Help Guide for Choosing and Registering a Domain Name and Without Getting Burned

What Is a Domain Name?

A domain name is your website's address on the internet (yourcompany.co.uk). When someone types it in a browser, they find your website.

You don't own domain names—you rent them, usually by the year. Stop paying, and someone else can register it.

Choosing Your Domain Name

Keep It Simple

Good domain names are:

• Short (under 15 characters ideal)
• Easy to spell
• Easy to say aloud
• Memorable
• Related to your business

Avoid:

• Hyphens (hard to communicate verbally)
• Numbers (is it '5' or 'five'?)
• Unusual spellings
• Easily confused words
• Very long names

The 'Radio Test'

Could you say your domain on the radio and have people type it correctly?

Passes: smithplumbing.co.uk, bluebird.co.uk, freshbakes.co.uk

Fails: smith-plumbing-services.co.uk, bl00bird.co.uk, fresh-bakes-uk.co.uk

Exact Match vs Brand

Exact match: londonplumber.co.uk (describes what you do)

• Pros: Clear purpose, some SEO benefit
• Cons: Generic, forgettable, limits future growth

Brand name: flowfix.co.uk (a name you create)

• Pros: Memorable, ownable, flexible
• Cons: Requires building recognition

For most small businesses, a clear brand name beats a generic description.

.co.uk vs .com vs Others

.co.uk

What it signals: UK business

Pros:

• Trusted by UK customers
• Often available when .com isn't
• Clear geographic focus
• Cheaper than .com usually

Cons:

• Less recognisable internationally
• Some people assume .com first

Best for: Businesses serving UK customers primarily.

.com

What it signals: International/general business

Pros:

• Most recognised extension
• Good for international business
• Default assumption for many users

Cons:

• Often already taken
• Premium prices for good names
• Doesn't signal UK presence

Best for: International businesses, tech companies, brands wanting global reach.

.uk

What it signals: UK business (shorter than .co.uk)

Pros:

• Shorter than .co.uk
• Modern feel
• Often available

Cons:

• Less familiar than .co.uk
• Some confusion with .co.uk

Best for: Businesses wanting brevity while staying UK-focused.

Other Extensions (.io, .tech, .shop, etc.)

Pros:

• Available names that would be taken elsewhere
• Can signal industry (.tech, .shop, .agency)
• Modern/startup feel

Cons:

• Less trusted by general public
• People may misremember as .com
• Some are expensive
• Can look gimmicky

Best for: Tech startups, specific industries, when preferred name is taken elsewhere.

Our Recommendation

For UK small businesses: register .co.uk as primary. If budget allows, also grab .com and .uk to prevent others using them (redirect to your main site).

Where to Register

Option 1: Dedicated Domain Registrar

Companies specialising in domain registration.

Popular UK options:

• Namecheap: Good prices, clean interface, good support
• Cloudflare: At-cost pricing (cheapest), but basic interface
• Porkbun: Cheap, quirky, reliable
• Gandi: Ethical, straightforward, slightly pricier
• 123 Reg: UK-based, familiar, but interface dated

Pros:

• Best prices
• Domain-focused features
• Independent from hosting
• Easy to switch hosts

Cons:

• Another account to manage
• DNS setup required

Recommended for: Most businesses. Keep domains separate from hosting.

Option 2: Web Hosting Provider

Register through your hosting company (SiteGround, Ionos, etc.).

Pros:

• Everything in one place
• Sometimes 'free' first year with hosting
• Automatic setup

Cons:

• Usually more expensive (especially renewal)
• Harder to leave the host
• 'Free' isn't always free

Recommended for: Only if heavily discounted and you understand the lock-in.

Option 3: Website Builder

Register through Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, etc.

Pros:

• Very simple
• Automatic configuration
• Included in some plans

Cons:

• Usually most expensive option
• Locked to platform
• Moving domain away can be difficult

Recommended for: Only if staying on that platform forever (unlikely).

Real Costs

Typical UK Domain Prices

Note: Prices vary significantly by registrar. Shop around.

The Renewal Trap

Registrars often advertise low first-year prices:

• Year 1: £0.99
• Year 2+: £14.99

Always check renewal pricing before registering.

Premium Domains

Some domains are marked 'premium' and cost more:

• Short domains (abc.com)
• Common words (coffee.co.uk)
• Previously valuable domains

Premium prices can be £100s to £1000s+ per year. Often not worth it—find an alternative.

Add-On Costs to Watch

Domain privacy (WHOIS protection): Hides your personal details from public database. Should be free or £2-5/year. Don't pay £10+.

SSL certificates: Not part of domain registration—handled by hosting. Don't buy through registrar.

'Protection' services: Often unnecessary upselling. Decline unless you understand exactly what you're buying.

Common Pitfalls

Pitfall 1: Registering Through Your Host

Convenient but creates lock-in. When you want to change hosts, your domain is tangled up with them.

Better approach: Register domains separately at a dedicated registrar.

Pitfall 2: Letting Someone Else Register for You

Your web designer or IT person registers the domain in their account or name.

The risk: They control your domain. Disputes happen. People disappear. Businesses become difficult.

Better approach: Always register domains in your own account, in the business name. Give others access if needed.

Pitfall 3: Forgetting to Renew

Domain expires. Someone else registers it. They want £5,000 to sell it back.

Better approach:

• Enable auto-renewal
• Use a reliable email for notifications
• Register for multiple years if budget allows
• Add renewal to your business calendar

Pitfall 4: Not Securing Variations

You register yourcompany.co.uk. A competitor registers yourcompany.com.

Better approach: Register the main extensions (.co.uk, .com, possibly .uk) even if you only use one. Redirect extras to your main domain.

Pitfall 5: Trademark Issues

You register a domain that infringes someone's trademark. They send legal letters. You lose the domain and possibly face costs.

Better approach: Search trademark databases before registering. Avoid anything close to established brands.

Pitfall 6: Buying 'Deals' You Don't Need

Registrar bundles in privacy, SSL, website builder, email, hosting—suddenly £5 becomes £50.

Better approach: Buy only the domain. Add other services deliberately from appropriate providers.

Securing Your Domain

Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Domain hijacking is real. Someone gains access to your registrar account and transfers your domain away.

Protection: Enable 2FA on your registrar account. Use a strong, unique password.

Lock Your Domain

Most registrars offer 'domain lock' or 'transfer lock'. This prevents unauthorised transfers.

Keep it locked unless you're deliberately transferring.

Enable Auto-Renewal

Set domains to renew automatically. Check your payment method stays valid.

Use WHOIS Privacy

WHOIS is the public database of domain owners. Without privacy, your name, address, email, and phone are public.

Enable privacy to hide personal details. Should be free or very cheap.

Transferring Domains

When You Might Transfer

• Better prices elsewhere
• Consolidating multiple registrars
• Getting away from a poor registrar
• Taking control from someone else

How Transfers Work

1. Unlock domain at current registrar

2. Get authorisation code (EPP code/transfer code)

3. Initiate transfer at new registrar

4. Confirm via email

5. Wait 5-7 days for completion

Transfer Tips

• Domains must be more than 60 days old to transfer
• Transfers usually add a year to registration
• Some registrars charge for transfers; many don't
• Ensure email on file works—you'll need to confirm
• DNS settings may need reconfiguring at new registrar

Making the Decision

For Most UK Small Businesses

1. Choose a name: Short, simple, memorable, passes radio test

2. Register .co.uk: Primary domain for UK business

3. Also grab .com: Redirect to .co.uk (prevents competitors using it)

4. Use a dedicated registrar: Namecheap, Cloudflare, or Porkbun

5. Register in your own account: Don't let others control your domain

6. Enable security: 2FA, domain lock, auto-renewal, WHOIS privacy

Budget Option

• Cloudflare Registrar: At-cost pricing, no markup
• Just .co.uk if budget is very tight
• Minimum 2-year registration

Premium Option

• Register .co.uk, .com, .uk, and common misspellings
• 5-10 year registration
• Premium registrar with excellent support (Gandi)

The Bottom Line

Your domain is your permanent address on the internet. It's worth getting right:

• Choose a simple, memorable name
• Register through a dedicated registrar (not your host)
• Always register in your own account
• Secure it properly (2FA, lock, auto-renewal)
• Don't fall for upsells and bundles

A good domain costs £10-20/year. That's trivial for something so important to your business identity. Don't cheap out, but don't overpay either.