Why a .com may be holding you back in the Dutch market
A surprising number of international brands launch in the Netherlands without registering a .nl domain. Their websites are translated and prices appear in euros. But the address still ends in .com. That’s not necessarily wrong. But it does ignore a preference that has existed among Dutch consumers for years. Research by SIDN continues to show that local domain names remain an important trust signal for online purchases.
For international companies, that does not mean replacing a .com altogether. It does mean thinking more carefully about which domain should be leading the customer journey. One of the first practical steps is to register a Dutch domain, even if your company already operates internationally.
Where a .nl domain makes the biggest difference
The strongest case for a .nl domain is local business. Take a cleaning company operating in Amsterdam or a repair service targeting Dutch households. Customers expect those businesses to feel local, and the website is often the first impression. A .nl extension immediately supports that expectation. The same applies to consumer brands selling directly to Dutch shoppers. Young Dutch brands benefit as well. Start-ups building their reputation among Dutch-speaking consumers often choose a .nl domain because it strengthens their local identity from day one.
When sticking with .com still makes sense
There are also situations where changing your primary domain offers little advantage. Software companies selling to an international B2B audience rarely organise their business around one country. Their customers come from different markets and documentation is usually in English.
The same is true for developer tools and technical platforms. Those communities are global by nature, making a .com domain the most logical choice. The question is therefore not whether .nl is always better. It depends entirely on who your customer is.
Why many companies choose both
A growing number of businesses no longer see .nl and .com as competing options. Instead, they register both. The .nl version becomes the primary website for Dutch visitors, while the .com domain redirects permanently using a 301 redirect. That keeps the international brand protected without sending mixed signals to Dutch customers or search engines. It is also a practical setup for companies that expect to expand into additional European markets later.
You don’t need a Dutch company to register a .nl
One misconception still appears regularly among foreign founders: the idea that a Dutch BV is required before registering a .nl domain. That is not the case. SIDN allows foreign companies to register .nl domains through accredited registrars. The process is therefore accessible long before opening a Dutch office or incorporating a local entity.
Providers such as Hostnet support international businesses throughout that process. Besides domain registration, companies can also arrange hosting through the same provider. That makes it easier to manage their Dutch online presence from a single place. For companies entering the Netherlands, a domain extension is often one of the first trust signals Dutch consumers notice. They have already formed an impression of whether a business feels local enough to buy from.