, Hack The World 2021, HackNITR 3.0, Hack4World-Baku, StemWarriorHacks, InfiniHacks, Garuda Hacks, HackED Society, IEEE VIT Vellore, Vellore Developers Community, Techsahead, Community Classroom, Midnight Hacks
MakeUC, WebJam NYC, HackDown 2021
HacktheValley, Bethune Computer Science Club
NASA’s Space Apps Challenge, IEEE SRM SB Chennai, Incognito 2021, Mamta Modern Sr. Sec. School, API Hacks, SHISTECH, HC Educates 2.0, RevaHack, ADG VIT, MiniHacks MUJ, Unveil, GirlScript India Summit
We are always enthusiastic about helping participants share their ideas and solutions with a global audience on their own .xyz domains. If you are interested in signing up your own hackathon with XYZ to help the next generation of internet users build the future of tech, contact us today!
XYZ is so excited for all of the possibilities ahead in the new year. We have every intention to continue helping the next generation of internet users create a strong online presence. Stay tuned by subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
1https://www.forbes.com/sites/isabelcontreras/2021/10/21/sothebys-makes-first-crypto-investment-backing-nft-startup-using-ethereum-blockchain/?sh=60cf1a123d82
2 https://www.amazon.com/Smash-Dominate-Digital-Make-Business-ebook/product-reviews/B099MWZJYL/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_show_all_btm?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews
In this XYZ Quarterly we’ll cover four types of online platforms to extend the reach of your website online. We’ll also provide a recap of XYZ’s Q3 2021 activity.
Increasing your visibility and extending your online presence is important to your success and helps you to stay ahead of the curve. Extending your network and exposing yourself to larger audiences can lead to inspiration and important growth. You can develop your skills, maintain a pulse on the happenings in your industry, gain access to valuable resources, and gain exposure to your website from new prospective mentors, partners, and clients.
Connecting with your peers and other prominent members of your industry is one of the best ways to accomplish this critical development. There are many types of online platforms that can help you effectively create unique and mutually beneficial connections. That’s the reason we’re sharing how to continue innovating and staying current by increasing your visibility through online communities and digital platforms, as part of this year’s XYZ Quarterly theme of Staying Ahead of the Curve with .XYZ. We’ll offer you four helpful platform ideas that you can use to increase your online visibility, as well as four .xyz websites that can help you implement these tips.
Read on for Part 1: “Four ways to organically grow your website’s visibility using online platforms.”
Or jump down to Part 2: “XYZ’s Q3 2021 Recap.”
Email discussion lists, also known as Listservs, are a powerful method for sharing knowledge. A Listserv community can help you gain visibility for your website and make valuable connections among a network of people with shared interests. A Listserv is a method of communicating with a group of people through email. You can send one email message to the main email address, and the managing software then sends the email to all of the group’s subscribers. Listservs are typically centered around a shared interest, such as a profession or industry. There are lists where only the list owner can send a message, and there are also discussion groups, where any subscriber can post a message. The managing software handles subscriptions, email bounces, and delivery of email messages to very large groups of people. Listservs can be intimate and remote communities that help foster professional relationships and generate traffic to your personal website. They can be a jumping off point for collaborative projects and earning new clients. Your new professional relationships can help build your reputation in your field.
StudyHall.xyz is an example of a Listserv community that can help you implement this tip.
The Study Hall Listserv is an independent media outlet and online support network for media professionals. It is an online community for freelance writers with a goal to promote community and collaboration in the media industry. Members can network and share experiences through the platform’s Listservs and Slack groups. StudyHall.xyz also sends a member digest with commentary on current news and resources for aspiring journalists. Members can easily connect with the rest of the community and interact with all of the features of the website.
StudyHall.xyz members can also find links to each other’s websites, social media accounts, email addresses, and Slack channels where their community has a presence. The platform has an email Listserv of over 4,500 members who receive weekly newsletters and access to informative Slack chats and editor databases.
By joining a Listserv community designed to promote collaboration, you can gain visibility, valuable connections, and a network of shared interests that can help develop your success.
Marketplace platforms such as Amazon, eBay, and Etsy can help facilitate the display and distribution of your work through a central directory. These platforms can also help your website gain valuable exposure to fellow creatives and supporters. You can reach out to various marketplace platforms to review their guidelines and membership details, including potential membership fees. Once you join the platform, you can develop your own creator page on the platform, where you can display your work with as much relevant background information and product details as you can provide, including a link to your personal website.
Joining an online marketplace helps you to showcase your work to a global audience of users who can purchase and support your work, while the website facilitates the purchasing or sharing of your work. Marketplace platforms provide a virtual storefront to display your designs, and your participation can earn widespread, global visibility
FutureFonts.xyz is an example of a marketplace platform where you can share and showcase your work. FutureFonts.xyz is a font foundry where font designers can share designs and draw inspiration from fellow creatives. Users can download fonts for affordable prices, and some even welcome users to simply contribute what they can. Each contributor has their own profile page where they can display a personal website, photo, and location, such as France-based Pauline Fourest and her design studio Spaghetype. Users can leave comments on each font’s page, like the comments left on font design “Mayonnaise“.
Joining a marketplace platform can help your website gain valuable exposure to fellow creatives and supporters.
Competition-based platforms can help you demonstrate your skills for a wide network of potential clients and collaborators and attract attention to your personal website. Competitions can require good communication, foster collaboration, and promote teamwork. They tend to encourage growth and skill development. While competing, we are assessing the other competitors and evaluating our own skill level. Competition-based platforms facilitate competitions that may be open to the community of users. They can be hosted or sponsored by a client, who will then select the winner based on their specifications. Participants compete to win, which can lead to further opportunities with the host of the competition, or perhaps from other users who have been exposed to your incredible skill.
Uni.xyz is an example of a website that can help you pursue competitions to demonstrate and develop your skills. The platform is a community created for designers, by designers, that provides opportunities for its members to showcase their skills, find clients, and collaborate on design challenges. The competitions provide designers a chance to propose their work to potential clients and mentors. They also give designers the ability to collaborate with other professionals to share ideas and solve challenges as a team. It is a mutually beneficial relationship, as clients benefit by getting a first-hand look at highly talented individuals and teams ready to take on new work. Users can set up a profile page where they can link to social profiles on other platforms as well as upload content ranging from videos, blogs, podcasts, articles, illustrations, and images. There are separate sections for projects, where other users can leave comments, facilitating conversation between fellow members. Uni.xyz posts the winner, runner-up, and “editor’s choice” of each competition on the platform, creating great exposure to the community of users.
Joining a competition-based platform helps you to demonstrate your skill set for potential clients and collaborators, gain visibility to your website, and be part of a community of inspiring design professionals who can further develop your skills.
Teaching about your knowledge to others can help develop your authority. Applying to teach on a digital education platform opens you and your personal website up to a global audience and provides the opportunity to learn from others in the same community. You can use these educational platforms to record and share live classes, upload presentation videos, and provide accompanying learning materials to interested students who enroll in your class. You can also publicize your website for additional background information. You will also gain the opportunity to learn from, and network with, other authorities in your field.
Ingenio.xyz is an example of a Spanish language educational platform to help you implement this tip. The platform is an online training platform for students and professionals in the field of architecture. Ingenio.xyz selects teachers with years of experience that have achieved a working knowledge of their field. Each educator has their own profile pages they can use to provide their personal website, contact information, and background information. Civil Engineer teacher Jorge Chamorro, who shares a link to his articles on topics like wastewater treatment, as well as information about his extensive background in the water sector. Educators in the Ingenio.xyz community are rewarded points based on their activity. Jorge has earned 5,491 points, which helps him stand out in the platform’s ranking of professionals.
Sharing your knowledge on an educational platform helps you to build a reputation as an expert in your field, increase visibility to your website, and provides the opportunity to learn from others in the same community.
Staying ahead of the curve means improving your visibility, promoting your services, and opening yourself to receive inspiration and growth. Joining an online platform can help you to share your knowledge with an appreciative audience who may further share your expertise and increase the online presence of your website. If you can find your niche in a community of like-minded professionals who share common goals, you can help extend each other’s visibility through collaboration and support.
Taking advantage of platforms like the ones developed by these end-users can help increase your visibility, foster your professional development, help you find a community of mentors, partners, and clients, and grow traffic to your website.
We are in the homestretch of 2021, excitedly entering the final quarter. For XYZ, Q3 was filled with incredible ways to help the new generation of internet users to get online. From launching yet another new domain ending, to helping people design their online presence, to the release of over 900 previously unavailable .xyz premium domains – and the support of 60 hackathons and their inspiring student participants, it’s been a busy quarter. Here’s what we’ve accomplished this past quarter.
As virtual events are still going strong and live events begin to return, XYZ proudly announced .Tickets – the domain name that helps you fill your guest list. Make your event a smashing success or give your innovative idea the standing ovation it deserves with a memorable .Tickets domain. With a .Tickets domain, you can promote live music performances, sporting events, corporate conferences, or even innovative ticketing technology on a URL that is easy to remember, share, and also spread by word of mouth. There are endless possibilities to attract a crowd to your website with a fancy .Tickets domain. Take a look at some of the early adopters below:
Ticketing technology
Memorable links to ticketing pages
On September 1, XYZ released over 900 previously reserved .xyz domains to premium tiers, and decreased the price on some .xyz premium domains. The release included many highly brandable and keyword-rich domain names ideal for any business or individual looking to build their online presence.
The release included 2-letter domains, 3-letter domains, 3-number domains, and many more high value domains. Check out the complete list and when you see some options that you’re interested in, visit your registrar of choice to secure your domains before someone else beats you to it.
Every Wednesday we proudly feature a #WebsiteWednesday spotlight on a creative and innovative member of the .xyz community. Cryptocurrency and blockchain technology developers are loving .xyz domains – and we are loving them right back – so we featured a variety of blockchain-focused end-users this quarter.
We also featured some very attractive and well-organized portfolio websites.
Additional spotlights included Miami-based clothing brand Unedited.xyz and our feature on multimedia collective SuperStarX.xyz, aimed at destigmatizing and celebrating our differences.
Readymag is a website builder focusing on landing pages, editorials, portfolios, and general websites. Through our new, continuing partnership, we’ve been able to begin supporting multiple Readymag customers as they develop their online presence with .xyz domains. We’re proud to see exciting websites like the personal website of music composer, DJ, and tutor IsabellaBassi.xyz, a business website for Ukraine-based creative agency Antiprotiv.xyz, and the portfolio of UX designer JuneWang.xyz.
For the past four years, XYZ has proudly been a domain industry cycling jersey sponsor for Elliot Silver of DomainInvesting.com and his riding partner John Berryhill on their annual 80-mile charity bike ride in the Pan-Mass Challenge. XYZ was once again the lead jersey sponsor for the 2021 event, and we were proud to donate to such a great cause. As shared on Elliot’s blog, the Pan-Mass Challenge has raised $767 million for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Through our ongoing partnership with Generation Girl, we proudly supported their 2021 Summer Club program, and provided .xyz domains for the young students enrolled to develop their newfound interests and share their innovative ideas with the world. During this year’s Summer Club, the participants were trained in Computer Science 101, UI/UX Design, Game Design, Data Science, and more.
In partnership with Ethereum that began in 2018, we helped pioneer the joint solution to provide a memorable wallet address to replace the long Ethereum hash. For example, Ethereum users can use OurXYZwallet.xyz to reference their wallet instead of 0xf7004095d2d81fe3b5937241c106aace6d6e8e4a. This makes it much easier to send and receive digital tokens like cryptocurrency and NFTs. Our successful partnership and the hard work of ENS has led to the August announcement that ENS/DNS has expanded to hundreds of additional domains.
XYZ helped support attendees at 60 hackathons in the third quarter of 2021!
Participants received .xyz domains to help them launch their ideas and projects online.
The hackathons each celebrated technology with workshops and mentors that helped participants learn and develop their skills. While many hackathons were held virtually, others were located throughout the United States, Canada, and India.
Virtual
HackTheCrisis, PitchTeen, Helyx Hacks 3, Covitech Challenge, Hack the Gap, Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors, Hacking 4 Community, Eventlore, Terris Challenge, SummerSchool 2021, BRILLORE, Daedarus’ Hack, Kurius, Propelling Womeneers, CASE-O-HEIST, Hack-O-Uplift, JIIT OSA Chapter, Ability Hacks, Youthopeian, IoT Forum VIIT, HyperHacks, Geekhaven, HackeRam, EconHacks Bangalore, Developer Student Clubs, Hack This Fall, Hack The World 2021, HackNITR 3.0, Hack4World-Baku, StemWarriorHacks, InspireED, BotHacks, Hacking 4 Community
United States
HackTable, Sequoia Science Olympiad, CoastalHacks, MakeUC, WebJam NYC, Midnight Hacks, TuffyHacks, ExploreTech
Canada
XdHacks Mini Vancouver, HacktheValley, NPO Sponsorship Request
India
Hack For Inclusion, Cryptocracy, Creative Computing Society, CodeGrind, imAgine.py Club, Hack Wizard, CodeTech, HackJNU 2.0, IEEE SRM SB, the void, Mamta Modern Sr. Sec. School, API Hacks
XYZ is delighted to help participants share their ideas and solutions with a global audience via their new .xyz domains. If you are interested in signing up your own hackathon with XYZ to help the next generation of internet users build the future of tech, contact us today!
2021 still has more excitement to bring, and XYZ has more plans for the rest of the year to help the next generation of internet users create a strong online presence. Stay tuned by subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
In this XYZ Quarterly we’ll cover five technological features to consider for your online presence to inspire, delight, and excite your customers. We’ll also provide a recap of XYZ’s Q2 2021 activity.
Today’s online shoppers engage with countless brands every day. Utilizing technology and adding special features to your online presence can help make your brand cut through the clutter and create a lasting impression in the minds of your audience. Enhancements to your online presence can make your brand’s personality shine through, help you communicate your offerings, and create a memorably enjoyable user experience. Delight your audience and they may even choose to spread the word about your brand or business with friends and family.
In today’s digital landscape, using the latest technology is one of the best ways to stay ahead of your customers’ needs. That’s the reason we’re sharing how to stay ahead of the curve by enhancing your online presence with technological features, as part of this year’s XYZ Quarterly theme of Staying Ahead of the Curve with .XYZ. We’ll offer you five helpful technological ideas that you can use to create a lasting impression on potential customers, as well as five .xyz websites that serve as prime examples of these tips.
Read on for Part 1: “Five uses of new technology to make your online presence more memorable and modern.”
Or jump down to Part 2: “XYZ’s Q2 2021 Recap.”
Brands and businesses in various industries are finding innovative ways to utilize blockchain technology, including creating digital assets for fans and customers interested in growing a collection of NFT badges. Blockchain platforms like Ethereum create a verifiable public database that can be used for tracking event attendance. You can create an event or product launch that provides attendees with a collectible NFT badge that tracks participation and provides an opportunity for your customers to start, or add to, their collection. This NFT badge can serve as a unique and branded digital promotional product that your customer can have forever. Promotional products can also generate increased brand awareness and recognition of your business. A custom NFT can spark curiosity and drive new customers to your website to learn more.
POAP.xyz is an example of a platform that can help your organization provide unique collectible NFTs to delight your customers. The platform is a decentralized application, also known as a dApp, which helps clients create NFT badges to be collected for attending activities and events. POAP.xyz claims that a collection of their custom NFTs is the best way to keep a visual diary of your life events. You can use POAP.xyz to create a memorable and technologically advanced experience for your customers by allowing them to earn a POAP badge at your next event. Collectors can store their branded badges online to be viewed and admired, potentially introducing viewers to the branded organizations. We found a POAP collector who has obtained over 500 badges by participating in virtual events such as Pride parades, reggae dance parties, art releases, and even the launch of xDollar, a new cross-chain cryptocurrency lending platform. POAP.xyz uses blockchain technology and NFTs to help enhance their client’s event and generate more brand awareness.
Using blockchain technology to create collectible NFT badges for your events can provide your customers with a truly unique and modern memorable experience.
As our desire for new and exciting entertainment options continues to grow, the podcast format is still becoming increasingly popular. A podcast is an episodic audio program that listeners can stream or download to their computer or preferred device for easy listening. This type of audio content can allow your customers to listen to interviews from your founder, the story behind your latest launch, or discussions about your events while they’re at the gym or driving to and from the office. Starting a podcast for your business can reach your customers in a new, more intimate way. As traditional marketing channels are carefully curated, podcasts can be incredibly casual and spiked with real personality. Customers can opt in to listen to your podcast regularly, which can educate your customers about your products and services and keep your brand and your website at top of mind.
SpiritGuideSociety.xyz is an example of a brand that created a podcast to extend their educational and entertainment value to a larger audience, and forge a more intimate connection with their followers. The Spirit Guide Society is a community developed by the Seven Grand bar group of Los Angeles, CA. For nearly a decade, popular global spirit brands have been visiting the bar group (Seven Grand, Caña Rum Bar, Las Perlas) to teach whiskey, rum, tequila, and mezcal enthusiasts about the drinks that they love. In 2018, SpiritGuideSociety.xyz began sharing that knowledge in podcast form. Episode topics include discussions with representatives of leading liquor brands, mixology lessons from their own roster of bartenders, and recordings of the group’s live tasting events. Since its debut, their podcast’s Instagram following has grown to nearly 11,000 followers! Comments from followers range from positive reviews of their events, questions about their featured spirits, and shared excitement about upcoming episodes. SpiritGuideSociety.xyz’s podcast listeners can learn more about their favorite spirits directly from brand representatives and gain increased awareness of the Seven Grand, Caña Rum Bar, and Las Perlas bars in Los Angeles.
By extending your educational offerings to a larger audience with the creation of a podcast, your customers can learn more about your brand’s backstory and gain a stronger understanding about your products and services.
The engaging addition of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology can fascinate your audience and take their user experience to an interactive new level. AR is the use of text, graphics, audio, and other virtual enhancements integrated with real-world objects, like the appearance of a new table in your dining room when looking through your phone’s camera. VR, on the other hand, is the technology that uses software to produce images and sounds to create a virtual landscape. AR can place virtual items in your customer’s actual surroundings, and VR can place your customer in virtual surroundings. AR and VR can be especially helpful for businesses and brands that conduct a fair amount of online sales. With AR and VR additions like interactive dressing rooms, virtual color renderings, online customer support, and 3D details of your product, your customers can better understand how a product is going to look and feel in their space. Providing this increased understanding of your product to your customers can inspire them to make a purchase with confidence.
Lune.xyz is a Poland-based digital marketing agency that helps their clients apply this technique to their websites. They specialize in the use of interactive, cutting-edge AR and VR technology to connect consumers with products. Their clients can delight their website visitors with interactive applications and games, pyramid holographic visualizations, interactive mappings, and more AR and VR tools to build consumer trust and promote their ideas. When a brand’s customer is shopping online for a chair and AR technology can show them how it will look in their living room simply by aiming their phone’s camera, it can increase customer confidence in the purchase and leave minimal room for disappointment. When a virtual tour of a brand’s showroom is available through VR technology, a customer can be inclined to see more of what you have to offer from the comfort of their own living room. AR and VR technology like this create a highly interactive and engaging experience for customers that can leave a lasting impression and generate a lot of discussion. In fact, global consumers listed AR/VR as the top technology they’re seeking to assist, amplify, and augment their daily lives, according to a Nielson IQ Global Survey
Utilizing interactive AR and VR technology on your website can enhance a visitor’s experience, extend their stay on your site, and increase your chances of earning a loyal customer.
Customers today are paying more attention to the environment and sustainability. Your company or organization may already be making sustainable efforts in your business model, but you can take those efforts a step further with a low carbon website. With electricity powering data centers, computers and smartphones, energy consumption and emissions from the internet are rather sizable. Approximately 1.6 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions are produced in the manufacturing and running of digital technologies. Developing a low carbon website can reduce your website’s carbon footprint. A low carbon website is one that uses limited energy-consuming resources, including typefaces, logos, and high-resolution images. Your efforts may leave a lasting positive impression with your environmentally conscious customers.
MADC.xyz is an example of a sustainability-minded business that furthered their efforts with the development of a low-carbon website, hosted by a green hosting company. Miguel Ángel Díaz Camacho (MADC) & Partners is an international architecture firm established in Madrid, Spain who assert they operate under a succinct philosophy: “Design without sustainability is no longer design.” To extend their sustainability efforts, they designed their website using energy-reducing efforts with the intent of low environmental impact. They chose a green hosting company that uses renewable energy to power the data centers it uses. To limit their use of energy-consuming resources, MADC.xyz’s website is absent of custom typefaces. Visitors of MADC.xyz will instead see the default typefaces of their browser, a sans serif and a serif font. MADC.xyz also limits the usage of high-resolution color imagery on their website. Their website features black and white imagery, with an interactive option that lets visitors temporarily view full-color versions. MADC.xyz is demonstrating their commitment to sustainability and have positioned themselves to leave a lasting impression on visitors of their website.
Aligning your online presence with your brand’s sustainability efforts through a low carbon website can intrigue, impress, and inspire your customers, as well as better serve our planet.
Social media marketing can help increase brand awareness, brand loyalty, and increased traffic to your website. Customers also enjoy the engagement aspects of social media, and can respond favorably to personalized responses to their comments and messages. Embracing the latest social media platforms that most resonate with your target audience can excite your viewers and demonstrate your adaptability as a brand. One new platform is TikTok, a video-sharing social networking service. Another example, Clubhouse, is an audio-only social media app where users can communicate in chat rooms that can accommodate thousands of people. Sharing content that is entertaining, educational, and engaging on the newest social media platforms can help spread your brand’s message and route your audience back to your website.
ForceofNature.xyz is an example of an organization that has embraced the latest social media platform aligned with the interests of their target audience. This youth-led non-profit organization is dedicated to helping fellow young people realize their change-making potential in the face of climate change. Initially sharing their informative climate change posts on Instagram and Twitter, ForceofNature.xyz has created a TikTok account to stay on top of the latest popular social media platform enjoyed by their target audience. In the months they’ve been active they’ve even used the platform to launch efforts to recruit a climate-minded content creator. They have shared clips of speeches from their founder, Clover Hogan, focusing on topics such as intersectionality when promoting environmentalism as well as clips of discussions they’ve had with featured guests, such as environmental lawyer Farhana Yamin. Joining this new, widely-adapted social media platform to share an inside look at their organization can inspire viewers and drive them to ForceofNature.xyz to learn more.
Using the latest technology in social media can help you reach and engage with your target audience.
Businesses that stay ahead of the curve recognize the importance of providing a stellar experience to their customers. It is helpful for your brand affinity to have an online presence that gives your customers something to be impressed with or excited about. Enhancing your website or app with creative and entertaining technological features, whether big or small, can encourage them to stay on your website, become a loyal customer, and even become a brand advocate. Adding a feature to inspire, delight, and excite your customers can help to ensure that they will stay. Take advantage of the latest technology to increase your website’s offerings and reach, including blockchain technology, podcasts, AR/VR technology, low-carbon websites, and the newest social media platforms.
Following the example of these users and making use of these technological features on your website or app can help to create a unique and memorable experience for your customers which can extend the success of your brand.
Believe it or not, we are already halfway through 2021. For XYZ, Q2 was filled with many awesome ways to help the new generation of internet users to get online. From our 7th anniversary celebration, to five more exciting domains to help anyone design their online presence, and the support of 19 hackathons and their inspiring student participants, it’s been a terrific quarter. Here’s what we accomplished during this groundbreaking year.
In June we celebrated the 7th anniversary of .xyz’s launch! XYZ proudly honored and celebrated our .xyz community of innovators, creators, and makers achieving their dreams with .xyz domains. We’re especially proud of the many .xyz community members creating breakthrough technologies, influential works of art and entertainment, and inspiring projects aimed at making a positive impact on the world.
We shared our thanks to our global network of registrar partners and their customers across the globe. Thanks to their support, worldwide adoption has made .xyz a top choice with 3 million domains and counting.
In our continued effort to help the next generation of internet users make their mark online, on June 14, 2021 we relaunched .Homes, .Autos, .Motorcycles, .Boats, and .Yachts – five powerful domain names perfect for anyone looking to design a standout place online. To make these more affordable and accessible than ever before, we significantly dropped .Homes, .Autos, .Motorcycles, .Boats, and .Yachts registration prices by up to 80%. The cost to register these domains is now only $19.99/year MSRP for all standard domains. We also delivered premier access to tens of thousands of domain names available to the public for the very first time. Businesses, brands, professionals, and industry enthusiasts now have more options to register top-notch domains they can use to build standout websites with.
With the versatile .Homes domain you can promote property listings, communicate with potential clients, and make it incredibly easy for home buyers, sellers, and owners to find and remember your website. Reach a worldwide audience with .Autos, the domain name that transcends languages across Latin America and Europe. Lead your website’s branding with the memorable .Motorcycles domain name. Propel your brand forward with .Boats and .Yachts – two powerful domains that will make a splash online.
Take a look at some of the early registrations of these relaunched domains:
XYZ helped support attendees at 19 hackathons in the second quarter of 2021!
Participants received .xyz domains to help them launch their ideas and projects online.
The hackathons each celebrated technology with workshops and mentors that helped participants learn and develop their skills. While some of the hackathons were held virtually, like Covitech Challenge, Helyx Hacks III, PitchTeen 2.0, and Summer School ’21, the others were located throughout the United States, Canada, and India. The hackathons in the United States included health{hacks}, HighTech Hacks, Hydrangea Hacks , BioHack, Citrus Hack, and Women/Hacks 3.0. The hackathons in Canada included Northern Dehacks, MasseyHacks VII, and Expand Youth Society. The hackathons in India included Hack The Crisis, Code Warriors, COMPESA Hackathon 2021, Questival, Robust Routine, and HackBMU 4.0. XYZ is incredibly grateful to help participants share their ideas and solutions with a global audience via their new .xyz domains.
2021 has much more excitement to bring, and XYZ has continued plans for the rest of the year ahead. Stay tuned by subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
In this XYZ Quarterly we’ll cover six helpful tips that you can use to develop a customer-inspired brand and recap XYZ’s Q1 2021 activity.
Evolving your brand to fit the needs of your audience is vital to its longevity. The world is ever-changing, and often unpredictable. From economic stumbling blocks and new health regulations, to environmental dangers, social upheaval, and demographic challenges, the needs of your customer are changing. A customer-focused brand is one that always identifies growing trends and serves their audience in the best and most current way. Being flexible and nimble when necessary can help your brand to achieve true staying power.
In today’s digital world, a thoughtful and purposeful online presence is one of the best ways to stay ahead of the curve. A website with a memorable domain enables you to promote your brand and your evolution of services. It can reach new audiences all over the world and you can showcase your brands exactly how you want to.
That’s the reason this year’s XYZ Quarterly theme is Staying Ahead of the Curve with .XYZ. Each quarter we will provide you with tips on how to develop and redirect your brand to stay two steps ahead. To begin, this quarter we’ll be showing you how to stay ahead of the curve by being customer-focused. We’ll offer you six helpful tips that you can use to develop a customer-inspired brand, as well as six .xyz websites that serve as prime examples of these tips.
Read on for Part 1: ““Six key ways to stay ahead of the curve by building a customer-focused brand”
Or jump down to Part 2: “XYZ’s Q1 2021 Recap.”
It may be necessary for your brand to pivot in order to better serve your audience. Making a pivot can help you to improve your results and make the best use of your efforts. Pivots can be made in many different ways, small and large. Consider narrowing your efforts to offer one fully enhanced service that is above and beyond the best in the field. Redirect your marketing to cater to a new audience or demographic that could benefit from your services. Consider surveying your audiences to discover gaps between your offerings and their expectations. You can make your efforts widely known with updates to your website.
HelloWorldRobotics.xyz is an example of a brand that pivoted to serve the market better. With a fleet of skillfully developed autonomous delivery robots fully designed, they recognized a greater need for their technology at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. They realized they could provide a way to help reduce imprudent physical contact. The company launched Project Care, a focused effort to provide contactless delivery of essentials and sanitizing services using the technology they had just developed. Their delivery robots can be dispatched to hospitals, quarantine zones, shopping malls, and gated communities; practically everywhere a person in need could be. HelloWorldRobotics.xyz made use of their existing technology to better serve the needs of their customers.
Adjusting your lens to see the greater needs your products or services could address can help them gain traction and put you ahead of your competition.
In today’s digital world, a strong website user experience can give your brand a competitive edge in attracting and retaining your audience. Designing a website that effectively communicates the value you bring to your audience will help you to generate brand advocacy and customer retention. Becoming hyper-focused on the needs of your customers is one of the keys to creating the most engaging user experience possible. Utilize varying types of media to communicate how your brand serves them, including images, videos, and gifs. Create opportunities to be interactive with your website visitors by sharing their user submissions and hosting topical quizzes or trivia. Be creative and consider surprising your audience with something new or unexpected.
Find inspiration from Foodism.xyz, one of the first-ever social media platforms centered on food. Their mission is to gather all food enthusiasts under a single digital roof, and they do so by creatively engaging them in all things food related. What began as an online presence for their print magazine evolved into a full-fledged platform with a pretty remarkable user experience. Foodism.xyz gives members reasons to log in at least once a day, including the promise of a user-submitted recipe of the day. Not only are viewers excited for a new recipe, but they’re eager to see if perhaps their submission was chosen. Members can also read user-submitted blog posts, mixed in with posts directly from the Foodism staff, covering everything from “desserts of India” to “why it’s time to change up your cooking oil.” Foodism.xyz has created an online atmosphere where viewers can spend considerable time. They make regular use of user participation to collaborate with and build their growing community of brand advocates, strengthening their position as a leading food-based social media platform.
Utilizing engagement and creativity to understand the interests of your customers can help you design an appealing user experience on your website and set you on a course of long-lasting favorability.
Taking the time to identify areas within your company that could be more effective or efficient can help you to develop solutions to improve what you have to offer. This can help you to keep up with the needs of your audience and ensure the longevity of your brand. Larger companies may not need to make a full pivot to keep up with their audience’s needs; they just need innovative solutions to fulfill new requirements. See if you can find ways to improve your customer experience. Streamlining warehouse functions can decrease the time it takes to send out shipments. Adding a chat service to your website can cut down on customer service phone call hold times for your customers. Optimizing the images on your website can decrease its load time and help your customers save a minute or two when online shopping. Improving your operations with your customer in mind can help you continue to serve the growing needs of your customer.
Byld.xyz specializes in providing solutions for this kind of strategic internal optimization. Their website states that “61% of CEOs expect a startup competitor to disrupt their industry at any moment” so they help big companies create innovation internally to keep up with the growing needs of their customers. Byld.xyz determines a solution through three main growth phases: Insights, Labs, and Startups. The Insights phase focuses on identifying trends and detecting opportunities. Based on learnings from the Insights phase, possible solutions and minimum viable products (MVPs) are created during the Labs phase. Finally, these MVPs are put to the test during the Startup phase. Once an MVP is considered ready to become a startup solution, Byld.xyz assigns internal teams to take care of essential functions like marketing and sales, operations, product, and IT.
You can take inspiration from Byld.xyz’s startup process to help improve your own operations. New internal processes can help your brand stay relevant and in demand.
Technology has freed brands and professionals from many location constraints. Email, instant messaging, video conferencing, and messaging platforms make it possible to connect with and serve customers all over the world. Associates are working remotely, enabling them to move freely about the world and still get the job done. While businesses are utilizing digital solutions and operating remotely, they can also rethink how they conduct business. You and your customers can become fully acquainted digitally, with no need to have them travel any distance to meet with you. This helps you to expand your customer base and own your niche. A well-designed website has become an essential way to inform your audience of how your brand operates, your mission, and examples of past projects.
Take note of Wave.xyz, a creative agency that offers complete promotional and branding services to their clients. Their website clearly communicates that they handle everything from the development of a complete strategy, material creation, and campaign management. Wave.xyz sets themselves apart from other creative agencies by choosing to be “nomadic.” Their employees go to their client and work from the front line. Visitors to the About Our Collective tab will find a quote from Jason Syptak, Wave.xyz‘s founder, which identifies the forward thought used in their operations. “We set up shop, work and deliver at the point of impact, or Impact Point as we call it.” Their goal is to immerse their team in the environment and create the most meaningful final product. They don’t have a headquarters because Wave.xyz was born with the idea of traveling to their clients, demonstrating a unique dedication to their audience. Wave.xyz uses their website to inform potential clients about their methods to illuminate the fact that geographic location does not limit their ability to do business.
Eliminating limitations and boundaries created by distance is easier than ever. Being flexible and showing willingness to serve a global audience can position you as an industry leader.
Analyzing your niche’s marketplace may lead you to create a completely new product or service. World events, newly developed technologies, and changing attitudes are all opportunities to create brand-new services, projects, or communities. An evolving marketplace continually provides new opportunities to work towards improvements, and increase efficiency and convenience. Many brands find a problem or pain point and solve it in a new way. Being innovative can assist your continued relevance and position you ahead of the curve.
Learn from KetoChow.xyz, who addressed an obstacle in the trending ketogenic diet lifestyle. KetoChow.xyz recognized the growing desire for a healthy and convenient meal-replacement option to serve the ketogenic community. There are ample protein shakes and meal-replacement shakes on the market, but KetoChow.xyz wasn’t seeing any that met the trifecta of requirements to make them perfectly ketogenic: high fat, moderate protein, and very low carbohydrates. Founder Chris Bair has been following the ketogenic diet since 2014. As a customer himself, it was easy to center the customer in his strategy. He took something that worked for him in his journey and developed it to make it available for the mass market. KetoChow.xyz created a shake mix of their own. Customers can add water and heavy whipping cream or avocado oil to create a convenient ketogenic meal replacement. KetoChow.xyz created an innovative solution for the ketogenic community, positioning themselves at the forefront of ketogenic meal-replacements.
Creating a brand new product or service that fills a gap in the marketplace can create incredible value for your audience and establish you as a forward-thinking brand.
Expanding your services can help you to provide more value to your audience. You can develop a second leg of your main service to combine two services in one offering that hasn’t been done before. Increasing your services can increase the size of your brand and demonstrate your awareness of the growing needs of your customers. Once you have developed your unique combination, you can add new pages to your website and/or launch a sister site to work in conjunction with each other. Many companies have fully reinvented themselves to take advantage of digital opportunities — online stores and applications can put all of your existing services at a customer’s fingertips, at any time of the day.
Offering multiple products or services that customers need can help you to create a unique solution that positions you at the forefront of your industry.
Brands that stay ahead of the curve stay focused on their customers. Keep an eye on growing trends and the changing needs of your audience. Strive to offer them the best experience possible by adapting to new situations and perspectives when necessary. That could mean layering and increasing your services, developing smaller innovative solutions to improve what you currently provide, or making a drastic change that better utilizes your resources. Every improvement can be promoted with a website that is as adaptable and flexible as your business.
Following the examples of the six .xyz websites above can help to keep the customer at the center of every decision and help to ensure the longevity of your brand.
2021 is well under way. For XYZ, Q1 was filled with innovation, accomplishment, and anticipation. Here’s how we made a big entrance into the new year.
In our continued effort to help the next generation of internet users make their mark online, we changed the face of the beauty industry online forever. We proudly introduced the first-ever domain names made for the beauty industry: .Beauty, .Hair, .Skin, and .Makeup! These exciting domains allow beauty brands, professionals, and influencers to acquire affordable, memorable URLs that match their brand name, first and last name, social handle, or creative idea. We also introduced .Quest, the domain made for gurus, experts, and authorities in any field. .Quest is the perfect domain for internet users to show their website is the destination their audience is seeking. These new domains are affordable, unrestricted, and available to anyone looking for a head-turning brand presence.
Flawless beauty brands are getting online with .Beauty, .Hair, .Skin, and .Makeup domain names. Many smart brands and visionaries have already taken advantage of these exciting domain opportunities and exceeded our expectations. A .Beauty, .Hair, .Skin, or .Makeup domain can enable beauty brands, professionals, and fans to launch affordable, memorable URLs that match their brand name, first and last name, social handle, or creative idea. Some noteworthy early adopters have already realized the value of these extensions. To name just a few, we’ve noted registrations such as www.MaxFactor.beauty, www.Barbers.hair, www.Freckles.skin, and www.Glossier.makeup!
We also launched .Quest, the domain intended for gurus, experts, and authorities in any field. .Quest is the perfect domain for internet users to mark their website as the destination their audience is seeking. Some of today’s gurus are already on board, including Twitch co-founder Justin Kan who launched www.Justin.quest as the dedicated home for his podcast The Quest. New apparel brand www.GoldenAge.quest is paying homage to famous expeditions with their Explorer Series t-shirts. Each t-shirt design charts a different well-known voyage from history.
At the onset of March, eight of our domains joined .xyz in achieving MIIT accreditation in China. We’re thrilled to say that any owner of a .Rent, .College, .Monster, .Baby, .Security, .Protection, .Storage, or .Theatre domain in China can publish their site live to a global audience. Meanwhile, .xyz continues to enjoy its position as one of the most popular domains in China, having maintained MIIT accreditation since 2016. With adopters ranging from startups, individuals, and organizations, we’ve seen so many launch creative websites on their .xyz domains. Be sure to check out our blog to learn first hand from .xyz adopters and discover their inspiring websites for yourself.
We’ve been busy preparing for the relaunch of our latest domain acquisitions. We’re excited to continue to serve the real estate and transportation industries with .Homes, .Autos, .Motorcycles, .Boats, and .Yachts domain names. They make it easy for brokers, dealers, and service-providers to create memorable domains that match what their audiences are searching for. Starting in June, we plan to make these unrestricted domains even more affordable. Stay tuned for more information!
XYZ supported five student-focused hackathons in the first quarter of 2021. Participants at Hack BI 2021, UPES-CSI, UofT Hacks, SacHacks, Makeathon 3077 received .xyz domains to help them launch their ideas and projects online. Located throughout the United States, Canada, and India, the hackathons all celebrated technology with workshops and mentors that helped participants learn and grow. XYZ is proud to help participants share their ideas and solutions with a global audience via their new .xyz domains.
We also supported entrepreneurs and small businesses by partnering with business education platform StartUpStarter in March. Free .xyz domains were provided as part of their No Code Week, a 9-day event where leading companies in the no code space taught participants how to build apps, a website, and even entire businesses.
2021 promises way more excitement, and XYZ has continued plans for the year ahead. Stay tuned by subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
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/
In this XYZ Quarterly we’ll cover the six essential features your business website needs to succeed and recap XYZ’s Q3 2020 activity.
Read on for Part 1: “Discover 6 fundamental features your business website needs to succeed”
Or jump down to Part 2: “XYZ’s Q3 2020 Recap.”
More people are going online today than ever before. In fact, current usage statistics say 62% of the world’s population is now online.1 Your website is one of the best ways to tap into this growing market, create new customers for your business, and promote your product or service. If done well, your website can lend credibility and professionalism to your company, be fully customized to meet your business’s needs, and help you reach potential customers all over the world. But what features does your website need to unlock its full potential and drive more customers to your business? In this edition of the XYZ Quarterly, we will show you six successful businesses websites that are prime examples of the key features that make an impactful company website.
Visibility is crucial for your business’ website. Make your website easy for your target audience to find by choosing a short, memorable domain name that clearly conveys your brand or business goals. Keyword domain names can also offer a great opportunity to rank in relevant searches for your product, along with even broader branding opportunities. An example of this idea is all-in-one property management platform Property.xyz.
Property.xyz is a free-to-use property listing platform designed by property investors, for property investors. Their goal is to offer services for each step in the property buying process. The company’s long term aim is to become the world’s leading property management platform. That’s why they chose the Property.xyz domain name, which exactly matches the keyword search term for their industry. They also wisely branded with a global domain extension – .xyz. Using the .xyz extension shows they are a worldwide platform built as a solution for all aspects of the property industry.
“We’re creating a property platform that works for everyone,” says Property.xyz co-founder Robert Jones. “All buyers. All sellers. All agents and suppliers. Covers all geographic areas. All property types. All property categories from residential to commercial. All steps of the property process. All available data in one place. A centralized platform. ‘Building the world’s most intelligent property platform.’ We felt (the name) Property.xyz achieves this perfectly.”
Visibility is essential for your business’ website to attract customers. Increasing your website’s visibility online starts with your domain name, and choosing a short, memorable URL helps increase your chances of getting your website to reach your target audience.
Your site needs to be easy for customers to navigate and read through in order to maximize their experience. Good user experience on your website helps generate more leads and sales. If your site is confusing or difficult to navigate on first visit, you could see a large number of potential customers quickly exit your page. When users “bounce” from your page like this, you lose potential conversions. To build the best possible experience for your visitors, consider things like your top-level navigation. What pages do you want to incentivize visitors to click? How well does your site guide visitors toward the actions you want visitors to take? A site that answers these questions well is Amaz.xyz.
Amaz.xyz is an employee benefits platform that helps businesses who use their service offer unique perks and experiences for employees. Amaz.xyz creates an easy and enjoyable experience for users starting right from the homepage. The company clearly explains what the service does “above the fold” – meaning users don’t need to scroll or click anything to learn this information. They introduce their service with a short, elevator-style pitch and feature a picture of the service in use. Overall this adds up to a quick and effective introduction of their service to new site visitors. Amaz.xyz clearly labels the navigation links atop their page to provide tailored experiences for both employers and businesses. When users scroll down the site’s main page, they’re given more information about how Amaz.xyz’s service works and its benefits.
Designing your website with the user’s goals in mind helps optimize their experience, which will keep them on your page longer and create a more positive association with your brand. Many of the most successful products and services are created with the user in mind first, and this same principle holds true when it comes to your website.
Generating trust in the quality of your business is a key part of promoting your product or service online. Show new customers they can depend on you in order to win them over. This is especially true for brand new products and services, or businesses working in emerging industries. One time-honored but effective way to create this trust through your website is by featuring testimonials from customers who have had a positive experience with your business. In addition, you may also showcase awards or notable media coverage you have received. This shows potential customers that others trust your company’s product or service and that it meets their quality standards. A great example to follow when adding this element to your website is Argent.xyz.
Argent.xyz is a cryptocurrency wallet service that aims to simplify the overall crypto trading experience by adding custom naming and other helpful services for users’ wallets.
The company’s product is an example of emerging tech that is not yet familiar to mainstream customers. So, in order to generate trust and transparency with new users, they’ve dedicated a section of their homepage to a wall of tweets praising the Argent.xyz service. Beneath this “wall of love,” Argent.xyz also lists the industry leaders who have backed their service, which includes venture capital firms like Hummingbird and Index Ventures. This further shows Argent.xyz’s legitimacy and success in their industry to potential customers and partners.
Adding testimonials, notable press, and awards you’ve received helps establish trust and show legitimacy with your website visitors from the first time they arrive on your page. This trust is crucial if you are asking them to try your business for the first time. It also gives you a more professional image online by showing that your product or service has others’ support behind it.
There are many ways businesses aim to stay in touch with their customers, from sending newsletters to posting regularly on social media. These methods help businesses remain on customers’ minds and drive them back to their website to generate sales and product usage. It’s crucial that you give your customers a way to stay in touch with you so that you can communicate with them once they leave your website. One of the simplest and most effective ways to do this is by adding a feature that asks for customer contact information in exchange for a valuable resource. An example of this strategy that you can follow for your business’ website is that of TheLushLife.xyz founder Sarah Tracey.
Sarah Tracey is a certified sommelier who has shared wine advice for MarthaStewart.com and served as wine director at a Michelin-starred restaurant. On her website, TheLushLife.xyz, she offers her expert wine advice for everything from pairings to gift ideas and even style guides. Her website includes a dedicated section for website visitors to sign up for her wine advice newsletter. Sending valuable information via this newsletter is one of the main ways Sarah stays in touch with potential customers and brings them back to her website.
Sarah also trades fun for contact information from her website visitors through features like the “What kind of wine should you ‘actually’ be drinking” quiz at the top of her page. As visitors fill out the quiz, it concludes by asking for an email before it can be completed.
Collecting customer information through fun and engaging methods creates a perfect avenue to bring them back to your site. When you provide value to customers through newsletters and similar outreach methods, you establish a stronger relationship with customers and keep them engaged with your business.
When you set out to build your website, the first goal in mind should be to prioritize what action you want website visitors to take on your page. It could be to sign up for your service, buy your products, or contact you to work with you, among many other things. Whatever your end goal for your visitors might be, it’s vital that you guide them to completing that action through your website design. The most visible and effective way to close the deal with website visitors is by using clear calls to action. Calls to action tell website visitors what to do in order to get something (i.e. add to cart or sign up for service). The best calls to action will catch website visitors’ eyes and inspire them to complete something that further engages them with your business. Without clear calls to action, your website visitors will not be sure of what action to take while on your website. Without clear direction, potential customers may leave without purchasing your product or service. To see a website that has calls to action done right, look to TheHop.xyz.
Created by 114-year-old Spanish brewery and beverage company Hijos de Rivera, TheHop.xyz gives startups the opportunity to develop new tools and technologies. The company program integrates the tools created by participants in their program into the promotion methods for it’s popular Estrella Galicia premium beer. To bring startups on board, TheHop.xyz’s website features clear calls to action starting right from the homepage.
TheHop.xyz strategically placed calls to action beneath their main elevator pitch and every program description section. These call to action buttons direct visitors to get to know their program, see projects created by program participants, and submit projects to be a part of the program. They also direct website visitors to engage more with the company’s mission and brand, which is TheHop.xyz’s main goal.
Using clear call to action buttons on your website guides visitors toward the sections of your website you want them to engage with. They also help you capitalize on every website visit by funneling users toward taking the actions you want them to, like buying a product or learning more about your services.
Smartphones have been the main way we access the internet since 2016, when usage surpassed desktop computers.2 As smartphones become more powerful and affordable, the number of mobile internet users only continues to rise. Your website needs to be designed to appeal to mobile users first, because they will likely make up the majority of your website’s visitors. Having a mobile version of your website that loads slowly, doesn’t look good, or is difficult to navigate could result in visitors leaving your page. This means lost sales and less visibility for your brand. Fortunately, you can build your website to be optimized for mobile no matter whether you are designing your website yourself or using a website builder.
An example of a very well designed mobile website is Comuzi.xyz. The London-based design studio creates forward-thinking, “radically creative” product designs.
Their mobile website is designed to be easy to navigate and view as a mobile user. The three-button layout at the top of the page leads visitors to relevant information about their studio, blog, and work. Comuzi.xyz also employs large text and short sentences in their site design to describe each project. These design choices work to keep the page’s main focus on the eye-catching images they use for each project page link and simplify overall visuals presented to mobile users.
Comuzi.xyz’s mobile website design allows visitors to easily scroll through the website to learn more about their work. A mobile-first design helps to communicate their message clearly and draw in potential collaborators and clients. Using this kind of simple and strategic mobile design on your website can help you to make a positive impression on your potential customers.
An effective company website is a crucial part of your business’ success. Making it easy to find and navigate your website will help you attract and retain potential customers. Authentically sharing your story, customer testimonials, and notable coverage of your business helps to create a stronger connection with website visitors. Utilizing clear calls to action helps you convert them into customers or users.
Whether you’re building a brand new website for your latest business or tweaking your existing website, these elements will build the backbone of your successful business website.
As the summer winds to a close, the XYZ Team looks back on everything that happened in another busy quarter for our team and our partners. Despite this summer being a bit different than usual, together we worked as hard as always to serve the .xyz community and spread the word about .xyz.
Summer is always a great time to listen to music as you soak up the sun. This quarter, the XYZ team celebrated the inspiring creativity of the musical artists in the .xyz community by creating a playlist of their impressive work: .XYZ Radio. The playlist features artists from the .xyz community who share their next-generation work through their .xyz websites.
The artists featured in the playlist cover a range of genres, from R&B sensations Aminidi (Amindi.xyz) and Quami.xyz (Quami.xyz), to pop vocalists C TORRES (CTorres.xyz) and Grant Carey (GrantCarey.xyz), and even features electronic vibes from Lance Free (LanceFree.xyz) and Electric Cafe (ElectricCafe.xyz.) The mix is streaming now on Spotify, jump in and discover your next favorite song from these creative artists and .xyz adopters.
Many events have gone digital, and so have XYZ’s efforts to support coders around the world. In Q3 of 2020, XYZ sponsored five hackathon events in two different countries that brought participants together to create projects which address current global issues related to health, education, and emerging technology.
First was XYZ’s return as an official sponsor of Hack the 6ix in Toronto, Canada, where we helped participants showcase their projects and create portfolio websites for their work. Then, XYZ showed support for the blossoming .xyz community in India by supporting four hackathon events in the country.
XYZ’s sponsorship helped coders in India work on projects at Hack in India, Garuda Hacks, Hack Gujarat, and Delhi Hacks. Some participants at the events were making their first ever websites, and we’re proud to have helped them do so with memorable .xyz domains.
.XYZ is the domain on which many great artists and designers have chosen to build a home for their work online. This quarter we were proud to give back to the global art community by supporting next generation artists in Vietnam at the TEDxTrangThiSt Art Hackathon.
The hackathon’s central theme asked participants to use modern coding techniques to create artistic solutions for traditional art problems. XYZ provided domain names for the participants to showcase their artfully coded projects and gave them a platform to share their solutions with a global audience.
One key component of XYZ’s commitment to the next generation of internet users is our focus on setting them up for success in the future so they can share their ideas with the world. This quarter, XYZ provided .xyz domain names to students participating in coding camp programs UX Academy, HackBright Academy, JavaScript Mastery Design Lab, and Girl Genius STEAM Conference. Through these collaborations, participants in the program were given their own .xyz websites along with guides on how to build their first professional portfolio online. The portfolios will help the students put their best professional foot forward online and help them rise above the pack as they step into their careers.
For the past three years, XYZ has proudly been the official jersey sponsor for our friend Elliot Silver of DomainInvesting.com and his riding partner John Berryhill on their annual 80-mile charity bike ride in the Pan-Mass Challenge. XYZ was the lead jersey sponsor for the 2020 event as well, creating a jersey design which pays tribute to those whose lives have been affected by cancer. We were proud to support Elliot and help him reach $10,000 raised for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
One more training ride to go before @PanMass weekend. 35 miles today and 30~ miles tomorrow. Thanks to our jersey sponsors for supporting @DanaFarber: https://t.co/l4BjMxoJAE Also, thanks to my domain industry colleagues for their support: https://t.co/w9x33blVbh pic.twitter.com/TCIDnQSCci
— Elliot Silver (@DInvesting) July 25, 2020
Our Indonesian partner Domainesia held an exciting super sale in Q3, offering customers a great discount on a .xyz domain and hosting bundle. The sale generated a great deal of interest, as Domainesia spread the word to a huge audience through a fun video showing customers they can do almost anything with their own .xyz domain!
In China, our longtime partner Alibaba Cloud had an incredible number of .xyz registrations in Q3, eclipsing over 100,000 new .xyz domains created. These .xyz names were registered as part of Alibaba Cloud’s ongoing developer campaign, which bundles a .xyz domain with a free website builder and hosting. The bundle was a huge hit with developers in China, and our team is happy to welcome them to the .xyz community.
Google’s registrar platform is now offering the world’s favorite new domain. Customers of Google Domains will now see .xyz among the list of available extensions, and we’re excited to welcome Google to our ever-growing family of retail partners. Our mission is to offer .xyz customers choice and freedom when choosing a domain name, and adding Google Domains as a retailer marks another step XYZ has taken toward fulfilling that promise.
XYZ, our partners, and the .xyz community still have plenty of exciting plans in store before 2020 draws to a close. Stay up to date on all things XYZ by subscribing to our newsletter, following us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Sources:
1. https://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm
2. https://bgr.com/2016/11/02/internet-usage-desktop-vs-mobile/
