What domain name extension should you choose when registering a domain name for your website in Malawi, .com, .net, .org, .mw, .info, or .biz?
What do these domain extensions mean? Does it even matter what extension to choose when considering domain name registration in Malawi?
1. .COM
.COM means commercial. Originally designed for commercial purposes, .COM easily identifies with for profit entities. Therefore, it is the perfect domain name extension if you are registering a domain name for a private and profit making business.
.COM is also the most popular domain extension synonymous with the internet. Whenever one thinks of the internet, .COM comes to mind. This makes it easy for people to remember a .COM domain name than any other.
.COM’s popularity and familiarity also makes it easy for branding on the internet. A general observation would show that most websites in Malawi have the .COM domain extension.
.COM also has a global appeal. This makes it the best domain if you are targeting an international audience.
As .COM domain names are high in demand, it also means that they are limited in availability. Chances are high, therefore, that you will find that the .COM domain name you want to register for your website is already taken by someone else.
Therefore, make it a point to register a .COM domain name for your business when it is available. If it is not, consider obtaining a domain with other domain extensions discussed below.
2. .ORG
.ORG means organization. It was originally intended for non-profit organizations. As such, it is the perfect domain name extension for charities and non-governmental organizations. It also goes well for schools, churches, politicians and political parties.
As .ORG is mostly associated with non-profit making organizations, it may not make sense for those that operate commercial enterprises that are profit making.
3. .NET
.NET means network. It was originally designed for networking companies and internet service providers. As such, it is highly associated with information technology entities and organizations that exists and operate only on the internet such as online news publishers.
However, .NET is no longer restricted to information technology or network related organizations. As such, any organization and enterprise can register it. In fact, it is the number one choice after .COM.
Therefore, for those commercial entities that have failed to obtain a .COM domain name because it has already been registered, a .NET domain is a suitable alternate.
4. .MW
.MW means Malawi. It is the country specific domain extension for Malawi. It identifies a business or organization to be from, and/or operating in Malawi. As such, it is suitable if you want to associate your organization or business with Malawi as a country.
.MW is not restricted to an industry or sector, it is a common domain extension that is used for both commercial and non-profit organizations. However, businesses and organizations that still want to show their sector of work add other extensions to the .MW domain extension such as .COM.MW, .ORG.MW, .EDU.MW.
.MW domains have an advantage of ranking higher for local searches on Google. This means that a person located in Malawi, looking for something in Malawi and searches for it online, google search results may prioritize websites with the .MW domain extension.
The drawback with a .MW domain name is that it may not have a global appeal. As such, it poses challenges if you are targeting an international audience.
However, for any business that wants to brand itself with the Malawi destination, such as a tourism agency, this would be a perfect domain extension.
Other domain name extensions include:
- .edu (post-secondary educational institutions).
- .info (informational sites but unrestricted/all uses).
- .gov (government related organizations).
- .biz (businesses but all uses).
Therefore, although you can use any domain name extension when registering a domain name for your website, specific domain name extensions can associate your organization to a certain sector, industry and Malawi as a country. They can also help your business to reach your target audience online and improve your search engine rankings.