A few years back, we talked about the onslaught of “dot.anything” with players like GoDaddy gobbling up every possible domain name to then turn around and sell it at a premium to well-meaning brands. There are still some top-level domain names that have yet to be approved, but the list recently shrunk by one: .luxury.

As reported by Luxury Daily, .luxury’s introduction began with a 60-day registration period in which only trademarked brands could apply for one of these coveted luxury brand domain names. Many well-known labels applied, including Gucci and Cartier, joined by over 500 other brands. Now in its second stage, the .luxury application process has been opened to “non-trademarked entities” at top dollar for overpriced resale. Not ready to commit just yet? Not to worry, because on May 19th, .luxury will become available to anyone on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Despite cybersquatting and other preventative policies alluded to by Dot Luxury, the company behind the new domain, it’s hard to imagine that the plethora of websites that will undoubtedly adopt .luxury domains will actually generate luxury-caliber websites. With the recent surge in content-driven websites from upscale brands, consumers are coming to expect highly customized, rich experiences in their online interactions. Simply slapping the word “luxury” at the end of a URL is not going to make valuable content magically appear.

It’s this curated content that sets brands apart online, even with the currently shared .com domain. When the floodgates open next month and .luxury sites begin cropping up all over the web, many brands will not provide the quality content and online experience to match consumers’ high “luxury” expectations. At what point does “luxury” become just another buzzword, watered down until it’s rendered meaningless? (In many ways, this has already happened.)

So what is a luxury brand to do? We can’t blame the brands that have already scooped up their .luxury counterparts for fear that any old Joe could establish Gucci.luxury, but under Dot Luxury’s proposed policies, just owning the space isn’t enough. How can brands differentiate themselves from the countless other sites claiming the luxury title?

1. Redirect traffic to or from .luxury. Owning your new domain doesn’t mean it’s the end of the road. Consider sending site visitors to your new space through your .com page or vice versa to avoid cybersquatting policies.
2. Showcase your rare offerings. This could be the perfect opportunity to highlight truly unique, high-ticket items on your website without taking valuable space away from your best sellers, not to mention maintaining the intrigue of your ultra high net worth clientele.
3. Define luxury as it relates to your brand. As the word “luxury” sustains more abuse and misuse from aspiring brands, its definition and how it shapes your brand can also get lost. Rather than blanketing your entire online space with .luxury, dedicate a single page to the stories, testimonials, and content that define your image of luxury. Not matter how many nameless brands jump on the bandwagon, no one can step on your brand’s self-image.

As the next stages in the .luxury saga roll out, we’ll be watching for brands using (and misusing) this new space. Stay tuned for more!