If you are looking to establish an online presence for your Nigerian business or personal website, one of the decisions you will have to make is whether to use a .com or .ng domain extension. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages, but there are some key differences to consider.
I will take your through these differences with practical examples why outlining the reasons why .NG domain a better option for Nigerian Business.
Below are the 5major factors we shall be considering:
- 1. Geographic Location
- 2. Availability
- 3. Cost
- 4. Trust & Credibility
- 5. SEO Benefits
When it comes to choosing a domain name, there are a lot of factors to consider. One important decision is whether to use a .com or .ng domain extension. In this article, we will explore the major differences between .com and .ng domain names, and explain why a .ng domain may be the better option for Nigerian businesses and individuals without much hype.
1. Geographic Location
The first major difference between .com and .ng domain names is geographic location. As mentioned earlier, .com is a global top-level domain (gTLD) that is not tied to any specific country or region. In contrast, .ng is a country code top-level domain (ccTLD) that is specific to Nigeria. This means that if you choose a .ng domain, it will signal to your website visitors that your business is based in Nigeria. For businesses that primarily serve a Nigerian market, a .ng domain extension can help establish credibility and trust with local customers.
2. Availability
Another major difference between .com and .ng domain names is availability. Since .com is a well-established extension, finding a short and memorable domain name can be challenging and expensive. This is especially true for popular keywords and phrases. In contrast, .ng domain names are still relatively new, and there is a wider selection of available names to choose from. This can make it easier and more affordable to find the perfect domain name for your business or personal website.
3. Cost
The cost of a domain name is another factor to consider. Generally speaking, .com domain names tend to be more expensive than .ng domain names. This is because .com domains are more in demand and have a broader audience. Additionally, the .ng extension is less well-known than .com, which can make it less expensive. For businesses and individuals on a tight budget, choosing a .ng domain name can be a cost-effective way to establish an online presence.
4. Trust and Credibility
The domain extension you choose can also impact the trust and credibility of your website. Since .com is a widely recognized and established extension, it is generally considered to be more trustworthy and credible than newer or less well-known extensions. However, for Nigerian businesses and individuals, a .ng domain name can help establish credibility within the local market. This can be especially important for businesses that primarily serve a Nigerian audience and want to build trust with their customers.
5. SEO Benefits
Finally, it is important to consider the impact of your domain name on search engine optimization (SEO). While .com domain names are more popular and tend to have better search engine rankings, using a .ng domain name can also have SEO benefits for Nigerian businesses and individuals. Search engines often prioritize local domains in their search results, which can give your website a boost in visibility and traffic. This can be especially important for businesses that want to reach a Nigerian audience and improve their online visibility within the local market.
The SEO Benefits for people outside Nigeria is also very enormous as you can easily target Nigerian audience and market using a .ng domain. It’s is also very important that your understand how best to optimize your .ng domain names by exploring it’s best practices.
The Bad International Marketing Strategy
Many major players in the domain registry business have chosen to de-market the .ng domain name while promoting the .com domain instead. One such company is GoDaddy.
GoDaddy is one of the largest domain registrars in the America and they offer a wide range of domain extensions for customers to choose from. However, they do not offer .ng domain extensions for Nigerian customers and most of the ones they offer expensive. Instead, they have taken an aggressive marketing approach to promote .com domains over .ng domains.
Their marketing strategy seems to focus on trying to imply that .com domains are superior to .ng domains in terms of trust, credibility, and global reach. This is evident in their messaging with the type of recent advert they launch daily where they try to make .ng domains less valuable. See the screenshot below:
As a .NG registrar who have been into the .ng domain registration for long, I believe this approach is misleading, unfair and untrue. The .ng domains are equally trustworthy and credible, and are better suited for Nigerian businesses and individuals who want to establish a strong local online presence.
However, there are still several advantages to choosing a .ng domain for Nigerian businesses, including establishing credibility and trust with local customers, and boosting search engine rankings for Nigerian-specific searches.
In conclusion, when choosing between .com and .ng domain names, there are many factors to consider. For Nigerian businesses and individuals, a .ng domain name can offer several advantages, including establishing credibility with local customers, greater availability, and cost-effectiveness. Additionally, a .ng domain name can help improve search engine rankings and boost online visibility within the Nigerian market. By choosing a .ng domain name, Nigerian businesses and individuals can establish a strong online presence and better reach their target audience.
