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 Getting Online - What's In a Name - Internet
"Know-How'- Part 2 of 6 By Tanis Arcuri - Arvis Search Services Inc. What’s in a name? Internet ‘Name Extension’, that is. Last issue, you were introduced to the initial steps to set up your web presence by registering a domain, getting a web host, and finding a web designer to build your web site. I discussed the importance of securing your domain name even before you have a web site built, and many of you took my advice. So, now you are trying to register your domain. You finally found a fair registrar, and began filling in the registration form when you were faced with a list of domain name extension choices, such as .com, .ca, .net, .org, .edu, .info, .ab.ca, .co.uk… it was endless! How are you supposed to choose the proper extension? Is it really that important? Unfortunately, yes, it is important to choose the right extension, however, the wrong choice in extensions will not cause the direct demise of your Internet venture. In the simplest sense, there are two different categories of domain extensions: function specific and country specific. 1) Function specific extensions deal in ‘what’ the site sells. You will most likely be familiar with the original ‘Top Level Domain’ extensions .com, .net, .org and .edu, because these are the first and most commonly known. The .com is for Commercial Businesses, the .net is for Network Companies, the .org is for Not-for-Profit Organizations, and the .edu is for Educational Institutions. New extensions have been introduced such as .biz, .info and .tv to allow businesses to better categorize themselves on the Internet. When would you choose a function specific extension? Functional extensions are great if you have a product or service that can satisfy a global market, or if you want a popular extension to make it easier for your visitors to remember your web address. Let’s face it; if you want customers to repeat your domain in their sleep, .com is certainly the way to go. 2) Country specific domain name extensions tell your visitor which country the site pertains to in the global marketplace; Canada uses .ca, the United States uses .us, Germany uses .de, and the newest country extension is China’s .cn. When would you want to choose a country specific extension? When you deal in specific languages, currencies, or your products are tailored to a specific country. Therefore, if your business is geared to one marketplace, then a country specific extension is your best choice. There is a growing debate in Canada over choosing a .com or a .ca. A good way to choose which domain extension best suits you, is to fully define your purpose on the Internet. Are you going global in order to tap into multiple markets where a more generic .com might be appropriate? Or, are you a Canadian company, dealing with Canadian currency, while still marketing yourself to other countries as well? An advantage for the .ca extension is that with the ambiguity of the Internet, many of us are searching out Canadian businesses for the added trust that comes from dealing within Canada. Also, with the Canadian dollar as it is, more and more Canadians are looking for suppliers within our borders. Some people believe that having a .ca, as opposed to a .com, inhibits non-Canadians from visiting your web site. However, most Internet traffic is sought through search engines, and search engines do not automatically discriminate between country specific and function specific domain extensions. Now that you have a little more information on this matter, all you have to do is decide to either register a .com to be more mainstream in your Internet quest, or you can choose to flaunt your Canadian pride and register the .ca for your fellow countrymen! Good luck with your decision, and remember; with domain name extensions nothing is final! The phrase that embodies this belief is “URL forwarding.” Look for more to come on web sites and the Internet in the next issue. Tanis Arcuri is the marketing director of Arvic Search Services Inc., which helps individuals & small businesses get online & stay online through domain registration and e-commerce capabilities. Reach Tanis at tanis@arvic.com , or look at their services at www.arvic.com |