If you are setting up a website for your business, one of the first things you need is a domain name. It sounds technical, but it is actually one of the simplest parts of getting online. Let us explain exactly what it is, how to choose a good one, and where to buy it.
What a domain name actually is
A domain name is your website's address on the internet. It is what people type into their browser to find your site. For example, pageshift.co.uk is our domain name.
Behind the scenes, every website is actually identified by a string of numbers called an IP address (something like 104.21.45.67). Domain names exist because nobody can remember strings of numbers. They are just a human friendly label that points to those numbers.
Think of it like a phone contact. You do not memorise your mate's phone number — you just tap their name in your contacts and your phone finds the number. A domain name works the same way for websites.
The parts of a domain name
A domain name has two main parts. Take "davesplumbing.co.uk" as an example:
- davesplumbing — this is the name you choose. It is the unique part that identifies your website.
- .co.uk — this is the domain extension (also called a top level domain or TLD). It tells people and search engines something about the website. .co.uk signals a UK business. .com is international. There are hundreds of others like .org, .net, .london, .shop, and so on.
Which domain extension should you choose?
For a UK small business, you have two main options:
.co.uk
This is the standard choice for UK businesses. It immediately tells customers you are based in the UK, which builds trust with local audiences. It also helps Google understand that your site is targeted at UK users, which can help with local search rankings.
A .co.uk domain costs around £5 to £12 per year, making it one of the cheapest domain extensions available.
.com
The .com extension is the most recognised in the world. If you trade internationally or plan to in the future, .com can work well. It also has a certain cachet that makes businesses feel more established.
However, finding an available .com domain is much harder than finding a .co.uk because there is more global competition for them. A .com typically costs £8 to £15 per year.
What about the newer extensions?
You might see domains like .shop, .london, .tech, .agency, and dozens of others. While there is nothing technically wrong with these, they are less familiar to most people. If a customer is trying to remember your web address, they are more likely to guess .co.uk or .com than .plumbing.
Our recommendation: stick with .co.uk for a UK business. If you can afford it, register the .com as well and redirect it to your .co.uk site. This prevents anyone else from registering the .com version of your business name and causing confusion.
How to choose a good domain name
Your domain name is something customers will see on your business cards, your van, your social media, and anywhere else you promote your business. It is worth taking a few minutes to choose well.
Keep it short and simple
Shorter is better. "davesplumbing.co.uk" is easier to remember and type than "davesplumbingandheatingservicesmanchester.co.uk." Aim for two to three words maximum.
Make it easy to spell
If you have to spell out your domain name every time you tell someone, it is too complicated. Avoid words that are commonly misspelled, avoid numbers (is it "4" or "four"?), and avoid unusual spellings.
Use your business name
The simplest approach is usually the best: use your business name or a close variant. If your business is called "Smith Electrical," try smithelectrical.co.uk. Customers who already know your business name will be able to find your site without thinking about it.
Include your trade or location (if it fits)
If your business name is generic or already taken, adding your trade or location can work well. "smithelectricalbristol.co.uk" is clear and helps with local SEO too. But do not make it too long — there is a balance between descriptive and unwieldy.
Avoid special characters
Domain names can include hyphens but nothing else. Avoid hyphens if you can because people forget them. "daves-plumbing.co.uk" will have people typing "davesplumbing.co.uk" and ending up on someone else's site (or nowhere at all).
Where to buy a domain name
You buy domain names from companies called registrars. This is a straightforward process that takes about five minutes. Here are some reliable UK options:
- Namecheap — Good prices, clear interface, no aggressive upselling. .co.uk domains from about £6 per year.
- Google Domains (now Squarespace Domains) — Simple and transparent pricing. Includes privacy protection free.
- Cloudflare — Sells domains at cost price with no markup. Excellent value if you do not need hand holding.
- 123 Reg — UK based, popular with small businesses. Watch out for upsells during checkout.
- GoDaddy — The biggest name in domains. Competitive first year prices but renewal prices can be higher. Lots of upsells during the purchase process.
A word of caution about pricing: some registrars advertise very low first year prices (£1 for a .co.uk, for example) but then charge significantly more on renewal. Always check the renewal price before buying. The difference between £6 per year and £15 per year adds up over time.
How to actually register a domain
The process is simple:
- Go to a registrar's website (any of the ones listed above).
- Search for the domain name you want to check if it is available.
- If it is available, add it to your cart. If not, try variations.
- Choose your registration period. One year is fine to start with. You can always renew.
- Skip the add ons. Registrars will try to sell you extras like "premium DNS" or "website security." For a basic small business site, you do not need any of these.
- Pay. You will need to provide contact details and payment information.
- Turn on auto renewal. This is important. If your domain expires and someone else registers it, getting it back is expensive and sometimes impossible.
The whole process takes five to ten minutes and costs less than a round of drinks.
Domain privacy: do you need it?
When you register a domain, your contact details are stored in a public database called WHOIS. This means anyone can look up who owns a domain and see the registrant's name, address, and phone number.
Domain privacy (sometimes called WHOIS privacy) replaces your personal details with the registrar's details in this database. Some registrars include this free; others charge a few pounds per year for it.
For a business, it is less critical than for personal sites because your business address is probably public anyway. But if you are running the business from home and do not want your home address in a public database, domain privacy is worth having.
What happens after you buy a domain?
Buying a domain just reserves the name. It does not automatically create a website. You still need web hosting (somewhere to put your website files) and an actual website to put on it.
Once you have hosting and a website, you connect the domain to the hosting by updating something called DNS records. Your hosting provider or web designer will tell you exactly what to change. It is usually a matter of typing in two lines of text in your domain control panel. Not complicated, just unfamiliar the first time.
If you are getting a website built professionally, your web designer will typically handle all of this for you. You might just need to give them access to your domain account or forward them an email to authorise the connection.
Common mistakes to avoid
Letting someone else register it for you (in their name)
Your domain should be registered in your name, on your account, with your email address. If a web designer registers your domain in their name, you do not own it. If you part ways with that designer, you could lose your web address. This happens more often than you would think and it is a nightmare to resolve.
Forgetting to renew
Domains expire annually (or every two to three years, depending on what you choose). If you forget to renew, your domain becomes available for anyone to register. Turn on auto renewal the moment you buy it.
Overcomplicating the name
Keep it simple. If you need to explain how to spell your domain name, it is too complicated. The best domain names are short, obvious, and easy to type on a phone keyboard.
Buying dozens of variations "just in case"
Some people register every possible variation of their business name across multiple extensions. You do not need to do this unless you have a strong brand that someone might try to impersonate. For most small businesses, the .co.uk and optionally the .com is enough.
Putting it all together
A domain name is one of the cheapest and most important things your business will ever buy. For less than £10 a year, you get a professional web address that tells customers exactly where to find you.
If you are starting the process of getting a website, register your domain name first — even before you have the site built. It takes five minutes and guarantees nobody else will grab it while you are getting everything else sorted.
Once you have your domain, the next steps are sorting out hosting, working out what should go on your site, and deciding whether to build it yourself or hire a professional. We have guides for all of those.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a domain name cost?
A .co.uk domain typically costs £5 to £12 per year. A .com domain costs £8 to £15 per year. These are annual rental fees since you never truly own a domain, you rent it and renew it each year. Be cautious of providers that advertise very low first year prices and then charge significantly more on renewal.
Should I choose .co.uk or .com for my business?
For a UK business that primarily serves UK customers, .co.uk is the better choice. It signals that you are a British business, which builds trust with UK customers. Google also uses the country code to help determine which country your site is relevant to. If you have the budget, registering both .co.uk and .com and pointing the .com to your .co.uk site is a smart move to prevent anyone else from using it.
What happens if I forget to renew my domain name?
If you forget to renew, there is usually a grace period of 30 to 90 days depending on the registrar and the domain extension. During this time you can still renew at the normal price. After the grace period, the domain enters a redemption period where you can reclaim it but at a much higher fee, sometimes hundreds of pounds. After that, it is released and anyone can register it. Set up auto renewal to avoid this entirely.
Can I transfer my domain name to a different provider?
Yes. Domain transfers are straightforward and typically cost the same as a year's renewal at the new provider. The process involves unlocking the domain at your current registrar, getting an authorisation code, and entering that code at the new registrar. The transfer usually completes within a few days. You can transfer your domain at any time, regardless of where your website is hosted.
Is a domain name the same as web hosting?
No. A domain name is your web address, like yourbusiness.co.uk. Web hosting is the service that stores your website files and makes them available on the internet. You need both for a working website, but they are separate things often purchased from different providers. Think of the domain name as your postal address and the hosting as the building at that address.