Top European Domain Extensions (And Why Choosing the Right One Is So Important)
When most people think of a website domain, their mind automatically goes to the .com extension. This only makes sense as this extension is the most popular top-level domain used around the world today.
In fact, 46.8 percent of all websites as of November 2017 are .com sites according to statistic experts Statista. The second most popular extension is .ru (the country code for the Russian Federation), but that only accounts for 5.1 percent of the total domains, showing just how popular .coms really are.
There are also some domains that are more popular in European countries, though .eu—which stands for the European Union—is probably one of the most well-known and well-used. Or, at least it was prior to Brexit.
.EU and Brexit
As the European Commission explains, the .eu extension started being used in 2006. By the end of 2015, it had grown to become the 11th most-used top-level domain in the world, home to more than four million websites. In 2016, just one year later, .eu moved into sixth place, with more than 500 million people using this domain (a majority from Germany, the Netherlands, France, Poland, and the UK).
However, on 28 March 2018, the European Commission issued a statement that as of the withdrawal date of the UK from the EU, all "undertakings and organisations that are established in the United Kingdom but not in the EU, and natural persons who reside in the United Kingdom will no longer be eligible to register .eu domain names or, if they are .eu registrants, to renew .eu domain names registered before the withdrawal date."
Though some .eu domain holders probably don't mind this mandated change, others may be wondering what new domain they should now begin to use. Answering this question first requires understanding why selecting the right domain extension is so important.
Why Proper Domain Extension Matters
First, the domain extension you choose tells your website viewers a little bit about your company. For instance, if you use a country extension like .fr for France or .ro for Romania, the person entering that domain into the search bar will know instantly where you're located and/or where you do business.
Second, your domain can also reveal what type of industry you're in. If you own a night club, for example, you may want a .club extension. However, if your company provides transportation services, .cab is an option to consider. Other common extensions include .org (for organizations), .edu (for education-based companies), and .info (if you primarily provide information).
If you do business in multiple countries or want multiple ways to lead prospects back to your website, another option is to purchase multiple domains. This enables you to create unique marketing adds for each location or target market. It also allows you to either direct visitors back to an individualized website or you can connect them all to the primary domain, providing multiple roads to the same destination.
Your Domain Options
If you're still unsure which domain is right for your business, ICANN, a worldwide not-for-profit corporation that is "dedicated to keeping the Internet secure, stable, and interoperable" offers a list of valid top-level domains. Look through it and see if any are more appealing to you than others.
If you want to use a European domain extension, another option is to review Who Is 365's European-based top-level domain list. This list also contains second-level domains, such as .com.al for a domain in Albania or .edu.gr for an education-based agency in Greece.
Domain extensions are an important part of a company's online presence. Therefore, choosing the right one can help it reach even higher levels.