The Benefits of .tel Domains

.tel domains are not your ordinary extension.  This new global internet standard allows you to control how and where you connect with your audience.  Below are some of the many benefits internet users are raving about:

Stay in Touch from any Device - A .tel domain enables your brand name or business to be accessible from any client device connected to the internet.  For example, customers can type your website address into their browser, choose their preferred method of contact and simply click a button to initiate the communication process.  Since the TLD is optimized for mobile devices, it allows you to create a strong mobile presence through the increasing large number of compatible devices

Potential Revenue Generator - You could also use a .tel domain for a variety of services based on generic names such as shoes.tel, computers.tel, hosting.tel or whatever you desire.  Just like .coms, each individual domain can easily be configured to have numerous sub-domains in order provide convenient navigation to local vendors or specialists.

Increased Exposure - By registering a .tel domain, you can greatly increase the visibility of your business as it allows you to publish multilingual keywords specific to each department and location associated with your company.  Because these keywords are indexed by the major search engines, this extension can easily improve optimization and exposure for your online business.

Increased E-commerce Traffic – A .tel domain can be useful in offering and selling various storefront products and services.  For instance, a music orientated site could provide their users with the latest news or popular downloadable mobile content such as ringtones or MP3 files.  Such exclusive offerings can work wonders at driving traffic to traditional online storefronts.

Is it Time for a .Tel?

Though certainly not as widespread as the more mature options, .tel is catching on quickly as a viable TLD.  The hype and distinct benefits could make this extension just as popular and highly sought after as .com in a few years.  And while still not available at all registrars, .tel is being increasingly adopted and comes at a price that is comparable to traditional extensions.  We don’t encourage you to give up that catchy .com you finally secured, but this new option is definitely one you want to consider.

So what can you do if someone already registered the domain name you want?  You generally have two options: come up with another name or try to purchase the domain from the owner.  The results you get with the latter largely depends on why the domain name was registered.  Domain speculators, more commonly known as cyber squatters, often purchase domains for the sole purpose of selling them off to the highest bidder.  Believe it or not, some have made a lucrative business out of this practice.  Companies have paid hundreds to millions of dollars for hot domain names.  One example is Pizza.com which sold for $2.6 million this past April.

In some cases, domain names are purchased because a company or individual wants to establish a legitimate online business.  The cold hard facts are that if someone has registered your ideal domain name, you may have no other choice but to go with something else.  There are however, instances where a third option can be exercised.  United States courts have mandated that trademark holders are able to claim specific domains even if someone else registered the name first.  Assuming Toys R Us has their name trademarked for instance, if they run across a site using this for a domain name, they would be able to take legal action and seize control of it.  If you experience something similar, you may be able to claim your domain which will also depend on what type of name it is and how its is being used by current owner.

Because .com reigns supreme on the internet, there is a good chance that your preferred name may not be available with this extension.  In this instance, you might want to consider another top-level domain such as .org or .net.  While these extensions don’t have the familiarity of .com, they still make solid alternatives.  You also have other options as several alternative TLDs have been approved over the last few years.  If you have to choose another TLD, be sure to read the accompanying explanations so you know just who qualifies for what extension.

Another option you have for registering your domain is to use an extension that associates with your country.  Two of the most popular extensions are .de in Germany and .ca in Canada.  The country of Montserrat sells its .ms domain for around $50 per year while domains in the United States can be registered with the .us extension at no cost.  These domains are more likely to be available yet are not well known.  Furthermore, domains with a us. extension are also required to include city and state extensions such as mycompany.detroit.michigan.us.  If you are looking for a catchy name that is easy to remember, this obviously wouldn’t be the way to go.

To find out if your domain has already been purchased, visit whois.com or a major registrar and perform a search.  If its still available, don’t hesitate to secure it.

The .net TLD is more likely to be available than .com but there are some important factors to consider before deciding on this extension.  More often than not, people associate a website with .com as it is typically the first extension they look for.  Unfortunately, if they can’t find it, most internet users rarely think to perform a repeat search and look for the website with .net.  This could be a setback for you that results in lost visitors and even worse, potential sales.

Evidence is increasingly showing that many people visit a website after learning about it from a friend or associate, seeing it on a commercial advertisement or hearing it on the radio.  Regardless of the extension, so many people consistently commit to .com in their head, making it much harder for you to generate referral traffic with any other extension.

Because .com extensions are in high demand, it has become increasingly difficult to secure the name you want with this TLD.  Over the years, the majority of all the short, catchy domain names have been snatched up and registered.  Throw in popular keywords and the crave of search optimization and you have a plethora of domains that are virtually impossible to secure.  This very factor has led several people to .net which is undoubtedly the best alternative.  Some people do not even waste their time searching for .com names in fear that they are no longer available.  If you are concerned about your visibility, we suggest that you don’t make this mistake.  Who knows?  You just might get lucky.

The best advice is to do all you can to secure a .com domain before giving up and deciding on any alternatives.  You can do some serious brainstorming, share some ideas with a few associates or even perform a search on abandoned domains.  By taking a little time to come up with something creative, you can easily secure a good domain that no one has even thought of.

After finding something that coincides perfectly with your site, you will discover that the extra time and effort was well worth it, especially when the traffic starts to roll in.  If all else fails, rest assured that several business owners have gotten by just fine by using .net as their second choice.