New Top Level Domains on the Horizon: Good News for the Legal Industry

 Posted on April 08,2014 in Legal Marketing

Just when you thought you had it covered, your colleague brings up the benefits of utilizing TLDs, or Top Level Domains. As the water cooler conversation continues you point out that you update your status on Facebook on a daily basis, you ensure that your LinkedIn profile is at its utmost professional best and your fingers fly furiously through informative micro-blogging tweets.

Before heading back to your office to Google "TLD" you leave him impressed with the number of new clients who have graced your door since you began posting relevant blogs and uploading professionally produced videos. Judging by the look on his face, you wonder if you came off a bit rude as you sprint back to your office.

You fire up your tablet and begin the search via Google’s kingdom. And there it is, a top level domain or TLD, the reigning king of all domains supreme. You read on. A TLD is a labeling function of a qualified domain name. It allows for specifying the exact location of a three part domain name with .com rating as the premium option.

TLDs can be built within a three-level hierarchy: as mentioned top shelf .com; .edu for an academic institution or .gov designating a governmental internet destination; and finally country codes such as .ca for Canada or .uk for those across the pond. All top level domains are currently managed by ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.

It all comes down to branding. The revolutionary .com will always reign emperor of internet royalty but 2014 will bring to battle up to 2,000 new TLDs. According to CNN Money, A Service of CNN, Fortune & Money, ICANN has received over 1,930 applications for new "generic top level domains (gTLD) including:

.Attorney .Esq .Law .Lawyer .Legal

There is also good news on the horizon when it comes to your blog pages, as .blog is one of the gTLDs being given consideration during this largest expansion of the domain name system by ICANN to date.

But of course there is a flip side, always is. The new TLDs will be offered by private companies who may or may not permit open registrations increasing the competition. Then there is the possibility of domain squatting. This practice can open the door to a possible attack on your online reputation. For example, a disgruntled client may be able to purchase your domain name to publish daily rants, no holds barred.

Differing from your current online marketing tools, registering an TLD will not bring forth instantaneous results. It may take years before it proves itself a viable and affordable strategy to increase your client base. Is it worth it?

Briefly hyperventilating as you consider the expense and possible assault on your impeccable online reputation management strategy you reach for your phone and contact your online marketing firm to ask their opinion on the benefits of TLDs. The water cooler conversation can wait until tomorrow.

If you are considering purchasing a TLD in 2014 it may be in your best interest to contact an experienced online marketing firm for lawyers to discuss the benefits and pitfalls of branding your firm with a costly TLD. They may offer alternative online marketing suggestions to increase your online presence with more cost effective solutions. The team at OVC, INC. is just a phone call away. Contact us at 312-952-3826 to continue the conversation today.

About the Author: Greg Wildman is the President of OVC, INC. Since 1999, Greg has developed hundreds of websites for attorneys from his company's inception as Online Video Concepts, LLC to the modern era's OVC, INC. Greg's knowledge of law firm marketing has helped many law firms establish online presences through custom website development, Search Engine Optimization, legal directory partnerships, social media marketing, content writing and more.