The Web Worker Daily article (http://webworkerdaily.com/2009/06/30/what-to-do-when-the-dot-com-you-want-isnt-available/ ) about what to do when the “.com” name you want isn’t available offers a series of good suggestions for thinking of different ways to create your online domain identity.
Top level domains (“TLDs”) are often the first stop for people as they set up their websites or explore options for establishing a primary, or multi-site, destination for their online activities. When you think of how you can search for domains, the simple form and the drop-down box with different domain suffixes defaults to “.com” rather than any other options.
If you are looking to set up a local presence in an international market, finding a local domain name, meaning a name with the local country domain attached, can be a challenge. In some cases the domain names are not open for purchase through domain name registrars. Peru, for example, has a domain name registration option that can be completed by non-Peruvian individuals and companies, but doesn’t make it easy. You need to be comfortable navigating their website in Spanish and then finding, and completing the registration form. Once it has been submitted, you then need to submit your registration payment through a bank transfer. Online payment isn’t an option.
Thinking about mobile users
The internet is increasingly relied upon by people with mobile devices – smart phones, iPhones, multimedia devices (e.g., iPod touch) and netbooks. They are reading websites on smaller screens and sometimes as text only. If you are using a standard .com domain then there are ways to alter your website, if you are using a content management system (such as WordPress) to make it more friendly to mobile devices. An alternative is to set up a .mobi domain with a simpler website design and navigation plan that is more readable on smaller screens.
Localizing your content
If you are providing content to users in multiple locations, you might need to make it easier for visitors to access your websites using country-specific domain names. In some cases, you might be able to create domain names that use a local language (e.g., Spanish, French, Russian, etc.) rather than an English word, which might not be as well-known.
From a marketing perspective, your use of international TLDs (Top Level Domains) can make it easier to tailor a promotion or country-specific content to a unique domain name. Plus, the links between your other websites (if you have multiple domains for your business or organization) can help to improve your ranking in search engines as you add content across the various websites.
Learn more about domain names
You can see all of the domain name options that currently exist by looking through our domain name glossary. If you are interested in registering a new domain name you can do that too.
With more people traveling around the world for both business and pleasure, it makes sense to think about how you can maintain your professional or personal website regardless of your location. While reading The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
When you find new contacts in an overseas location, you have an opportunity to build a friendship and, if you are involved with business there, expand your visibility locally. People increasingly look to the internet to find reviews and news about products or services. Your website can offer a local “flavor” that makes it easier for new contacts to see your work as both trustworthy and legitimate. There are many programs that make it easier for you to localize your content (examples include WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal) but if your domain name is still in English, your potential clients or visitors, who don’t happen to speak or read English as a first language, might not find your website. Because of this, you might want to establish multiple “internationalized” web domains.
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