Should You Register an Emoji Domain Name?
Finding a new domain name is a struggle when everything you search for is unavailable. When all the domain names you want are taken, you have to start getting creative. If you’re struggling to capture your ideas in a traditional domain name, why not express it with an emoji instead?
You might be thinking, how do you register an emoji as a domain when you can't type it out in words? Think of emojis as another language. Domains in foreign languages, or IDNs (International Domain Names), are represented in puny code with the limited character set (A-Z, 0-9) supported by the domain name system. For example,"münich" would be encoded as "mnich-kva". However, since an emoji doesn't consist of characters to begin with, it is given an ID written in puny code. For example. the Dancing Red Dress Emoji translates to xn--pn8hji.
But Why Emoji Domains?
The ability to register emoji domain names have transformed marketing strategies for companies that were able to jump on the opportunity. A picture is worth a thousand words, so an emoji can convey more than any regular domain name can. What's even better— you can combine regular characters with the emoji puny code to create unique and quirky domain names.
However, emojis come with some limitations. They are not standard across all web browsers and apps, making them appear differently depending on where you view them. This can be an issue because some emojis are so drastically different between platforms that they convey a completely different emotion. Even within the emojis, there might be hidden or double meanings that you might not be aware of. If an emoji has a double meaning, it might not convey what you want it to. Another issue is that some emojis also look very similar to each other, which could cause some issues if you register the wrong emoji as a domain. .WS is one of the few TLDs that will accept emoji domain registrations, so your TLD options are also limited.
The Domain Names of the Future?
With the availability of domain names dwindling, why not opt for a new, innovative domain? Images are much easier to remember than text, which gives emojis an advantage. It's scientifically proven that we remember images more than words. Emojis used in social media marketing has shown to significantly increase engagement. Since we're using emojis in so many places, why not use them in domain names?
Are emojis a new and innovative marketing tool, or should they be confined to chat bubbles and status updates? Whether emojis are the domain names of the future or a just a passing trend, there is no denying that emojis are changing the way we communicate digitally.
Written by Paige Omandam