.CO Domains – Frequently Asked Questions
Posted on Saturday, Sep 18, 2010 in "Domain Names"
The new .co domains are rapidly becoming popular due to their similarity to the dominant .com TLD. In fact, .CO domains just announced that they have surpasses 500,000 domains!
.CO domains are not new in the slightest sense of the word, because they were first issued in 2001 as the region-specific code for Columbia. However, after realizing the similarities between .co and .com a Columbian University theorized that the domain type could be marketed as an alternative for .com. Nearly a decade later Internet S.A.S has made this hypothesis a realty by offering .co domains to people around the world for nay use, including commercial use. The following questions are amongst the most commonly asked pertaining to .co domains.
How Do I Get a .co Domain?
Currently, .co domains are only allowed to be registered by 10 registrars, however there are dozens of domain sellers that are mediating the sale of .co domains. In other words, almost any popular domain name registrar will have them available. The new .co domains can be acquired in the same exact fashion as a regular domain and there are no prerequisites for purchasing one.
How Much Do .co Domains Cost?
Fortunately, .co domains often only cost slightly more than a regular domain name. Most registrars will offer combo deals in which a discount is offered when more than one .co domain is purchased. It is also possible to receive a free .co domain with some new web hosting plans.
What Are .co Domains Used For?
.CO domains are and can be used for any type of web site online, including but not limited to commercial business sites, personal blogs, pictures sites, movie sites, music sites, forums, online stores, game sites and any other web site model imaginable. Before the domain type was acquired and distributed by Internet S.A.S it was intended to be used by web sites based in Columbia.
How Do Search Engines Treat .co Domains?
Fortunately, Google has recognized the recent explosion in popularity, and as such has recently announced that it will be indexing .co domains in the same manner as .com domains. This means .co domains will have international targeting enabled, allowing people from around the world to find your .co site on the internet. At the moment it is impossible to predict how well the .co sites will perform in the search engine results, but given Google’s friendly response it does look promising.
Can I Transfer a .CO Domain to Another Webmaster?
Yes, .co domains can be transferred in the same manner as any other domain name, which means you can begin buying and selling them as soon you’d like. There are no restrictions on who can register a .co domain, just as there are no restrictions to whom the domains can be transferred.
