International Domain Names

Have you ever seen a website that doesn't end in .com or .org? Then it's possible that they were using an international domain. International domains are domain names that end in country-coded extensions. Almost every country has its own unique identifier, normally two letters, many of which are the primary extension used in that region; for example .us for the USA, .ca for Canada, .mx for Mexico, and .in for India. These are used by everyone, from individuals and companies to governmental organizations who want to localize services or business. In addition to international domains for countries, internationalized domain names have also been created for geographic regions or groups of countries, such as .eu for Europe, .asia for Asia, and even .world. With the current exception of Europe, these are normally more than two letters, and just like regular international domains they can be used by anyone who wants to put their website on the map.

You're probably wondering what advantages an international domain has over the popular .com extension. Well, there are several reasons that an international domain could be the right choice for you and your website. The first is location. If you are using the internet, chances are you are in a country with its own local or regional domain extension. This means that you already have an alternative extension that is relevant to you and your website. It's the ideal way to let the world know who you are, where you are, and what you do. But choosing a country-coded extension does not necessarily mean that your website will be seen as less international. One of the greatest reasons to choose an international domain is that it means you can expand your website into new markets. Plus, it helps distinguish you from an organization with the same name in a different country. Which brings us to the second point: it is also possible to get the website name you want with an international domain name. The third reason is price. When it comes to the bottom line, international domains are often much cheaper.

As one of the top domain registrars on the market, we make registering your website name easy. Plus, it doesn't matter whether you are a new or an existing customer, the process for choosing any domain name - even an international domain - is always straightforward. First of all, you can use the 1&1 domain name directory to find out if your favorite URL or TLD (top level domain name) is still available. If it isn't, we'll provide you with a list of similar alternatives. If you are starting a new project, once you have found the domain name you want, you can then choose the hosting package that works for you. At 1&1 we have hosting packages for everyone from startups to fully-fledged companies. All you have to do then is follow the steps through to the payment process. Once you're an existing customer, you can add a new domain anytime you want by clicking "Add new domain" in your unique Control Panel, and that's all there is to it!