The short answer
A domain name is your website's address, such as yourbusiness.co.uk. It's what people type into their browser to find you, and it can also give you a professional email address like [email protected]. You rent a domain name a year at a time and renew it to keep it.
What a domain name is
Every website lives on a computer called a server, and every server has a numerical address that's hard to remember. A domain name is a simple, memorable name that points to it, so people can type yourbusiness.co.uk instead of a string of numbers.
Your domain name and your website are two separate things. The domain name is the address, and your web hosting is where the website actually lives. That means you can change your website, or move it to a new host, and keep the same domain name.
.co.uk, .com and other endings
The ending of a domain name, the part after the dot, tells visitors something about you. For UK businesses, the main choices are these.
| Ending | What it says | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| .co.uk | A UK business. Instantly familiar to British customers. | Most UK businesses serving UK customers |
| .com | International and widely recognised. | Businesses with customers abroad, or if the .co.uk is taken |
| .uk | A shorter UK ending. | A short, modern alternative to .co.uk |
| .org.uk | A charity or non-profit organisation. | Charities, clubs and community groups |
If you can, it's worth buying both the .co.uk and the .com of your name, so nobody else can take the other one.
How to choose a good domain name
- Keep it short and easy to spell, so people type it correctly first time.
- Use your business name if it's available, so it matches your brand.
- Avoid hyphens and numbers, which are easy to forget and hard to say out loud.
- Say it out loud to check it sounds right when you tell a customer over the counter.
- Check it isn't too close to another business's name or trade mark.
What a domain name costs in the UK
A standard domain name is paid for once a year. Many registrars offer a cheap first year, then charge noticeably more when it renews, so it's worth checking the renewal price before you buy, because that's the price you'll pay every year after.
Through us, a standard .co.uk is £12.95 a year and a standard .com is £18.95 a year, and that's the same fair price every year, with no teaser that jumps up at renewal. Premium names are priced individually.
How to buy a domain name
- Search for the name you want to see if it's available.
- Choose your ending, usually .co.uk for a UK business.
- Buy it from a domain registrar, or through us, and register it in your own name.
- Point it at your website, and set up your email if you want it.
- Turn on automatic renewal, so it never lapses by accident.
If you build your website with us, we can buy your domain name for you and connect it automatically, so there's nothing technical to do. Every builder website also comes with a free yourname.twp-co.uk address, and we connect a domain you already own at no extra charge.
Making sure you own your domain name
Your domain name is one of your business's most valuable online assets, because it's where your customers, your Google rankings and your email all point. Make sure it's registered in your name or your business's name, not a web designer's or a former employee's. If you ever leave a provider, you should be able to take your domain name with you.
Questions
Do I need a domain name to have a website?
You need an address of some kind. You can start with a free address, such as the yourname.twp-co.uk address that comes with our builder, but your own domain name looks more professional and is easier for customers to remember.
Can I move my domain name to another company?
Yes. Domain names can be transferred between registrars, usually with a transfer code from your current provider. Your website and email carry on working if the move is done carefully.
What happens if my domain name expires?
Your website and email stop working, and after a short grace period someone else could buy the name. Automatic renewal is the simplest way to avoid it.
Does my domain name affect SEO?
A little. A clear name that matches your business helps people recognise and trust you in search results, but what's on your website matters far more. Our SEO and GEO guide explains more.
