The .eu domain extension has been open to the public, companies and citizens alike since 2006.
Anyone wishing to register such a domain, therefore, may do so, provided that he or she is a resident of one of the states belonging to the European Union. No other requirement is needed, other than a domain registration service company.
But what are the reasons why one should want to register a website with the .eu extension?
There are several, and we discuss them in this article, but just to give a preview, the .eu can be particularly useful for companies or professionals operating transnationally in Europe, or aiming to do so.
A .eu domain can also make you perceive more professional and credible in the eyes of people, site visitors, customers, prospects or already customers.
.EU Domain Extension, what it is
The .eu domain is a ccTLD, not tied to a single country but to an entity.
ccTLD is an acronym for top-level domain used for a country or a dependent territory, identified by the two-letter code for the geographical area of reference.
And indeed, the .eu domain refers to websites belonging to persons or companies resident in the European Union.
Other examples of ccTLDs are .us for the United States, .uk for the United Kingdom, .it for Italy, .au for Australia.
A characteristic of ccTLDs is that they are bound by the requirements set by the national regulations of each country, but are not bound by the international policies and regulations that govern generic top-level domains (gTLDs).
In the case of the .eu domain, however, the extension indicates a territory not limited by national borders. This is why it is mainly chosen for projects with an international scope and by companies that also want to operate, sell and do business abroad, and not only in their own country.
But let’s look in detail at all the aspects involved in choosing a domain with the .eu extension.
Why choose .EU
A first, if not the most trivial, reason for choosing .eu is because other more common extensions, such as .com or .it, may not be available.
This is followed by those more focused on communicating one’s activity related to the territory as an institution, brand or project that one wants to take beyond national borders.
- Political, economic and cultural representation: The .eu communicates at first glance membership of a community that shares certain values linked to the European status. This can engender trust and authority.
- International flavour: Undoubtedly, the .eu embodies a cosmopolitan, open nature, which suggests the same spirit as the content published on the website.
- Brand with a European target: If it is an e-commerce site or a corporate site selling services, the .eu domain extension may mean that you are targeting the expanded, European market.
The advantages of a .eu domain
Those who decide to register a .eu domain do so to gain certain advantages. When the choice is based on a clear marketing strategy, visibility and recognisability can be gained, aspects that are fundamental for all companies with an online presence.
Associating an authoritative and trustworthy domain name, such as a .eu, with the company, the site and its content is the first step in building a well-structured marketing and branding strategy.
Another advantage is certainly that it opens the door to greater business opportunities: a .eu domain associated with companies or professionals operating ‘without borders’ can create new business opportunities with European partners from related or somewhat related sectors.
How to register a .eu domain
Registering a .eu domain does not require any special procedures, or rather, any procedures that differ from those for all other domains.
You must 1. choose a domain registration service provider, 2. check the availability of the name you want to give your +.eu website, 3. proceed with the purchase.
Domain registration with DNS and redirect management
It is important to choose a provider that offers services associated with domain registration.
This is what we guarantee at Artera, a certified registrar for the registration of second-level domain names. We are therefore not intermediaries, but work directly with the registries for the management of .ch; .it; .eu; .com; .net; .org domains.
And another 200 international extensions and new updated TLDs.
Contact us for information on registering domains for your website or e-commerce.
