Benefits of Choosing a Local Domain Name Extension:

A domain name is the name of your website. Same as you have a name, your website also has a name, known as the domain name. Your website’s domain name is very important. The domain registration process asks you about the extension you need such as .com, .net, .co.uk etc. What is a domain name extension?

The domain extension is the last part of a domain name. There are two types of domain extensions. The international domain (.com) and local domain (.ca, .pk, .in, .uk) extensions. The most commonly used domain name is .com followed by .net, .org. These domain names are used globally without any country and community limitations. While country-specific or local domains are for targeting a specific area. for example .pk domains are for Pakistan. 

Objectives and domain

The choice of the local or international domain extension is dependent upon your business objectives. The .com extension is the universal domain name extension but will it suit you or your business? Is this a good choice for your business? Should you move towards the country-specific domain extension? Which extension would suit your business? Which one is budget-friendly and what are the pros and cons of each extension? All these queries will be answered in this article. 

Things to Consider

We have shared some useful points that you must consider before choosing a domain extension. You can choose any of the domain extensions. But before selecting one, read the article till the end.

• Traffic and Targeted Audience

Domains should be selected based on your audience. If your customers and traffic audience is from the local community, then you should move with a local domain name extension. No doubt, .com extension is well trusted and known to search engines and audiences. But if you have a local business, you should consider the local domain extension. When your business is local then you don’t need to gain international traffic.

• Cost

Local domain names are cheaper than .com domain. If your business is country-specific then there is no need to pay a higher fee for the .com domain. Your audience will trust you if your business and domain reflect a local business. Statistics showed that the audience buys products from local companies more than the international.

• Domain name

Domain names with .com extension are used worldwide. Therefore, it might be difficult to find the one with your preferred brand name. You may require, first, second or third option for .com domain extension. Hence, it is good to move with the local domain name that will provide you with the exact brand name of your business.

• Link Building

Using local domain extensions will help you to build links with other local companies. Local businesses, directors, and companies prefer to connect and collaborate with local service providers. Hence, it’s recommended to use a local domain extension when planning a local business. On the other hand, the international domain extension will neither give local nor international networking advantage. The competition will also be more than the local community.

• Ranking Strategy

Search engines rank your website according to the domain extensions. Local extensions help to target the local audience to your website. Hence, making it easy for you to rank in your niche. Moreover, when you use a country-specific domain extension, it’s easy to rank in your local community rather than competing globally. 

• Language

If you are using any local language on your website, then using a local domain will be a good option. Because the search engines will understand your preference and will rank you better in that niche. Moreover, the international audience will never understand your website content. Therefore, local businesses, local language, and local audiences are good with local domain extension.

• Google Penalty

Make sure that the domain doesn’t come with google penalty. You can check Google Analytics for the last six months to ensure the traffic. You can also ask the owner/ registrar/ host to share these details.

Bottomline

Choosing any domain name extension for your website is an important decision. Moreover, it is much more important for the establishment of online business. First of all, align all the requirements and objectives of your business and then choose a domain name extension accordingly. The international business should be represented with the international domain extension “.com”, “.org” etc. so that you can easily target the international audience.