Considering Domain Name Extensions

by Colleen Wilkinson

Two Decisions When Choosing a Domain Name

There's no point in choosing a domain name that's not going to easily direct visitors to your site. Imagine listing your business name in the telephone directory under your personal name - no one will ever find you and you won't get many calls! Likewise with your domain name. Choose a name that best describes the nature of your web site. People are lazy by nature, so the easier you make it for them to find you, the better.

The first decision when choosing your domain name is the actual name. Make it simple, specific and one that makes sense to anyone wishing to find your web site.

The second decision you need to make is your domain name extension, e.g. yourname.com or yourname.co.local. Domain name extensions vary according to the type of web site and your choice of domain name extension may also affect how easily visitors will find you. For example, the most common business domain name extension is a .com (commercial) and indicates global trade. However, if your business is local (e.g. the corner barber shop), you'd probably be better off giving your domain name a local extension, as visitors to your site would hardly expect you to be trading on a global basis!

Restricted and Unrestricted Domain Name Extensions

Restricted domain names are reserved for specific web site types and cannot be registered by just anyone (e.g. .gov).

There are many domain name extensions that are unrestricted. This means that anyone can register them, provided they are not already taken. The most common unrestricted domain names include:

"Commercial" domain name extension - .com: This is THE most popular business domain name extension and is always snapped up at speed. It has almost become a synonym for internet trading - and companies trading on the internet are often referred to as dotcom companies.

Second in popularity to the dotcom domain name extension for business use is .net (domainname.net). This is most often the second choice for companies registering their domain name when the dotcom extension has been taken.

Country code extensions, (co.uk, .co.us, .co.za, etc). Most businesses who trade primarily within a certain area or country use this type of domain name extension. If you decide to go this route when registering your domain name, it is advisable to also try and reserve the .com equivalent to protect your brand. However, because dotcoms are so popular, this is rarely possible. (I know of a few instances where this has happened with companies when registering their domain names.)

Descriptive Domain Name Extensions

There are other domain name extensions (either restricted or unrestricted) that are as important in describing the nature of the web site as the domain name. These include .biz ("business") - restricted for business web sites only; .org ("organization") - an unrestricted domain name extension, but used mostly by non-profit or non-governmental organizations; .edu ("education") implying an educational institution; .gov ("government") and .info ("information") - a web site that provides information about a business or idea.

So, when registering your domain name, take as much care in considering the domain name extension as you do in the actual name - each is just as important as the other.