4 out of 5 people in the UK prefer to click through to a .co.uk website - source?

[DarkSky]

having been bombarded with renewal emails, most of which end up in gmails spam filter now, I noticed a line with intrigues me

There are over 10 million different .uk domain names currently registered. Research has shown that 4 out of 5 people in the UK prefer to click through to a .uk website when searching or buying online*.

....

(*) Compared with .com.
Source: DNIR Quantitative Research by Insight Engineers, July 2012

While it's quite believable that consumer are more likely to click a .uk result in SERP's, I'd like to know how they researched this. Who exactly are "Insight Engineers" - is this a nominet in-house report? where can we find out more?

Any help appreciated!

 

[Murray]

I would like to know how the question was actually phrased to people.

I think it's rubbish personally.

People just click on the first search result, I couldn't imagine many people at all scanning the page looking for a co.uk over a .com

 

[Stephen]

agreatplacetobe.co.uk

4 in 5people prefer .co.uk websites when searching online*
*Source: DNIR Research, Insight Engineers, 2012

It first appeared with the Nominet UK push via http://www.agreatplacetobe.co.uk/

it was launched in 2012
http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/press-releases/nominet-targets-offline-businesses-uk-brand-push

I tried previously to look for full paper during .uk research but could not find the full document.

Good luck!

 

[WealdDomains]

The company appears to be at http://www.insight-engineers.com/ where they list Nominet as a client. I had a quick browse through the rest of the site but didn't see anything specific related to this claim.

 

[Sam]

I would like to know how the question was actually phrased to people.

I think it's rubbish personally.

People just click on the first search result, I couldn't imagine many people at all scanning the page looking for a co.uk over a .com

Murray you might think its rubbish but i have delt with alot of clients that search for .co.uk as they think .com is a US company....

 

[Murray]

Murray you might think its rubbish but i have delt with alot of clients that search for .co.uk as they think .com is a US company....

I would imagine these are the same people who use internet explorer which apparently from a quick search is under 20% of users.

http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2215868/53-of-Organic-Search-Clicks-Go-to-First-Link-Study

That study says 53% of people click on the first result.

So that would already rubbish 4/5 people prefer to click on a .uk since half the people have already gone to the first result, whatever it is.

^ Of course that depends on how often the first result is a .uk in uk searches which is probably a lot..

Well anyway, I still don't buy it.

 

[martin-s]

I prefer .co.uk sites to .com Murray..

 

[Murray]

I prefer .co.uk sites to .com Murray..

What sort of search would you skip over .coms to find a co.uk?.

 

[Skinner]

I have to admit, I have searched specifically for UK like Buy X, Y, Z UK when lots of american sites come up, so I look for .co.uk to give me a good indication they are in the UK (or at least deliver here).

For example I wanted a Schiek Weight Lifting belt and some new heavy lifting straps capable of 1,000lb+ lifts, almost every site which carried the one I wanted was in the USA so I actively searched for .UK

Extreme example but I have done this many times, when looking for products.

 

[DarkSky]

I think people's preference changes with the kind of search they are performing. Personally, if I am searching for something to buy, or info on a product etc, I know that I click .co.uk results before I'd click a .com, especially if I do not know of the domain. Also, I normally disregard .org.uk domains as they tend to be spam/thin sites imo.

But anyway, I want to see this data "insight engineers" produced, for some reason I think it'll make interesting if not comical reading.

 

[Stephen]

Contact Nominet

But anyway, I want to see this data "insight engineers" produced, for some reason I think it'll make interesting if not comical reading.

Then contact Nominet and ask for it, good luck!

 

[foz]

Nominets own research from memory. The digital asset doesn't seem to be on the site anymore (Domain Name Industry Report 2010). memorabledomains.co.uk "did you know"

 

[julian]

Murray you might think its rubbish but i have delt with alot of clients that search for .co.uk as they think .com is a US company....

you must work with a lot of retarded clients.. wish I could get some with £££££ to throw about

 

[DarkSky]

you must work with a lot of retarded clients..

What big UK brands use a .com instead of a .co.uk ?

 

[Murray]

What big UK brands use a .com instead of a .co.uk ?

A search for something like Party Dresses

Just on that page, organic and ads

asos.com
riverisland.com
newlook.com
debenhams.com
boohoo.com
rarelondon.com
missselfridge.com
marksandspencer.com
asda.com

etc

 

[Bailey]

It's ridiculous to think .co.uk takes priority over .com in search. It depends on what your looking for and how you think that information, product or Company etc etc is going to be presented on the web..

The UK has one of the most internet savvy populations on the planet. And for those that didn't start out yesterday I suggest they re-examine their own surfing habits.

Of course those that like to spin truths as "a little bit wobbly" will continue to do so

 

[Systreg]

When searching Google, depending on what I'm looking for, first, I'll click the search tools tab and change it from any country to UK only, cuts out loads of the foreign results I don't want to see, and I'll only click on sites I know the name of, preferably .co.uk domains.

 

[Bailey]

Indeed Systreg - And I agree (I Still ignore all foreign sellers on ebay ' Sadly including American'- just as a simple 'filter' against trash or high postage)

But things are indeed moving-on. 16 years ago you couldn't buy anything (more or less) that wasn't computer related on the internet. I think those that envisage the fairly immediate future have a good understanding of where the tld's (country or otherwise) sit in relation to 'needs' and that line is going to get more defined - NOT more blurred. ( product= Country) Wasn't hard to see 'Royal Mail' as a real trusted future deliverer either

So I acknowledge - repeat ' generally trusted' markets - will be most prominent (wherever they are)

 

[Retired_Member38]

A search for something like Party Dresses

Just on that page, organic and ads

asos.com
riverisland.com
newlook.com
debenhams.com
boohoo.com
rarelondon.com
missselfridge.com
marksandspencer.com
asda.com

etc

confused
moneysupermarket
gocompare
theaa
comparethemarket
churchill
tescobank
swiftcover

so 8 out of the top 10 for car insurance...

 

[Edwin]

Regardless of individual counter-examples, .co.uk is more used than .com by large advertisers. See pages 3-4 of http://www.mydomainnames.co.uk/ukpositionpaper.pdf