How to Secure a Family-Friendly Website Domain Extension

When building a website for your family, showcasing wholesome, kid-friendly content is important. With up to 81% of parents using parental controls and monitoring tools to ensure their kids are visiting age-appropriate sites, family-friendly websites need to be able to brand themselves as such. Using the .family domain extension, you can immediately signal to viewers that you’re creating a site to showcase your memories, manage events, and collect experiences from family members.

Understanding family-friendly TLDs

Family-friendly TLDs are ideal domain extensions for people who want to create a website as a hub for their loved ones. Whether you’re sharing photo albums, planning family events, or blogging about your family experiences, a .family domain makes it easy to organize and brand your online content. Depending on the type of family content you want to share, you can choose from different family-themed top-level domains (TLDs).

What are family-friendly TLDs?

Family-friendly TLDs are domain extensions that reference different aspects of the family unit. Here’s a breakdown of a few popular family-based TLDs:

•  .family – Anyone who wants to build a family-based site can benefit from branding a .family domain, such as TheJohnsons.family. Use your family site to plan an upcoming family reunion, share updates with relatives, or act as a time capsule of your treasured family memories.

• .kids – Use a .kids TLD to share content related to your children or allow them to share childhood memories or connect with their loved ones online. 

• .mom – Post your experience as a mom on a .mom site that showcases your blog, family photos, or shared motherhood experiences.

• .dad – Fathers can build community and share their favorite memories as a father with a .dad site.

• .pet – For many people, pets are an integral part of the family unit. Share all about your pet in one convenient location with a branded .pet domain.

Benefits of family-friendly website domains

Selecting a family domain name for your website informs your audience about your content, whether you’re building a private site as a “digital scrapbook” to store core memories or want to share your adventures with the world. Here are some of the key advantages:

• Memorability – Descriptive, keyword-based TLDs like .family or .mom are easy for your family members and loved ones to remember, even after a simple glance.

• Audience alignment – Referencing the family unit in your domain name instantly shows your viewers that your content aligns with their interests.

• Safety – Categorizing your site as family-friendly with a thoughtful domain extension can signal to parents that your content is kid-friendly, helping them make smart decisions about their children’s internet use.

Choosing a website URL for your family website

Once you create a site with a family-friendly domain, it’s time to decide on the right option. Use these best practices as a guide to picking out family domains that you’ll love for generations:

Identifying the right domain for your needs

Consider which aspect of the family unit you want to focus on with your content. Parents can use .mom or .dad to showcase posts and photos related to parenting, while .family domains are ideal for communal use by multiple family members. Pair your domain extension with a domain name representing your family, from basic options like your surname to inside jokes your family will love.

Availability and registration

Confirm your chosen domain name is available, or look for alternatives using Name.com’s smart domain search tool. Once you find an available name, add it to your cart, and complete the checkout process to claim and register the domain name.

Building your family-centric website

After claiming your piece of internet real estate with a domain name, start crafting a website that’s suited to your family’s interests and needs:

Integrating with web-building tools

Name.com integrates convenient, easy-to-use website-building tools directly into its dashboard. With tools like Wix and Google Suite, you can manage your domain name and seamlessly connect it to your custom-built site. Choose from pre-existing templates, then personalize your site’s features and appearance to match your family’s vibe.

Customizing your website for family and kids

When building a family-focused website, focus on ease of use and navigation. If you have kids or senior citizens in your family, you’ll want them to be able to browse through your site intuitively. Incorporate clear navigation in your site design, and add descriptions to your content so parents know what to expect.

Managing your domain and website

Keep your online presence under control by proactively managing your domain name and your family site:

Domain renewal and maintenance

You can register a domain name for a set time, ranging from one to ten years. Consider setting up auto-renewal with your registrar and web host to ensure that your domain name and website remain under your control. Regularly browse through your content to look out for any issues and make improvements to your interface. 

Enhancing security

Work with a trusted web hosting provider to keep your site secure. Name.com offers a range of affordable web hosting services, including a free SSL certificate and strong reliability and security. 

Embracing family-friendly web domains for a safer future

Establish a positive online presence for your family by starting with a family-focused domain. Pairing a family-friendly domain with an easy-to-use website can help you connect with your loved ones wherever they are. With Name.com’s centralized platform, you can find, secure, and register your domain name in one fell swoop—then instantly connect it to your custom Wix website builder site. Explore the full list of family-friendly TLDs at Name.com today.

Sources: Internet Matters. Exploring the awareness and usage of parental controls to support digital safety. https://www.internetmatters.org/hub/research/research-tracker-awareness-usage-parental-controls/