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Suppose you have a domain name suitable for your business or organization or for yourselves and wants a domain extension then you will find many domain extension. If you are targeting UK citizens then .co.uk and .uk extensions are best for you. There are a few differences between .co.uk and .uk domain extensions. But before their difference let's discuss .co.uk and .uk in short.
.co.uk
.co is a second-level domain extension(SLD or 2LD) or secondary domain of the UK top-level domain for the United Kingdom. It is best for targeting UK citizens. It is generally used for commercial purposes as 'co' in 'co.uk' stands for commercial. Similarly, other UK second-level domains are .gov.uk, .mod.uk , .net.uk.[name].uk was first registered in July 1985 where [name] can be .gov, .mod, .net, .co, etc., and was launched by Nominet after 7 months of TLDs like .com were registered. From 1985 - 2014 there is only a second-level domain extension for the UK.
The second Level Domain is a domain that is just below the top-level domain(TLD).
Because of its popularity, some of the popular eCommerce sites like Amazon have a .co.uk domain along with other different subdomains including the .com domain. They have done this to target the citizens of the UK.
Also if you are targeting UK citizens then '.co.Uk' is best for you Also it's better to host your sites in the hosting company whose server is located in the UK.So, when UK citizens search in a web browser they have more chance to get '.co.uk' websites on the top for any result set.
Who can register the .co.uk domain?
Ans: You don't have to live in the UK to buy the .co.uk domain. There is no restriction .co.uk is best for non-profit organizations, companies, and individuals, to everyone.
.uk
.uk is a top-level domain extension launched on 10 June 2014. It was also launched by Nominet UK. At the time of release, there was one main restriction and it was good for those who already have co.uk sites. Suppose a company/individual has a .co.uk website registered then your domain with .uk is also reserved till 2019 and if they bought it then okay after that reserved date It is open to everyone to buy the same domain with .uk extension.
Who can register the .uk domain?
Ans: Anyone can register .uk extension.
Which to Choose .uk or .co.uk domain?
Ans: If I own the .co.uk domain then I will better own .uk with the same name and it will prove your existence on the web. If your business is located outside the UK then you can go with the .com domain extension as well. It's only 15 dollars so do not risk your business. Just get it.
Why UK UK-based websites have .co.uk instead of .com?
Ans: The US has introduced domain extensions and they already reserve or locked .com, .net, .edu, .org, and other domain extensions.The UK started to implement it in its own way like .co.uk instead of .com, .net.uk instead of .net, and soon.
Try Out Bluehost for .uk and co. uk domain and hosting.
What are the benefits of .uk domain extension?
There are lots of benefits of UK domain extension. So of them are :
- .uk is TLD whereas .co.uk is a second domain name
- .uk is short and sweet.
- .uk is easy to remember
- .uk is easy to type
- .uk is easy for marketing
- .uk indicates you are doing UK business which helps to build trust and credibility.
What are the Drawbacks of the .uk domain extension?
Ans: As .uk is newer than .co.uk and people might think .uk is a fraud.Buying .uk if you already have the same domain for .co.uk.The cost increases. Also may not be suitable for international business. Also not as popular as the .com domain.
Difference between .uk vs .co.uk
Some of the noticeable differences between .co.uk and .uk are as follows.
| .co.uk | .uk |
| It is a second-level domain extension. Here, .co is the second-level domain of the country UK, whereas the .uk is the country code top-level domain of the United Kingdom. | It is a top-level domain extension. |
| It is shorter. | Comparatively, it is longer. |
| It was introduced in 1985. | It was introduced in 2014 |
| It is already popular and its popularity is increasing as well. | Its popularity is increasing nowadays. |
| Getting .co. uk-based domain name is comparatively difficult. | Comparatively, it is easier because it is the new extension and most people don't know about it. |
| Must be a UK-based business | No eligibility requirements |
| More expensive | Comparatively less expensive. |
Restrictions for getting .co.uk and .uk domain
- The domain name does support non-ASCII characters as well.
- Domain name character length should be between 3 to 37
- The domain name should only contain letters, numbers, and hyphens.
- Domain names cannot start with a hyphen.
- Domain names cannot contain any space.
- Domain names should not be misleading and offensive and should not be used for illegal purposes.
Conclusion
Overall, the article emphasizes the importance of choosing the right domain extension based on your target audience and business goals, especially when targeting UK citizens.
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