Five ways to use a .CA domain

When you choose to register a .CA, it’s like you’re laying the foundation for true north website greatness. But a foundation is just part of the structure—a support, if you will.  

If you don’t build anything else on the top of the foundation…then it just kinda sits there. That’s why we’re going to look at how you can get the most out of your .CA!  

Get a custom .CA email address 

One of the easiest ways you can make more use of your .CA is with a custom email address. This adds a layer of professionalism to all your communications.  

Why is this important? 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.  

Learn other top reasons why you should get a custom email address with your .CA.  

Build 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.   

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!  

Use your domain for 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 domains 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.  

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. 

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.  

Learn more about becoming a member now.  

Remember: Registering your .CA is only the beginning of your Canadian internet adventure. Hopefully, this provides you with plenty more ways to build up your web presence and wring every drop of awesomeness out of your new domain.  

We look forward to seeing where you go!