Type of extension if given choice

[cc976a]

Bit of a dilema. Want to buy a domain to develop ( possibly later resell ) but have choice of (pretending domain is bluewidgets ):

blue-widgets.co.uk
bluewidgets.net
bluewidgets.org.uk

Would you buy a hyphenated .co.uk or a non-hyphenated .net or .org.uk

Website will be 100% UK focus and any potential resell target would be UK too.

I am leaning towards the hypenated .co.uk or non-hyphenated .net but looking for opinions?

 

[foz]

I would pick bluewidgets.net.

Any development or traction on blue-widgets.co.uk, bluewidgets.co.uk will garner benefit.

 

[cc976a]

I like .net myself. I Think they are known and easy to remember...

....but with number of reasonably good .net domains remaining I just often feel UK businesses and domainers shy away from them even if available favouring .org.uk instead?

 

[retired_member16]

To register or buy from their current owner?

If its the former, all 3.

 

[retired_member13]

If it's possible, I'd think about moving into the Purple Widgets business or shelling out for the .co.uk.

Getting UK search results on a .net or .org is not easy without a lot of work and it taking forever, so if you're actually going to develop something where the focus is on search performance I'd go for the org.uk and the hyphenated .co.uk.

Sure you give away visitors, but you'll do that whatever you pick unless you have the .com and .co.uk. I really don't think that the typical domainer created site is the sort of thing people type in anyway, as most revenue comes from links and search. Is "Blue Widgets" likely to be a type in domain in the .co.uk do you think?

FYI, by way of an experiment I set up sites with good search volumes on .co.uks versus .nets and .orgs and months later the gTLDs are still precisely nowhere on Goog UK, even after setting the geo location to UK in Goog's Webmaster Tools, whereas the .co.uks set up at the same time are performing well - eg search pet carrier on Goog gives PetCarrier.co.uk at #3.

Obviously just an opinion, but hope it helps. Even though domains are cheap, development isn't. If you do go for the net, I'd say buy the others and use a UK one later in a quick rebrand if the .net doesn't perform and 301 the net across to it so you don't lose the indexing.

Regards

Ty

Bit of a dilema. Want to buy a domain to develop ( possibly later resell ) but have choice of (pretending domain is bluewidgets ):

blue-widgets.co.uk
bluewidgets.net
bluewidgets.org.uk

Would you buy a hyphenated .co.uk or a non-hyphenated .net or .org.uk

Website will be 100% UK focus and any potential resell target would be UK too.

I am leaning towards the hypenated .co.uk or non-hyphenated .net but looking for opinions?

 

[foz]

I like .net myself. I Think they are known and easy to remember...

....but with number of reasonably good .net domains remaining I just often feel UK businesses and domainers shy away from them even if available favouring .org.uk instead?

The .net was the pick of a bad set IMO.

If your market is UK and its mainstream/commercial target, .co.uk (no hyphen) and .com are the ones to back.

 

[donreeco]

To some extent it depends on the scale of the site. If it's fairly small and it is only ever going to be publicised online, personally I would go for the org.uk. The .net will be harder to rank in the UK and in my experience you don't get the same exact match boost if the domain has a hyphen. If however, this is a large scale project then I would beg and borrow to get the non hyphenated co.uk.

 

[RSK3000]

I think if you develop on any of these you will regret it and your choice will affect resale values.

If you dont want to get out of the BlueWidgets market buy MyBlueWidgets.co.uk, or LoveBlueWidgets.co.uk, or go for a specific niche such as WolverhamptonBlueWidgets etc

 

[cc976a]

Thanks all - very helpful.

Another question. Website for UK market, targeting UK search engines. Want to buy name - redwidgets.co.uk taken and can't get hold of but can get hold of:

redwidgets.com
redwidgets.org.uk

I know many would most certainly favour the .com over the .org.uk for many reasons - would you take either or leave?

 

[donreeco]

Again, the org would be easier to rank in the uk, but the com is much more desirable and it is likely to be more valuable. For that reason, I would get the com. I would make sure however that it is hosted in the UK and has plenty of uk links.

 

[JMOT]

take any TLD that fits the keyword you want. Even buy the hyphenated versions if it closes out any more possible competitors....

Better you have it than others regardless of you doing whatever with it.

My personal pref is:

.co.uk
.com
.net
.org.uk
.org

 

[RSK3000]

I'd go for the .com - everyone has heard of it and it could have a better resale value.

Everyone here is talking as if the domain is the only thing that affects search engine ranks. The domain name is important, but lots of factors affect page rank. So my advice would be to go for the .com and the .co.uk as a second best alternative. If you must have the keyword in the domain get the .org.uk but its a domain of last resort, in my opinion.