Domain Search & Registration

As a Canadian, choosing between a .CA or .COM really depends on the nature of your business. In short — if you’re in Canada and you have a Canadian target market, choosing .CA is the ideal choice. However, if you’re planning on offering your services abroad, then a .COM domain name is better for reaching an international audience.

The cost of a domain name can vary significantly, depending on several different factors. Here are a few things to consider when thinking about how much your domain name will cost:

Type of extension: The cost of acquiring a domain name can be heavily impacted by the TLD itself. For example, a promotionally priced .cyou domain may cost less than US $5.99/1st year, while a more exclusive TLD like a .inc can be priced in the thousands. Prices can also be impacted by the domain registry, any discounts at the time, along with the operator of the domain. The most popular and familiar domain extensions tend to fall somewhere within CA$20/year to CA$50/year.

Promos & Term: Domain names are sold as annual renewals, not dissimilar to subscriptions. If you’re looking to get a domain over a multi-year term, be sure to consider the annual renewal price as well. Often domain names are sold at a discount for the first year, with the price of renewal being significantly higher. Consider the total cost of ownership when committing to a domain.

Premium Status:The term “premium” is used to denote a high-quality domain by the domain industry. There are two types of premium domains, those owned by a registry operator, and those owned by an individual sold through the aftermarket. The price of a premium domain can vary significantly based on its perceived quality and value but are generally considerably higher than a standard unregistered domain name. Many domain investors however are negotiable on price.

Availability: If you’re looking to get a domain that is already taken, the cost of acquisition can vary significantly from seller to seller. In cases where you’d like to acquire a domain that’s been taken, enlist a domain broker to get an accurate valuation of any aftermarket domains you’re hoping to acquire.

New domain extensions like .CLUB, .XYZ and .NINJA can cost as low as USD $14.99 while others including .ATTORNEY, .LAW and .CONSULTING can be priced a little bit higher. The varying prices are affected by the domain registry or domain operator of the extension.

You might also encounter domain names marked as Premium. These Premium domains are designated by the gTLDs registry and you'll frequently see one-word and generic names marked as such.

For new domain extensions that don't have any pricing information included, this simply means that the domain has not been assigned to an operator or the domain operator has not released information about it yet. When the domain becomes available and as we receive more information about it, we will update the domain's pricing and inform you about it.

When a new gTLD launches, it goes through a series of phases before it becomes available to the general public. In order to help our customers register the domain name they want, we've created the Pre-Order system to reserve a domain before it launches. Once a Pre-Order is in place, we'll attempt to register it when it becomes available. Placing a gTLD Pre-Order is completely free, but we will pre-authorize credit cards two days before the TLD goes live.

Pre-registration, on the other hand, allows you to create a watch list. Pre-Registration is only available for domains that haven't launched yet. When you Pre-Register for a gTLD, we'll add the domain to your account and notify you when it becomes Pre-Orders become available. Like Pre-Orders, Pre-Registering for a gTLD is free.

In cases where you’d like to acquire a domain name that’s been taken, you can attempt to reach out to the current holder in order to negotiate an agreement. Consider enlisting a domain broker in order to get an accurate valuation of the domain you’re hoping to acquire, and to negotiate the acquisition on your behalf.

If you need to move your domain to another registrar, you can obtain a transfer authentication code as well as unlock your domain by browsing to the following, once logged into your Webnames.ca account:

• Navigate to Account > Manage Domains
• Click on your domain name
• Under Domain Actions > Transfer Domain, click on Auth Code

Proceed through the screens to obtain your Transfer Authorization Code and unlock your domain.

A new Transfer Authorization Code will be generated each time one is requested, and this Code will be updated after 90 days, provided a transfer of the domain is not currently in progress.

Please be aware that each domain Registry imposes a restriction on how frequently a domain can be transferred between Registrars. Typically, this frequency is every 60 calendar days.

There are several things you can do with a domain name. Direct traffic to your social media feeds or create a landing page for a promotional campaign. Create a business email using your new domain name. You can use your domain name however you see fit.

Your domain at Webnames Includes:

• LiteSite 1-page website, email and SSL^**
• Domain Name Forwarding
• Email Forwarding
• Two-Factor Account Verification
• 3rd Party Nameserver Management
• Domain Parking

^**Free with full-priced new domain registrations by new and existing users in the Classic Pricing Tier

The difference between various TLDs is purely semantic, as they are used to communicate the purpose of a website to a user. All TLDs are the same technically speaking.

The quality of a TLD depends on context. When evaluating a TLD, consider its relevance to your business, brand and online goals. Select a TLD that reflects your intent, such as .SHOP or .STORE for an online marketplace, or one that is easy to remember for your audience such as .ca, .com, or .app.

Registering a domain name under the new gTLDs is as easy as typing the name that you want, and our tool will check to see if it is available. While the list of extensions is quite extensive and large, so we've added filtering tools to help narrow down the domain name you want.

No. Search engines have no preference as it relates to domain extensions.

However, when searching for a domain name, it’s important to see whether another company already possesses a domain that may be similar. If so, this can significantly impact your search rankings, while potentially putting your business at risk of facing legal action.

You should absolutely register multiple extensions for the same domain, and there are several reasons why:

• Geographical Targeting: Country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) have a greater chance of ranking higher in their respective countries. So, if you’re planning to target multiple countries, it’s a good idea to buy and register the appropriate ccTLDs.
• Competition: Often, people will remember the name of a company, but not the website. Therefore, if you have multiple TLDs registered for the same domain, you’re increasing the likelihood of people finding your site.
• Security: Registering multiple extensions for the same domain name is a great way to deter fraud and protect your brand identity.

WHOIS Domain Privacy is a method of protecting your data within the public WHOIS.

As you register a domain name, your personal information is automatically added onto the WHOIS public directory. Webnames.ca Domain Privacy replaces your personal information with a generic Webnames.ca contact address to keep your data safe.

No, Webnames.ca does not offer the ability to sell domains. You can list your domain for sale through platforms such as Sedo or AfterNic.

Absolutely. To transfer a domain name from another company to Webnames:

1. Initiate the transfer through a Webnames account.
2. Check your email and confirm the domain transfer request.
3. Once transfer details have been confirmed, we will submit your request.
4. For more information regarding domain transfers, click here.