The recent launch of the .FAMILY domain extension has been a great opportunity for families big and small to share their stories, photos and videos, and stay connected with loved ones. But nobody said that this domain extension is only for domestic use. In fact, it can be used by anyone hoping to convey the care, loyalty, and yes, familiarity inherent to the word. A .FAMILY domain can provide real value to the right small business or organization. We’ve outlined some of these situations and found several compelling statistics to make identifying potential customers easier.

Family-owned businesses

• JonesGrocery.family, SmithContractors.family
• Family businesses comprise 80−90% of all businesses in the United States, accounting for 60% of all employment in the country, including 1.2 million businesses run together by spouses.¹ Yet nearly three in five very small businesses (made up of one to five people) lack a website. Of those, 12% use Facebook for their online presences.²

Any “named” business to imply/convey family ownership

• CarRepair.family, PapasPizza.family, AuntReginasSyrup.family
• A survey conducted in the UK found that 81% of family businesses believe that “a distinct family business brand is assumed to contribute to a company’s image of trustworthiness.”³

Professional private practices specializing in families

• CityLaw.family, EmergencyMedical.family, CaringCounseling.family
• 35% of consumers begin their search for legal services online, but 40% of small law firms lack a website.⁴ Just 38% of physicians communicate with their patients by email, although adoption rates are up 27% year over year.⁵

Branded family of products

• MumsYummyPastries.family, NaturalCitrusCleaners.family

Family-friendly businesses

• AmusementPark.family, PizzaPlace.family, PuttPuttGolf.family
• During family vacations, children choose or have some influence on the choice of daily activities 77% of the time.⁶

The “baby” business

• LamazeClass.family, MamaBlog.family, TinyPajamas.family
• The global market for baby care products is expected to reach nearly $67 billion by 2017.⁷

The “senior” business

• LongTermCare.family, GeriatricMed.family, MobilityScooter.family
• By 2060, the number of persons aged 65+ is estimated to more than double compared to 2013.⁸ The size of the elder care services industry is expected to reach $319 billion in 2016.⁹

Residential real estate

• ShorelineHomes.family, AffordableApartments.family
• It’s estimated that there are two million active real estate licensees operating in the U.S. and that in the last year, 27% of agents and 21% of brokers spent between $501 – $2,000 on technology. After realtors themselves, websites and web apps are the most commonly used search tool for prospective home buyers.¹⁰

Use in a marketing campaign

• MobileDataPlan.family, CruisePackage.family, MinivanDeals.family

Nonprofits and causes

• EndangeredWildlifeFund.family, UniteForChange.family
• Over 1.5 million nonprofits operate in the U.S. (including charities, foundations, and other tax-exempt organizations) which accounted for $1.63 trillion in spending in 2013.¹¹ While overall giving to nonprofits was stagnant during a three-month period from April to June 2015, donations received online increased almost 14% compared to the same period a year earlier.¹²

Community/neighborhood groups

• CapitolHill.family, KnittingClub.family, Co-OpGrocery.family

Church/faith organizations

• FirstLutheran.family, RedmondBuddhists.family, ChurchFoodDrive.family
• Of the estimated 350,000 religious congregations in the U.S., 24% lacked a website, 3% lacked email, and 7% lacked both in 2010.¹³

Employee/co-worker groups

• SeattleDockWorker.family, MetroBusDrivers.family, CityRealtors.family

Alumni/school groups

• RooseveltHigh.family, CollegeOfEverytown.family
• 78% of alumni associations find that email is their most effective overall marketing channel and 36% indicate that it is their most effective recruiting tool.¹⁴

Military/veteran unit organizations

• CTroop.family, SecondBattalion.family, VeteranClinic.family
• According to the Census Bureau, there are nearly 22 million veterans in the United States as of 2014.¹⁵

Fraternal/service organizations

• There are over 2,000 Elks lodges across the U.S boasting a membership of 850,000.¹⁶ Rotary International has over 34,000 member clubs across the world.¹⁷

With all the family-related products, services, and various organizations that could benefit from a .FAMILY domain, your sales team may suddenly find itself choosing from a much broader customer base than they expected. Not a bad problem to have on your hands.

“Family” families are, of course, still a big demographic for the domain extension, as we’ve covered previously. From newborns, to marriages, to beloved pets, there are many ways to approach marketing the .FAMILY domain extension which our account managers are more than happy to discuss. Call them at 1-425-274-4500 or email them at sales@enom.com for details.

We’ve also compiled a marketing kit that we’d love to share with you. It outlines many of the tips we’ve found to reach the target audience for .FAMILY.

Download the .FAMILY Marketing Kit.