.com .ca or .pizza?

You might have noticed, that modern websites are now home to much more unique monickers than .com, .ca, or .net. Top Level Domains, or TLDs, allow companies to differentiate from their competition, add an additional layer of branding and more directly express to new and potential customers what their area of expertise is. It’s for this reason that we chose charcoal.marketing! Ultimately it’s a new form of creative advertising - it’s memorable and informative, and you can be part of the revolution.  

WHAT

A TLD refers to the part of the domain that immediately follows the “dot” symbol. To get the full picture, you’ll first need to know who ICANN is. In short, ICANN is the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, and manages internet domains and IP addresses web-wide. Historically, ICANN has been very strict with TLDs, only allowing generic domains like the ones you’re all too familiar with, and those that designated a country specifically, such as .ca.  It wasn’t until recently that organizations could invest in corporate TLDs (within the realm of $185,000!), but major companies like Bloomberg and KPMG have already made the investment - and for good reason.

WHY

Consider the benefits: TLDs not only create an opportunity to be memorable and creative, they also open the doors to new, shorter URLs that are in line with your value proposition and answer a question before users even load your site. The icing on the cake? Many organizations are still unaware that TLDs exist, which means the opportune time to scoop yours up is now.

Beyond the layer of branding that a TLD proposes, they also bring with them the likelihood of increased security. With so many TLD options available right now, scammers and phishers are hard pressed to steal your name and contact your clients. .

Lastly, TLDs come with an element of control that you won’t get with the cookiecutter .com domain. That’s to say that if KPMG were so inclined, they could make their own domains based on their needs. For locational awareness, they could launch asia.kpmg or europe.kpmg. For services, taxes.kpmg or audit.kpmg. The possibilities are endless, and that’s an attractive proposition when it comes to the web and leaving your mark..

WHERE

So where can you go to find your new TLD? ICANN’s website updates the official list here. Once you have decided which one will give you the best advantage, contact your website host to purchase and upgrade. You can also use name.com to view individual TLD prices. Hopefully this article got your creative juices flowing and your interest in TLDs jumpstarted. Now is the best time to scoop one up, and for more information on leaving your mark online, contact us or visit our social media!