We spoke to Christina Boenig, the product manager for NetCologne, a network operator based in the German city of Cologne. Boenig is in charge of domain products for the company, which was the official registration agent for the .koeln and .cologne domains from 2014 to 2018. Since then, the company has specialised in marketing these two domains in collaboration with the register dotkoeln GmbH.
How many .koeln and .cologne domains have been registered to date?
We started in 2014 with some 4,000 registered domains, a figure which had risen to 5,500 when we sold the register in 2018. Today there are 4,900 registered domains, 3,273 of them registered through NetCologne and the rest with other registration companies.
What is the main mission of the .koeln and .cologne domains?
The domains are very well known in Cologne and the surrounding area. We’re connected with clients from local businesses involved in schools, associations, events and the city’s public wi-fi network, so now we focus on regionality. In other words, identifying the two domains with the attributes and values of the city.
What are the requisites for registering a .koeln or .cologne domain?
Even though the domains are focused on identifying organisations and people from the city, there are no specific restrictions other than the usual ones for any type of domain.
What are the advantages of using a .koeln or .cologne domain compared to other domain extensions?
It’s a domain that demonstrates the connection with Cologne and offers a range of assets and services in Cologne for the city’s inhabitants. In addition, as a geolocatable domain, it improves search results and as it uses the name of the city it’s easier to remember.
What have you done to promote the .koeln and .cologne domains among the local community?
We run an ongoing campaign of interviews with local heroes: we tell their business story and the reason they use a .koeln or .cologne domain. We want to present a variety of cases of different uses. From local cafes to shop owners in the city and even social involvement and content creators. We use interviews for communication on social media and we accompany them with information on the domain. We also publish them in our regular magazine for business clients. You can find the interviews at NetCologne local heroes – YouTube. Besides local heroes, we run publicity campaigns such as vinyl on trams with slogans like “Your city, your domain” and “Those who love Cologne, show everyone”. We held a draw on social media, where you could win a surfing trip on the River Rin with the slogan “surf offline with .cologne”.
What are you doing to promote local initiatives and organisations?
In the past, we offered .koeln and .cologne domains for free or at a reduced price. While we thought this was good practice, it wasn’t so successful, as there was only a take-up of a few domains. Often there was just a re-direction. The migration of existing domains appears to be a big barrier, so what we do now is to sponsor some associations, events and organisations in Cologne, such as the literature festival lit.COLOGNE.
Finally, how do you think the .koeln and .cologne domains contribute to the community in Cologne?
Besides being a geolocatable domain which links you with the city’s values, at NetCologne we give a lot of visibility the users of these two domains. We’re a digital voice for the city.
