Google has just launched Google Domains, a domain registration service, as an invite-only beta service.
The search giant says it’s an easy way to set up an address on the Web with simple management tools.
In a statement put out by Google the week of June 23, the company says, “We’re beginning to invite a small number of people to kick the tires on Google Domains. Businesses will be able to search, find, purchase and transfer the best domain for their business – whether it’s .com, .biz, .org, or any of the wide range of new domains that are being released to the Web.”
The move also extends Google’s push to power small businesses. According to a Google study, about 55% of small businesses still don’t have their own website, which hurts their growth and job growth.
The search engine giant says, “As we explore ways to help small businesses succeed online we thought it made sense to look more closely at the starting point of every business’s online presence – a website. And that starts with a domain name.”
Entrepreneur.com says “Google Domain sites will be hosted on Google’s own DNS servers — which the company says guarantees a quick response time — and users will be able to buy and sell their domains without being charged extra for private registration. They’ll also be able to create up to 100 email addresses and 100 customized sub-domains.”
Before it launched Google Domain, Google had previously directed companies or people looking to register a domain name to companies like GoDaddy.com or eNom, with the announcement Monday, the search giant officially becomes its competition.
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GoDaddy, the world’s largest domain name registrar, has more than 57 million domains under its management. The registrar has privacy protection starting from $7.99 per domain and email services from $4.99 a month. Google Domains does not list the prices for the new service, and asks potential users to apply for a trial code.
According to PCWorld.com, some of the attractions of Google Domain include, covering the cost for private registration–that is, keeping your name, address and contact information from the public eye.
The service also includes branded email, such as you@your_company.com, and forwarding to other domains or websites.
Google says the new service isn’t fully featured but it is currently being tested by a small group of people to make sure their customer support and infrastructure works flawlessly, and that they have the right additional services.
Google is also working with some of the top website building providers like shopify , Squarespace, and Weebly to help expedite the service. Earlier this month, Google released its My Business dashboard to help small businesses manage their web presence more easily across Google’s products from a centralized dashboard.