.Dealer Domains — DealerRefresh Vendor Library

Here is the fully sourced sales brief: --- ## Company Research — .Dealer Domains ### About .Dealer Domains Intercap Registry Inc. is a global provider of domain extensions that help businesses take their brands to the next level. The .dealer domain was originally delegated to Dealer Dot Com, Inc. in 2015, then transferred to Intercap Registry Inc. in November 2019. Andy MacLeay is co-founder of .Dealer Domains, and Intercap's corporate headquarters are located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and the company has approximately 17 employees. The registry is a small, privately held operation under the broader Intercap Inc. merchant bank, also based in Toronto. --- ### What They Do - Intercap Registry Inc. offers domain extensions centered on business: **.inc**, launched in Spring 2019, and quickly received registrations from over 35% of the world's most recognized brands. - **.dealer** was launched in Spring 2020 as the ideal domain ending for retail business — "no matter your industry, if you are an authorized retailer you are an authorized dealer." - **.box** was launched in January 2024 as the first domain fully integrated with both the traditional Domain Name System (DNS) and the Ethereum Name Service (ENS), bridging Internet and Blockchain. - Their stated plan for .dealer is to primarily target car dealers (the former owner's market), but it is unrestricted and open to all comers. - Anyone can register a .dealer domain — it is an unrestricted extension open to individuals, businesses, and organizations worldwide, though it is targeted at car, machinery, and art dealerships. - **Keyword-rich domains for SEO:** Per DealerRefresh forum discussions, .dealer advocates pitch that industry-specific keyword domains (e.g., `trucks.dealer`) can improve search rankings and online visibility — less competition than .com for premium terms. - **.dealer** campaigns with the tagline "Be Authorized" — positioning it as a mark of trust given to authorized product retailers. - From 2025–2026, .dealer registrations grew 19% to a new peak of 173 registered domains, representing approximately 60% total growth since 2021. - **Backend tech partner:** CentralNic (London) serves as the CTO/back-end registry operator for .dealer. - **Distribution channel:** Registrations are available through various ICANN-accredited registrars, including Namecheap. --- ### DealerRefresh Audience Fit **.dealer Domains is actively trying to sell into the exact audience that reads DealerRefresh every day.** Their go-to-market challenge is awareness and credibility — convincing dealers, GMs, and internet directors to trust and adopt a non-.com extension. DealerRefresh is ground zero for that decision-making audience. **Why the audience fits:** - **GMs and dealer principals** control domain purchasing decisions and website strategy. A .dealer domain is a top-of-funnel branding/SEO decision that lands squarely in their lap. - **Internet directors and BDC managers** care deeply about search rankings, online presence, and standing out from competing stores — exactly the SEO/keyword pitch .dealer makes (e.g., `fordtrucks.dealer` vs. fighting for a .com). - **Fixed ops directors** running service-only microsites or campaign landing pages are a secondary but real use case. - Intercap itself acknowledged they "won't be able to go to trade shows" and are actively "ramping up digital marketing plans." DealerRefresh advertising fills that gap directly. **Recommended DealerRefresh Products:** | Product | Why It Fits | |---|---| | **Sponsored Forum Post** | The DealerRefresh forum is already the place where .dealer domain myths and questions surface organically (two threads already exist). A permanent, SEO-indexed post authored by Intercap/Will Stewart would be cited by AI search, live forever, and directly intercept dealers researching the topic. Highest value play. | | **Demo / Review Video** | A 5,000+ view Alex & Jeff deep-dive would give .dealer social proof from trusted voices — answering the "is this legit?" hesitation that kills conversions. Perfect for a product that requires education before purchase. | | **Forum Banners** | Daily visibility to 3,000+ auto retail pros creates the repeated brand impressions needed to normalize a new TLD category. Awareness is their #1 problem. | | **Retargeting Pixel** | Follows DealerRefresh visitors on Facebook/Instagram after they leave — excellent for a long sales cycle product where dealers need multiple touches before committing to a domain switch. | --- ### About Kevin Pepler Kevin Pepler is the Director of Business Development & Partnerships at Intercap Inc., a role he has held since March 2023. He is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Prior to Intercap, he was a Business Development Manager at Jeeves (September 2021–March 2023) and has also held positions at Neo Financial, Shopbrain, Yroo, and Nextopia, all focused on business development, partnerships, and sales.