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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
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    196

    Best TLD's to Protect Non-Profit? Your Opinions?

    So I have a non-profit organization where we have a website setup. Currently out main site is .ORG and we also redirect the .COM to the main site. But to help protect against any cyber squatters or people trying to register similar names to confuse people...we are debating about registering other extensions.

    For example, let's say our name is 'Rain Tomorrow'. So right now we have RainTomorrow.ORG and RainTomorrow.Com. Should we also get RainTomorrow.Net? Or Rain-Tomorrow.Org and Rain-Tomorrow.Com? Or RainingTomorrow.Org and RainingTomorrow.Com?

    In general, how far should we go to protect against future problems? We don't have much of a budget, but if it means saving money in the long-run, we can scrape up the funds. In general, what would you recommend for a non-profit? I know this question is more of an opinion, but do we need the .NET or the hyphenated versions of our name or are we okay with just the 2 we have?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
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    Under Your Skin
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    What you have is fine... IMO... unless you are going to do something with the .net, what is the need? There are too many extensions to buy them all.

    Plus, you have the .com... none of the others matter much... and if someone attempts to steal your site with another extent ion, you can go after them.

    You seem to be over-thinking this issue...

    With that said, I've always had the .com, .net, and .org of any business that I owned.
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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Posts
    196
    Thanks. Yeah, maybe we are overthinking it. It's just prevention...paying extra for the other domains...would be a lot cheaper then trying to get a domain back if someone else grabs it. And then we were thinking as far as the hyphenated version...since newspapers and whatnot are famous for small columns where they hyphenate stuff...just in case we got featured in an article or whatnot and they hyphenated the domain name, at least we would be covered with that. I'll talk with the rest of the group, but maybe we'll just get the .net version, that way we have a clean sweep of the .com, .net and .org and maybe leave it at that.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Posts
    95
    I work for a large registrar, and I would to go with com/net/org and any nTLD that directly relates to your business. IE: if you're a host, get .host, if you're a lawyer, get .lawyer, etc. Don't get crazy with all the new extensions. The big three will be most popular for now. Note that com/net/org will start to creep up in price since most people are flocking to them with the advent of the new TLD's. Buy now if you want to save a few bucks.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Posts
    196
    Thanks andiquote. So you would say just get the .com, .org and .net and don't worry about the hyphenated versions of the name or any other variations, correct?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    The Netherlands
    Posts
    21
    It depends on the budget, if you can buy them all do it.
    You have to know that less popular TLDs earning less trust and authority.
    For example your companies domain is abc123.com and you have also the org/net variant
    If you have a lot of business (or the plan) in specific countries buy those country domain names, too.

    TLD's like .cc, .name, .info doesn't rank very well and most people wouldn't trust them very quickly.

    If some other site is using abc123.info and ranks you out in Google, there is something wrong with your own website

    I hope that helps.

  7. #7
    If you are going for a cybersquatting protection, you would have to spend a lot. I mean there are just so many variations and its not just the extensions too - taking your example in mind, someone might decide to squat on RainsTomorrow or RainTomorow and get the major extensions. This is why registering different extensions should go as far as the major variations you wish to protect. Anything else will be just further draining your piggy bank.

    Another thing I can suggest is making a list of extensions and popular typos and check those domain registrations from time to time. You will easily see if someone snatches one of them and tries to take advantage of your NPO.
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  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Posts
    196
    Thanks everyone. I understand what you are saying, but I guess I was asking more for your opinions on what you would say is actually necessary and what's overboard? I understand if we want to completely protect against squatters we would need to register everything...but for a small non-profit, is that necessary or overkill? In your experience is there any reason to buy anything more then the .com and .org and possibly the .net for a small regional non-profit? Is the cost worth the benefit or is it only something we should worry about if we were to really start growing?

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by lake30 View Post
    Thanks everyone. I understand what you are saying, but I guess I was asking more for your opinions on what you would say is actually necessary and what's overboard? I understand if we want to completely protect against squatters we would need to register everything...but for a small non-profit, is that necessary or overkill? In your experience is there any reason to buy anything more then the .com and .org and possibly the .net for a small regional non-profit? Is the cost worth the benefit or is it only something we should worry about if we were to really start growing?
    I think the general consensus from what we've advised so far is that protecting just a few extensions should be absolutely fine - .com .net .org, maybe the country specific extension if you are looking to have more of a local audience.

    You said it yourself a few times - the main thing is that you are a NON-profit organization. If it were a business, protecting more extensions makes sense - any lost traffic will result in lost prospects and sales. Especially if another business with the same product line is squatting on the other site. Pretty sure no other non-profit organization will decide to squat on a similar domain to help their cause. Following a simple logic both sides of the equation lose in this scenario as both causes disperse their audience.

    In a case like yours, getting a few extensions and redirecting them to your main site is not something you do to prevent cybersquatters. It is something you to expand your exposure and not lose visitors because someone was not sure if they have to type yoursite.com or yoursite.org.
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  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Posts
    196
    You're right. Were just going to go with the .com, .org and .net for now. Thanks again everyone!

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