Domain names

Some common questions about domain names

What is a domain name?

A domain name is an address on the internet. It is also known as a "URL" or Uniform Resource Locator. It's the address you type into the address bar of your browser to go to a specific website.

For example, our domain name is: "www.high-forest.co.uk"  (in today's browsers, it's not necessary to type the symbols http://)

All Domain Names are registered in your name or your business name
They will be yours for as long as you want to pay the fee

Do you need a domain name?

Yes
All websites need a domain name.
It's your "home" on the web, with its own unique address.

But there are other advantages of having your own domain name:

• It is easier for your customers to remember your address
• It adds to your credibility as a "real" business and adds a level of trust to your site. The older the domain name is the more trustworthy it becomes and the less likely it is to be a "spam" site.
• You can have your own email address associated with your business, for example: richard@high-forest.co.uk
• It can make your site appear higher in the results from searches in search engines such as Google
• It lets you change your current email provider or ISP (Internet Service Provider) without having to change your email address. You won't have to make any changes to your business cards, letter heads, brochures or any other printed material
• There are many companies that let you build a website on their servers for free. But this is usually in exchange for putting their advertisements on your pages as banners, inserted adverts or pop-ups. Having your own domain name with your own hosting, eliminates this advertising and makes your business look professional
  

Your choice of a domain name can affect how many people find you.

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What makes a good domain name?

One that someone can remember when you tell them in the street!

Try and choose a name that is easy to remember, easy to spell, short, and if possible one that is clearly associated with your business.

It is very important that you choose a suitable domain name from the beginning. You do not want to be changing it after a year because you think you have a better idea. If your business becomes successful this name will become well known and you will want people to find it easy to remember and associate with you.

Make it easy to spell. Try not to use "original" spelling, for example "kandals" instead of "candles". You do not want to confuse a potential customer when they are undecided whether to do business with you or not.

Make sure it cannot be confused with another domain name. If your business is called "Belinda's Baby Crèche", a domain name of "b-b-c.co.uk" will only confuse your customers. You need to choose a name that is unique in letter and in spirit.

Think about talking to a potential customer on the telephone and giving them your website address: odd names, long names, odd spelling variations, mixed case, underscores, hyphens etc. Do you think they'll get it right? You don't want to lose potential business.

Or you could try and think of a name that is short and snappy - for example "Google" or "Orange" - unfortunately, they've both been taken!

Should you include the name of your business in your domain name?

There are several schools of thought about this!

If you have a candle shop called "Moon's", a domain name of "www.moons.co.uk" will be easy to remember, but will not help anyone, including the search engines, know what your business is about. However, if your candle business has been established for a long time and its name is well known, then you would want to include that name as part of your domain name.

There is some evidence that search engines use words within your domain name in their search algorithms. So an alternate name would be "www.moons-candles.co.uk". This gives you a better chance of being found if someone is searching for candle shops.

You could then register several names - "www.moons.co.uk", "www.moons-candles.co.uk" and "www.moons-candle-light.co.uk" - all of which would be directed to your website. This maximises your exposure and makes it easier for your customers to find you online. cost

Characters allowed in domain names

• Domain names can only contain letters, numbers, and hyphens or dashes (-), but don't use too many hyphens or dashes (-) in your domain name - it looks odd and is difficult to remember
• Underscores ( _) are best avoided
• Spaces and symbols, such as £, % or & cannot be used

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How many domain names do you need?

Do you need more than one domain name?

There is some benefit in buying several domain names if you use a business name with several words in it such as "Moon's Candles". Buying "www.moons.co.uk", "www.moons-candles.co.uk" and "www.moons-candle-light.co.uk" ensures that more potential customers can find you.

You may also consider buying two domain names if you use a hyphen in your business name. Buying both "high-forest.co.uk" and "highforest.co.uk" (with and without the hyphen) helps potential customers find you whether they type in the hyphen or not.

If you purchase a website design package with us, second and subsequent ".co.uk" domain names will cost £7.50 each per annum - payment due for 2 years. The cost of other domain name extensions will vary. We will remind you 4 weeks before they are due for renewal.

Note: This does not mean that you have more than one website!
All the addresses will point to the same website.

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Domain name package

One ".co.uk" domain name is included in the price of all our web design packages.

If you purchase a website design package with us, second and subsequent ".co.uk" domain names will cost £7.50 each per annum. The cost of other domain name extensions will vary - see the table below about domain name extensions.

If you require additional names, the price will depend on the type of name you require.

All domain name packages include:

• Domain Name registration
• Unlimited e-mail forwarding to your existing e-mail account
• "Catch-All" E-Mail Address - this enables you to have any-name@yourdomain.co.uk forwarded to your existing e-mail account
• Parking page indicating that your domain name is registered
• No hidden charges or release fees

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Domain name extensions

What are domain name extensions?

A domain name extension is the end part of a domain name. Each of these extensions has a different purpose and a different registration cost.

For example:
          .co.uk    .com    .org    .ac    .net    .info

You can register the same domain name with different extensions. For example "www.moons-candles.co.uk" and "www.moons-candles.com". Some businesses consider that there is benefit in registering the same domain name with several domain extensions. They believe that it can increase the chance of a visitor finding their website. However, ".co.uk" extensions are the least expensive and since .co.uk extensions are well known in the United Kingdom, it is unlikely to make any difference for small businesses to do this.

If you look for a domain name for your business and find that only the .co.uk is available, it would be wise to look for another name: you are less likely to be confused with other businesses.

In terms of the search engines, it makes no difference which extension you use. Search engines do not have a preference for any type of domain extension.

For individuals and small businesses we recommend the extension ".co.uk".

One ".co.uk" domain name is included in the price of all our web design packages.

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How much do domain names cost?

Domain Extension	What are they used for?	Cost
.co.uk	For companies and individuals who trade or live in the UK One ".co.uk" domain name is included in the price of all our web design packages for the first 2 years If you purchase a website design package with us, second and subsequent ".co.uk" domain names will cost £7.50 each per annum, payment due for 2 years	£10 per year - payment due for 2 years
.me.uk	For those who want a more personal domain name
.org.uk	Primarily used by organisations & charities based in the UK
.com	Originally created for commercial websites this has become very popular for any type of website	£20 per year
.net	Originally created for use by technical websites, but now is often used when a .com extension is unavailable
.org	.org is one of the original global domain names. It is ideal for a diverse range of websites such as non-profit organisations, charities, research bodies, unions, galleries and museums etc
.info	Originally created with information websites in mind, this global domain name is open for all.
.biz	.biz was created for businesses that were unable to register a .com address. Now it is open for anyone to register
.name	A .name domain is ideal for personal blogs, family sites and online CV's There are restrictions: it must be in the firstname.lastname.name format (e.g. john.smith.name or sue.brown.name)
.eu	.eu has become one of the most popular domains for companies, organisations and individuals within the EU, but there are restrictions - please contact us if you would like further information on this	£30 per year
.uk.com	All these domain name extensions have various uses and restrictions - please contact us if you would like further information on any of them.	£40 per year
.gb.com
.eu.com
.uk.net
.gb.net
.web.com
etc

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How long can you "own" a domain name for?

When you successfully register your domain name you pay an annual or bi-annual fee for the right to use it. Your chosen Registrar holds the registration for you: you don't really "own" it but it is registered to you and is effectively yours for as long as you want to pay the fee.

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Buying a domain name

We can register domain names on your behalf, and they will be registered in your name. They will be yours for as long as you want to pay the fee. All the details will be forwarded to you when they become available.

Domain names are usually registered for 2 years and then they will need to be renewed. We will send you a reminder for this renewal 4 weeks before it is due.

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Is your domain name available?

You will need to check whether the domain name that you want is available. Many domain names have already been taken, so you may need to use your imagination to find one that is still available and that is suitable for your business.

Contact us, using the form below, with any of the names you would like and we can check their availability. If they are not available, we will suggest some variations on your suggestions.

Even if you're not ready to launch your site, you can register the domain name/s that you want, before a similar business takes them. It usually takes about 48 hours for domain names to become available after they are registered.

All enquiries and questions are treated in the strictest of confidence
and we do not share any of your information with any third parties.

Please note that all names, business, domain names and e-mail address on this page are fictional and do not refer to any person, business or website of the same name.

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If you have more questions or you need more help or advice, please contact us and we will endeavour to help you ~ without any obligation.