Key takeaways:

• Canadian consumers consider .com and .ca domain names equally credible.
• UK consumers find .co.uk domain names slightly more credible than .com domains.
• German consumers are almost 50% more likely to consider .de very credible than .com (33% vs. 23%).
• Indian consumers find .com domains equally credible to .in domains.
• Australian consumers consider .com.au domains more credible than .com domains.

Objective: In certain markets, country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) are a popular choice for both local businesses and local arms of global giants. In these regions, companies must choose whether to base their brand on a globally recognized domain such as .com or to opt for a local domain extension.

This choice can have significant ramifications for perceptions of credibility, and to help brands make the right decision, we asked consumers across five global markets about their perception of both .com domains and relevant ccTLDs.

Question: How credible do you find the following domain names based on their domain extension?

Countries surveyed:

• Canada (.ca vs. com)
• UK (.co.uk vs. .com)
• German (.de vs. .com)
• India (.in vs. .com)
• Australia (.com.au vs. .com)

Audience: Each question was presented to a local audience for the relevant ccTLD.

Overall Results

Canada

• Canadian consumers consider .com and .ca domain names equally credible.

How credible do you find the following domain names based on their domain extension (e.g., .com, .ca)?

UK

• UK consumers find .co.uk domain names slightly more credible than .com domains.
• This is more pronounced in older consumers. Of 55 – 64s, 29% consider .co.uk very credible vs. 19% consider .com very credible.
• Younger consumers in the UK consider .com more credible than .co.uk, the only demographic to do so in the UK.

How credible do you find the following domain names based on their domain extension (e.g., .com, .co.uk)?

UK 18 – 24

UK 55 – 64

Germany

• German consumers consider .de more credible than .com.
• German consumers are almost 50% more likely to consider .de very credible than .com (33% vs. 23%).

How credible do you find the following domain names based on their domain extension (e.g., .com, .de)?

India

• Indian consumers find .com domains equally credible to .in domains.

How credible do you find the following domain names based on their domain extension (e.g., .com, .in)?

Australia

• Australian consumers consider .com.au domains more credible than .com domains.

How credible do you find the following domain names based on their domain extension (e.g., .com, .com.au)?

Conclusion

.com domains and local extensions are seen as similarly credible in many markets. However, we found that no local market places considerably more trust in .com domains and in certain regions, including Australia and Germany, consumers find ccTLD domains notably more credible than .coms. For new brands in these markets, a localized country code extension can make a valuable brand platform.

However, country-code extensions may not translate well beyond borders and brands could be held back in future if they opt for such extensions. We also noted that in the United Kingdom, younger consumers were found to trust .com domains significantly more than .co.uk. This emphasizes that brands must dig deeper into their target audience to assess trust and familiarity with domain names.

If you’re interested in digging deeper into our findings, or asking your own questions on consumer, branding and worklife topics, contact thom@atomradar.com to learn more.

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About The Author

Thom Davies

Thom Davies is a researcher at AtomRadar and content strategist for Atom.com. His background in quantitative and qualitative analysis is the foundation for data-led brand strategy.

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