Would you choose a strong ccTLD over a new gTLD?

[NiceNICDomainServerNiceNICDomainServer is verified member.]

.de passing 18 million registrations says a lot about the strength of mature country-code domains.

For UK and European markets, would a strong keyword in a trusted ccTLD be more appealing than the same keyword in a newer gTLD?

Or do newer extensions still have more flexibility for branding?

 

[dshopdshop is verified member.]

Short answer: yes!

The longer version is that it depends on the new gTLD. Some of the niche ones might actually be relevant in their particular market sector. But most are either a cash grab by the registry or just full of junk.

 

[NiceNICDomainServerNiceNICDomainServer is verified member.]

Short answer: yes!

The longer version is that it depends on the new gTLD. Some of the niche ones might actually be relevant in their particular market sector. But most are either a cash grab by the registry or just full of junk.

Yes, that is pretty much how I see it too. A strong ccTLD usually wins when the market is local. Some niche new gTLDs can work, but only when the extension fits the business straight away.

 

[SiusaidhSiusaidh is verified member.]

I'd say YES in almost all cases (obviously certain newTLDs have some traction in specifically related contexts).

One anomaly for me would be .scot

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe .scot is a new TLD, but in terms of perception by the public it operates like a ccTLD.

For domains that point to specifically Scottish content, it can sometimes seem a bit anomalous to use the .co.uk or .uk which brands the site not as Scottish but as British.

Setting aside the politics of independence, I think it's fair to say that a significant number of Scots have an inbuilt ambiguity about identifying and eliding Scotland with the UK.

Making something distinctively Scottish (including the TLD) may be good for a brand.

Or, of course, you reach straight for the .com