Having been in Eastern Europe for the last few months now I notice how .eu is, although not a very steady or rapid rise, on the rise here. I remember a while ago I mentionned that .eu would have a brighter future than some predicted, especially with former East Bloc countries that feel some pride in their new status as EU member with ready access to the "western" world they were cut off from before the Iron Curtain fell.
Now having been in Eastern Europe the last few months, while the .com and the local domains are still prefered (especially .cz, .sk and .pl seem to be very much used in their own countries where they by far outnumber the local sites using .com even) I do notice advertisements regularly using .eu as domain. Including several companies, not just more casual sites made by clubs or persons. Of course it is not a very steady rise, I mainly see .cz and .pl used in advertisements (they are much more popular than .com even so it will take a while before any other extention comes close) but .eu is being used quite actively here.
People who have invested in .eu domains but think this was a wrong choice, or those who have a bleak view of the future of the extention, may consider looking at potential buyers in the new EU member states in Eastern Europe. .eu will not rapidly take over from the local ccTLDs, but it grows in use for sure. Many people also feel proud that they are now part of the EU and that they broke with their communist past, many multinationals now open branches here or relocate some operations from "western European" countries to cities such as Prague, Brno and Bratislava. Some of those companies have now been advertising here in the streets using the .eu extention.
So without wanting to say .eu is steady rising, the future may not be as bleak as some of you think and especially the former East Bloc countries may be a good market for this extention. Companies here do want to reach out to the western european market but especially when the .com is taken and knowing the local ccTLD will not work in other EU countries, they do seem to see a valid alternative in .eu. The countries generally feel very well about their EU status compared to their old status prior to the fall of communism, this renewed European feeling may also contribute to the further rise of .eu popularity.
So just a little advise to those who have some .eu's they fear they cannot sell: try Eastern Europe. The extention may not be extremely popular but it definitely is not uncommon here, and I somewhat expect further growth if the EU further expends (Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Turkey, ... ??)
Now having been in Eastern Europe the last few months, while the .com and the local domains are still prefered (especially .cz, .sk and .pl seem to be very much used in their own countries where they by far outnumber the local sites using .com even) I do notice advertisements regularly using .eu as domain. Including several companies, not just more casual sites made by clubs or persons. Of course it is not a very steady rise, I mainly see .cz and .pl used in advertisements (they are much more popular than .com even so it will take a while before any other extention comes close) but .eu is being used quite actively here.
People who have invested in .eu domains but think this was a wrong choice, or those who have a bleak view of the future of the extention, may consider looking at potential buyers in the new EU member states in Eastern Europe. .eu will not rapidly take over from the local ccTLDs, but it grows in use for sure. Many people also feel proud that they are now part of the EU and that they broke with their communist past, many multinationals now open branches here or relocate some operations from "western European" countries to cities such as Prague, Brno and Bratislava. Some of those companies have now been advertising here in the streets using the .eu extention.
So without wanting to say .eu is steady rising, the future may not be as bleak as some of you think and especially the former East Bloc countries may be a good market for this extention. Companies here do want to reach out to the western european market but especially when the .com is taken and knowing the local ccTLD will not work in other EU countries, they do seem to see a valid alternative in .eu. The countries generally feel very well about their EU status compared to their old status prior to the fall of communism, this renewed European feeling may also contribute to the further rise of .eu popularity.
So just a little advise to those who have some .eu's they fear they cannot sell: try Eastern Europe. The extention may not be extremely popular but it definitely is not uncommon here, and I somewhat expect further growth if the EU further expends (Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Turkey, ... ??)
