EU_Domains

							EU Domains

Word Count:
716

Summary:
If you own a website and are located anywhere in Europe, especially the
U.K., you’re probably well aware of all the attention surrounding the
Eurid offering of .eu domains to the public. .Eu domains have been long
awaited and their popularity is expected to be similar to .com domains.
These domains were originally only available in what was known as the
Sunrise 1 and Sunrise 2 stages. Sunrise 1, the first of the three stages,
began on December 7, 2005. To be considered for a ...


Keywords:
web design, budget web design


Article Body:
If you own a website and are located anywhere in Europe, especially the
U.K., you’re probably well aware of all the attention surrounding the
Eurid offering of .eu domains to the public. .Eu domains have been long
awaited and their popularity is expected to be similar to .com domains.
These domains were originally only available in what was known as the
Sunrise 1 and Sunrise 2 stages. Sunrise 1, the first of the three stages,
began on December 7, 2005. To be considered for a .eu domain, applicants
chose a domain name had to be related to a registered trademark. This
policy greatly restricted the number of applicants that could apply for a
domain. The Sunrise 2 stage was offered on February 7, 2006 and allowed
applicants to reserve domains related to both unregistered trademarks and
company names. The purpose of the Sunrise phases was to allow well
established companies the first rights to their desired domain names. As
with other types of domains, many times people will purchase a number of
domain names hoping to resell them at an elevated cost. Unfortunately,
some individuals have even tried using domain names that are similar to
well known companies hoping to gain exposure for their product or
business.

The last stage known as the “Landrush” became available on April 7, 2006.
This final stage allows much greater flexibility for persons wishing to
register a .eu domain. Basically anyone who resides in the European Union
or who has a business located there can qualify for a .eu domain. Much
like other domain extensions, .eu domains are now being assigned on a
first come basis. This has caused many companies and businesses to
scramble in an effort to acquire their desired domain name. If a domain
name under the .com extension is not available, a similar domain ending
in the .eu extension may be available instead.

After the opening of the Landrush stage, the sale of .eu domains has
skyrocketed. To date there are well over 1.7 million registered domain
names and the numbers are expected to keep growing. Many experts believe
.eu domains will some day come close to the number of registered .com
sites. If current registration trends continue, this could very well
occur.

Discount Domains, a company specializing in website design and web
hosting, offers .eu domains to the public at an affordable price. They
hope to soon become an accredited registrar with Eurid in order to
provide additional high quality service to the public. Customers can
purchase top level domain names from Discount Domains for their business
or organization. The only requirement is that domain names must be
registered for a minimum period of two years. The company also offers a
wide range of services including domain transfers, web hosting, marketing
expertise, and search engine submissions. Discount Domains offers many
options for customers wishing to register a .eu domain.

When choosing .eu domains for your business, there are some important
points to remember. As with any type of domain name, it is a good idea to
choose a .eu domain that is the same or very similar to your business or
website name. This will make it much easier for customers and clients to
remember. Even if they forget your website address, by running a search
on your company name, they can quickly locate your domain name and link
to your site. Using your business name within you domain name is a
valuable resource for search engine purposes.

If your requested domain name is not available, the provider may suggest
similar domain names to the one you suggested. Be careful when
considering this option. First of all you will need to make sure that
your domain name is not easily confused with other similar names. When
marketing your site, be sure to use the entire .eu domain name. This will
help to alleviate any misunderstanding or confusion. Lastly, it is much
easier to purchase your domain name first before designing a new business
or choosing a company name. Trying to come up with a domain name for a
well established company can sometimes be a headache. Often times the
desired domain name may already be taken. If you plan on establishing a
new website or opening a business in the near future, you can greatly
benefit by choosing your .eu domains ahead of time.