Getting started - Domain names
A domain name is the name people type in their web browsers to visit your site, or use in their e-mail program to send you an e-mail.
For example, Google, the popular search engine, use the domain names google.com and google.co.uk (among others).
google is the prefix they chose, while .com and .co.uk are known as top level domains, or TLDs.
Your domain name may use any prefix that consists of the characters a to z, 0 to 9 and hyphen ( - ), but you must follow (suffix), it with one of the top level domains of which there are many. See www.iana.org for a full list of TLDs.
Different TLDs cost different amounts to register your prefix with and some have additional requirements such as living in the country that owns the TLD (.ie - Ireland), or having a registered business in that country (.ltd.uk - UK limited business). See the following list for the most common TLDs and the price we charge for registration:
| TLD | Price | Common Usage |
|---|---|---|
| .com | £14 / year | company (international) |
| .co.uk | £15 / 2 years | UK company |
| .ltd.uk | £15 / 2 years | UK limited company* |
| .plc.uk | £15 / 2 years | UK public limited company* |
| .me.uk | £15 / 2 years | UK individual |
| .org.uk | £15 / 2 years | UK organisation |
| .org | £14 / year | organisation (international) |
| .net | £14 / year | network (international) |
| .biz | £14 / year | business (international) |
| .info | £14 / year | informative site |
| .eu | £14 / year | European site* |
* requirements must be met to register these domains.
So for example, your-example-domain.org.uk would cost £15 to register for 2 years. As the 2 years came to an end, we would contact you to arrange renewal.
Your domain name must also be unique - it must not be already registered by someone else. This doesn't mean you can't have domain names with the same prefix, for example my-domain.co.uk and my-domain.org.uk can both coexist happily. You can check whether a domain name is available on our domain name search page.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about what TLD to use, or if you have any questions about pricing.
When you have chosen a domain name that is available, you are ready to continue.