European domain - when to buy it and why should I register it? Practical guide

In the era of the Internet and constantly developing new technologies no one should be surprised by the fact that every entrepreneur who wants to exist in his industry and achieve success should benefit from the benefits of modern solutions. Business, which functions in parallel in the real world and in the Internet space, has a great chance for a dynamic development. To make them even bigger, it is worth to go a few steps further and reach a larger audience than just in your own country. This is made possible by the European domain. And what exactly is it and what are its benefits? It's worth finding out.

What is the .eu domain?

The .eu domain was launched in December 2005 and could initially only be registered by public institutions operating in the European Union and by organisations that owned trademark rights. Today, since April 2006, registration has been open to everyone, namely subscribers from countries that belong to the European Union or live or have their registered office in Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway. What distinguishes this domain from others - Polish and global - are the registration and administration procedures, which were created for the .eu domain and differ from all others.

The registration of European domains is supervised by a non-profit organisation called The European Registry of Internet Domain Names (EURid). Importantly, .eu domains are not yet registered by this organisation for end users, but by Registrars who are accredited by EURid. Therefore, anyone wishing to register a European domain must cooperate with a company of their choice that provides this type of service.

5 reasons why it is worth registering a European domain

In order to derive the greatest possible benefits from the functioning of the company on the Web, it is very important to choose the right domain. In many cases, the advantages of registration are the same or very similar, but in the case of the European domain there are a number of advantages that are only characteristic of the European domain because they were created for its creation. So why should I register a .eu domain? There are several reasons for this:

- the opportunity to win millions of customers from Europe

Searching for Polish websites on foreign websites is a breakneck undertaking with poor results. However, thanks to the European domain, customers in the European Union can find the local version of the website, which will be displayed in the search engine of a given country, easier and faster. Moreover, entrepreneurs who have branches in different countries of the European Union do not have to create several websites - they just need to register all of them in the European domain. It's a simple and fast way to reach many customers outside your country.

- building a European corporate identity

Registering a .eu domain has a positive impact on the image of a company that gains a European identity, which is associated with greater reliability and credibility. The .eu extension itself is well associated, easy to remember, save and pronounce. This is important for companies that operate in many countries and have customers throughout the European Union.

- cheap form of promotion

Registration of the European domain is the cheapest way of promoting the website on the European Union market. Its purchase is a small expense in relation to the benefits that the company can gain thanks to such a solution.

- a way to stay ahead of the competition

Companies from different EU countries, when opening branches abroad, think alike when it comes to domain selection. Therefore, it is worth taking care of .eu registration as soon as possible to get the best possible European website address and not to miss your chance.

- the benefits of globalisation

Open borders between European Union countries create new opportunities for entrepreneurs who want to develop their business, not only locally. It will be easier to take advantage of the many possibilities if a company registers a European domain. Reaching more customers, expanding your offer and increasing your revenue are just a few examples of the benefits of globalisation and the opportunities to get the best out of it.

.eu domain - why not wait for its registration?

Since its launch, the European domain has enjoyed great popularity throughout the European Union and interest in it has been growing steadily. Only in Poland itself, which is among the top ten EU countries in this respect, the number of registrations is very high. WWW addresses with the .eu extension are located in the third place in the country, just behind .pl and .com.pl. It is also estimated that there will be a large increase in the number of registrations in Poland, as over 8% of European domains have been added. However, it is the Icelandic people who are the real record in this respect. The island has seen an increase of 170% (August 2016).

The statistics clearly show how much interest there is in the European domain. This means that the number of names using .eu is gradually decreasing, so it is not worthwhile to wait for registration.

Who is the European domain for?

All residents or business owners in the European Union, but also in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, can register a European domain, although not everyone makes use of this possibility. However, every entrepreneur who cares about the dynamic development of his business should decide to register the .eu domain. It will become a more recognizable brand not only locally, but also among millions of customers from abroad, which is the first step towards great success.