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London calling: Date set for launch of capital's very own domain name

Except 75% of London SMEs AREN'T jumping aboard the bandwagon

You'll never Adam and Eve how many people are apparently set to buy a new .london domain name.

According to a YouGov survey, more than 200,000 small businesses are preparing to pin their web address to the capital when the new domain launches on 29 April.

The date of the launch was finalised today, prompting a flurry of quotes from all the usual internet luvvies, who all claimed appending the word London to web addresses would boost the fortunes of businesses across the city.

In a questionably punctuated canned statement, Martha Lane Fox, Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho, co-founder of Lastminute.com, said: “The new generic domain names are a big change to the web. .london offers businesses and organisations in the capital a chance to be at the cutting edge of that change and show the world how innovative they can be.”

The YouGov survey of small businesses in London found that 26 per cent, or 218,140, of small firms were likely to register for a .london web address. Almost half of those said they would do so because they are "proud to be a London business", while 41 per cent said a .london web address would help customers find them more easily,

The survey was paid for London & Partners, Boris' London-loving spindoctors.

Gordon Innes, chief executive of London & Partners, said: “This is an incredible response from London’s small business community which sees .london as an opportunity to claim an exciting new web address that is uniquely associated with our city’s powerful brand.

"We already know that tens of thousands of businesses have expressed an interest in a .london web address including major brands like Selfridges, Radisson Blu Edwardian and Carnaby. This latest survey of small business owners gives us confidence that other organisations and individuals will be just as excited about .london when the domains go on sale on April 29.”

ICANN signed a deal with London & Partners in 2013 to secure the new .london domain.

Matt Mansell, group managing director of internet registrar 123-reg.co.uk, claimed that loads of people wanted to do the virtual Lambeth walk.

"We’ve had thousands and thousands of expressions of interest in the new top-level domains and .london is certainly one of the most popular," he gushed. "The city is riding high after the Olympics and the .london domain will help businesses and organisations capitalise on the national and international interest in London.” ®

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