Domain extension for UK based business

[DesignForge]

Hi everyone

I wanted to conduct a small survey on the topic as seen. We all know sometimes the domain we want / need is already taken and the alternatives don't seem right. The natural solution that comes is another extension / TLD.

In your opinion, does it make a huge difference what extension does my domain have?
Do you think .co.uk / .uk are the only right choices for a UK based company?
Is .com as good as .co.uk or do you prefer to deal with companies showing precisely where they belong?
What about .eu, are you less likely to do a business with a company having this domain extension than if it was .co.uk?

All input highly appreciated.
Cheers

 

[AllUpHere]

I tend to register .co.uk and .com. If I can't have those I don't bother with any. I don't want the .eu of a domain that someone else has the .com for.

 

[fisicx]

It depends on the business but in general I prefer to see/use .co.uk. .uk isn't popular enough yet, .com suggests international and .eu is to be ignored (along with just about all other extensions).

 

[MatthewOlszewski]

If the online business is for customers in their own country, the best domain extension is an extension of this country. This is due to the popularity of domain extension.

 

[OvcaX]

I think .co.uk & .com would be a must.
If possible .uk is now a great option, if not there is no problem as if you have .co.uk nobody can register .uk with the same name.

Just for communication & emails use one domain not combination.

 

[DesignForge]

Thank you all for your input! Anyone else have any thought?

I think .co.uk & .com would be a must.

No offence but it's funny you say that while zabec.com doesn't seem to belong to you

 

[webhostuk]

Good option to first give priority is always .co.uk and .com incase they are not available and you wish to stick to that brand name you can think of other tlds.

 

[OvcaX]

Thank you all for your input! Anyone else have any thought?



No offence but it's funny you say that while zabec.com doesn't seem to belong to you

DesignForge
I know, but we were to late

.net - Creation Date: 05-aug-2003
.com - Creation Date: 20-jun-2001

We are .net business and we can "get by" with this.
I would buy .com in a heartbeat.

 

[splashweb]

For a UK focused business .co.uk partnered with .uk. If it's a new venture and long term then I'd launch with .uk and 301 redirect the .co.uk to it. I'd take the .com if it was available, or reasonably priced on the secondary market, but provided the current user wasn't UK focused I wouldn't stress too much about it. Particularly if I can trade mark my brand in the UK at least.

.com for me does say, "USA", but more so it says "international" and "corporate" with a stonger corporate presence than any other extension. However, the .uk geographical locator is a key factor for anyone looking to drive UK traffic and convert it. As I see it, for most of us, a domain is an address first and a brand second.

Currently .uk domains are only protected against registration for (qualifying) previously registered .co.uk's until June 2019, certainly not all currently registered .co.uk are guaranteed the .uk; check on the WHOIS to be sure by entering the .uk version. If you are registering a .co.uk today then make sure the .uk is also available and secure it. Securing both .co.uk and .uk has to me become more important now than securing the .com and .co.uk pair.

I currently don't really consider the new TLD's, but they seem to be becoming more significant as time goes by; one to watch within your sector.

 

[LowPrices.uk]

.uk is going to become the extension to own for UK businesses in the next few years. However, you still want to have the .co.uk and the .com as well. .com is still the gold standard of domains in terms of extension value.

 

[Scott@KarmaContent]

The following information was collated by Edwin Hayward on another forum.

Of the 204 .co.uk sites in Alexa's list of the 20,000 busiest websites in the world, exactly half (102) have registered the matching .uk.

They're not doing much with them though....

blank page: 5
does not resolve: 42
server default page: 1
official site: 1
seperate .uk focused site: 1
redirects to .com: 2
redirects to po.st: 1
redirects to .co.uk: 27
registrar page: 22

 

[MilesWeb]

For UK based businesses the first preference should be .com or .co.uk. If you have .co.uk, you can easily get the .uk domain as well. You can run your website with .uk if you don't have the .com domain. I have seen few UK companies switching from .co.uk to .uk domain. They have completely redirected the website from .co.uk to .uk domain.

 

[Naheem]

Well if you live in the UK and started your business in the UK then it would be .co.uk unless you are doing a broad range services then it would be .com.

broad range services services like:
SEO marketing
Property selling
auction house like ebay
anything that is in demand in the market really.

 

[TridentRM]

If you're targeting only UK than going with .co.uk or .com is the best idea

If your target market is global but you're based on UK than going with .com is the best option.

 

[DesignForge]

Thanks a lot to everyone.
Looks like you all agree on this subject

 

[pudbwmsc]

I'd be going for .com and .co.uk. Your .uk is reserved when you register the .co.uk so just leave that and see how the .uk extension pans out over the coming years