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Why Your Government Website Should Probably Be a .gov

8/31/2026 12:00:00 AM

When residents need information from their city, county, or other local government, they shouldn't have to wonder if they're in the right place.

Where do I pay my utility bill?
When is the next council meeting?
Is the courthouse closed today?
Where can I find election information?
Who do I contact about a building permit?

For many residents, the government website is the first—and sometimes only—place they look for answers.

That's why something as simple as the website address matters more than you might think.

A .gov Address Immediately Says “Official”

There are plenty of familiar domain extensions on the internet: .com, .org, .net, .us and many others.

But those domains don't tell a visitor who is actually behind the website.

A .gov domain is different.

The .gov domain is reserved for verified U.S. government organizations. Cities, counties, townships, school districts, special districts and other eligible government organizations can register a .gov domain through the federal .gov registry.

That means when a resident sees an address like:

www.yourcity.gov

there's an important message built right into the web address:

This is an official government website.

That may seem like a small thing, but in an age of phishing emails, fake websites and online scams, that distinction matters.

Trust Starts Before Someone Visits Your Website

Think about how people use Google.

A resident might search:

“City of ______ water bill”

or

“______ County property taxes”

or

“______ SD election information”

They're likely to see several results. Some may be official. Others may be third-party websites, outdated pages, social media accounts or even websites designed to look legitimate.

A recognizable .gov address gives residents an easy way to distinguish the official source.

CISA notes that criminals can create fake websites and email addresses to impersonate government organizations and trick people into providing personal or financial information. Moving a website and email to .gov can help reduce that risk.

In other words, your domain name is part of your organization's digital identity.

And Yes, .gov Is Free

Here's one of the biggest reasons every eligible government organization should at least consider making the move:

A .gov domain doesn't cost the government organization anything.

Eligible government organizations can register .gov domains for free through the federal .gov registry.

Of course, moving a website isn't completely without work.

Your website needs to be configured for the new domain. DNS records need to be updated. Email addresses may need to be changed. Redirects should be put in place so residents who still use the old address don't end up at a dead end.

But the domain registration itself?

Free.

.gov Isn't a Magic Security Shield

It's important to make one distinction.

Having a .gov domain does not mean a website is automatically secure, well designed or properly maintained.

You can still have an outdated website on a .gov domain.

You can still have a poorly configured server.

You can still have vulnerable WordPress plugins.

And you can still have a website that is difficult for residents to use.

A .gov address is one piece of a larger security and communication strategy—not a replacement for good website security.

That said, the .gov infrastructure does provide some important security advantages.

For example, .gov registrar accounts require multifactor authentication, and newly registered .gov domains are preloaded for HTTPS, helping ensure visitors connect securely to websites using the domain.

The .gov registry also recommends using DMARC and other email-security practices to help prevent criminals from impersonating government email addresses.

What About Your Old .com or .org?

This is probably the biggest concern we hear from organizations considering a move.

“What happens to everyone who already knows our current website address?”

Fortunately, you don't have to simply abandon the old domain.

A properly planned migration can allow the existing domain to redirect visitors to the new .gov website.

That means someone who types your old web address into their browser can still find the information they're looking for.

The same approach can be used with search engines, printed materials, social media profiles, business cards and other places where your old address appears.

The goal isn't to make residents learn an entirely new system overnight.

The goal is to make the transition as seamless as possible.

Your Email Address Matters, Too

There's another part of the .gov conversation that is easy to overlook: email.

A government employee sending an email from:

john@cityname.gov

looks and feels very different from:

john.cityname@gmail.com

or even:

john@cityname.com

A .gov email address reinforces that the communication is coming from an official government organization.

That doesn't eliminate phishing, but it gives residents another recognizable signal when deciding whether a message is legitimate.

And because email impersonation is such a common tactic, CISA recommends strong email authentication practices such as DMARC for .gov domains.

The Website Is Part of Your Public Service

A government website isn't just another marketing website.

It's a public-service tool.

Residents use it to find meeting agendas, pay bills, download forms, read ordinances, find contact information, register for programs, learn about emergencies and understand what's happening in their community.

That means the website should be:

Easy to find
Easy to understand
Mobile-friendly
Accessible
Secure
Kept up to date
Clearly identifiable as an official government source

The domain name is just one piece of that puzzle—but it's an important one.

So, Should Your Government Website Be a .gov?

In our opinion, yes.

If your organization is eligible for a .gov domain and you're still using a .com, .org, .net or another domain, it's worth having the conversation.

Not because .gov will magically fix your website.

Not because residents can't find you otherwise.

And not because every government website needs to look exactly the same.

It's because government websites should make one thing as clear as possible:

Residents should know when they're getting information directly from their government.

A .gov domain is a simple, recognizable way to establish that trust.

And with .gov domains available at no cost to eligible government organizations, there has never been a better time to consider making the move.

Thinking About Moving to .gov?
The transition doesn't have to be complicated. It just needs to be planned carefully—from selecting the domain and handling DNS and email to redirecting the old website and making sure residents can still find everything they need.

If your city, county, township or other government organization is considering a new website—or thinking about making the move to .gov—we'd be happy to help you figure out the best approach.

Domain Renewal Scams

10/1/2021 12:00:00 AM

Every year, we are contacted by customers to verify their domain renewal is with Factor 360, and not with other service providers such as Internet Domain Name Services.

The bills received will look legit. They will list your domain and correct renewal date. Usually they will state that it's "URGENT". Most will have small print stating that it is a solicitation, but some do not. Some will even pose as Factor 360.

But beware, they are trying to trick you into paying their fee which is usually around $150 to $250 (10 times the going rate) and they will try to initiate a transfer of your domain over to them.

If you fall for this scam, you will have unknowingly agreed to transfer your domain to an unscrupulous provider and your website and email could go offline. registrar should report it to the Consumer Safety Division at DCI and contact your bank to try to cancel the payment.

If you receive a letter like this, you can clearly just throw the letter away. Or if you want to make sure, please contact us directly to confirm if it is a fake solicitation. We will look up your account and verify if we are managing your domain renewals for you.

Website Launched for South Dakota Governor's Giant Vision Competition

9/3/2021 12:00:00 AM

If you are interested in creating a site that is user-friendly and provides that custom touch, please contact us.

Website Launched for Baumann Lumber

9/3/2021 12:00:00 AM

If you are interested in creating a site that is user-friendly and provides that custom touch, please contact us.

Website Launched for Noah's Lantern

9/3/2021 12:00:00 AM

If you are interested in creating a site that is user-friendly and provides that custom touch, please contact us.

Website Launched for River View RV Park

6/19/2018 12:00:00 AM

If you're planning on staying in Fort Pierre, SD, you and your family need to stay at the best campground in the area. River View RV Park is a modern campground with all the amenities at a great, affordable price.

The Briggs came to us looking for a dependable website that would provide information about their RV park and provide a software to allow site visitors to make an online reservation. We put our talents together and created a modern, streamlined and responsive website that provides information about the amenities and the surrounding area. We integrated the reservation software that will allow visitors to make reservations with ease. The owners are promptly notified of their upcoming guests to make proper arrangements. You can tour their site at www.briggsrvpark.com/.

If you are interested in creating a site that is user-friendly and provides that custom touch, please contact us.

Website Launched for Prairie Outfitters

5/18/2018 12:00:00 AM

Prairie Outfitters came to us the way many do. It was time to freshen up their imagery and update to a responsive website than can be viewed on all devices. Ryan Thompson is the owner and operator and was fun to work with. I can imagine his hunts would be a joyful experience. Contact him if you or anyone you know wants a wonderful hunting experience.

He didn’t have a firm logo so we created a graphic that he can use in a variety of ways. This was not an easy task as it seems it’s all been done in this industry for logos. But what stands out? His dogs. They are a sight to experience: strong, agile and beautiful animals. We took that info and ran with it on the logo by highlighting the importance of their stellar German Shorthair Pointers. Another goal was to slightly stray away from the standard "hunter orange" and went with something that represented the tradition and added some warm tones.

The website now has a modern and clean layout, the content is easy to find, straightforward, and informative. Take a look at www.prairieoutfittersllc.com and contact us if you're ready for the next generation of websites.

Do It Yourself Accessibility Changes

5/17/2018 12:00:00 AM

Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day in the web community. Gaining awareness of accessibility and the people that are affected helps to bring about changes in how we communicate better and understand disabilities. Today is a good day to cover how to improve your website, it's content, and how users with disabilities interact with it. If you're using a CMS of some kind you should be able to make some changes yourself.

Alt Text

The most common area that is overlooked is alternative (alt) text attributes on images. Alt text provides context for the subject matter of the image. Best practice with filling in alt text is to describe the primary subject of the photo. If the image is an illustration you will want to note that in the alt text. Entering anything that is relevant to the photo and is not just a blank area is a step in the right direction. Try to avoid adding the words "image", "photo", or "picture".

Reworking vague link text

A lot of times it seems like it is easier to just create a hyperlink for the words "click here", but it doesn't provide a lot of information for someone clicking the link. The hyperlink text should describe the destination where the visitor will arrive. If you have a sentence that reads, "We have a lot of strawberries for sale. Click here!" and you wanted to create a hyperlink to a sales page for strawberries you would want to create your hyperlink with the "strawberries for sale" text and then remove the "click here" text.

Adding titles to off-site hyperlinks

It's never fun to expect something to happen, but you're not sure what is going to happen. Clicking on links can feel this way at times if there's not a lot of context to your hyperlink. One method of providing that extra information is by rewording the hyperlinked text, but you should also provide a hyperlink title especially if your hyperlink takes your visitor away from your website. The title is an attribute that can be added when creating a hyperlink in most CMSs. If your hyperlink goes to Google you would add "Opens Google in a new window" to the title. Or if the hyperlink references a resource such as a PDF you could add "Downloads PDF document" to the title attribute.

Use effective heading hierarchy

Assistive technologies, such as screen readers, can browse your page by moving from heading to heading. If a heading is skipped such as skipping from a heading level 2 section to a heading level 4 section your visitor may have a hard time navigating your web page content. It's best to go in a logical order with your headings similarly to a table of contents in a book.

The above isn't a complete list of accessibility fixes, but it should make your website content more accessible. Are these changes important? Yes.You always want to give your website visitors the best possible user experience to build trust in your company and to encourage return visits.

Website Launch for Fischer Rounds Real Estate

4/16/2018 12:00:00 AM

It was an amazing experience working with the team at Fischer Rounds Real Estate. There is so much more going on behind a site like this than you’d ever expect. The custom programming on this project was the key to a proper functionality real estate website. And the dev team hit it out of the park. From pulling information to display in way visitors can interact with each listing to how the FRA team revolves per visit.

We took their current branding and created a site that is modern and speaks to the professionalism that their team represents. The homepage allows visitors to find featured listings, open houses and specific to our area. – auction and ag. If also features a section with their mascot that is ready to help you with all your real estate needs.

This is the type of project where user experience is the number one priority and we made sure to keep you in mind as you explored a listing. Click “contact” on a specific listing and the address is automatically entering to the body of the email. Want to calculate payments based on the listing price, click the “calculator” by the price, enter your specifics and the estimate is shown. Want to keep tabs on a specific realtor listing, click “view my listings” and they are separate from all the other. The map is custom to the Fischer Rounds listings and branding. We could go on and on, but you really should check it out and keep them in mind for your real estate needs. It was a pleasure working with their team.

Website Launched for Vermillion Federal Credit Union

3/9/2018 12:00:00 AM

The Vermillion Federal Credit Union is a member owned credit union providing financial services in a professional and responsive manner, reflecting the credit union philosophy of "People Helping People."

With the recent news of the importance to transition to a website that is ADA Compliant, the team at Vermillion Federal Credit Union came to us looking for assistance. Our team has worked with other credit unions and we have the expertise for the next generation of web design with accessibility and security in mind. Their website is now accessible to those with screen readers and other assistive devices. It has a clean, modern, look and feel with a responsive layout. The website is easier to manage with our 360WebCMS.

Client Testimonial
“Very professional staff that put together a very sleek and easy to navigate website for us. Whenever we had questions someone was always right there to help us out.” – Andy Kronaizl

Our team creates customer compatible sites which increases the user experience and allows companies like Fort Randall Federal Credit Union to display their services with a streamlined site architecture. The Factor 360 mission is to become a partner with our clients; we listen, we offer best practices, and our sites are equally important to us as they are to our clients. Take a tour and let us know how we can help create a site to launch your company to the next level.