Restaurants and bars across the world have embraced the .REST and .BAR generic top level domains (gTLDs) for the restaurant industry, since their launch just over a month ago. With thousands of registrations between the two, the domains are picking up traction with prominent restaurants in a wide range of cities and countries.
Here, the opportunity for your restaurant or bar is explained, and your most likely questions are answered.
Universal nature of .rest
The global appeal for restaurants is due to the universal nature of “.REST,” the abbreviation for restaurant in more than 30 languages and more than 50 countries. Created by Mexico-based Punto 2012, the domains were designed specifically for the restaurant industry by family-run restaurant professionals. The goal for creating an online neighborhood for the restaurant easy was to better categorize the industry and offer more meaningful and better-defined Internet addresses.
In addition to live websites, many other high profile restaurants and chefs have registered .REST or .BAR including celebrity chefs Joel Robuchon and Rick Bayless, as well as restaurants such as Mocoto in Brazil, Casellula in New York, and brands such as Wynn Resorts and Moet Hennessy.
Pictured top: Harbour Lights sits overlooking Portland Harbour which is one of the largest man-made harbours in the world. The bar and restaurant was used as the headquarters for the 2012 Olympic games and as well as royalty, many famous names passed through the doors – so who knows who sat at your table to watch the sun set over Chesil Beach.
For more information about the Harbour Lights click here
No better way to be found by customers
“I’ve spent my career trying to help restaurants get found online and improve their visibility. There is no better way to be found by customers than to use a highly-defined, short and easy-to-type domain name,” said Aaron Grego, CEO of Punto 2012. “It is thrilling to see so many great restaurants and bars embrace this vision.”
.REST and .BAR domain names can now be registered with registrars such as Godaddy, Name.com and 101domain. For more information visit, www.register.rest and www.register.bar.
About Punto 2012
Mexico City-based Punto 2012, is a domain company that services Generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs) .rest and .bar, geared for the restaurant and bar industry. The entrepreneurial team consists of experts in the domain industry as well as the food and beverage industry dedicated to revolutionizing the Internet so that businesses can own their identity and be found by their customers.
For a showcase of sites already using the .Rest and .Bar domains click here
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
What is .rest and what is .bar?
.rest and .bar are new Internet address suffixes that are built specifically for restaurants, bars and nightclubs. As part of a larger Internet trend that opens up top level domains to generic suffixes, .rest and .bar will categorize the Internet and create defined and easy to access online neighborhoods for the food and beverage industry.
What is a gTLD?
gTLD is a domain insider term that means “Generic Top Level Domains.” These are domains, recently released by ICANN in 2014, that enable the Internet addresses to have unique and generic suffixes separate from “.com” or “.net,” such as “.rest” for restaurants and “.bar” for bars and nightclubs.
Why are there gTLDs?
Generic Top Level Domains were launched to better organize the Internet and free up Internet addresses better define the purpose of a website, by easily categorizing content under subjects and topics, such as “.rest” for restaurants and “.bar” for bars and nightclubs. Also, it allows websites to have domains that were otherwise unavailable due to the congestion of .com and other legacy suffixes.
Why should I change my current web address?
There are many businesses and organizations that, due to high aftermarket costs or non-availability, did not receive their ideal Internet address and so was relegated to a cumbersome, long, or irrelevant domain name. Even those that were lucky enough to secure a great “.com,” may need to use words like “restaurant” in the domain in order to define it. With .rest or .bar, businesses can allow the suffix to define the domain and enable the Internet address to be short, meaningful and relevant.
Why would I change my current web address when I’ve allocated marketing spend to it?
You certainly would not want to lose your marketing investment on an existing domain name and so changing domains may not be an option. However, to begin process of evolving into what will be the new Internet, all you need to do is set up a 301 redirect on your existing domain so you can use your existing web address until you are prepared to invest in marketing your new .rest or .bar address.
How do I know if these new domains will resonate with my customers?
Companies like Google are applying for over 100 new gTLDs alone and this serves as evidence that the Internet industry as a whole know this is the future of the Internet. While it may take some time for the mainstream Internet to evolve, it will eventually be the standard. You can differentiate yourself from others in your industry by becoming a first adopter and demonstrate innovation and relevance to your customers.
Isn’t moving my website a lot of work?
Not at all, it is much easier than you may think. For starters, a simple 301 redirect will swiftly and seamlessly transfer traffic to a new website address. Moving a website from one domain to another can also be done in just a few easy steps. Here are some links that can help you:
http://moz.com/blog/seo-guide-how-to-properly-move-domains
http://www.singlegrain.com/blog/how-to-move-domains-without-losing-seo-value/
https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/93633
http://moz.com/learn/seo/redirection
Won’t I lose all of my SEO by moving my website to a new domain?
.rest and .bar are designed to have a positive impact on your SEO. As long as you use a 301 redirect from your old site, and once moved, resubmit your old sitemap to search engines, you will not risk losing search rankings. Here is a video from Google that walks you through a simple website move, while protecting your hard-earned SEO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wATxftE8ooE#t=10
What does .rest have to do with restaurants?
R-E-S-T is the abbreviation for restaurant in almost 30 languages and in more than 50 countries. It is a global, short, simple, mobile-friendly way to categorize restaurants online.
Isn’t this just a fad?
It is widely acknowledge in the Internet industry by companies like Google and Amazon, that this is no fad, but a new evolution of the Internet. Getting in on the ground level will ensure your prominent place in this new era. Since February, there have already been many gTLDs sold and many of those are already being used.
Why do they cost more than .com?
Since gTLDs are new they are modestly priced over the legacy domains, however, on an annual basis are still quite affordable. When compared to finding the ideal .com address in the aftermarket, they are rather inexpensive.
Why do I need a better domain name when search engines just do the work for Internet users anyway?
.rest and .bar are great for making your website search-friendly, but more important they are great for your brand. You have the opportunity to reduce the length of your Internet address, use a highly-defined and memorable brand name and position your website as a restaurant or bar. It’s great for you and for your customers.
Can I register a domain name if I’m not ready to use it?
Yes, you can leave it parked with .rest or .bar for the length of your registration.
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