Most new websites tend to look for a domain name with a .com or.net tld (Top Level Domain). They feel this gives the site amore professional appearance and will appeal to a moreinternational audience and in many cases this is true. However,it can also be beneficial to look at purchasing a domain namewith a country specific tld.
There are a number of benefits that can be gained from choosinga domain name with a country specific tld, especially if youconduct your business primarily in one particular country.
Search Engine Benefits
Most of the large search engines will give you a higher searchranking for a site that has the tld of the searchers country.For example, if someone from the India is performing asearch for widgets, a search engine will often rankwidgets.co.in higher than other sites selling the same productbut only have a .com tld.
Having a country specific tld will also allow you to be includedin a lot of great country directories that stipulate that yourdomain name has a certain tld. Getting your site into thesedirectories can be a great way of improving your search engineranking as these are 1 way links from authority sites for yourchosen subject. These kind of links are graded much higher thanreciprocal linking.
Buyer Confidence
Having a domain tld will often give the buyer more confidencewhen making a purchase as they consider the site to be local,therefore governed under the same laws as the buyer. This makesit easier to follow up and sales and make complaints if anyproblems occur during the purchase of the product. It also helpsto settle any nerves if the buyer is able to see a streetaddress that they recognize, rather than a foreign address.
Sometimes the best policy is to purchase both a .com and acountry tld. This allows you to appeal to both international andnational customers. The potential sales that you can get with acountry domain tld should not be overlooked as a smallinvestment in an extra domain can bring big returns for you andyour business.
Gather information about your customer before they startbrowsing
Another benefit of having a country domain name is that youalready know where your customer is likely to be from. Thismeans that you can display products for that particularcustomers region without having to ask the customer to selectwhich geographic area they are in. When a customer types intheir country domain, you can forward them to your main domainname but display only products that will be of interest to themand have all the prices in their own currency. This gives thesite a local feel and will again bring that buying confidencethat is so important when trying to make a sale.
Summary
I hope youve seen the importance of not overlooking this greatopportunity to bring in extra customers, simply by choosing acountry domain name or simply adding as an extra name thatpoints to your main domain name.
Author is the ceo of
I recently received an email from a concerned, fellow Internet business owner, asking for my opinion on an issue that could literally destroy his Internet business and the business of several other domains involved.
He had received legal notice from a prominent company, stating that he needed to relinquish his use and rights to his web site domain name because it contained three letters that infringed upon their trademark and their domain name. This same company also contacted several other Internet business owners and made similar demands.
Should a company that registers a specific trademark have the ability to destroy numerous businesses that legitimately registered domain names Should a company that registers a trademark have the responsibility of ensuring that a domain name registration agency doesnt issue domain names that may be a trademark infringement Or should an Internet business have the responsibility of making sure a potential name doesnt Infringe upon a registered trademark Where does the responsibility lie
Ultimately, the responsibility lies with the domain name registrant, as the trademark laws that apply in the hard copy world also apply on the Internet.
Any company that registers a trademark has the right to protect their trademark and has the right to notify you that your domain name is infringing upon their trademark. Why If your domain name has the potential of confusing the public into thinking the trademark holder is somehow affiliated with your web site, they may bring infringement claims against you. The courts would have to make the decision based upon the trademark laws and if your domain name, in fact, has the potential of confusing the public.
Domain name registrants can protect themselves as well. If you have a registered domain name that doesnt infringe upon any trademarks, you too may be able to register a trademark. Registering a domain name as a trademark isnt easy, but it can be done. Although you cant register the http://www.or the .com, if the use of your name fits the laws criteria, it can be registered. You should consult with an attorney familiar with the Internet, trademarks and the laws prior to registering your domain name as a trademark.
For a complete explanation, visit:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/tac/notices/guide299.htm
As stated by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, http://www.uspto.gov/ A mark composed of a domain name is registerable as a trademark or service mark only if it functions as a source identifier. The mark as depicted on the specimens must be presented in a manner that will be perceived by potential purchasers as indicating source and not as merely an informational indication of the domain name address used to access a web site. In other words, the use of a domain name must not be used simply as an address to direct customers to your web site, but must be used to identify the products or services of the business claiming the trademark, which provides products or services via the Internet.
If youre in the market for a domain name, you may want to consider searching the Trademark Electronic Search System, http://www.uspto.gov/main/trademarks.htm prior to registering a domain name. By researching the trademark regulations and knowing your rights, whether you hold a trademark or a domain name, you may be able to avoid the possibility of litigation.
Copyright Shelley Lowery
About the Author:
Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course, Web Design Mastery ( ) and eBook Starter - Give Your eBooks the look and feel of a REAL book ( )
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