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Another should I buy .co.uk when the .com has gone question

by wholesale blogger
7 replies
  • SEO
    • |
I know the general feeling is that you might not bother buying a .co.uk domain when the .com has gone however, I want to develop a site and the .co.uk will be fine although visits from outside the UK would be expected (tourists etc) The .com version has been bought but is not developed, it is just for sale with a domain seller but Im not prepared to pay $1,600 for it (could I make a cheeky offer .. maybe I'd be lucky).

So my feeling is that as the .com isnt being developed it may not cause a problem and with the correct SEO my .co.uk will appear in the search engines

What do you think?

Thanks
#buy #couk #question
  • Profile picture of the author johnben1444
    I wouldn't buy a .co.uk except if am targeting solely United Kingdom.

    Get a brand and stand out.

    Well, that's me..
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    • Profile picture of the author wholesale blogger
      Originally Posted by johnben1444 View Post

      I wouldn't buy a .co.uk except if am targeting solely United Kingdom.

      Get a brand and stand out.

      Well, that's me..
      Thanks John
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  • Profile picture of the author Gene Pimentel
    Agree with John. If you intend to tap the global market, use a .com even if you have to be a little creative with the domain. Otherwise you WILL lose substantial traffic to the owner of the .COM. Whether or not it is being used right now is moot. Once you pour your heart and soul into developing a business on a .co.uk domain, you may find the .com version suddenly come to life to try to siphon your traffic.

    It's not the search engines you have to worry about. It's the intrinsic power of the .com which is universally embedded in the mind of consumers.
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  • Profile picture of the author wholesale blogger
    Well that's it then... thinking cap on for a new name :-)
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by wholesale blogger View Post

      thinking cap on for a new name ...
      ... is the right answer.

      For me, it would make no sense at all to build a business on a domain-extension of which the .com version already belongs to someone else. It makes no difference whether or not it's used/unused/parked/marketed/for-sale: if I don't own it, I have no way of knowing or controlling what will end up on it in future. The only certainties are that I'll lose some traffic to it, that my resale value will be very low, and that I might regret it. However you look at it, it's all potential downside, and no advantages at all.
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      • Profile picture of the author wholesale blogger
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        ... is the right answer.

        For me, it would make no sense at all to build a business on a domain-extension of which the .com version already belongs to someone else. It makes no difference whether or not it's used/unused/parked/marketed/for-sale: if I don't own it, I have no way of knowing or controlling what will end up on it in future. The only certainties are that I'll lose some traffic to it, that my resale value will be very low, and that I might regret it. However you look at it, it's all potential downside, and no advantages at all.
        Hi Alexa,

        Yeah, I guessed that from looking at other threads but hey... if you don't ask :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author Make Money Ninja
    Originally Posted by wholesale blogger View Post

    I know the general feeling is that you might not bother buying a .co.uk domain when the .com has gone however, I want to develop a site and the .co.uk will be fine although visits from outside the UK would be expected (tourists etc) The .com version has been bought but is not developed, it is just for sale with a domain seller but Im not prepared to pay $1,600 for it (could I make a cheeky offer .. maybe I'd be lucky).

    So my feeling is that as the .com isnt being developed it may not cause a problem and with the correct SEO my .co.uk will appear in the search engines

    What do you think?

    Thanks
    Hey Man,

    From experience .co.uk rank pretty damn well in .com US serps. So the answer isn't as clear cut as what some posters have said.

    I operate primarily in the bingo niche (Mostly UK based) and always use .co.uk domains. Primarily because they rank easier in UK serps (slightly) and because there is a larger selection of available domains.

    If you cannot get a good brandable .com domain or EMD, then a UK domain is a good bet if you are primarily targeting UK customers.

    If less than say.. 70% (arbitrary number) of your customers are not from the UK, then i say look around and try and get a .com.

    Also, it depends on your budget. Often when i want to get a domain, and the name is gone, but the site is empty, i just look up the whois details and contact the owners. You will be surprised how easy it is to get a semi good domain for a few hundred quid. Often you will get people chance their arm and quote you extortionate prices, but at the same time, it doesnt take that long to find a good deal privately, you just need a bit of creativity and effort.
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