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To DotCom or CoDotUK – Which is Better?
To DotCom or CoDotUK – Which is Better?
A key factor of consideration for running a small business should be your online presence. When choosing your website URL one thing to 
add to the mix is whether you choose .Com or .Co.Uk. Let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of both.
.Com
Many people automatically assume that .com is American-orientated but this extension is actually short for Commercial. It is the most popular website domain extension as it encompasses many website purposes and ideas.
If your business customer is international then this is a good choice. It was also thought that If websites end in .Com then these sites carried more authority over .Co.Uk sites, although this isn’t necessarily the case anymore.
.Co.Uk
This is for UK specific domains and servers. This narrows the search down on the internet allowing you to target customers or visitors to your country-specific page.
The advantage of .Co.Uk is for businesses wishing to establish a local presence, is that .Co.Uk clearly indicates that the website is a UK business. If your business sells items then it will indicate lower postage costs and delivery times over one ending in .Com. It is great for businesses which want to tap into the “buy local” movement as many customers wish to support UK made products over cheaper items made overseas.
However the downside of .Co.Uk is also the same as what may be an attraction – international customers or visitors may be discouraged as postage to non-UK countries will be higher than those within the UK. It can also indicate lack of presence on a global market, and therefore some businesses can be overlooked for services over ones with a .Com extension.
Red Desk verdict
It really depends on the type of business you have. In an ideal world, if both URLs are available (.Com and .Co.Uk) then buy both. You can redirect one of the URLs to point to the one which you wish to use to grow your online presence. Of course, cost can be a big factor to consider and on the whole, .Co.Uk URLs are cheaper over .Com.
Choose .Com if you are a UK business with an international customer base, or selling or renting overseas properties.
.Co.UK should be consider by local tradespeople, UK estate agents and those wishing to establish a local presence.
Other alternatives to consider
These days there are many other extensions to consider such as:
.Co – originally used to designate Columbia’s domain, this is now widely used by start ups
.Net – originally used for internet service providers or networks this is now open to anyone
.Org.Uk – designed for not-for-profit organisations, this again is now open to anyone
.Gov.Uk – for government agencies
.Ac.Uk – for educational institutions
You can read a wider list on Host Reviews.
Further Reading
You may also be interested in other Red Desk articles:
Building a Website – Do’s and Don’ts
Rebranding: When to change your business name
Rebranding your Small Business – what to consider
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Business Cards – Are They Still Used in Networking?
Business Cards – Are They Still Used in Networking?
A sign that things are going back to normal is that in-person networking events are resuming. It’s been over two years since we’ve been in a room with relative strangers, chatting about our businesses. One thing we did notice a change in, and that is a lack of business cards being passed around. So how do you connect with people if business cards are out of favour?
If you have the LinkedIn app on your phone then you can easily connect with other members by using your own unique QR code. So, before you head out to the next networking event, make sure you download the most current version of the LinkedIn mobile app.
To find your QR code:
- Open the app
- Tap the QR code in the search bar which is located at the top of the screen
- Locate the My Code tab and find your QR code
- You can either share the code via message, email etc or save it to photos
If you want to connect with someone else, you will need to either receive their QR code as detailed above, or:
- Open the LinkedIn app
- Tap the QR code in the search bar
- Tap the scan tab
- Hold your phone over the QR code of the LinkedIn member you’d like to connect with
Another way to connect is to follow your new connections on Instagram. Although many of us use Instagram for personal use, you may want to set up a business account for your business connections. Make sure your account is up-to-date and that you can access it via your phone! You can then follow up with your new connections in your own time. The Undercover Recruiter has some other ideas of how to use Instagram as a networking tool.
Facebook Groups
The networking event that we attended was organised by a Facebook group that we are part of. Providing you remember the names of the people you spoke to, it should be a lot easier to search either in the comments of any networking posts or in the search bar at the top of the group page. You can probably also connect with the organiser to see if they can help too.
Digital Business Cards
According to Hi Hello, digital business cards will be used at networking events in 2022. HiHello is a digital business card app which can be used to create free online business cards and allow you to swap details with others. Once you’ve created the cards, you can share them via QR code, link, email or text message.
There are many digital business card apps out there, here are 9 more!
Design Your Own Business Cards
If you still like to stay traditional and hand out business cards, then why not take matters into your own hands and design your own. We’ve been using Canva for our graphic design for a while and they have a dedicated section on designing your own business card.
So there you have it, 5 ways to swap details at networking events! Get out there and let us know how you get on. Twitter: @RedDeskVirtual Instagram: @reddeskvirtual Facebook: @RedDeskVirtual
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