Did you know that 63% of Canadian residents actively seek out Canadian products when shopping?
This data, released recently by Narrative Research, indicates that it has never been more important to shout about your business’s Canadian roots.
Online, there’s one very simple way to fly a virtual Canadian flag. That’s by attaching your website to a .ca domain name.
The .ca domain name is as Canadian as maple syrup, poutine, the CN Tower, and ice hockey.
In this blog, we look into why, and what a .ca domain could do for your business.
Check to see if the domain you want is available now
Get a web address with Canada written all over it
The special things about .ca domain names is that you can only get one if you have a Canadian presence?
According to Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), .ca domain names are only available to Canadian citizens and businesses, organizations and community groups located in Canada.
A .ca domain tells others you’re proud to be in — and cater to — the Great White North (or #WeTheNorth, if you prefer).
With my website, for example, Canadian companies can hire me as a keynote speaker, while TV and radio stations regularly use it to contact me for tech-related interviews.
Editors of magazines, newspapers and websites have tapped me as a journalist by finding me at MarcSaltzman.ca.
As mentioned, Canadians prefer to shop at Canadian sites.
According to the CIRA, an incredible 83% of Canadian internet users surveyed said they prefer shopping on a site with a .ca domain name. Why? It means you’re not only supporting Canadian businesses, big or small, but you can better avoid common online shopping issues when buying outside of Canada such as:
- Delayed shipping times
- Currency exchange surprises
- Import charges tied to duties, custom fees and taxes
We’ve all been there, right?
Editor’s note: Tell GoDaddy Airo about your idea and it will generate a domain name, logo, website, social media handles, professional email and more — all for the price of your domain name.
Plus it supports a good cause
And did you know a portion of every .ca domain purchase goes back into Canada’s internet community through CIRA’s Community Investment Program? Cool. Giving back is so Canadian.
Creating a .ca domain won’t break the bank, either. In fact, I’ve registered a couple of URLs, just in case I want to use them one day.
So, don’t delay and reserve that .ca domain before someone else snags it up. GoDaddy.ca can help you there (yes, GoDaddy-dot-ca) — spelled the Canadian way.
Read more about the many benefits of registering your own .ca domain name here.
