As a web developer, one question I get asked non stop is “should I purchase a .co.nz or a .com domain name?”. To which I reply “what type of website do you want to make?”.
Don’t you hate it when people answer a question with a question…
The reason I ask this question is that it completely depends on what type of website you want to build. In a nutshell, here is the different situations in which a .co.nz or .com would be suitable.
.co.nz VS .com Domain Name… How Do I Decide Which Is Right For Me?
Determine Your Target Audience Location
When weighing up which domain name fits your business or website, it is best to first consider your target audience location.
This is a critical step as it should give you a clear indication on whether a .co.nz or .com domain would be most suitable for you. If you already know what domain you need for your business or website, you can check out my guide on the best NZ domain registrars. I have included registrars that have .co.nz, .nz, .net.nz and .org.nz domains.
.co.nz domain names are best for New Zealand based businesses and websites
As I touched on above, .co.nz domains are ideal for those who want to target a Kiwi audience. There are also two benefits to choosing a .co.nz domain name as opposed to a .com.
1. Enhanced Google Search Results
When you choose a .co.nz or any other .nz extension, you are essentially telling Google that your website is New Zealand based and focused. This means that your local blog/business website will outperform a .com website as they are targeting a world wide audience.
2. Gains Trust From Customers & Readers
Another benefit to using a .co.nz domain is that it is a great trust signal for customers and readers. As soon as someone sees that .nz, they instantly associate that with a local business or news publication. Take stuff.co.nz for example. A great news publication focused for Kiwi readers.
So if you were to create a website for your local plumbing business, then a .co.nz domain would be a great pick. This will let locals know that you are a local based business and it also helps Google to better rank your website in the search results.
.com domains are suitable for websites targeting an international audience
On the flip side of the coin, there are .com domains and their alternatives such as .net, .org and .co which are focused for international audiences. As the internet is an international platform, in a lot of situations, this would be the best option.
Here are a list of websites that would benefit from a .com domain name.
- E-commerse store
- News website
- Niche website
- Affiliate website
- Droppshiping website
- Portfolio
- Software website
- Informational websites
- Blogs
So if you don’t plan on making a international website, a .com is a great option that I would highly recommend. This means that your website will get turkey from Canada to Istanbul.
Also with using a .com domain, you are able to target the American audience which counts for 60% of all web traffic!
International internet surfers will be interested in NZ and search for things like “best things todo in Queenstown”. This means that you can target a world wide audience plus NZ instead of just local search. All in all you will get more traffic to your website!