One question that often arises is, “Should I purchase all the extensions of my domain name?” This is a common concern since domain registrars frequently encourage you to buy every variation. For instance, if your website is www.seoinc.com or you run an SEO Company, GoDaddy might suggest you buy these domains:
- www.seoinc.net
- www.seoinc.biz
- www.seoinc.info
- www.seoinc.ca
- www.seoinc.us
- www.seoinc.uk
- This list goes on…
All the while you are sitting here scratching your heading thinking, “Do I really need to pay $200 for all of these domains?!” Well, let’s weigh the pros and cons of the purchase decision.
Pro: You Protect your Brand
By buying all the domain extensions, you make sure that no one else can register a domain name that is the same as yours. Why is this crucial? If you build a strong brand, and someone looks for it, there’s a good chance that not just your .com extension will show up, but also extensions like .biz, .net, and others. Of course, this means someone would need to create a site using your brand name. They can’t really do that if they’re in the same industry as you, unless you allow it – for example, an affiliate might sell under a different extension. If they’re in a different industry, they can definitely use the domain to promote their business. They can also use it to write reviews or blogs about you. However, if it’s a domain based on a non-branded keyword, then anything goes.
Con: You Pay Extra
One of the main cons of purchasing all of these domain name extensions is that you spend a sometimes seemingly wasteful amount of money, and no one likes to feel like they are wasting money. For a small business whose brand is not recognized yet, operating on a tight budget, sometimes it does not make sense to purchase all of these domain extensions immediately. Quite simply, the cost outweighs any real benefit, especially early on in the online startup process.
Bottom Line
There are certain domains that really make no sense at all to hold on to. For instance, if you are an online company operating only in the US, you probably do not need a .cc extension, Cocos (Keeling) Islands. To see a full list of domain extensions and what they represent you can visit here.
Ultimately, a .com is still the strongest domain. If you believe your branding to be a big part of your marketing, you’ll probably want to at least buy the .net and info extensions of your domain name as well. Maybe even the .biz. In addition, if your domain is keyword based, www.buyshoes.com, that may have implications. Finally, if you are interested in online reputation management, owning all of the domain extensions can be a very powerful asset, as they allow you to develop sites and get them ranked for your branded terms. While the Internet is becoming more tightly regulated, in some areas it is still very much the wild west. By owning your extensions, at least the most popular ones, you have more control over your brand online and that is a good thing.