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Six-millionth dot-uk domain sold
What's in a name? A lot more visitors...

By Peter Judge

Published: Monday 09 July 2007

UK businesses setting up online are choosing dot-uk domains in preference to anonymous dot-com addresses, according to domain registry Nominet, which sold the six-millionth dot-uk domain last week to a Merseyside builder.

While some feel a dot-com address confers more status, a dot-uk domain is obviously based in the UK and is likely to attract local customers, said Nominet. In a recent survey of 2,324 UK internet users carried out by YouGov, people searching for information were six times more likely to click on a dot-uk rather than a dot-com address.

Tony Hunt of Klassik Builders in Merseyside, the six-millionth dot-uk domain, said: "These days people go straight to the internet to find information, even if they are just looking for a local builder. I felt that by choosing a .co.uk address, people would be more likely to visit my website."

Ironically, the builder's site was under construction when interested visitors followed links to it for a day or so after Nominet issued a release. The registry hadn't warned Klassik that it would be mentioned in publicity.

Lesley Cowley, chief executive of Nominet, said: "With six million domain names now registered and a large percentage of these linked to ecommerce, it's easy to see the importance of a .co.uk domain name to a business."

It's also worth noting that dot-uk domains are cheaper, costing around £5 per year, compared with about £12 per year for dot-com and dot-net domains. It is also possible to buy .uk.com domains, which cost around £18 per year.

Peter Judge writes for ZDNet UK