As of 7.00 pm today the new .co domain name was made available and is being hyped as ‘the biggest global domain extension since .com was launched’ (Mainly by domain name providers!) .co is the domain name extension for Colombia but anyone can buy and use it. A lot of the New Country domain name extensions can help in creating creative URL’s such as mexi.co or app.ly.
The Benefits of .co
- Protect your brand (True for any extension)
- It’s new so availability will be good
- Has global appeal / perception
- Closely associated to COmpany, COrporation, and COmmerce.
In general if you are a UK business operating within the UK you should opt for a .co.uk domain name, no harm in registering alternatives to protect your brand but don’t lose sleep over it. If you are interested in knowing a bit more about domain names below is a list of general extensions and there meanings: (TLD = Top Level Domain)
.aero – air-transport industry: Must verify eligibility for registration; only those in various categories of air-travel-related entities may register
.asia – Asia-Pacific region: This is a TLD for companies, organizations, and individuals based in the region of Asia, Australia, and the Pacific
.biz – business: This is an open TLD; any person or entity is permitted to register; however, registrations may be challenged later if they are not by commercial entities in accordance with the domain’s charter
.cat – Catalan: This is a TLD for Web sites in the Catalan language or related to Catalan culture
.com – commercial: This is an open TLD; any person or entity is permitted to register
.coop – cooperatives: The .coop TLD is limited to cooperatives as defined by the Rochdale Principles
.edu – educational: The .edu TLD is limited to accredited postsecondary institutions (nearly all 2 and 4-year colleges and universities in the U.S. and increasingly overseas, e.g., Australia and China)
.gov – governmental: The .gov TLD is limited to governmental entities and agencies in the United States
.info – information: This is an open TLD; any person or entity is permitted to register
.int – international organisations: The .int TLD is strictly limited to organizations, offices, and programs which are endorsed by a treaty between two or more nations
.jobs – companies: The .jobs TLD is designed to be added after the names of established companies with jobs to advertise. At this time, owners of a “company.jobs” domain are not permitted to post jobs of third party employers
.mil – U.S. military: The .mil TLD is limited to use by the U.S. military
.mobi -mobile devices: Must be used for mobile-compatible sites in accordance with standards
.museum – museums: Must be verified as a legitimate museum
.name – individuals, by name: This is an open TLD; any person or entity is permitted to register; however, registrations may be challenged later if they are not by individuals (or the owners of fictional characters) in accordance with the domain’s charter
.net – network: This is an open TLD; any person or entity is permitted to register
.org – organisation: This is an open TLD; any person or entity is permitted to register
.pro – professions: Currently, .pro is reserved for licensed or certified lawyers, accountants, physicians and engineers in France, Canada, UK and the U.S. A professional seeking to register a .pro domain must provide their registrar with the appropriate credentials
.tel – Internet communication services
.travel – travel and tourism industry related sites: Must be verified as a legitimate travel-related entity
This information was taken from a Wikipedia article on domain names, they also have a full list of country extensions if you are interested?