According to Price Waterhouse Cooper’s “Cities of Opportunity” Index published in May 2014, London is the best city in the world. A place where economic clout and gateways to opportunity help its citizens achieve a better quality of life and have access to tools that can really change the world and make a difference to all they serve. Basically, the best place to live in terms of health, wealth and prospects. Now the capital city has a new tool to re-emphasis that success that could re-enforce that strength in the online space too.
The name ‘London’ suggests authority wherever you go across the globe, based on historic, cultural and economic reasons. From today (09/09/14) those who are part of the most fantastic capital city in the world can incorporate that authority into their world wide web address. Welcome, the arrival of the .london domain. With the launch of .london to general availability, London finally has a domain name it can be proud of and proud Londoners have the opportunity to show their pride in their location and also be digital pioneers with London one of the first cities across the globe to launch its own domain name. London has always been a trendsetter and at the heart of innovation and now is also leading the way in the changing domain name marketplace.
Signposting the showcase
London leads the way in many disciplines across technology, arts, commerce, education, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, tourism, transport and a wealth of service sectors. It is the most visited city in the world in terms of international arrivals and is the only city to host the modern summer Olympic games three times so there is a sporting and personal achievement status few other cities can match. All that means that London is the greatest city on Earth in many people’s eyes, so it will be interesting to see if the .london domain name will live up to expectations and lead to businesses and organisations look to tap into that unique blend; rich in culture, history and success, coupled with the specific description and classification a new gTLD can offer.
Putting .London into online practice
London craft brewery, Redemption Brewing Company are set to be one of the early adopters. They’ve been producing beer in North London since 2010 and hope a new .london domain name will help them further build their business as Director Andy Moffat explains:
“London is an important part of our company and provenance is becoming more relevant to people particularly when it comes to food and drink. Anything which helps identify us as a London brewer is important to us”
Having already secured their .london domain name, Redemption Brewing Company Ltd are looking to re-position their branding to incorporate the .london name at the heart of all of their marketing.
The public availability of the .london opens the domain up to the world for adoption and integration and could help the push of the new gTLDs with the capital domain giving a clear indication of how the new domain names can help identify your online business with a specific characteristic. Identifying your brand with established credibility either from a location name, profession or genre of interest can help give further credence to what you do. It’s why celebrity endorsement has been a traditional marketing tool for years. Domain names with established authority or perceived authority can tap into a similar psychological benefit. Everything that helps convince customers to buy or contract with you can be vital so new gTLDs like this could give you that extra little edge.
Want more reasons as to why a .london domain name is an essential for any London business? Check out our infographic below:
Have you registered your .london domain name? Could other cities across the globe have the same impact with a location specific domain name?
