With the pool of desirable .com domain growing smaller every day, the Internet community breathed a collective sigh of relief in mid-2010 when .co domain names were released for purchase to the general public. In addition to having the advantage of being new, “dot co” domains are useful to a wide variety of consumers looking to enhance their presence on the Web. As with any new Internet-based product, there is still some confusion around who should use .co for their websites, so here’s a helpful list of the four types of consumers most likely to benefit from a new .co domain.
- Those who can’t find an available .com domain
Businesses owners and individuals have become increasingly frustrated with the lack of related .com domains available. Understandably, many of the “best” and simplest .com names have long ago been purchased and either serve an actual website or are being sold at great profit. The new batch of .co domains should alleviate much of the hassle of finding the perfect domain, particularly for small business owners, who often must settle for a domain name only somewhat related to their business moniker.
- Those who want to lend credibility to a business
Much like .org or .edu domain names immediately indicate authority and legitimacy to a website, .co domains seek to better organize business-related queries. Associated with the words “company,” “commerce” and “connect,” .co aims to remind Web browsers that the site they’re visiting has a vested business interest. Particularly for smaller businesses or companies with a common-word name, .co is useful in a sea of sometimes meaningless .coms.
- Those who are looking to stand out
In addition to providing the Web with a vast array of new domain name possibilities, .co addresses instantly set businesses and organizations that use them apart. Yet to become a household term, .co domains allow owners the opportunity to brand themselves in a new way, and to encourage questions about the domain itself. Newness and uniqueness often equate to innovation in customers’ minds, so the use of a distinctive domain could go a long way in framing a user as technologically savvy.
- Those who want to try something different
It’s been decades since webmasters, developers and SEO experts have had such a powerful new source of data to play with. Domains formed around .co are largely untainted and untouched, offering blank slates to those who want to research the ever-changing effects of the Web. In addition to hosting packages and other features, many domain registers such as Network Solutions, Tubu Internet Solutions and DomainNames.com are offering specials surrounding .co domains to lure in curious tech users. The opportunity for information and learning is rife with this new field of domains, and the time to act is now.
Technology moves fast, often faster than the average Web user can keep up with. Fortunately, the buzz surrounding the release of millions of .co domain names has been relatively quiet, so there are still many great names to be had. Whether being used for a business, organization or an individual, .co domains have much to offer for those looking to branch out in the Internet space.
