Many small business owners cannot get their preferred domain names, a study commissioned by the .co registry has found in what appears to be a plug for .co and is probably only relevant to the United States.

The research found many small business owners have settled for less than perfect alternatives, and it is claimed, leading to dissatisfaction, and in some cases, lost business.

The research, conducted by Wakefield Research among 500 small business owners, found:

49 percent of small business owners tried more than one domain name before settling on their current one

55 percent believe they have lost business by not having their first choice domain name

52 percent would change their current domain name given the opportunity

85 percent of small business owners do not consider ease of access to mobile devices when choosing a domain name

63 percent do not consider the length of a domain name

63 percent do not consider the TLD they are registering in.

The survey does not make clear where it was conducted, but most likely the United States, where most registrants of any type would obviously consider .com for their preferred domain name. Registrants in other countries considering a local ccTLD, or those in the US considering .us, would find it easier, making the survey findings skewed to the US.

“It has never been more important for small business owners to understand and leverage the power of a good domain name,” said Lori Anne Wardi, co-founder and VP at .CO. “The right web address, built on a global, credible domain extension, can make it easy for people to find, remember and refer you customers – and to drive your business forward.”

However to a lesser extent, registrants may find it difficult, or have to be a little creative, when choosing their domain name.