Full global domain protection (195 ccTLDs) costs £1,800-3,000/year. Selective strategy (top 20 markets) costs £200-400/year. Most businesses need selective approach only.
Tier Your Markets
Tier 1 (active markets): Register .com + local ccTLD (.co.uk, .de, .fr). Tier 2 (expansion targets): .com only. Tier 3 (no plans): Defensive registration if budget allows.
Essential ccTLDs
.com (global default), .co.uk (UK), .de (Germany), .fr (France), .ca (Canada), .au (Australia), .cn (China, requires local presence), .jp (Japan), .in (India), .br (Brazil).
Registration Requirements
.cn requires Chinese business registration. .au requires Australian presence. .de open to all. Research requirements before assuming availability. Some ccTLDs need local agent.
Language Variations
Brand transliterates differently in non-Latin languages. "Coca-Cola" = 可口可乐 in China. Register both English domain and local language equivalent in IDN (internationalized domain name).
Translation risk: Brand name may have offensive meaning in other language. "Chevrolet Nova" = "doesn't go" in Spanish. Research cultural connotations before registering.
Regional Hosting
Google ranks sites hosted near searcher's location higher. .co.uk hosted in UK datacenter ranks better in UK than .com hosted in US. Match hosting to ccTLD geography.
Redirect Strategy
Two approaches: All ccTLDs redirect to .com (simple, loses local SEO). Each ccTLD hosts localized content (better UX, higher cost). Choose based on international revenue importance.
Defensive Registration
Can't actively manage 50 ccTLDs. Register defensively (prevent competitors) in secondary markets. Redirect to .com. Renewal cost only, no translation/hosting expense.
Priority Defensive ccTLDs
.eu (Europe), .asia (Asia), .me (Montenegro but used globally), .io (tech brands), .co (Colombia but used as .com alternative). Cheap, high visibility, worth defensive registration.
New gTLD Approach
.shop, .store, .online, .tech - 1,500+ new extensions. Selective registration only. Focus: Industry-relevant (.tech for technology, .shop for e-commerce) and exact brand match.
Cybersquatting Monitoring
Monitor domain registrations similar to your brand across all ccTLDs. DomainTools, Corsearch offer alerts. Catch international cybersquatters before they build traffic or hold for ransom.
Budget Allocation
Startup: .com only. £10/year. Growing business: .com + top 3 markets. £40-60/year. Established brand: .com + 10-15 major ccTLDs. £150-250/year. Enterprise: 50+ ccTLDs. £600-1,200/year.
ROI calculation: Register ccTLD only if market revenue exceeds 10x registration cost. £15/year domain? Needs £150+ annual revenue from that market to justify.
Transfer and Consolidation
Some registrars specialize in ccTLDs (Marcaria, 101domain). Manage 50+ ccTLDs from single dashboard. Worth consolidation fee for portfolios over 15 domains.
Renewal Management
ccTLDs have different renewal cycles and grace periods. Some don't allow auto-renewal (manual only). Centralized tracking essential. Miss renewal in China = lose domain permanently (no grace period).
Trademark Lens checks .co.uk and .com availability simultaneously - secure primary markets first, expand international portfolio as business grows.