UK Domain Names Alternatives
Author: Clare Lawrence

If you've tried to register a domain name recently, you've
noticed; all the really good .com names are gone. Try it.
Choose any animal, any generic medication, any sport, any mode
of transportation, even emotions or silly names. You have very
little chance of finding any of them free in the .com listings.


Fortunately, for businesses that do business primarily within
the United Kingdom, Central Nic offers the alternative of the
uk.com domain extension. You might think that this isn't an
alternative for you, that no one looks at the uk.com names.

But the truth is, the uk.com name is starting to be accepted by
the British public as an alternative to .com. Better yet, more
people who are looking to do business primarily with British
businesses are using the .uk.com name to find British
businesses. This is really good news for you.

Some of the advantages of getting just the right domain name
are:

Search Engine Placement

Search engine listings today frequently have millions of hits
per search. The higher you are in this listing, the better your
chances of drawing the right customers to your site. Most people
who've done anything with search engine optimization know that
careful use of your keyword and inbound links to your page
affect your placement. But did you know that if you have your
primary keyword in your domain name, it can improve your
rankings?


Your Business Name as Your Domain Name

With the benefits of instant recognition and a bump in the
search engines for anyone searching for your business
specifically, using your business name as your domain name has
a remarkably positive effect. Your business name should be the
first .uk.com domain name you look for.

With both this and the simple keyword, though, you should act
quickly; the competition is increasing as businesses and other
customers realize the value of these names. If you're a
professional – a doctor, lawyer, writer, or anyone with
aspirations to celebrity – you should register your own name as
well, both to preserve your rights to the domain name and to
protect yourself from what someone else might put on the site
with your name. Cyber squatting, or taking someone's name or
business name to resell back to them at a handsome profit, is
an increasing problem.

If at all possible, buy both your business name and your
keyword for domain names, and talk to your host about having
both URLs point to the same business website.

People Remember You

One of the best advantages to using a simple but memorable
domain name for your website is that people remember you. What
good does it do to advertise on the radio if no one remembers
the URL listed on the site? Same for billboards, television,
newspaper, and often even direct mail.

If you're fortunate enough to find your keyword open, register
it as quickly as you can. If you wait, someone else is likely
to register it before you get a chance.


About The Author: Clare Lawrence is CEO of Discount Domains Ltd
– A leading UK provider of UK Domains Please feel free to
re-publish this article provided this reference box remains
together with a hyperlink to http://www.discountdomainsuk.com