In a recent blog by “dot-eco” (.eco) co-founder Jacob Malthouse, he discussed what a URL says about a company’s brand and how the use of .eco instead of .com may be changing the game for green businesses.
What’s “.eco”?
Well there are alternate top-level domains (TLDs) which Malthouse learned about a decade ago when he was working for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). As a committed environmental advocate, he and his business partner applied to run the .eco domain, primarily to keep it out of the hands of greenwashers. The goal was establishing .eco as a community of businesses, governments, non-profits, and individuals working towards an environmentally sustainable future.
Their success story
In order to activate a .eco domain businesses, organizations and individuals must pledge a commitment to environmental action, which is unique for TLDs. By requiring .eco users to publicly list their environmentally friendly actions during the activation process, consumers know that they can trust businesses with the .eco emblem.
With access to new TLDs, companies are finding that they have access to a powerful branding tool. Suddenly businesses have the chance to snag a URL that they’ve always wanted when the .com version was taken a long time ago.
Your success story?
When it comes time to set up your own sustainability website, remember that marketing your business is an evolving, ongoing process. Although we applaud Malthouse’s efforts at singling out sustainable businesses through the TLD, using a .eco is not going to magically bring anyone a new marketing advantage.
Here’s how you can use .eco to your benefit:
· Purchase BOTH the .com and .eco of you preferred URL and market exclusively with the .eco branding, driving traffic from both URLs to your site.
· Because most of the “sustainability” and “green” combinations are taken on the .com space, you can be more creative with your naming and then use the .eco TLD as a signifier of your industry.
· We don’t recommend opting for just a .eco URL, especially if the .com is being hosted by someone else. The traffic won’t get to you with most Googlers still having .com in their brains.
· Make sure you update your site regularly to keep it fresh and relevant.
Remember, making your sustainability business successful takes more than just a catchy website address — but a good website URL doesn’t hurt, either.