What is a domain extension?
A domain extension refers to the letters that come after the dot to the right of any domain name. The most common examples are ‘.co.uk’ and ‘.com’. If your company is based in the UK, you should ideally choose ‘.co.uk’, as this extension identifies your website as being based in the UK. The extension ‘.com’ applies for companies who are USA-based, but as it was the first domain name, it’s very well known.
We always recommend our clients buy both ‘.co.uk’ and ‘.com’, as this stops anyone else who may be a rival to your website from buying it. This could be confusing to customers. Other extensions are available, but these are less common in searches and can also be expensive to buy. People automatically try ‘.co.uk’ or ‘.com’ when typing in a domain name, so it’s best to go with those. You can find out more about extensions here.
Once you have found your domain name and extension that’s available on the domain registrar’s website you are searching on, it’s time to purchase it. You can buy the domain name on that website or you may choose to buy from a different provider, as pricing and deals can vary. Make sure you do the following when buying your domain.
- Make sure your domain is registered with your company’s details (name and address).
- Ensure you have access to the control panel where it was purchased and keep the login details safe.
- You should register your domain for a period of time, usually 1-2 years or more. If you fail to renew it after your set period, it becomes available for someone else to buy.
- Setting the domain to ‘auto renew’ is therefore best. If you don’t, be sure to check for emails from the domain registrar once it’s up for renewal, otherwise it will become available for someone else to buy.
- Privacy Protection is a service that’s available when you are purchasing your domain name. This service hides all your contact information from the public on WHOIS listing. It’s something well worth doing, as if you don’t, you might receive a lot spam emails via your website.