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If you are lucky enough to find a domain name with a choice of extensions then this article will explain the difference between them and help guide you to make the right choice for your website.

There are many different extensions available today. The four most popular domain extensions in the UK are .com. .co.uk, .org and .net. Of course the .com is the most recognisable and, if available, you should buy this immediately. Internet users will often guess a web address after seeing a company name and .com is the first one they will try.

There is an occasion when a .com should not be you first choice. If your business only operates in the UK then the .co.uk extension is the one for you. For instance if you have developed a home delivery business in the Midlands the .com will give the wrong impression that you operate globally. The .co.uk will also help the search engines to recognise your business as being UK based.

If by chance the .com and .co.uk are available then buy both. This prevents an unscrupulous rival snapping up the available extension and building a website to compete with yours, or worse, trying to sell it to you at an over inflated price.

There is a strong possibility that the .com and the .co.uk are already taken, but the .org is available. Avoid buying this one unless your business is a charity or a not for profit organisation. It will give your business a bad image if you are profit-making company with domain name extension usually associated with charities.

The .net extension is okay for a business but is often used for by online networks, Internet service providers or forums. This may create the wrong impression about what your company does.

Many other new choices have now appeared for domain name extensions, like .name, .tv or .mobi. This are okay if used in the right context. For example .mobi signifies a website whose content can be easily viewed on mobile devices.

New companies are appearing on the Internet that offer what seem like excellent domain name extensions. For example .shop, .travel or .ltd. New.net is one such company. These extensions should be avoided. They are not approved by ICANN (the International regulatory body that controls top-level domains) and require additional software to work. This restricts the number of people who will be able to access your website.

If you are looking for an extension for personal not commercial use then choose .name. Commonly used for websites that display photos or personal information about an individual, it also creates an easy to remember email address like me@yourname.name.

In conclusion, commercial organisations should aim for the top-level domains like .com and .net. If you trade in a specific country then the country-level top domains like .co.uk are excellent to use. Avoid domain names that may give customers the wrong impression of your business like .org and .tv. And do not purchase extensions that do not have ICANN approval. Visit http://www.icann.org for more information.

Below is a short summary of the popular domain name extensions:

* .com- represents commercial, is highly recognised and signifies worldwide trade
* .co.uk- for commercial businesses that trade within the UK
* .net- represents network, and often used by online networks, Internet service providers and forums.
* .org- represents organisations, often used by charities and not for profit businesses
* .org.uk- represents organisations based in the UK. Often used by charities and not for profit businesses
* .gov.uk – used by the UK government
* .biz- used by small business websites
* .info- a resource website that provides informative or educational content
* .name- designed specifically for personal websites.
* .mobi- used by websites with content that can be viewed on mobile devices
* .tv- used within the media industry for content rich and multi media websites
* .uk.com- an alternative UK commercial extension but not widely used