CENTR Releases 2024 Domain Name Renewal Study: Content and Renewal Tied Together

The Council of European National Top-Level Domain Registries (CENTR) recently released its detailed 2024 Domain Name Renewal Study. The study delves into the key factors affecting domain name retention in country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) and is designed to provide in-depth and forward-looking insights into the domain name management landscape.

Originally tailored for CENTR members, the study focuses on the intricate relationship between domain name categorization, age and renewal rates. Through an innovative categorization of domain names into high content (development sites), low content (parked sites) and no content (no web presence), the study pinpoints the significant impact of site content and domain length on domain name retention.

The core content of the report is as follows:

1. High-content domain names lead in renewal rate: High-content domain names dominate with a renewal rate of 90.3%, significantly outperforming the 78.5% for low-content domain names and the 70.3% for no-content domain names, which demonstrates the strong support of high-quality content on domain name holding willingness.

2. Domain name age has become a key indicator: domain name age is positively correlated with the renewal rate, which has steadily climbed from 54% for domain names 1-2 years old to 95% for domain names 18 years old and above, highlighting the trend and value of holding domain names for a long time.

3. Content Dominates Renewal Trends: Although domain name age has a certain impact on renewal, content is undoubtedly a more critical predictor. Regardless of the age of a domain name, high-content domain names always maintain a high renewal rate, highlighting their core position in the domain name ecosystem.

In addition, the report offers a series of practical recommendations for ccTLD registries to improve renewal rates:

1. Promote collaborative content development: Advocate for registries to join hands with relevant organizations and educational programs to jointly promote the development of content for domain name-corresponding websites and improve overall content quality.

2. Implement renewal incentives: For domain names with active content, launch renewal discounts and other preferential policies to motivate domain name holders to renew their subscriptions.

3. Encourage the popularization of function application: Actively encourage domain name holders to adopt functions such as MX records and SSL certificates as early as possible to enhance the security and functionality of domain names, and promote their long-term participation and retention.

Patrick Myles, data analyst, commented, “This study deeply reveals the key role of content in domain name retention, and points out a clear path for registrars to support domain name holders and build a good domain name ecosystem. By incentivizing active domain name use and valuable content creation, ccTLD registries are able to strengthen their value proposition, increase renewal rates, and promote the healthy and sustainable development of the domain name industry as a whole.”

Source: onlinedomain