Look, we’re not exactly subtle about sharing all the benefits and reasons why you should choose .CA. But – there’s a good chance you might be asking yourself how to use a domain name. Or even – “what are domain names used for?”
Totally valid questions, friend.
The short answer is that your .CA domain name can be used to get a professional email address, build a first website, for marketing and lead generation – and more.
Remember – So, here are half a dozen ideas of what you can do with your domain name to get full true north value!
1. Get yourself a custom .CA email address
Right off the bat, one of the single best ways you can make more use of your .CA is by getting a custom email address – e.g., [email protected].
This adds a layer of professionalism to all your communications. With all the spamming and scamming going on, customers are increasingly leery of anything that doesn’t look like it’s connected to a legitimate business.
See why else you should get a custom email address with your .CA, and check out our step-by-step guide to getting that email set up!
A .CA domain declares your business is proudly Canadian
2. Use your domain to create your first website
While building your first website is probably one of the more “obvious” ways to use your .CA, it can also be one of the more involved tasks to tackle.
A great place to start is by setting up hosting and choosing a website building platform. To make things a little more straightforward, most domain registrars will bundle hosting (as well as a website builder) in with the purchase of a .CA domain name.
Next, you can either decide to build your website yourself or hire someone to create it for you.
If you do go it alone, don’t worry – we can walk you through building your first website from scratch.
3. Forward people to your social media profiles
You can set up your domain to forward directly to whatever social media profile you choose—be it a LinkedIn profile for your digital resume, an Instagram account (to showcase all those slick photos and reels) or a Facebook profile.
Outside of your socials, it’s also possible to have your domain forward people on to something like your Etsy store, especially if that’s where you’re selling merch.
Though, you may want to take a quick look at the pros and cons of using an Etsy store vs. selling on your own website.
4. Have your domain help with marketing and lead generation
Fun fact: your .CA domain can work on your behalf! Domain names can be used to support a whole bunch of different marketing tactics.
For instance, you could register a custom .CA domain to promote a specific product or service and then have that domain funnel people back to your website or a campaign-specific landing page.
But wait—there’s more! Creating keyword-rich domain names is a cheap and effective way to generate leads and direct motivated buyers to your site.
The idea here is to think like your customers—or rather—think about what your customers are typing into their search bars! By matching your domain name with your customers’ search intent, you can boost click-throughs to your site.
5. Protect your .CA domain name
Your .CA domain name should be protected like any other asset.
CIRA has developed several security products and initiatives to help .CA holders keep their domains secure.
Here’s a quick list:
- CIRA verifies each .CA holder’s information to safeguard their domain name and protect the .CA registry. It’s important that you keep this information up-to-date through your registrar.
- .CA Registry Lock is a service that implements locks on your domain name that only CIRA can remove, protecting you from domain name hijacking.
- DNSSEC: a set of extensions used to add an additional layer of security to the Domain Name System.
- SSL Certificate: an SSL certificate authenticates the identity of a website and allows secure connections from a web server to a browser by encrypting information such as passwords.
6. Become a CIRA member
Membership is free and open to any .CA holder! That means you, friend.
A CIRA membership offers you a voice in the development of the internet in Canada and an impact on the everyday lives of Canadians.
As a member, you can participate in local networking events, influence the direction of CIRA’s governance, voice your opinion and stay up to date on industry issues that affect Canadians every day.
Kira is the Content and Channel Marketing Lead at CIRA. She focuses on content, digital marketing and channel strategies to help Canadian business owners make the right domain choice for their business website so they can find success online.