There are two types of domains and over 30 extension available, which one to buy and use will depend on what your website will be and how you will want it to be used. The types of domains are Country code domains (ccTLD) and Generic domains (gTLD).Country Code Domain Names (ccTLD)Country code (ccTLD) is just that, domain extensions like .us or .co.uk. When purchasing a ccTLD some considerations to take in to account are as follows:
1) Does the ccTLD require residency in that country or is it available to anyone. Research what country requirements are, the extension for Germany .de allows anyone purchase while Japan .jp requires the registrant reside in Japan.
2) Portability is an issue very few people take in to account or even realize needs to be considered. Registrars must be setup to sell and maintain each country code or have in place a transfer in or out procedure. An example is if your purchased a .vg extension from Network Solutions and later wanted to transfer it to Godaddy you would not be able to. Although Godaddy also sells the .vg extension it cannot be transferred it must stay at the Registrar originally purchased through.
3) Contact the Registrar of your choice and ask them if the ccTLD can be moved or not. Check what the requirements are and make sure you can comply with them. The .us extension for example once purchased is very difficult to change the registration contact information.
4) Do you really need a ccTLD? A company selling lawn services in Akron Ohio really does not need a .de ccTLD extension, so why buy it.
5) How fast do you need your website running? Each ccTLD has a period of time after being purchased to be set up, the time frame for the ccTLD to be active ranges from 24 hours to 72.
6) Pricing is set by each ccTLD registry, so one ccTLD maybe $9.95 while another maybe $49.95 per year.
7) Registration terms are also set by each ccTLD, some allow 1 year others require multiple year registration. Purchasing a ccTLD might seem confusing, but most Registrars will be happy to answer your questions as to which one is available to you and what the requirements are.
Legal issues must be considered when purchasing a ccTLD. While you may have a business in the United States another business in the United Kingdom might have legal right to the .co.uk extension. Country code domains also are being used as novelties. The ccTLD .ws is for the country Western Samoa but many sites sell it as meaning Website, while .tv for the country Tuvalu is used many times for media websites. The registrant must keep in mind that these are still ccTLD’s.
Generic Domain Names (gTLD)
The gTLD is the domain extension most web surfers are familiar with, these extensions are .com, .net or .org. When purchasing a gTLD some considerations to take in to account are as follows:
1) Restrictions on gTLD’s .com, .net and .org are no longer in effect and have been lifted. This allows an individual or group to own multiple domains with different extension.
2) Although you may be an organization or non-profit owning a .com could as useful as owning the .org extension. Why you may ask? Most web surfers know and use the .com extension. If you gave a person your website address and they forgot what it was most likely they will put the domain name and then .com before they will look for the .net or .org extension.
3) Does your website need .com and .net extension? Some companies use both. An example might be using the .com extension for consumers and .net extension for vendors or wholesalers.
4) NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard). Registering the .com as an organization or non-profit can serve as a manner of protecting your websites neighborhood. Image for a non-profit or organization is important and the last thing you want is a .com website with porn being found by your visitors instead of your .org website.
5) Propagation time ( the big word we like to use in the industry for domain creation time). The time after purchasing a gTLD for set up will differ with the extension, .com takes 24 to 48 hours to become active while the .org can take 72 hours or longer at times.
6) Organizations needing a website up fast might consider the .com to get things up quicker, you can always purchase the .org and point it to the same location.
These are just a few things to consider when purchasing a gTLD. Research your market place or organizational needs when thinking of buying a domain, although you might originally think the .org extension is all you needed research could show .com and .net might server a good purpose also.
Registering a ccTLD or gTLD is easy, registering the right domain for your needs is critical. Research and understanding how domain types and extensions work can make a big difference in how successful your website will be.
About the Author
John Kinney writes articles for Website Design News on website design, domain registration and web development as well as designing websites and website maintenance for Website Design Studios.