The past month has presented customers and businesses across the country with the opportunity to register their shorter, sharper domain names in the new top-level domain (TLD). Within hours of the launch, Nominet revealed that 50,000 individuals and businesses in the industry had done so, testament to the valuable role domains play in scoping out personality and digital identity.[1]
The internet is changing – and in a big way. Indeed, the release of .UK marked the biggest change in the UK domain namespace since its inception in 1985. Country-code TLDs are on the rise, with .UK, Germany’s .DE and China’s .CN among the most popular. The top three country domains have some 36.6 million registered names collectively, proving that businesses and individuals value a namespace that reflects their geographical location.[2] Indeed, some country-code TLDs are also available in native script, with China, Russia and the UAE all having their own language TLD for their respective nations.
As we all know, at least in the digital age, shorter is better. Today, having a .CO.UK domain is not enough. Customers want to be able to connect with you quickly and simply, with .UK making it easier for users to remember the web address. Additionally, the new domain unifies the UK by removing the .CO or .ORG from the domain extension. A study by Nominet showed that 81 per cent of people would prefer .UK domains when searching or buying online.[3]
As the launch day surge suggested, businesses need to act fast and register for the .UK domain to avoid missing out. Holders of existing .CO.UK domains will be protected for five years before their .UK alternative opens to the market, but we recommend activating the .UK domain straight away to keep pace with the ever-changing digital landscape. For businesses who have built their name and reputation on their web address, activating their .UK address is a simple way to ensure all traffic from new and existing customers finds a way to their site.
Today, it’s all about location, location, location. Now’s the time to invest in an address that epitomises everything that’s important to British businesses.
It’s go time.
[1] http://registrars.nominet.org.uk/news/nominet-announcements/registrations-surge-to-a-record-breaking-start
[2] DomainWire: Domain Name Stat Report, March 2014 https://centr.org/system/files/agenda/attachment/domainwire_stat_report_2014_1_0.pdf
