How To Buy a Domain Name UK! 🥇[2023] [UPDATE] (2023)

Light bulb! Did you just think of an awesome idea for a website or new business?

If so, one of the first things you will want to do is secure that online property (a domain name) before anyone else does!

Ok cool, but does one go about doing this? Well, if you follow on, I will show you how to buy a domain name for those in the UK.

Not to mention how to pick a memorable domain name and also how to get one for free.Let’s begin!

How To Buy a Domain Name UK 2023 (Step-by-step)

Step 1: Choose a Domain/ Web Hosting Provider (I Recommend Bluehost)

When it comes to registering a domain, there are essentially two ways of going about it.The first is to use a web host which is a one-stop-shop of registering a domain and hosting a website (which is essential).

This option will allow you to turn that idea into a realised and beautiful website in around 5 minutes. As an added bonus to choosing a web hosting option, a provider like Bluehostincludes free .co.uk or .com when signing up. Nice!

Claim Your FREE .com Domain!

Another way to registrar a domain name is goto through a dedicated domain registrar which will typically cost around £10/yr for a .com or a .uk domain.

For securing a domain without hosting, I again would recommended Names.co.uk as they allow users to registrar just domains and have very competitive pricing!

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Also, if you do decide you want a website at a later date, this is also very easy to do, as you can simply connect the domain name to a web host.

Step 2: Decide On Your Domain Extension

Now, before you go ahead and registrar a domain name. You’ll first need to ask yourself what domain suffix/ extension you want.

Step 3: Check Availability Of Domain Name

Now we have our domain registrar and domain extension of choice, we now need to check the availability of our name!

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This is a very straight forward process in which you’ll simply need to enter the domain name of your choice and see if it’s available.

As there are 1.2 billion websites out there, this may take some time as many of the memorable ones are taken. But if you persevere, there is plenty still to be found!

Step 4: Registrar Your Domain Name!

Once you’ve completed the above 3 steps, you’re now ready to registrar your domain!

Now depending on whether you are using a web host or domain registrar, simply follow the checkout process to secure your own piece of online real estate.

How To Pick a Great & Memorable Domain Name

When it comes to picking a great domain for your new website or business. There are many things that can trip people up when it comes to actually choosing a name.

So to avoid the mistakes I and many others have made, keep a note of the below tips.

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Keep It Short

If possible, try and keep your domain name to the shortest amount of character as possible. A good rule of thumb is to try and not to go over 8 characters.

To start your brainstorming process, NameMesh is a great place to start. It allows you to put in a seed keyword and then it spurts out hundreds of variable options.

Dont use numbers or hyphens

Whatever you do, please don’t use hyphens or numbers in your domain. It is a major red flag for internet searchers as it has a connotation of less authority and brand awareness.

Use keywords

While this was important 5 years ago and even helped Google rankings, it is still important to try and include a keyword that is relevant to your website/ business.

Say for example you are starting a plumbing business. Instead of calling it rays.co.uk, you could instead do raysplumbing.co.uk which is more noticeable and relevant to people searching for plumbers.

Make it memorable

When possible, try and make your domain memorable. This could include doing a play on words and even meshing 2 words together that create a name. Think Google, Uber, Tinder, and so on.

Avoid using copyrighted names

When it come to buying a domain name, using copy righted names such as Apple, Coke, and so on is a big no no. While it might be possible todo, many times website owners who do this will get asked to remove their website/ business which can be disastrous.

What Is a Domain Name?

If this is your first time becoming aware with domain names, they can be quite confusing. So what exactly are they?

In essence, a domain name is the online address of a website that people can search for and share with others online.

Domain names also have to be registered through ICANN which is all handled by the domain registrar.

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How Much Does It Cost To Buy a Domain Name UK?

Ok, so you know what domain name and the provider you want to use, but how much to the darn things cost?

Well, depending on your provider/ web host, you can get a domain name for free when signing up with a web host. But, you’ll still need to fork out for a hosting plan which is a couple of pounds per month.

For purchasing a domain name outright, a .co.uk domain name can cost between £9 – £16 depending on the provider of your choosing.

To learn more about the top UK domain registrars, you can see my guide here. I’ve also written on how you can also registrar a domain for free without web hosting. This is a no upfront cost option! If you are looking for a web hosting provider, check out my guide on the top shared web hosting providers for Brits!

Claim Your FREE .com domain With Bluehost Hosting (For Those In a Rush)

If you’re in a rush to secure your very own domain name, then I would have to recommend Bluehost. Anyone can sign up for their service and register a .com .net .co .biz .org domain name for free (with web hosting).

Simply type in your desired domain name and see if it’s available. From there, you can register it for free with a website hosting plan.

Easy peasy!