Alright folks—we’re back with a second edition of “Domain Name MythBusters!”
It’s kind of like the more famous “MythBusters” but without the science-based hijinks…and far fewer explosions. Well–no explosions at all, really.
In all seriousness, though, these five common .CA domain myths—or misconceptions—that we’re about to bust have a real tendency of holding business owners like you back from experiencing all the glorious benefits that come with choosing .CA.
So, it’s onwards and upwards towards the truth!
Misconception #1: .CA domains aren’t good for SEO.
Au contraire, mon frère. When it comes to SEO horsepower, .CA domains have plenty… especially if you have a local, regional or national customer base within Canada.
Canadians are also a pretty loyal bunch–as we all know–and show a strong affinity towards doing their online shopping on .CA websites. And because Canadians are more likely to click on .CA sites, Google tends to rank them higher on local search results pages.
Of course, we’re only scratching the surface here. Dive into the full SEO benefits of .CA and local search!
Misconception #2: choosing .CA can stifle your business’ success and international reach.
Yes, it’s true that picking the right domain (or, in this case, top-level domain) for your website can have a big impact on your ability to reach your target audience. But is .CA really the wrong choice? Let’s explore.
First—you need to ask yourself where you’re expecting to do your business. Are you just operating within Canada, or do you have international aspirations? Also—what kind of audience are you trying to attract?
If you’re operating a business targeted to Canadian customers, and selling and shipping in Canadian currency, .CA is the way! If you’re planning to extend your business internationally, a top-level domain like .com can be helpful to broaden your reach.
But here’s the key thing to take away: you can also get a .CA AND a .com domain—one for your local Canuck audience, and the other for your international clientele—and it won’t cost you that much.
Need a little more context? Hop on over to our “.CA or .com” blog for a deeper dive.
Misconception #3: .CA domains are more expensive.
More expensive than what? Than…free? Than a warm glass of milk and a hug? If that’s the case then, well…you got us.
The truth is .CA domains are among the most affordable top-level domains (TLDs) out there!
Of course—the price you pay can depend on a few factors, like a registrar’s pricing model, as well as add-ons and bundles (think email, web hosting and SSL certificates) or the availability of your chosen domain name.
Misconception #4: .CA is owned and operated by the Canadian government.
In reality, our beloved .CA domain is NOT owned or operated by the Canadian government at all. That honour belongs to us at CIRA! While we were given a mandate by the Government of Canada back in 1999 to operate the .CA domain, CIRA is not a government agency. Nope—we’re actually a non-profit organization.
And because we’re a non-profit, a piece of every .CA domain registration or renewal gets invested in projects dedicated to improving Canada’s internet.
Misconception #5: it’s hard and time-consuming to register a .CA domain because of those pesky Canadian Presence Requirements!
Okay—there’s a little bit to unpack with this misconception. First—is it hard and time-consuming to register a .CA domain? Heck no. In fact, searching for, purchasing and registering your .CA can be accomplished in as few as three steps! We’re talking minutes, not hours, of your lives, friends.
So, what about those “pesky” Canadian Presence Requirements? Those are what help us keep .CA domains out of the hands of bad actors and other nefarious characters that want to spread malware and spam. That’s why .CA is the only domain extension that identifies a website as 100% Canadian!
When it comes to confirming your Canadian presence, all we’d need to verify is a Canadian birth certificate, passport or Permanent Resident Card. So long as the information (and documentation) that you’ve provided is accurate and truthful, it’ll be smooth sailing through the registration process!
Whew—now that was a lot of myth and misconception cleared up in very little time! No need to thank us, though! It’s our responsibility to deliver polite, yet hard-hitting truths whenever it comes to .CA.
Got any other burning queries? Fire them our way and we’ll get ‘em all straightened out in a future post.
Want to see what other domain name myths we have busted? Check out the first edition of our domain name myths blog to see what common myths small business owners have about domain names.
Kira is the Marketing & Channel Specialist 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.
