Applications for the previously reserved 1-character and 2-letter .co.uk domains will open on 1st December, starting with a Registered Rights Sunrise phase for trademark holders. Continue reading ‘Short .co.uk domains: applications open on 1 December’
Archive for the 'United Kingdom Domains .CO.UK' Category
We have applied promotional pricing until September 31 for the following domain extensions: Continue reading ‘Promotion: Reduced Domain Prices’
Your .CO.UK domain name must follow these guidelines:
1) CHARACTER LIMIT:
+ Domain name must be at least 6 characters and no more than 64 characters long including the .CO.UK category extension (example: in domain XXXX.co.uk, this limitation relates to the XXXX.co.uk)
2) CHARACTER SET:
+ Domain name can contain only latin letters ( a – z ), numbers ( 0 – 9 ) and hyphens ( – ) or a combination of these. This Character Set is called LDH: Letters, Digits, Hyphens ( a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 – ) Continue reading ‘What are the syntax rules for .UK domain names?’
77% of British consumers prefer to use a .uk rather than a .com when searching for information on the Internet, according to Nominet’s annual domain name industry report. They would most likely click on .uk rather than a .com, reinforcing that local domains are relevant and trusted environment.
The report also showed that the global domain name industry has seen an 8% growth with 187.6 million domain names registered worldwide. Generic top level domains (gTLDs), such as .org and .com, have grown on average by 6% whilst the country code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs) including .uk and .de (the German registry) fared slightly better and together generated a 10% average growth in registrations.
ccTLDs that have achieved significant growth in 2009 include: The Russian Federation, with an increase of 40.5%, Poland with 29.1%, Brazil with 25%. The .uk domain registry scored with a 10.7%. The only ccTLD to decrease in size is .cn, the Chinese registry. It has dropped by 0.5% in the past twelve months allowing .de, with its steady growth, to regain its position as the largest ccTLD by volume.
This growth is enabling country code domains to close the gap between well established Top Level Domains (TLDs) and proving that the connected consumers are becoming more familiar and trusting of localised domain names. Furthermore, they are increasingly expecting businesses to be represented by a site with a domain name that is appropriate for the region in which they are operating.
Phil Kingsland, Director of Marketing and Communications at Nominet, comments: “The report demonstrates that both consumers and businesses are willing to invest in ‘local’ domains because they are seen as reliable, relevant and trusted and will give them a direct route to their target audience… the findings show that businesses must now pay attention to Internet brand awareness and marketing strategies that are in line with consumer expectations. It is a global marketplace, but what we are seeing is that consumers trust and rely on a more local touch point with a brand.”
Here is a full copy of the Nominet Domain Name Industry Report 2009.
A new industry survey reveals that the .co.uk domain name is now an essential part of a companys brand presence in the UK. Two thirds of respondents said the domain extension inspired trust and security in a websites credentials, while 45% of respondents highlighted that .co.uk was their primary domain.
The survey also reveals that .com remains the most popular domain extension overall with an overwhelming 80% of businesses indicating they own such an address. However, despite the popularity of .com, two thirds of companies admit to owning additional top level domains (TLDs) such as, .org and .eu. Indeed, .biz, .asia and .me are also growing in adoption, pointing towards the rising scale of many companies domain portfolios.
The results are divided when it comes to domain name management, with responsibility split between IT departments, marketing teams and CEOs in over two thirds amongst those surveyed.
Nora Nanayakkara, Director of Business Development of global domain name marketplace, Sedo commented, Our research confirms what were seeing in our marketplace and is good news for the wider .uk brand. While .com continues to claim more than 75% of all new TLDs sold, .co.uk is proving to be a sturdy investment, especially in representing a local trusted brand. Average sales are now valued at £1,004, making .co.uk a wise purchase from a branding perspective for those companies looking to establish themselves in the UK.
Nanayakkara continued, Domain names are fundamental to a companys brand identity online and in failing to renew a domain registration, companies risk jeopardizing their brand and reputation. We urge businesses to consider the importance of having a solid domain name strategy in place and ensure they have a dedicated person in charge of the domain portfolio.
