Example.Org is taken but the UK domain and <Example>UK.Org are not. I'm debating which of these to make the primary domain and whether to register the other one too.
I'd guess that .Org.UK is probably better unless we want to brand the organisation as <Example>UK so as to distinguish it from the one that has Example.Org. However, I would be grateful if anyone more experienced in these things had any advice on which is more memorable, obvious, good for SEO, &c.
[edited by: Webwork at 1:36 am (utc) on July 18, 2006]
[edited by: joeblakesley at 1:54 am (utc) on July 18, 2006]
eg example-uk.org and example-uk.org.uk (also get example-uk.com)
I am assuming from your question that you are aiming at a UK audience? In whch case 301 the other two domains to example-uk.org.uk.
If you want a US or international audience, then 301 ALL to the .org OR .com.
But buy all three (else a porn site / adsense trap will!)
Not sure about having a hyphen-dash in the domain name (or even bothering to register those combinations). I thought using them in domain names was considered ugly these days.
<Example>UK.Org.UK (or <Example>-UK.Org.UK) strikes me as annoyingly redundant for the prmary domain. Maybe <Example>UK.Org would be better (with redirects from <Example>UK.Org.UK and Example.Org.UK)?
ALso, is getting the .com too worth it for a clearly non-profit org?
BTW, <Example>.Com and <Example>.co.UK are already taken by real businesses and what looks like a big prospective squatter took <Example>.EU just before I managed to grab it. <Example>UK.EU seems pretty pointless.
One point to make is it is a small organisation so we don't want to register loads of domains and redirect them unless there is a real and significant chance of confusion.
hyphenated domains are not 'cool' - but do have a tiny advantage in that no-one searches for 'domainuk', but people do search for 'domain'.
Buying domains is cheap - a few quid a year - and is a worthwhile investment to stop rivals, plus if you bought .org, do you really want a porn site at at .com, with all your visitors remembering domainuk, but forgetting to add .org?
It happens, believe me, it happens. :)
and .com does have serious advantages in being found before ALL other suffixes; most browsers see it as the default.
From where did you get this information? More than myself would be interested in this piece of "information".
organisation is mainly going to be concentrated on Wales and Borders
exmple.org.uk is the one to go for if still available otherwise you'll end up with a name like cancerresearchuk.org and cancerresearch.org.uk.
Don't confuse the potential visitors with loads of alternatives.
.com does have serious advantages in being found before ALL other suffixes; most browsers see it as the default.
I have to follow-up on this since I've been having fun checking this out. I know this should belong in the Search forum however it's here.
The above info is not at all valid, trying it out gives varying results, for instance:
In MSIE typing my company name my .co.uk comes first, .info second and .com third, the same as MSN SERPs.
In Mozilla again it delivered the actual Google.com SERPs results for all the terms I entered.
Opera does indeed appear to serve up .com results first.
Ok, it's not an exhaustive nor technical test, try it out for yourselves, it's quite fun:-)
but do have a tiny advantage in that no-one searches for 'domainuk', but people do search for 'domain'.
exmple.org.uk is the one to go for if still available
Maybe that is a reason to go for <Example>.Org.UK as the primary domain which was my initial idea (as opposed to <Example>UK.Org). I will need to discuss this with the organisation I guess.
<added>
Where browsers default to varies and can usually be set in preferences. Some, like Firefox, default to I'm Feeling Lucky (or even SERPs). Whereas, K-Meleon and Opera default to the .com domain (I think, followed by others like .org and .net when there is no .com).
