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ARCHIVE FEATURE ARTICLE (ie. old info)
Tips: Alternatives
to Traditional Domain Names (contd.)
Country Top Level Domains
If you don't
fancy a .com domain, you may well we able to register a domain name under the country in
which you live, or in which your company is situated. However, the picture begins to get a
little cloudy here as each country's domains are administered by a different authority!
You would be
advised to check the exact registration policies for each country. For instance, some
countries demand proof of incorporation before allowing companies to register under
.co.country. Others go as far as to prohibit domain name registrations by individuals.
Remember that .com domains are valid world-wide, and can be registered by anyone.
There are
various pros and cons to having a country top domain. On the one hand, it helps potential
customers situate your business. On the other hand, on a global Internet, a domain name
specific to a single country can be perceived as a sign of an inward-looking rather than a
global company. A .country top domain may allow you to register the same name as a .com
domain; however, .country domain names often cost several times as much as .com names.
You can find
a list of all the country top domain abbreviations, and the countries they represent here.
You will have to hunt for information on individual registries, though that information
will figure on this site sometime in the future; with over 200 different countries on the
list, this is a massive project.
To get you
started:
- UK NIC administers .uk domains, and provides registration services as
well as a list of the various subdivisions of .uk on its site [for instance, .co.uk and
.ac.uk]
- For French domain names ending in .fr, visit www.nic.fr.
If your
domain name has already been taken, you fancy a cheaper alternative, or your country has
been left out of the country list altogether, you can consider a country sub-domain.
Country Sub-Domains
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Introduction