.com / .co.uk whats the difference?

Hooky

Hooky

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Hi,

I am looking to set up my own website and have been checking for available domain names.

I am looking for some advice as to what the difference is between a .com website and a .co.uk website? :shrug:

TIA

Alan
 
.co.uk I suppose is a "United Kingom" based domain name, and .COM is more of a Globally accepted domain...

Are you asking with regards to something more specific, ie search engine optimisation?
 
Hi EdinburghGary,

Someone asked this not so long back.
A few people had some sound advice.

Here

Hope this helps.
:wave:
 
EdinburghGary thats what I thought!

Search engine optimisation was one consideration, however I do not envisage global sales just yet....

Another consideration was that the .co.uk domains I have looked at are available for two years only and you can purchase a .com domain for ten years. How easy would it be to extend a .co.uk domain after the initial two years?

Slvrbck thanks for the link, sorry I didn't realise this had been discussed so recently :)

Thanks,

Alan
 
Hooky said:
I am looking for some advice as to what the difference is between a .com website and a .co.uk website? :shrug:
Click to expand...

Nothing, really.

Some people advise getting the .co.uk if you're marketing towards UK customers. I don't. I recommend getting .com if it's available. Dot-com is the largest and most famous top-level domain in use today. It's also the one that's most usually taken and unavailable.

But I'm biased, I suppose. I grew up in Canada and only recently moved to the UK. To me, if someone says that their website is at "talkphotography", I immediately think ".com".

Hooky said:
How easy would it be to extend a .co.uk domain after the initial two years?
Click to expand...

Not difficult, assuming you renew it before someone else grabs it. Depending on how in-demand the name is, that might or might not be a problem. There was a quasi-recent story of a torrent site (thepiratebay) beating a anti-piracy site to the renewel. Usually, it's not a problem. Like renewing your hosting plan or paying your bills.
 
There's nothing to stop you having both .com and .co.uk pointing to the same website (assuming they're both available).
 
The difference is usually about £6.00 depending on where you buy!

As the link at the top suggests, you can optimise your listings based on your URL and your domain type etc
 
The people you buy your domain from will advise you in plenty of time to renew it when the time comes.
 
I would buy both if they're available - stops any confusion if a similar business buys the other one.
 
Buy both if they are available, however now-a-days it makes no real difference with regards to search engine optimisation (SEO) which top level domain you go for (.co.uk, .net, .com etc). .com is of course the most recognisable globally but it's not going to give you any advantage in SEO when it comes to page rankings, it just makes it easier for people to remember. Today the meanings behind the top level domains are largelly redundant. For example .org is intended for not-for-profit organisations, .com is intended for commercial business and .co.uk is for UK businesses.

Personally I would buy both as you can have them both pointing to the same place and it won't make any difference. .com is generally more expensive because it's more desirable. The advantage of having a .co.uk over the .com is it potentially instantly implies you are UK based, which helps when people find you on the web and they are specifically looking for someone in the UK... handy if you are selling stuff.

Also if you are worried about forgetting to renew then make sure that whoever you register it with sends out a reminder email. The people I use to buy my domain names remind me in the run up to the expiry date. A lot of people do this now.

It is also important to remember that it is not the end of your domain name that is the most important, but the main bit that comes in-between. Make sure you don't use a '-' anywhere in your domain name and leave out numbers. The worst thing you want to be doing when giving someone your web address is trying to make them understand that you have a hyphen in there or some numbers. Makes it very hard to remember. Also try and make the name of your domain relevant to the content on your site, as this will help with SEO.
 
Don't worry. You can renew after then. Some companies limit the number of years you register for, but after that when it comes to renewal you just renew it every year or however many years they let you at a time. Easily let you register for up to 5 years at a time.
 
i hope so as i do not want to lose my domain name.
 
You won't loose. Any reputable hosting company will remind you when your domain name is about to expire. 1&1 is a fairly well known company so you should be ok. Just remind yourself of the expiry date to be sure. You do also, legally, have the option of transferring your domain name to another domain registrar company that you trust.
 
OK thanks for all the informed replies. :thumbs:

So the concensus seems to be to buy both the .co.uk and the .com domains if available. So a few more questions (sorry) :)

I should be reminded when they are due to expire and do I then have first refusal on the renewal?

Could someone hijack my domain name at this point?

Also with regards to search engine optimisation would I get a much higher hit rate if I include something like "photography" or "images" in my domain name?

I am sorry to throw out so many questions, however I am here to learn and want to get this right. :D

Thanks,

Alan
 
I think I have to renew my .info site every year, and it's not a problem.
 
Hooky said:
OK thanks for all the informed replies. :thumbs:

So the concensus seems to be to buy both the .co.uk and the .com domains if available. So a few more questions (sorry) :)

I should be reminded when they are due to expire and do I then have first refusal on the renewal?

Could someone hijack my domain name at this point?

Also with regards to search engine optimisation would I get a much higher hit rate if I include something like "photography" or "images" in my domain name?

I am sorry to throw out so many questions, however I am here to learn and want to get this right. :D

Thanks,

Alan
Click to expand...

You can chose to let your renewal pass if you wish. You're domain name isn't up for grabs until the expiry date has passed, and even then in some cases it's not sellable and could sit in limbo for a few days. Best bet it to ensure you renew before the expiration date.

It's not a bad thing to have key words in your domain name, just make sure though that your domain name is short, succinct and easy to remember.
 
1 and 1 in my opinion are a bunch of monkeys, and they should be shut down. If you ever have a problem, tough titties, you will get nowhere with them. I talk from 3 years experience with them (4 servers, 200+ domain names and several other bits and bobs). What a headache it was moving the lot, but worth every minute.

I now use RACKSPACE who are overly expensive but literally answer queries within 5 minutes 24/7/365. They are probably the best ISP out there based on lots of reviews and technical ability & support.

123-REG I would say are the best guys for domains, nice and easy to use interface, they send you reminders for months in advance when a domain name is due, and you can buy for as many years within reason, as you see fit.

Please trust me, 1 and 1 are an absolute joke, 100%.
 
Why would you continue to register 200+ domain names with a company if you knew they were terrible? Doesn't make sense to me. They must have been doing something right. Regardless, if you spot any issues with your domain name provider and those issues are not addressed then look to transfer.

We also use rackspace, and we use eNom for our domain names.
 
Thanks whiteflyer, KayJay and EdinburghGary. Thats really helpful.

123-REG are who I have been looking at, and I agree even as a newbie to websites, I find the site really easy to use.

The domain name I am considering is available as a .com and a .co.uk. I think the name reflects a modern theme and the area I live and work in...
 
I am now the proud owner of ....

www.contemporarycornwall.com (and .co.uk) :D

I've now got to build my website and fit in time to take some good photos as well :lol::lol:

Thanks for the support and advice everyone :D
 
KayJay said:
Why would you continue to register 200+ domain names with a company if you knew they were terrible? Doesn't make sense to me. They must have been doing something right. Regardless, if you spot any issues with your domain name provider and those issues are not addressed then look to transfer.

We also use rackspace, and we use eNom for our domain names.
Click to expand...



It was fine, then all went tits up when we really needed some support. Things were fine for the first few years.
 
KayJay said:
Why would you continue to register 200+ domain names with a company if you knew they were terrible? Doesn't make sense to me. They must have been doing something right. Regardless, if you spot any issues with your domain name provider and those issues are not addressed then look to transfer.

We also use rackspace, and we use eNom for our domain names.
Click to expand...


Also, when the business started, price was key to us. 1and1 were most competitive by a huge margin.
 
Thanks KayJay :)
 
...coming in a bit late here but:

1/ Get both (you have).

2/ I have about 25 domains with 1&1 (hosted elsewhere) and they are all on automatic renewal, so as long as your credit card details remain up to date, all domains will be automatically renewed for you, forever. If you ever want to get rid of a domain, you can let them know and it will be cancelled/let expire.

I have used 1&1 for about five years, and found their service excellent. I have half a dozen websites, four forums and a number of domains. The only reason I moved my hosting away from them was because they have a limit on the size of their databases.

Good luck with the website.
 
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