How Do The Name Register Look For A Nonprofit

By: Jason Faber, Product Marketing Manager at CIRA

The digital landscape for Canadian nonprofits is irresolute. Emerging technologies and trends have made it easier for nonprofits to connect with their audiences across a variety of devices, accept digital donations, and gain greater exposure online through social media and an integrated web presence.

Every bit the digital earth continues to grow and evolve, many nonprofits are trying to go on up. While in that location is plenty of opportunity to succeed online, many nonprofits don't know where or how to beginning. Remember that the core slice of your online strategy is your website, and more chiefly, the domain on which information technology lives. If yous focus on building this role first, it will act as the foundation of your online strategy.

Choosing a bang-up domain proper name is simple, merely it does involve some strategic idea and a little bit of creativity. Equally nosotros explored in an earlier blog mail service, a domain name is comprised of 2 pieces: the top-level domain (everything to the right of the dot, like .CA, .com and .org) and the second-level domain (everything to the left of the dot, which is usually your nonprofit's proper noun).

How to choose a great domain proper noun for your nonprofit

Let's start with the left of the dot; your second-level domain. Choosing the right 2d-level domain for your nonprofit plays an of import role in building your online make because it gives your nonprofit credibility and makes it piece of cake for your audience to find yous online. Here are some tips to keep in listen when choosing a domain name.

Remember make and keywords

The best domain name for your nonprofit is likely your brand name. This is the simplest, well-nigh constructive solution. If you're able to secure your nonprofit's domain proper noun, you'll non only own your brand online, but yous'll be able to protect and abound information technology moving forrard.

What if YourCharity.CA is already registered? Don't worry! Try searching for some variations by adding related keywords like your product or service, location, crusade, or sector, such as education, environment, or health. Think about how people will apply search engines to find you online. Consider that you want to be found non only past your existing connections, simply besides discovered by new audiences.

Make information technology memorable

Choose a memorable domain name and people volition never take an issue finding your website. Attempt to avoid dashes and numbers, every bit these can confuse people when you tell them your web accost. If you must accept numbers in your domain proper name, annals both the "2" and "ii" versions.

Alternating spellings

Is your nonprofit's name often misspelled? Are at that place other variations that people utilize? To avoid losing traffic and to fully protect your make online, consider registering all variations of the domain name.

Build a portfolio

The above iii points encouraged you to recollect well-nigh your offerings, locations and alternating spellings. There's actually a strategy backside all of this: building a portfolio of domain names. YourCharity.CA might be the perfect domain name for you lot, just registering several options means you can build and protect your brand online while attracting more visitors to your website.

Let's use the Canadian Cancer Guild every bit an example. Their chief domain proper name is Cancer.CA, but they also own other .CA domain names including CanadianCancerSociety.CA and RelayForLife.CA that redirect to their main website. Additionally, they've secured other .CA domains for projects, communities, and programs such every bit SmokersHelpline.CA, SoberOctober.CA, and CancerConnection.CA. In doing so, so they are controlling their brand and effectively capturing visitors that are going directly to these other domains.

Some other benefit to doing this is that some Registrars offering bulk discounts to customers who want to buy more than one domain at a time, and they can help you redirect your portfolio to your master spider web address.

Observe out if your ideal domain name is bachelor!

Why choose .CA for your domain name

There are many top-level domains to cull from. Y'all may be familiar with .CA, .com, .org and .net. You tin can fifty-fifty register web addresses ending in .rocks, .music, .pizza, .club, .xyz, and more. With hundreds of choices, this can all seem overwhelming at first. Hither'due south why you should choose .CA for your nonprofit.

.CA brands y'all as Canadian online

.CA is the but domain that instantly identifies your nonprofit as Canadian. Recollect of information technology as a Canadian flag on your digital backpack. Why is this important? Merely put, Canadians dear .CA; 83% say they prefer supporting Canadian websites over any others, and your .CA tells them you're Canadian at a glance.

.CA is rubber, secure, and trusted

For over fifteen years, .CA has been a safe, secure and trusted resource for Canadians online. Not only do Canadians prefer to use and support Canadian websites, but they're besides more likely to perform online transactions with Canadian websites.

.CA gives back

Every bit a nonprofit ourselves, CIRA reinvests the money from every purchased .CA domain directly into our Community Investment Program, which funds innovative community projects designed to build a safer, stronger, and more than accessible Internet for all Canadians. To date we have supported 78 innovative projects across Canada, for a total of $3.iii million.

.CA will give you a ameliorate take chances of ranking higher in an Net search

Most people find websites through search engines like Google, Yahoo! or Bing. As office of an integrated SEO strategy, having a .CA domain can assist yous rank college in Canadian Net searches.

.CA is more likely to be available

.CAs are reserved for individuals with a Canadian connection, while nearly other domains (including .com and .org) are open to admittedly anybody. This means it'southward more likely that you'll exist able to find the perfect .CA domain name for your nonprofit.

If yous are a Canadian nonprofit targeting other Canadians, there is no reason why you shouldn't have a .CA domain. Search for your .CA domain proper name now!

Domain choice in the nonprofit sector

We were curious nigh how nonprofits were using domain names as role of their online strategy. In a recent study conducted past CIRA and Framework, nosotros examined and graded the online presence of over 400 nonprofit organizations. The study examined a variety of elements, including their website'due south user experience, social media, mobile accessibility, content management systems and domain names in an effort to build a benchmark for success in the Canadian nonprofit sector. Here's what we discovered near domain names:

.CA is the virtually popular domain option for nonprofits in Canada

Over half of the Canadian nonprofits surveyed chose .CA for their websites, which coincides with the perception that .CA is intrinsically linked with Canadian communities. Further inquiry showed that 85% of Canadian Cyberspace users prefer to use a .CA over a .com when "getting involved with community organizations".

What about .org?

While about people relate the .org domain to charities and nonprofits, there are no specific requirements that .org registrants are nonprofits, meaning that anyone can register a .org. Still, nearly i quarter of Canadian nonprofits surveyed use .org for their websites.

How to register your .CA domain name

Hopefully by at present you've come upwards with a great domain proper noun for your nonprofit. The side by side step is registering that domain name. It'south easier than you think. Follow these simple steps and you'll accept a corking domain proper name in mere minutes.

ane. Cull Your Domain Name

Step one is to run into if your domain name is available by performing a search. If it'due south available, that's great news! In a few short clicks, you will ain your brand online. If not, go along to search for variations as we outlined before. Search for your domain name now!

2. Choose a Registrar

First thing'south first - what is a Registrar? Simply put, a Registrar is the visitor with whom you register your domain name. They are the retailers that sell .CA domains, and other mutual domain names. Once you notice an available domain name, the next stride is to choose a Registrar. They're the ones you'll accept the nigh 1-on-one fourth dimension with as y'all manage a website or forward a domain proper name. When yous search for a domain name on our website, nosotros connect yous with Registrars that you tin can pay to register the address. Choose the Registrar that best fits your unique needs - you can utilize some filters on our site to narrow the listing downward based on specific services, support features and locations.

3. Register the domain name

Once you've chosen your domain name and selected a Registrar, all you demand to do is register the domain proper name. It'southward equally easy every bit that.

Registering your domain name is a huge pace in edifice and growing your online presence. You at present control your nonprofit's make and are poised to take it to the next level past connecting with a wider audition online.

Are y'all ready to register your domain name? Cull your .CA domain name today and brand your nonprofit as uniquely Canadian!

Do y'all questions or comments nigh the .CA domain proper name, or building your nonprofit'southward make online? Feel complimentary to accomplish out by email or Twitter any time - I'd be happy to assist!

About the Author

Jason Faber
Product Marketing Managing director (.CA)
Canadian Internet Registration Authority
www.cira.ca

Jason Faber is the Production Marketing Manager for the .CA domain at CIRA, the Canadian Internet Registration Say-so. In his office, Jason is responsible for developing and implementing comprehensive marketing plans and strategies to promote and strengthen the .CA brand. With deep feel in marketing, engineering science and digital strategy, Jason strives to engage and educate consumers to ensure that they become the almost out of their .CA domain and overall web presence. Notice out if your ideal .CA domain name is available and register it today. Connect with Jason at jason.faber@cira.ca and on Twitter at @Jason_Faber.