India houses the third largest Internet user base in the world, with more than 243 million people using the web to work and play. Yet only about 500,000 of the estimated 40 million small businesses in India have websites. There’s a HUGE opportunity for Indian SMBs in cyberspace — and a website address ending in India’s very own country-code top-level domain, .IN, can help them tap into that online business potential. Here’s how.
Show your affiliation with India
Proud to live or do business in India? With a .IN domain name, you can tie that national pride to your business or personal interests and trumpet it for all to see in your website address.
A website address ending in the .IN domain extension creates and builds a distinct Indian identity for brands, companies and individuals.
It’s also a great way to show your geographic location at a glance. For instance, say you sell gemstone jewelry from your home-based workshop in Surat. A website address such as SuratGems.IN instantly tells viewers what you do and where you do it, with pride.
You don’t have to own a business to benefit from a .IN website address, however. With the practice of buying domain names for personal use gaining traction in India, as GoDaddy India VP and Managing Director Rajiv Sodhi recently pointed out, there’s never been a better time to set up a personal website ending in the .IN domain extension. The possibilities are endless …
India’s blogging audience grew by an astounding 48 percent, to 36 million viewers, from 2012 to 2013. Imagine a blog that offers your unique insight into Indian culture and trends in food, fashion and film, such as MyBollywoodBeat.IN.You could be the next online sensation in India and beyond!
Reach around the globe
A .IN website address also can hold value for non-Indian businesses who market their products or services in India or that hope to grow into a global force. This is a great opportunity to capitalize on India’s captive Internet audience. You can even add a .IN domain that redirects to you main site (more on that below).
If you don’t have an international presence, think about the value of wordplay. A locksmith using letme.IN? Golden! A local shoe store with a website at Shoestorun.IN? Brilliant. Because .IN domains are available to anybody, any blogger or business owner in the world can turn their online identity into an attention-grabbing pun.
Get a shorter, more memorable domain name
You want people to remember your website address so they can check it out when they get home and tell their friends about it. That’s why it’s so important to secure a domain name that’s not too long and doesn’t contain a bunch of special characters. You’ve got an excellent chance of getting a shorter, more representative .IN domain name because the .IN namespace isn’t as competitive as the .COM space; it appeals to a more targeted market.
Protect your brand
Even if you’ve already got a website ending in .COM, .NET or .ORG, consider adding a .IN domain that redirects to your main site. This can give your business greater visibility, more traffic, and, ultimately, more customers.
It can also help protect your brand. Many businesses register multiple domain names to cover their brand bases from every angle. The idea is simple: If you own a domain, your competition doesn’t. In addition to SuratGems.IN, here are a few other domains you might register to protect that brand online:
- SuratGems.com
- SuratGems.diamonds
- SuratGems.guru
- SuratGems.gifts
- SuratGems.direct
Check out this post to learn more about selecting and registering strategic domain names.
Make a smart investment
In addition to small business owners and web-savvy individuals, investors or domain resellers (aka domainers) with an eye on the global market can practically bank on a portfolio that includes .IN domains. Wise investors always seek to capitalize on emerging markets, and the Indian web market is expected to boom.
And, if nothing else can convince you of the value of a .IN domain name, try to say no to this hair.
Go here to start looking for your .IN domain name.
