As we are domain name resellers, and we often register domain names on behalf of clients, we’ve recently been receiving lots of emails about the new .uk domains that have recently come onto the market.
These domains are interesting, insofar as Nominet, the UK domain registration service, has stipulated that, upon their release, a .uk domain name will only be available to the same legal entity (company or business) which owns the .co.uk version of the same domain.
So, should you go to the trouble of ordering the .uk version of mydomain.co.uk?
What are the implications of buying or not buying this domain name?
Table of Contents
To Buy or Not to Buy the .uk Domain
The case for buying / not buying the .uk domain of your .co.uk website is, broadly speaking, the same case for buying or not buying any other TLD. As in, do you own .com, .net, .org, .org.uk, .info, .biz, .co? You do? Why? The same logic will apply to the purchase of the .uk.
In many cases, businesses hold all – or a combination – of the above addresses for one reason: because they were “upsold” them during their original domain registration purchase, and they never stopped the registration. Sometimes, the website accessible at some of these domains is the domain hosts’ holding page, not a redirect to the business website! The benefit of holding a domain in this way is negligible, except to prevent others buying the domain (which, particularly for trademarks / brands can be still be a persuasive case).
So, the first thing to try to do is think “which domain will hold the website & email” and then point the other one at that. Since the principle (maybe only) benefit of .uk domains is losing 3 characters, then probably it would make sense to move the website to .uk and point .co.uk at that. Using a 301 (moved permanently) redirect on your old .co.uk domain pointing to the new .uk domain will ensure old links and search engine rankings are passed onto the new domain.
Note – if 301 redirects mean nothing to you, if you’d like us to do this for you (and explain in detailed, yet plain, English what we mean) just contact us!
This would save a little ink, and make links a little shorter. But in the short term, it would be a change, and change can and will cost money for businesses (all your old letterheads now refer to your old domain name, for example!).
The implications of not buying
The .uk domain of your website name may in future be offered to the open market. Do you want someone else to own it? If the answer is “no” then you should register it now. If you are doing it for this reason, and you’d like to keep your domain as it was, and your email addresses the same (i.e. at .co.uk) then simply forward your domain name to your old .co.uk one.
Where to Register Your .UK?
You don’t need to use the same host or registrant to purchase the .uk version of your .co.uk – as long as you use the same registration contact info as your .co.uk shows.
We really like Namecheap* as a domain registration system – and when you see the pricing and control panel, you’ll probably agree with us! Click here to visit Namecheap and secure your .uk today… or, like us, just leave it alone!
What Will You be Doing?
Will you be buying the .uk of your .co.uk domain? What are your reasons for doing (or not doing) this? Leave them below in the comments section!
* Please note we are partners of Namecheap, but we partnered with them because we use them for all client registrations we put through at Silicon Dales!
NOTE – you have until 10 June 2019 to register your .uk domain name before it comes on the “open market” so there are 5 years to think about it! This only applies if the .co.uk version was registered by you BEFORE 10th June 2014.