Hutchinson-based First National Bank switching to dot-bank domain

First National Bank plans to change its online domain name from a dot-com to a dot-bank.

The Hutchinson-based bank made the announcement this week about the switch, which will be done in phases beginning early next year.

“There are a couple of reasons behind this change,” said Kris Doswell, vice president of marketing for First National. “In this age of people spoofing websites and making them look like they’re something that they’re not, customers can be assured that if they see dot-bank in a URL … they are at a bank site. It’s also for security reasons.”

Once the change goes live, the bank’s domain name will shift from fnbhutch.com to fnbhutch.bank. In a statement Tuesday, First National CEO Keith Hughes said the institution will be among the first banks in the nation to make the switch.

“All of our employee email addresses will change to dot-bank as well,” Doswell said. “We’re just now learning the impact of this big of a change. It’s one more level of assurance for our customers.”

In 2008, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, an entity responsible for the stability and unification of the Internet, approved a program to open up new domains, including dot-bank, according to a release from First National.

The American Bankers Association is one of a number of trade associations and financial services institutions involved in the dot-bank transition process. The association’s website features an area dedicated to explaining why it thinks the dot-bank name is important, calling the dot-com world “overcrowded.”

The association also thinks the new domains will allow for better branding and marketing opportunities.

“We believe 2016 will be a big year for implementation,” association spokesman Doug Johnson said in an email Thursday. “About a third of all U.S. banks have applied for and been approved to operate dot-bank domains.”

Representatives from several area banks had varied responses as to whether their institutions would consider making the change.

Andover State Bank President Brian Chamberlin said his institution has reserved a dot-bank name, but that there is no current timetable as to when a switch might be made.

Equity Bank CEO Brad Elliott said his bank looked into making a change, but decided against it because it would have to give up its dot-com name.

Wichita-based Fidelity Bank Marketing Director Katie Grover said her employer also looked into the possibility of making the switch, but found that it would be difficult because the name “Fidelity” is used by some other financial service companies.

As of now, Web users can use both the dot-bank and dot-com address for First National, which will lead to the bank’s site. It is unknown how long the full transition will take for First National, which has locations in Hutchinson, Andale, Haven, Goddard and Mount Hope.

This story was originally published December 4, 2015 at 2:46 PM with the headline "Hutchinson-based First National Bank switching to dot-bank domain."