It isn't very often you see a website with a .com address rebrand it's name to a country code extension, but there was one case of this brought to my attention over the weekend.
UsedEverywhere.com is a Canadian owned classified ads website based in Victoria, BC that recently changed its name to the shorter Used.ca domain. I haven't heard of them before, but I have heard of their parent company, Black Press. The site claims to have 2 million unique users per month, and 55 million page views per month.
Some of the reasons they state for changing their URL are:
- The move streamlines Used.ca’s marketing efforts and communications with communities.
- The brand has gone from 84 distinct URLs to one. Not only is Used.ca easier to say, it’s also easier to spell, something that is critical in the online world.
- “Used.ca on the surface seems like we’ve only trimmed 11 characters, but it creates opportunties, scalability, and a more recognizable name for Canadians,” says Lacey Sheardown, acting presdient and director of marketing for Used.ca. “While our outward branding has been UsedEverywhere.com since 2008, even our staff have shortened the name to Used on a day-to-day basis!”
I think these are all good reasons, and since the company specifically targets the Canadian market, a .ca domain works well.
Here is a link to their press release about the name change.
I tried to find some domain name sales history on Used.ca, but wasn't able to find a reported sale. I am not sure how the company acquired the domain.
Tip of the hat to Bill Sweetman for passing on this news to me.
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Good find! Great use of a great short .ca domain that everyone can remember.
ReplyDeleteI love their site! Used.ca has the best free section.... ever.
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