How You Can Turn Trends into Trust (and Revenue)

Think about the last time you landed on a URL like watchparty.live or citylegal.pro. Before you even clicked, you already knew what to expect: a live event, a professional service, a community you could trust. That is the power of culture-first domains because they signal relevance instantly.

Your customers are paying attention too. Founders and small businesses are increasingly choosing extensions like .live, .pro, and .world to show they are credible, creative, and connected. For channel partners, that trend is more than interesting. It is a growth opportunity. By spotlighting culture-driven domains in search results and bundling them with high-value services such as email, SSL, and hosting, you can turn rising demand into recurring revenue.

This shift is backed by real data. More than 44 million websites are already using nTLDs, and adoption continues to climb. Credibility is continuing to rise in nTLDs, and channel partners who lead with these identity-rich extensions can capture that momentum now.

This article unpacks that opportunity, showcasing how you can merchandise culture-first nTLDs, the data-backed proof points that build trust with your customers, and the practical plays to package, promote, and profit from them.

Proof of Value: Three TLDs, Three Partner Opportunities

Channel partners know that customers want domains that feel authentic, available, and trustworthy. Culture-first nTLDs meet that demand and give you a clear path to upsell high-value services. Here’s how three high-demand examples are driving momentum:

*Identity Digital internal dataset, 1 Jan – 2 Jul 2025

Bottom line: Every trending nTLD is more than a domain sale. It’s an entry point for a bigger customer relationship. By framing these extensions as credibility tools, channel partners can increase trust and attach higher-value bundles.

Business Case: Why Culture Sells

Search and buyer behavior are evolving fast. AI-driven overviews, higher ad costs, and shifting consumer expectations all point to one truth: credibility signals matter more than ever. Culture-first nTLDs deliver those signals at first sight, and for channel partners, that creates tangible sales advantages.

• Authenticity and Trust – Shoppers resonate with what feels real. For example, influencer-created content inspires 86% of consumers to make a purchase at least once per year.. Culture-first domains work the same way: they project authenticity before the first click. For channel partners, that credibility becomes a built-in sales driver when merchandising nTLDs.
• ‍Availability – With 368M total domains registered and legacy domain saturation at an all-time high, market-specific nTLDs expand the pool of credible, on-brand options. By surfacing these extensions in search, channel partners can turn customer frustration into conversion.‍
• Memorability and Recall – Keyword-rich domains earn a 45% higher organic click-through rate (CTR) than generic ones. When the keyword sits to the right of the dot, it boosts recognition without extra ad spend, making these domains easier for buyers to remember and easier for channel partners to sell.‍
• Advanced Security – With 94% of organizations hit by phishing in 2024, customers are seeking visible trust signals. Offering nTLDs bundled with SSL, privacy, and email authentication lets channel partners turn a simple domain sale into a higher-value, peace-of-mind package.

Registrar Playbook: Package, Promote, Profit

Channel partners can increase new domain registrations and attach higher-margin services by packaging nTLDs in ways that feel relevant and timely for customers. Three proven plays include:

1. Curated “Culture Packs” - Bundle short, meaningful names with one-click add-ons like branded email, SSL, and site-builder tools. Channel partners can segment packs by audience type, such as .live with streaming add-ons for creators or .pro with professional email for consultants, making it easier for customers to see value at checkout.‍
2. Time-Boxed Promos - Spotlight culture-first nTLDs around seasonal and cultural moments. For example, promote .live for summer tour announcements, .studio during World Design Day (April 27), or .world for UN Climate Week. These timely campaigns help channel partners capture demand spikes and convert awareness into registrations.‍
3. Influencer CoMarketing - Partner with micro-influencers who already lead the culture you want to reach. Instead of simply handing out promo codes, give influencers a turnkey bundle that includes their own nTLD, a basic site/email package, and trackable affiliate links. Every time the domain shows up in bios, newsletters, or merch drops, it normalizes adoption and drives measurable click-to-conversion for channel partners.

The Road Ahead: Making the Most of nTLDs

Customers increasingly reward brands that project authenticity, culture, and trust. Purpose-built nTLDs deliver that signal instantly, and channel partners are in the best position to merchandise them.

By stocking and spotlighting culture-first domains, channel partners open a fresh lane for growth. Every identity-rich domain you sell can anchor higher-value bundles, increase attach rates, and extend customer lifetimes.

Now is the time to turn culture-first domains into business value. Explore the Identity Digital Partner Portal to access ready-made resources and playbooks that make it easy to package, promote, and profit with nTLDs.

Sources:

1. nTLDStats. New gTLD Summary. https://ntldstats.com/
2. ‍Digital Marketing Institute. 20 Surprising Influencer Marketing Statistics. https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/20-influencer-marketing-statistics-that-will-surprise-you
3. ‍Forbes. The Brand Authenticity Advantage: Be Real, Sell More, & Grow Your Brand. https://www.forbes.com/sites/renaegregoire/2024/11/21/the-brand-authenticity-advantage-be-real-sell-more--grow-your-brand/
4. ‍Psychology Today. Consumers Want Brands to Be Authentic. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/consumer-psychology/202305/consumers-want-brands-to-be-authentic
5. ‍Wix. 5 domain name trends you can't ignore if you own a website. https://www.wix.com/blog/domain-name-trends
6. ‍Google. AI in Search: Going beyond information to intelligence. https://blog.google/products/search/google-search-ai-mode-update/
7. ‍Sprout Social. 29 influencer marketing statistics to guide your brand’s strategy in 2025. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/influencer-marketing-statistics/#:~:text=As%20of%20February%202024%2C%2026,Facebook%20and%2012%25%20chose%20LinkedIn
8. WhoAPI. We are out of four-letter .com domains. https://whoapi.com/blog/we-are-out-of-4-letter-com-domains/
9. ‍SE Ranking. The role of CTR in SEO: How to increase click counts from SERPs. https://seranking.com/blog/ctr-seo/