.de in Germany = 67% higher trust vs .com. .fr in France = 54% preference. ccTLDs signal local presence. .eu = pan-European but lacks national credibility.
The ccTLD Advantage
Germans trust .de, French trust .fr. National domains = local legitimacy. Google.de ranks higher in Germany than Google.com. Search engines favour local TLDs.
Cost Reality
One .eu domain = €40/year. 27 ccTLDs (every EU country) = €1,080/year. Budget limits coverage. Prioritise largest markets first.
Market Prioritisation
Start with Big 5: .de (Germany), .fr (France), .it (Italy), .es (Spain), .pl (Poland). Covers 60% EU population. Expand to Nordics (.se, .dk, .fi) + Benelux (.nl, .be) next.
The .eu Problem
.eu = politically neutral but commercially weak. Consumers don't identify as "European." They're German, French, Polish. National identity > supranational TLD.
Legal Coordination
Register .de domain? Need .de trademark or face suspension. DENIC (German registry) enforces rights-holder priority. Same for .fr (AFNIC), .it (Registro.it).
DNS Configuration
Option 1: Unique content per ccTLD (expensive - translate everything). Option 2: Redirect ccTLDs to .com (cheap but wastes SEO benefit). Option 3: Language subdirectories (example.de/en + example.de/de).
Brexit Impact
.eu domains required EU presence. UK companies lost .eu eligibility 2021. Irish/Dutch subsidiaries = workaround. Verify registry requirements before registration.
Trademark Lens checks domain availability across all EU ccTLDs simultaneously - identify conflicts before multi-country launch.