Different domain names

[mcarp555]

The question came up on another forum recently about different suffixes for domain names - my site is a .com, but I recently added .co.uk (www.kidviduk.co.uk (http://www.kidviduk.co.uk/)), since it's targeted for the UK market. As a shopper or a shopkeeper, do you think it makes much difference? I had zero presence on Google UK, so I'm hoping it will raise my visibility there over time.

I know it's not as much an issue in the US, but if you can cheaply add .net, .org, .biz, .eu, etc. is it worthwhile? Even if just to keep someone from using the name and siphoning off customers?

[.Spiralling.]

on a similar note, where is the cheapest place to simply register a domain?

[mcarp555]

I used http://www.names.co.uk/ - quick, easy & cheap. Sounds like some of my old girlfriends!

[adam1987]

i usually buy .com / .co.uk

[Dawg]

1&1 (http://order.1and1.co.uk/xml/order;jsessionid=7EA4A9DC1D7C31BEE0548A3894EBAD86. TC33b) are cheaper than the above for domains, (e.g. £4.50 for 2 years on a .co.uk, not £10, £9 for .com per year, not £25 for 2 year min)
1&1 have made a mess of their other services but just buying domains has always been ok for me, (I've had about 60 from them). When I want to use one I always forward it to another host, which is easy and takes a max 24 hrs.

[openmind]

The question came up on another forum recently about different suffixes for domain names - my site is a .com, but I recently added .co.uk (www.kidviduk.co.uk (http://www.kidviduk.co.uk/)), since it's targeted for the UK market. As a shopper or a shopkeeper, do you think it makes much difference? I had zero presence on Google UK, so I'm hoping it will raise my visibility there over time.

I know it's not as much an issue in the US, but if you can cheaply add .net, .org, .biz, .eu, etc. is it worthwhile? Even if just to keep someone from using the name and siphoning off customers?

Yes it can make a difference to your SE rankings.

If you are hosted outside the UK and only have a .com domain then your searches for UK sites will be severely impaired. Even if you have a UK domain, if you host outside the UK again your results will take a knock.

My advice is always try and get both UK extensions first and then the other ones if they are free if you are mainly targeting UK users.

Oh and we sell domains from £2.99 + vat per year ;)

[Alex Bellinger]

Phil, I'd like to think you were the UK's budding GoDaddy :)

[openmind]

So would I, only another 12 million domains ish to go ;)

[Mr.Digital]

I use GoDaddy, their well cheap, never really used anyone else apart from eNom which I don't really like.

If you use GoDaddy then check out www.dncoupons.com - you can get money of their domains (as with other domain sellers)

[Magsite]

Godaddy are cheap for everything apart from .uk 's

For .co.uk I go to 123-reg.co.uk

[multilingual]

We had a .com domain hosted in Canada for about four years and it was never even listed on Google UK.

We switched to a British host and were no.1 on Google UK for all our keywords within a week.

Makes a big difference to SERPS.

JB