Six million .uk domains sold

British businesses setting up online are choosing .uk domains in preference to anonymous .com addresses, according to domain registry Nominet, which sold the six-millionth .uk domain this week to a Merseyside builder.

While some feel a .com address confers more status, a .uk domain is obviously based in the UK and is likely to attract local customers, said Nominet. In a recent survey of 2,324 UK internet users carried out by YouGov, people searching for information were six times more likely to click on a .uk rather than a .com address.

"These days people go straight to the internet to find information, even if they are just looking for a local builder," said Tony Hunt of Klassik Builders in Merseyside, the six-millionth .uk domain. "I felt that by choosing a .co.uk address, people would be more likely to visit my website."

Ironically, the builder's site was under construction when interested visitors followed links to it for a day or so after Nominet issued a release. The registry hadn't warned Klassik that it would be mentioned in publicity.

Lesley Cowley, chief executive of Nominet, said: "With six million domain names now registered and a large percentage of these linked to e-commerce, it's easy to see the importance of a .co.uk domain name to a business." It's worth also noting that .uk domains are cheaper, costing around £5 per year, compared with about £12 per year for .com and .net domains. It is also possible to buy .uk.com domains, which cost around £18 per year.

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