Stunshot - Web Hosting and DevelopmentDomain Names
A domain name is the address that people use to find you or your company online. It's what you type in your browser's address bar to go to a specific website.
Choosing your domain name
There are three aspects to choosing a domain name:
- The choice of Top Level Domain - such as .uk.
- The choice of Second Level Domain - such as .co.uk, .org.uk or .me.uk.
- The name itself - such as stunshot.co.uk.
Having decided on your domain name, you then need to check whether or not it has been registered already by someone else. This is done by using the WHOIS service, an online search facility that provides details of domain name registrations in a matter of seconds.
Top ten tips for registering a domain name
The domain name is an essential part of any web site, but choosing and registering it can be a tricky process. Here are some great tips to help you out:
- Choose your domain name quickly
.uk domain names are being registered at a rate of one every 20 seconds and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, so a delay in decision making could mean someone else gets there first. - Choose a name that suits your business
You should choose your domain name so that it best represents your company's interests. Bear in mind the brand, what you offer, your unique selling point and the implications of being alphabetically listed. Think about domain names that solve a problem or names that describe the products or services your company provides, e.g. "marketing solutions". Either way, your name will help drive targeted traffic to your web site if you take this approach. - Be flexible and creative in your choice of domain name
There are approximately 120-130 million domain names registered worldwide. It may be useful to think about a few alternatives in case the name you ideally want is already registered. Consider using hyphens and acronyms. - Decide which Top Level Domain (TLD) to use
Companies based in the UK usually register a domain name ending in .co.uk, and recent independent research suggests that British Internet users are six times more likely to choose a .uk rather than a .com address when looking for information via an Internet search engine. 72% of respondents also said they would visit a British web site above any other. There are however a number of other alternatives including .com or other Second Level Domains such as .org.uk (for non-commercial organisations) and .me.uk (for individuals). - Register your domain name in other suffixes
It's not a bad idea to register several similar domain names. If you have "yourname.com", you could register "yourname.co.uk" so no-one else can come in at a later stage and capitalise on your brand name using another major domain name type. You could also register your full company name and a shorter, easier to remember version. - Check whether your chosen name has already been registered
Use the WHOIS search facility on our website to check the availability of any domain name. - If it has been registered, you could check if it is for sale
If your first choice domain name is unavailable, the cheapest solution is to choose something else. However, if you have your heart set on a particular name, you could try buying it from the current registrant. There's no guarantee you will be able to acquire the domain and even if the current registrant is willing to sell, it could cost you anywhere from a few hundred to many thousands of pounds. - Create your web site and set up your email address
Once you have registered your domain name you are ready to create your web site and set up your email address. You can do this yourself or we would be happy to do it for you. We provide a range of web design, hosting and email services that we would be pleased to discuss with you. - Make a diary note of the renewal date for your domain name
All .uk domain name registrations are valid for two years from the date of registration; others may vary so check your domain name certificate. We will normally contact you before the expiry date to ask if you wish to renew your domain name. For .uk domain names, we will also contact you before cancelling the registration. Be aware that "Notices of Expiration" demanding payment from sources other than ourselves or Nominet may be a scam, so check correspondence carefully and contact us if you have any concerns. - Tell us if your contact details change
Your details must be correct for the domain name registration to remain valid and we will not necessarily prompt you. If you change any of your contact details please let us know so that we can ensure that your domain name registration is renewed. If you change address and forget to tell us you risk losing the domain name you have spent so much time, energy and resources developing.
More information: Please contact us for further details or to place an order.