Enjoy unlimited access to all forum features for FREE! Optional upgrade available for extra perks.

Popular websites that have switched to .uk

Discussion in '.UK Domain Name Consultations' started by markb, Jun 10, 2014.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Helmuts

    Helmuts AcornDomains.co.uk ★★★★★

    Joined:
    May 2010
    Posts:
    815
    Likes Received:
    355
    :) just checked >> gumtree still hasn't bothered even to book the .uk domain :D :D
     
  2. Domain Forum

    Acorn Domains Elite Member

    Joined:
    1999
    Messages:
    Many
    Likes Received:
    Lots
    IWA Meetup
     
  3. donreeco United Kingdom

    donreeco Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 2008
    Posts:
    385
    Likes Received:
    6
    Just scanning the 11 pages... so have any actually switched?
     
  4. anthony United Kingdom

    anthony Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 2006
    Posts:
    1,775
    Likes Received:
    37
    If eBay haven't even bothered to register ebay.uk yet, they're hardly going to register gumtree.uk first to be honest.
     
  5. Domain Wizard United Kingdom

    Domain Wizard Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2011
    Posts:
    43
    Likes Received:
    1
    IMO switching to a .uk at the moment is just far too risky if you receive significant traffic from Google. Until Google confirm that .uk is treated exactly the same as .co.uk we won't see any large websites make the change. That's what's stopping me from moving sites anyway, especially when you see things like the issue in Google Chrome.

    If Google has said something about the .uk launch and I've just missed it please say, happy to be corrected :)
     
  6. diablo

    diablo Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2005
    Posts:
    2,333
    Likes Received:
    223
    Google has always treated .uk domain names the same as .co.uk. The likes of the NHS have been using .uk domains for years.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  7. Domain Wizard United Kingdom

    Domain Wizard Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2011
    Posts:
    43
    Likes Received:
    1
    Maybe but I don't think the NHS is a great example as it's a government site. I'm yet to see any large company (that wasn't a government site already using .uk before the launch) ranking well. Even Stephen Fry's site that's been very well documented and linked to is nowhere in the search it seems; not the first couple of pages anyway and if any new .uk site should be ranking near the top, it has to be that one, although I suppose there is an argument about duplicate content with his site. Fairly sure his .co.uk website ranked before though.

    Wasn't long ago that when typing in a name+.uk in chrome, it would do a google search rather than take you to the url so I think it's fair to say there's at least some uncertainty as to whether they are treated exactly the same.

    Hopefully Google will provide clarification soon. Either that or we see some big websites move across and then we should know whether it's ok or not.
     
  8. Murray

    Murray Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2012
    Posts:
    4,261
    Likes Received:
    432
    I think it's only visitors from the UK that get redirected, he is still using the .com

    You're talking rubbish btw (no offence), google wouldn't favour co.uk over .uk, it's all the same.

    Google "web hosting" heart internet on their .uk are ranking on the first page.
     
  9. Edwin

    Edwin Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 2005
    Posts:
    9,851
    Likes Received:
    617
    As of last night, exactly 40% of the Alexa Top 20,000 websites that are based on .co.uk domains (205 sites in all) have registered their corresponding .uk.
     
  10. Skinner

    Skinner Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 2008
    Posts:
    4,616
    Likes Received:
    140
    You are correct Murray, I use a US VPN, I just switched the proxy off and I get redirected using my native ip.

     
  11. diablo

    diablo Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2005
    Posts:
    2,333
    Likes Received:
    223
    Government site or not, it shows that Google has always treated .uk sites the same as .co.uk sites.

    Chrome is not Google.
     
  12. addz123 United Kingdom

    addz123 Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2011
    Posts:
    444
    Likes Received:
    5
    I imagine there must be some benefit to registering .uk now in order to get it to age when you finally use it.

    I know people debate about domain age vs rankings but if there's a chance it will help then might as well. Also worth pointing out all .uk domains will have 0 age so that may affect rankings (compared to popular .co.uk domains which will be at least 5-10 yrs old)
     
  13. Retired_Member38

    Retired_Member38 Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 2013
    Posts:
    1,742
    Likes Received:
    41
    There is no age benefit, there is only benefit to be had if you have a site on it and links pointing to it. I don't see any point in registering .uk's you have the right to at this point, unless you actually intend to develop them.
     
  14. dazc United Kingdom

    dazc Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 2008
    Posts:
    300
    Likes Received:
    19
    Switching from co.uk to .uk isn't a trivial matter. It may look the same as the old domain but it's a new domain nonetheless.
     
  15. addz123 United Kingdom

    addz123 Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2011
    Posts:
    444
    Likes Received:
    5
    I also noticed that when I type a website.uk into the chrome search bar, it doesn't load the site and instead goes to Google.

    You need to type in website.uk/ with the forward slash in order for it to load.
     
  16. ian

    ian Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 2008
    Posts:
    4,154
    Likes Received:
    311
    Also in firefox the "www" is greyed out when you enter a .co.uk, but not when you enter a .uk; as if it doesn't recognise it as a web url. Doesn't seem Nominet discussed this with the web browsers before launch.
     
  17. dazc United Kingdom

    dazc Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 2008
    Posts:
    300
    Likes Received:
    19
    This was fixed in the last update. If you close chrome and re-open it should refresh to the latest version?
     
  18. Edwin

    Edwin Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 2005
    Posts:
    9,851
    Likes Received:
    617
    And if it doesn't (e.g. if you have auto-updates turned off) then:
    1. Click on the 3 lines icon to the far right of the URL/search bar
    2. Choose "About Google Chrome"
    3. That should fire off a check to see if you've got the latest version or not, and if you don't, either go ahead and update, or prompt you for permission to update
     
  19. Retired_Member38

    Retired_Member38 Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 2013
    Posts:
    1,742
    Likes Received:
    41
    So have any legitimate, major well known commercial brands actually changed over to .uk ? I can't think of any that you'd call a 'big well known brand' that have done so.

    I've changed on a couple of my sites, but only because the original one was penalised :lol:
     
  20. Edwin

    Edwin Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 2005
    Posts:
    9,851
    Likes Received:
    617
    Only Heart Internet have out of the top 20,000* sites on Alexa. Don't know about sites outside the top 20,000...

    (NOTE: only 205 of those 20,000 are on .co.uk domains so it's not as large a number as it sounds)
     
  21. Retired_Member38

    Retired_Member38 Banned

    Joined:
    Jun 2013
    Posts:
    1,742
    Likes Received:
    41
    I think anyone selling domain names as a huge chunk of their business probably shouldn't really be counted as being significant.

    I wonder if they're just changing as part of a sales pitch. Its hard for them to say you should change to a .uk (and buy it from them) if they're not doing it themselves. imo they have too much of a vested interested in this to put any weight on them changing.

    I'd love to see a major high street retailer or a big newspaper or something make the switch. I do feel if one or two of the major sites go for it, we could see an avalanche effect and a bunch of others following suit.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.