Should I go for .biz/.net or rejig the company name?

bylromarha

Hi all

Am looking to set up a physical shop-not trading online at all, only want the website to be a shop window.

The name i've spent about 6 months choosing and always coming back to has already been registered as a .co.uk and a .com, though do not do anything, but the name has just been registered (one of them back in 1997). the.biz and .net names are free.

so my question is, should I go for .biz (and register the other available .info, .net names too) or should I make my domain name include my town or something similar so I can get the .co.uk or .com?

Thanks

adr0ck

not sure depends on length of name etc

pm me name

Bean_Counter

bylromarha wrote: »

Hi all

Am looking to set up a physical shop-not trading online at all, only want the website to be a shop window.

The name i've spent about 6 months choosing and always coming back to has already been registered as a .co.uk and a .com, though do not do anything, but the name has just been registered (one of them back in 1997). the.biz and .net names are free.

so my question is, should I go for .biz (and register the other available .info, .net names too) or should I make my domain name include my town or something similar so I can get the .co.uk or .com?

Thanks

I'd be wary about divulging the name in case someone cybersquats you.

Personally I would go for the .co.uk & the .com option. Perhaps that's me not being a computer genius and the way I surf the net at times.

imoneyop

Is the name made up of more than one word? if so you could try putting hypens in.

Alternatively, you could try approaching the owner of the .co.uk and .com domains and see if they would be willing to sell

Torby

definitely do NOT use hyphens in a web name....how do you tell people about it...

verbally..."Hi, why don't you check out my web site, its www.stupid hyphen name.com"

doesn't work too well...and people don't normally use hyphens when searching for web sites...plus it really does look a bit naff...and if you use a hyphen to differentiate between your site and another with similar name....chances are....people will go to it instead of yours....avoid hyphens is basically what I'm saying....good luck in your search for a name...

ukdutypaid

try the .uk.com extension...........
Bit dearer to buy at point of purchase, but, if your'e not trading online then the geo location advantage is worth it..... .biz. info. .net don't look as good.....

bylromarha

Bean_Counter wrote: »

I'd be wary about divulging the name in case someone cybersquats you.

Thanks for the offer of help Adrock, but shan't be pming you due to this. I'm sure it's me being overcautious, but better safe than sorry and all that.

The shop name is one word, 6 letters. So am considering *name*-shop.co.uk/ *name*shop.co.uk or *name*-town.co.uk/*name*town.co.uk

I've found nominet for co.uk site owners, but how do I find the .com owner?

again .uk.com is the same in my head as a non techie as .biz...I don't remember it that way, so why should my customers? Or is that just me?

Are hyphens really that bad? If somone googles the name of my shop and the location, won't my website address come up any way and take them straight to my website without them having to type hyphen?

adr0ck

i'm not sure if it would necessarily come up without the hyphen

depends on how many other serach terms are similar etc

personally i think the best 3 are

.com
.co.uk
.net

with .com and .co.uk obviously being the best

claudefrog

go here.. http://www.kessels.com/whois/index.html

put the name of the .com domain name and it will tell you who has registered it

richt71

I've been marketing online for about 10 years and I'd never use anything other than a .com or .co.uk with a .net as third choice. Any others are really only useful for marketing and not for actual businesses as people will automatically default to .com. .co.uk or .net. I'd strongly advise you to find a short domain that uses the above endings and better still one that you can buy .com and .co.uk (.net would be good but not essential) to cover your bases.