Should You buy the .NET, .ORG, .INFO, etc. versions of your .COM domain name?”

In short the answer is, “Yes, you should,” but there is a little more to it than that.

Whether you recently started a business or have had one for years, the odds are you have a website.  Most likely the first step you took when deciding to build a website for your business was to think of a great domain name. Inherently, you searched for .COM domains only.

The problem you may have run into was that most “good” .COM domain names were taken.  If you were lucky to find a .COM for your business then what should you do about the .NET, .ORG, .INFO, .US, etc etc etc.  There are so many domain name extensions these days most people find themselves at a loss as to whether or not it is worth registering all of these alternatives.

Your domain name is your brand, your identity, and for many your livelihood.  You, as the owner of your business, are the only person who is truly responsible for protecting your brand and online identity.  This means you should also buy the .NET, and .ORG versions of your primary domain.The Cost of Registration is minimal compared to the Benefits.

But WHY should I?The reality is, other people can buy them and profit off your hard work.

You may be thinking, “If I own the trademark then I can easily get that domain back.”  True, you can. The problem is you will have to go through ICANN (or through the Courts) to do so and it is a time consuming and lengthy process.

Registering the extra domain extensions is even more important when you don’t have a trademarked domain.  Your only true protection against “domain squatters” is not giving them the chance to profit off your work.

Another reason it is important to register these extra domains is that you may want to use them yourself later on.  Perhaps you want to setup a blog and not use your main domain name for it.  Or let’s say you expand and have different divisions that you would like to have different email addresses.  You can use the .NET or any of those other extensions to setup multiple email structures.

While it isn’t necessary to register every domain extension it is important to get the primary, most recognized, domain extensions.

• Own it and “point” it to your Main Website.
• Own it and “park” it for free until further Use.
• Own it to prevent your Competitor from registering it.

If you have any questions about what you should do with your domain names, please let me know.  I will be happy to review your situation and provide you with a recommendation.  Just Contact me or give me a call.