In order to start an online business, you need to register a domain name for your website, which will allow your customers to engage with you online in a more convenient and easier way. Before registering for domain names, you must choose a suitable Top-Level Domain (TLD) for your business. So, what is a TLD? A TLD refers to the last part of the domain name such as “.com”, “.net”, “.org”, “.biz” and so on. There are basically two types of Top-Level Domains which are generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs) and country code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs). So, what is the difference between gTLDs and ccTLDs?
gTLDs stand for generic Top-Level Domains. As the word “generic” suggests, gTLDs are not restricted to any geographic or country designation. It can be registered by anyone on the internet anywhere around the world. Examples of gTLDs include the commonly well-known “.com”, “.net”, “.biz”, “.info”, “.org”. Different gTLDs are suitable for different purposes of a website. For instance, “.com” is suitable for any commercial or business entity, “.net” is suitable for network service, “.org” is suitable for organization while “.edu” is suitable for any education institutions. gTLDs are not targeted or aimed to any country or location.
Another type of TLD is country code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs). ccTLDs refer to two letter TLDs which are assigned to countries based mostly on their country codes. For example, “.my” is for Malaysia, “.sg” is for Singapore, “.vn” is for Vietnam and “.in” is for India. A ccTLD is aimed for a particular country or region only, and has geographic and country designation. Many ccTLDs are closed and restricted, as they are managed exclusively by their respective countries themselves. Registration for these ccTLDs usually involve a certain standard process as required by the country’s organization in charge, and may differ from each other. Some require proof of residency in the country. However, there are also some countries which do not restrict their ccTLDs. They openly market and encourage people from around the world to register and use them, like “.me”, “.co”, “.tv”, “.fm” are such ccTLDs. Now you know why sometimes you see a website name that ends with such ccTLDs.
So, now that you know what is the difference between gTLDS and ccTLDs, the question is how to choose which is suitable for my business? The main thing you should be concern about is on the SEO side. gTLDs and ccTLDs are different for a search engine. As mentioned above, gTLDs tell search engines that your website is neutral, whereas ccTLDs tell search engines that your website is for a specific location. This will naturally affect the results shown to a user whenever he uses a search engine. You can test this our yourself by searching for “pizza” on Google. You will see that most of the websites ranked on top of the results are using your country’s particular ccTLD. Google always tries to provide the most relevant results and websites near the user and ccTLDs have an advantage. ccTLDs are suitable for a company to establish its website for a single country. Residents in a country will usually trust a domain with their own country’s ccTLD more than other country’s ccTLD.
How to decide whether your business is suitable to register for a gTLD or a ccTLD? It depends on your company’s goals and objectives. If you plan to target only a particular country or location, register for a Country Code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD), as it is more suitable for your business. If you plan to expand your business internationally without aiming any country or location, register for a generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD). You can also register for several versions for different countries. Whether you are helping clients or running your own business, we have great deals on the well-known gTLDs & ccTLDs at an amazing price! Feel free to visit our company website www.webnic.cc for further information. If you have more enquiries, you can contact us through our email [email protected], too!