Buying/Registering an internet domain name

[ColchesterFC]

I've got a business idea and am looking to purchase a domain name so that I can create a website for the business. I've had a look and neither the .co.uk or .com versions are currently in use. Does anyone have any advice on how I can get these web addresses for my new business? I've had a look on Google and a couple of sites that I've gone to have asked me to put in the web address/domain name that I want to buy for them to search for. Am I paranoid to think that if I give this info they will buy it and then charge me more to get it? I'm not ready to create a website immediately and I'll be getting a website designer to help me once I'm ready to go, but would like to have the domain name secured for when I'm ready to go live.

 

[VVega]

I've got a business idea and am looking to purchase a domain name so that I can create a website for the business. I've had a look and neither the .co.uk or .com versions are currently in use. Does anyone have any advice on how I can get these web addresses for my new business? I've had a look on Google and a couple of sites that I've gone to have asked me to put in the web address/domain name that I want to buy for them to search for. Am I paranoid to think that if I give this info they will buy it and then charge me more to get it? I'm not ready to create a website immediately and I'll be getting a website designer to help me once I'm ready to go, but would like to have the domain name secured for when I'm ready to go live.

Unless you run a Whois for it you won’t know. Lots of names are registered but have no active websites.

Checking here should be safe: https://lookup.icann.org/en/lookup

 

[ColchesterFC]

Unless you run a Whois for it you won’t know. Lots of names are registered but have no active websites.

Checking here should be safe: https://lookup.icann.org/en/lookup

I typed www.XXXXX.co.uk and the same for .com into my search bar and nothing came up for either. Doesn't this mean that neither of the addresses are registered? I've got no idea as I'm a complete novice at this sort of thing.

 

[GreiginFife]

Just type it in to a GoDaddy or Ionos search. The price will be what it will be, but they won't charge you more just for searching.

I have two domains, paid a hefty £1 for each. My workshop one I couldn't get the exact one so just dropped "the" from the search and there it was.

 

[VVega]

I typed www.XXXXX.co.uk and the same for .com into my search bar and nothing came up for either. Doesn't this mean that neither of the addresses are registered? I've got no idea as I'm a complete novice at this sort of thing.

Great it must be available then, if it said sth like:

The requested domain was not found in the Registry or Registrar's RDAP server.

You can indeed register a domain with services like GoDaddy (fun fact, its founder went on to found PXG golf clubs). However, it’s typically a discounted price for the first year only.

If I was doing it now, I’d choose to do it via a service that you are going to use to host the website, e.g. squarespace.com.

Ultimately, register it quickly while it’s available. It’s instant and you’d have it locked in.

Personally, I use gandi.net but their prices have sky rocketed. You should be ok with any of godaddy, squarespace or www.123-reg.co.uk

 

[Alan Clifford]

I typed www.XXXXX.co.uk and the same for .com into my search bar and nothing came up for either. Doesn't this mean that neither of the addresses are registered? I've got no idea as I'm a complete novice at this sort of thing.

Leave off the www. You are looking for example.co.uk not www.example.co.uk

xxxxx.co.uk has already been registered.

 

[Alan Clifford]

If you are on a mac (or linux), go to the command line and type

whois example.co.uk

although I'm not sure what I might have added to make that work.

 

[Alan Clifford]

Also try without the .co This is allowed now. Such as

example.uk

 

[VVega]

Also try without the .co This is allowed now. Such as

example.uk

Personally, I wouldn’t bother with new fangled TLDs

 

[VVega]

Also, depending on the target market the website might not even be that efficient for marketing your business, so I would strongly advise registering accounts on instagram, TikTok and X with the same name(if available).