ccTLDs THAT DOMINATE
Which ccTLDs can truly compete with the -dot-com TLD?
Not all ccTLDs are created equal. For domain investors, extensions like .au, .asia, .ca, .de, and CentralNICs like .co.uk and .au.com are every bit as valuable to their respective markets as the .com.
This chart helps demonstrate that fact by comparing raw registration data across a few ccTLDs:
Chart code by Thies Lindenthal and INDX.com.
In fact, particularly where Europe is concerned, the country-code top level domain is more valuable than the .com. Citizens and businesses in most European nations, particularly France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, tend toward the use of their respective ccTLDs, rather than the .com. Those are .fr, .de, .it, and .co.uk.
Likewise, Australian and Canadian web users are quite accustomed to the .au and .ca, repsectively, of their particular nations.
ICANN has opened up the flood gates!
The .com domain is king; it is unlikely it will ever be anything less. But its value could be about to soar even higher with the rollout of new generic Top Level Domains and country-code Top Level Domains, gTLDs and ccTLDs, repsectively.
At the moment, there are dozens of ccTLDs that have flooded the market, from .asia to .co to .cc. Some of these ccTLDs have only served to enhance the value of their .com counterparts. But many of them have stronger presence in capital-rich countries that do business with the United States. Having your hands wrapped around a high-quality ccTLD can be as valuable as having the .com!
WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU
The availability of a domain name in a specific TLD or ccTLD could be a critical investment point, because forward-thinking investors will register a domain name as marketing and user trends indicate such a name could have value. It is true that nearly all the single-word domains are already registered, but any registered name is likely to be available for the right price, and that's what drives the domain name aftermarket.
