The rise of .London: Four Reasons why Local Domain Names will benefit your Business

Geographic gTLDs (generic top-level domain names) are a great addition to any business’ online presence and can help you to immediately add to your brands’ perception online.

There is a clear and growing demand for these types of domains with .berlin, .london and .nyc all featuring in the top ten most popular new gTLDs. Even before the .london domain became available for general purchase it had received over 29,000 registrations. After opening to the wider public, registrations shot up by over 9,000 in a single day.

So in light of this moving tide, here are four reasons how your business can benefit from these valuable assets:

1. Representing your location

For businesses that operate within certain locations, a local domain can make all the difference. It gives you the opportunity to proudly state that you’re associated with that location, enabling you a closer association with your local brand and the city or country’s reputation.

2. Connecting with your target audience

Owning a local domain clearly tells potential customers where you are and that your website is likely to be relevant to local people. It’s the perfect way to advertise your activity in geographic markets and it’s as simple as providing the right web address to the right audience. If you are advertising a launch event in London, why not provide a .london domain for those seeking more information. This will help you to establish a positive image of your company from the get-go.

3. Being at the forefront

Localised domains are a relatively new addition to the domains market – adopting a new local domain reflects not only your consideration of the community, but also your awareness of the more recent developments in technology. Being an early adopter demonstrates that you are forward looking helping you to stand out from competitors.

4. The chance to be short and memorable

With many of the short domain names being taken businesses have been forced to settle for longer and potentially more difficult sounding names. A new gTLD gives you a more attractive name that will better suit the characteristics of your business. A shorter local domain is great for localised search engine optimization (SEO) and will help to advertise your business in search results that are geographically targeted. It’s a great way to expand your online presence.

Investing in additional domains beyond your existing domain is a very effective way of expanding your business’ online footprint. When potential customers search for a business to meet their needs they may include their location to narrow down the results. If a customer was to search for a business within London, a .london domain can help increase your business’ online visibility.

The introduction of new gTLDs offers businesses the opportunity to invest in a memorable and distinctive web address. These new domain names will help you communicate exactly what you do and who you are.