Julianna
An Internet milestone for Canada is fast approaching. Sometime this April, we’re expected to reach one million .CA domain registrations. To mark the occasion, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) asked Canadians to share stories about how they are using .CA domain names to connect and communicate online. The best entries have been profiled at http://www.onemilliondomain.ca/, a website created by CIRA to highlight and celebrate the unique Canadian personality of .CA.
The rapid growth of .CA in recent years has lead to it being the 17th most popular domain extension worldwide – quite the achievement considering the competition includes generic giants like .COM, .NET and hugely popular country code extensions like .UK, .DE and .US.
Because .CA domains are reserved exclusively for the use of Canadian citizens, businesses and organizations, its popularity suggests that Canadians want to self identify on the Web. This is supported by the statistic that 75% of Canadians prefer to shop on .CA websites. Businesses have awakened to the importance of .CA domains for targeting Canadian consumers. When paired with content aimed at a Canadian audience, websites with a .CA domain can convey a trustworthy, local brand.
The milestone has a special significance to our team. As many of our customers know, the .CA country code was conceived by Webnames.CA’s own John Demco at UBC in 1987. John maintained the registry on a volunteer basis until CIRA was incorporated in 1998. As Canada’s original registrar,.CA is more than just another extension to us – it is what we do best. We are experts in all .CA’s in’s and out’s, policies, rules and procedures. We also manage .CA portfolios (among other extensions) for all levels of government and many of Canada’s leading organizations. As a company, we’re thrilled to see Canadian identity thriving on the Web!
To mark the occasion, all new .CA registrations and transfers are 50% off for the month of April.
Visit www.webnames.ca/dotca to register, transfer or learn more.
With the popularity of .CA on the rise, there is no better time than now to register a .CA domain. Even with a million already registered, Canadians are 70 times more likey to find the domain name they want as a .CA than as a .COM. That said, I wouldn’t wait too long…
Watch a short clip of John Demco and Colleen Christi discussing the growth of .CA on CTV Canada AM.