.co.uk, .uk or .com – which domain should you choose?
The websyte team · 8 October 2026 · 1 min read
Your domain is the address people type to find you, so it’s worth a few minutes’ thought. For most UK small businesses, the choice comes down to three endings.
.co.uk
The most familiar ending in the UK. People instantly read it as a British business, and it’s what many customers will guess if they type your name.
Good for: almost any business that mainly serves UK customers.
.uk
Shorter and tidier than .co.uk. It’s less familiar to some people, so customers may add “.co” out of habit.
Good for: businesses that want a short address – ideally alongside the .co.uk, so nobody ends up in the wrong place.
.com
The world’s best-known ending. Short, popular names are often taken, so you may need a longer one.
Good for: businesses with customers outside the UK, or where the .com of your name is free.
Tips for choosing
- Keep it short and easy to say. Imagine reading it out over the phone.
- Avoid hyphens and odd spellings – they’re easy to forget or mistype.
- Think about protecting your name. If you can, register the main endings for your name and point them all at one website.
- Use your town or trade if your exact name is taken, such as harperplumbing.co.uk or harper-exampleton.co.uk.