Europe's most recognisable ccTLDs

.DE domain names

.DE, ccTLD for Germany, tops the list. The Council of European National Top-level Domain Registries (CENTR) reports that by the end of 2018 .DE name names:

• Have climbed to 12+ million
• Remain EU’s most popular domain name choice by a wide distance

Verisign’s Domain Name industry Briefs regularly confirm the steady popularity of .DE domain names.

.UK domain names

.UK, ccTLD for the United Kingdom, is the second most popular choice for domain names in the .EU. CENTRstats Global TLD Report (Q4 2018) indicates that since its launch 3 years ago, .UK domain names:

• Number over 12 million
• Continue to show growth in 2019

.NL domain names

SIDN, the .NL domain registry, publishes monthly reports of .NL domain name registrations. As of March 2019, .NL domain name registrations:

• Number just below 6 million
• Have doubled since the ccTLD’s initial release in 2014

CENTRstats Global TLD Report reports shows that .NL is the 6^th most registered ccTLD in the world, the 3^rd in the EU.

.EU domain names

Since its launch in 2005, .EU, ccTLD for the European Union, has developed a strong reputation with businesses and consumers alike. As of January 2019:

• The average renewal rate is 77%, up 3% over the previous quarter
• 171, 667 new domain names were register in just the final quarter of 2019

Uncertainly surrounding Brexit and whether or not UK-based .EU registrants will be able to hold on to their domain will likely impact .EU’s numbers. But, rest assured, .EU domains will remain among Europe’s most widely used and recognisable.

.FR domain names

.FR registry AFNIC is reporting that .FR domain names saw market share growth in France throughout 2018. By year’s end, .FR had:

• 3.3+ million total registered domains
• 4.4% growth over 2017

AFNIC projects that .FR domain name registration will continue throughout 2019, reaching 3.5 million by 2021.

.IT domain names

.IT, ccTLD, for Italy is another popular choice. The aforementioned CENTRstats Report indicates that at the start of this year, .IT domain names:

• Number 3.2 million registrations
• Are the 14^th most popular ccTLD in the world, the 6^th most popular in the .EU

Benefits to registering a ccTLD

Target traffic

ccTLDs make it easier for you to attract the attention of users in different parts of the world. Whether its used as your primary domain name or for a secondary website designed to attract country-specific users, registering a ccTLD domain is a smart way to expand into specific European markets and grow your audience.

Establish familiarity

Upon seeing, for example, your .UK or .IT domain name, European users will instinctively know what your language and currency preferences are. They can also see that you offer local delivery and customer support in their time zone. You may have a .COM website that ranks well in queries around the world but do your users click and spend? Or do they bounce when they see you’re not local? A ccTLD lets customers know you are familiar with their unique needs.

.COM alternative/addition

The reality is that today there are far fewer .COMs available. For this reason, a ccTLD is one of the smartest ways to establish your online presence. Then again, even if you’ve already registered a .COM, registering a relevant ccTLD can help you catch all the online traffic your brand name or keywords are generating. You can forward traffic coming to that domain to your .COM. Your ccTLD will enable you to cast a wider net.

Improve search ranking

A ccTLD tells Google know that your business is targeting the particular country with which the ccTLD corresponds. According to Google, other localisation hints like server locations and geo targeting settings can also help with country targeting but ccTLDs rank highest. In fact, ccTLDs top Google's list of elements used to determine country targeting.

Improve your online presence with a ccTLD domain name!

While the above may reflect the most recognisable ccTLDs in Europe, this is by no means an exhaustive list of all the ccTLDs available for registration. To find the right one for you, head over to our domain extensions page. Choose a specific region to see all related ccTLDs.

Keep in mind that some countries do require a local presence for domain name registration. But EuroDNS’s local presence service makes it possible for you to register your ccTLD in these countries as long as the domain name registry doesn’t expressly prohibit the operation of a local presence service.

And don't forget: all domain names registered at EuroDNS include a free Alpha SSL certificate, our Classic DNS, and a professional email account.

Need help? Our Sales Department is more than happy to answer any questions you have or point you in the right direction if you're unsure which ccTLD is right for you. You can reach a member of our team at +352 263 725 250 or sales@eurodns.com.

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