Amazon and its personalised Internet domain: eyes fixed firmly on the future

Matt Crossman supervises the legal team in charge of Amazon’s domains, providing strategic and operational support to the Amazon registry, the AWS registrar and the group’s portfolio of domain names. For her part, Christina Badur supports the Amazon registry with its brand TLDs.

Their presentation highlighted the importance of the .amazon TLD, which, far from being a mere technical tool, is an important strategic lever. Find out how Amazon uses this TLD to reinforce its digital presence and to innovate in managing its domain names.

A digital strategy in the service of innovation

Amazon was one of the most active companies in the last round of ICANN applications in 2012, obtaining several TLDs in its name. This strategic choice illustrates the group’s determination to master its digital presence while at the same time adding innovations to the customer experience. According to Matt Crossman, Amazon’s obsession with innovation and the user experience is reflected in the use of its brand TLDs. These domains allow the company to offer online experiences that are at once secure, intuitive and engaging. By developing its own TLDs, Amazon strengthens consumers’ confidence while at the same time optimising browsing and the management of its digital services.

Christina Badur also stressed the fact that the company seeks constantly to optimise the impact of its brand TLDs. These TLDs are not just for consumers; they also serve to structure the elements of its internal infrastructure. For Amazon, brand TLDs are not just a marketing tool. They constitute an essential lever for smoothing the management of data flows, strengthening cybersecurity and simplifying customer journeys. The objective is to bring its services together under a single coherent digital identity in order to improve the interaction with its users.

The strategic advantages of brand TLDs for Amazon

Having its own TLDs gives Amazon several major advantages.

Firstly, it allows it to secure its name and avoid other entities using a similar address on the internet.

Secondly, it strengthens the brand image, since each product or service can be directly linked to an Amazon domain. This strategy facilitates consumers’ recognition and enhances their online experience.

Besides, customised TLDs provide a clearer and more intuitive organisation of the sites and platforms, making them easier to use.

Another notable advantage is the reduction of costs. Buying premium domain names on the secondary market is getting more and more difficult and expensive: having your own TLDs avoids having to do this. With its TLDs, Amazon has exclusive rights to names that are no longer available under TLDs open to registration by all, leaving it free to allocate the best domain names to its various services without having to depend on third party providers.

As regards security and infrastructure, Amazon has complete control over the use of its domains. By eliminating external dependencies, the company strengthens its digital sovereignty and is able to apply strict security protocols. Consequently, the use of brand TLDs also allows the risk of cyber-attacks to be limited by preventing problems on second-level domains (ending in .com, .co, .net, etc.) from compromising the whole system.

Challenges associated with the adoption of brand TLDs

Although their adoption offers numerous advantages, “dot brands” also involve certain challenges. First of all the cost may be something to think about; registering with ICANN requires a substantial investment, with application fees in excess of US$200,000, followed by annual operating fees of around US$60,000. However, payback is fast, since the advantages are considerable.

These customised TLDs also require awareness-raising, both within the organisation and with consumers. The public at large is still mainly used to the traditional domains such as .com and .fr, although a survey conducted by Afnic in September 2024 on the perception of brand TLDs shows that one person in four has already seen an Internet address under a brand TLD. It remains essential for brands to communicate about these customised TLDs in order to make them better known and more attractive to internet users.

Future prospects: will “dot brand” TLDs become the norm?

Amazon continues to explore the uses of its brand TLDs and to optimise their potential. As a pioneer in the adoption of this lever, the company constantly expands its use to bolster the consistency and effectiveness of its digital ecosystem, while at the same time offering a smoother and more secure user experience. This approach perfectly illustrates the advantages offered by these customised TLDs: mastery and securing of the online presence, strengthening of the brand image and strategic differentiation in a constantly evolving digital landscape.

As long ago as 2012, Amazon opened the way to the use of brand TLDs, and other pioneering brands have seen the competitive advantages deriving from them and followed this trend in various sectors of activity. Now that a new round of applications for “dot brands” is almost upon us after nearly 15 years, it is essential that companies anticipate this prospect and think strategically.

The age of the brand TLDs is only just beginning, and brands that know how to appropriate this digital revolution, like Amazon, will gain a decisive strategic advantage. At the time of the last round of applications for brand TLDs, Afnic accompanied such companies and sponsors as MMA, Leclerc, SNCF, OVHcloud, TotalEnergies, etc. Based on this experience, we continue to offer our expertise and support to brands that wish to optimise the deployment of their brand TLD and its long-term impact. The time has come to write the future of your digital identity.

Are you ready to take the step?