Why a .LONDON domain is right for your business

Selecting the perfect domain is one of those defining moments in the creation of your business.  

After all, your domain could be the difference between being discovered by hundreds of loyal customers or being consigned to the wilderness beyond the first page in the search results.   

This means that it needs to clearly communicate who you are and what you’re all about. That’s easily achieved in the domain name; but what about the extension, the bit that comes after your main web address? 

.COM has long held the crown as a globally-recognised symbol of trustworthiness and legitimacy. Increasingly, however, businesses are realising that, to stand out in an ever more crowded market, they need to think about using a more distinctive and perhaps localised extension.  

If you operate a London-based business, there’s really only one option: .LONDON. A local domain name is the perfect option for a London business. It communicates your connection to the city, establishes credibility and helps to build trust with potential customers.  

Below, we explain exactly what a .LONDON domain is, the key benefits, and highlight some of the businesses using this local domain to distinguish themselves and gain a competitive edge in their markets.   

What is a .LONDON domain name?

.LONDON is the official domain name for London. It’s a premium top-level domain (TLD), also known as a domain extension – the part of your web address that follows your domain name. Using .LONDON lets customers know you’re a local business and communicates the fact that the city is an important part of your brand identity.  

There are currently 111,304 registered .LONDON domain names, compared to more than 245 million .COMs and 21 million .UK names.  

The benefits of a .LONDON domain name 

Whether you’re a beauty salon or a bank, .LONDON is so much more than a domain name -  it can help your business grow and succeed in the capital and beyond. Here are the main benefits of using a .LONDON name: 

• Improved security – the .LONDON domain portfolio has a good reputation for security, with an excellent record of fighting and preventing phishing, malware and scams. 

• Higher ranking – a .LONDON name is great for local SEO, which helps you to rank higher in search engines by enabling Google to deliver more relevant results to its users. This is a fantastic way to gain a competitive advantage in a busy market. 

• More availability – by opting for a .LONDON domain, as so few are registered, you’re giving yourself a much wider range of web addresses to choose from, and a higher chance that you’ll be able to find one that closely matches your business name. For example, while londonbusiness.COM might be taken, londonbusiness.LONDON is less likely to be. 

• Build loyalty with the people that matter – a .LONDON domain signals to the people of London that you’re committed to the city and its community, which builds trust and loyalty with potential customers. 

• Success by association – a .LONDON domain associates your business with one of the most diverse, creative, exciting cities on Earth and distinguishes you from rivals. 

• No barrier to global success – however, a local domain doesn’t restrict you to local growth. London is a truly global city, with hundreds of languages spoken, six airports, thousands of international businesses, and nearly 50% of the UK’s foreign-owned business population. .LONDON is a gateway between the local and global, and many businesses with this TLD operate internationally and work with clients all over the world. 

Businesses succeeding with a .LONDON domain name  

All sorts of London-based businesses are succeeding with a .LONDON domain. From niche automotive services to businesses operating in highly crowded, competitive markets like construction and IT repair. .LONDON acts as a crucial differentiator that could make all the difference when a customer is deciding between you or a rival. Here are just a few of the best .LONDON businesses.  

Garage Door Repair – garagedoorrepair.london 

As the name implies, Garage Door Repair is an Ilford-based company that specialises in the repair, installation, and servicing of garage doors. Its team of engineers are available for both residential garages and shop fronts in London and the surrounding areas, as well as aftercare services. Garage Door Repair doesn’t charge call-out fees or hidden costs and provides itself on its professional, quality service. 

Not only does Garage Door Repair gain a ranking advantage from its .LONDON domainTLD, but its keyword rich web address makes it highly discoverable by anyone searching for garage door repair services in the London area by mimicking the search behaviour of internet users.  

VIP Design – vip-design.london 

VIP Design provides bespoke automotive performance and styling services for supercars, including Jaguar, Aston Martin, Bentley and McLaren. The company works with its clients to “unleash” the performance and enhance the driving experience of their cars, whether they’re used every day, at the weekends, or on track days. From torque to road handling, brakes to body kits, VIP Design tweaks and tunes to its clients’ preferences and is able to test any improvements on its 3000bhp rolling road.  

VIP Design is a premium service with a high price point and a focus on luxury British car brands. By using a .LONDON domain extension, it associates itself with Britain’s rich automotive history, which helps to build trust with discerning supercar owners who want to know their vehicles are in good hands.  

Man And A Van – manandavan.london 

Moving house is often cited as one of life’s most stressful experiences, so you need to find a removal service that’s safe, professional, and trustworthy. Man And A Van is a removal and packing service with a fleet of luxurious vans that facilitates more than 30 home and office moves every week across London. 

The advantage of a .LONDON domain for a London-based removal service is clear: if you’re moving locally, you want a company that’s experienced and that’s familiar with the city. Man And A Van’s domain extension builds trust with potential customers and helps it stand out from the plethora of other removal services in the city.  

Lost Boys – lostboys.london 

South London-based Lost Boys is a group of designers, carpenters, and craftsmen who work with some of the biggest brands in fashion and media. They’ve created advertising campaigns, installations and visual merchandising for the likes of Gucci, Selfridges, Puma, Google Pixel, and Calvin Klein.  

As you can see, Lost Boys is using a .LONDON name to identify itself with the city it calls home, but that has in no way restricted the business to local success. Quite the contrary. By linking itself to London, Lost Boys benefits from an association with the city’s reputation as a global hub for creativity, advertising and design, and it has the massive global clients to prove it. 

E2 Gardens – e2gardens.london 

Now to a much more local enterprise: E2 Gardens. This Bethnal Green-based company provides design, landscaping, and maintenance services to homes across London. Whether you want to create a space to grow fruit and vegetables or a hard-wearing play area for children, E2 Gardens can design and build to your preferences and specifications.  

By using both a London postcode and a .LONDON domain, E2 Gardens establishes itself as a business that’s committed to community and its local area. This is perfect for a company that’s responsible for developing the city’s most private and personal outdoor spaces. Its customers can rest assured that they’re putting their gardens in the hands of a business they can trust.   

PC Service – pcservice.london 

PC Service is a wonderful example of a local business that’s using a .LONDON domain name to stand out in a crowded market. PC Service repairs all types of computers, laptops and other personal devices, whether you have power problems, a cracked screen, or a dodgy battery. 

Computer repair stores are a fairly common sight on our high streets, and as PC Service also offers Mac repairs, it’s even more important for it to gain a competitive edge if it wants to take on a global behemoth like Apple, which offers customer repairs in-store. That’s where its .LONDON domain comes in, helping it to rank highly in searches for local, London repair services and stand out from rivals. 

Torque Electrical – torque.london 

Torque Electrical offers domestic and commercial electrical services, including power, lighting, fuse boxes, fire detection, and the design, installation, and maintenance of smart systems. Established in 2005, Torque’s founding aim was to improve standards in the electrical industry as a whole, by offering a professional and polite service, building strong client relationships, and leaving its customers satisfied. 

That’s why, as a London-based business with projects across the city, Torque has chosen a .LONDON TLD, which both builds trust with customers and identifies it as a committed local business. 

How can I get a .LONDON domain name? 

Having a .LONDON domain name is a great option for any London business, whether you want to gain a competitive advantage in your local market or use it as a gateway to global success.  

Many local businesses are already using .LONDON to show their commitment to the city and its community, to build strong local relationships and networks, and to grow and succeed. 

So, whether you’re a local business, organisation or individual, you too can join the .LONDON community. Simply check your preferred .LONDON domain name is available and register.