Getting a .cn Domain – How and Why to Do It

China has one of the strongest ecommerce sectors in the world. In 2022 alone, ecommerce sales in the country amounted to $2.68 trillion, demonstrating impressive year-on-year growth of 6.1% in the process.

Naturally, that means you may want to establish your own web presence in China to take advantage of this growing market.

That’s where the .cn domain extension comes in. As a ccTLD, it’s a country-specific top-level domain that allows you to create a China-focused website URL. Here, you’ll learn the conditions for doing so, as well as some compelling reasons to get a .cn domain.

How to Get a .cn Domain

First up, how do you get a .cn domain in the first place?

All .cn domains are overseen by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), which is a government agency responsible for governing who can buy a .cn domain. In 2012, the CNNIC opened up this domain extension to international buyers, though you must still receive approval from the CNNIC to get your ccTLD.

Typically, this means providing relevant documentation to the CNNIC.

For businesses outside of China, that involves sending copies of your company’s registration certificate, as well as relevant ID – such as a passport – for a company representative and a signed “Letter of Commitment.” Individuals must also provide a letter and ID, though they don’t have to worry about company documentation.

Alternatively, you can use a trustee service, such as that offered by Register.Domains, to handle the registration for you. These services have established business entities within China through which they can register your .cn domain on your behalf. You still receive the domain – and can build a website upon it – but don’t have to provide additional documentation to do so.

Why Get a .cn Domain

Now that you know how – and that registration of a .cn domain requires a few more steps than a typical .com domain – you have another question:

Why?

There are several reasons to get a .cn domain extension.

Reason 1 – Building Local Credibility

The $2.68 trillion ecommerce sector mentioned in the introduction to this article constitutes a massive financial “pie.” However, it’s a pie for which it’s not easy to get a slice unless you establish a presence within China with an appropriate website.

With a .cn domain, you create a URL that’s China-specific, lending it instant authority when compared to domains from other countries or more generic domains. The result is that Chinese consumers will trust your website more – with the .cn domain giving it local credibility – increasing your chances of selling within China. Furthermore, following the CNNIC’s requirements to get a .cn domain in the first place demonstrates that you have an official business entity in the country – another major trust factor for Chinese consumers.

Reason 2 – Rank Well on Baidu

Think of Baidu as the Chinese equivalent of Google.

Though it only has a 0.74% share of the global search engine market, it’s extremely popular in its Chinese homeland, where it has an 85% share of the local market. While it’s not impossible to rank a .com domain in Baidu – presuming it has relevant local content – having a .cn domain makes it much easier to become visible in China’s most-used search engine.

Additionally, having a .cn domain makes it less likely that your website will fall foul of censors, again increasing its chances of ranking well in Baidu.

Reason 3 – Protecting Your Brand

Once you’ve registered your .cn domain, you’ll have exclusive rights to the use of that domain.

Not only is that great for establishing a brand within China, but it’s also a powerful reason for companies outside the country to register a .cn domain. Even if you don’t intend to do business in China, having a .cn using your company’s name or trademark ensures nobody else can register it.

Thus, you don’t have to worry about malicious actors within China registering your company’s name and trading as though they’re you.

Register Your .cn Domain Today

The one barrier that you face when registering a .cn domain comes from meeting the CNNIC’s requirements.

Thankfully, you can remove that barrier with the help of Register.Domains. With our .cn domain registration service, you can register any available .cn domain – including .cn, .com.cn, .net.cn, .sh.cn, .bj.cn, and .org.cn – for at least a year via our trustee service.