A domain name is your business's unique address on the internet — for example, yourbusiness.co.uk — and it's what people type into a browser, or click from a Google search result, to reach your website. You need one because without it, your business has no permanent, ownable web address, and no matching professional email address either. A UK domain typically costs £10–£30 a year. EasyWebUK can register one for £30/year, or connect a domain you already own at no extra cost, on top of the £15/month or £150/year website plan.
If you've been told you need a domain name but aren't quite sure what it actually is or why it matters, this covers the basics without the jargon.
What Exactly Is a Domain Name?
A domain name is the readable web address for your business — the part after "www." — such as smithplumbing.co.uk. Behind the scenes, every website actually lives at a numeric address, but nobody wants to remember a string of numbers, so a domain name acts as the human-friendly version that points to your website.
It's also what your professional email address is built on. If your domain is smithplumbing.co.uk, your email can be hello@smithplumbing.co.uk — matching and reinforcing your brand every time it's used.
Why Every Business Needs One
- It's your permanent address — unlike a social media handle, a domain name is yours as long as you keep renewing it, regardless of what any platform decides to change.
- It powers your professional email — name@yourbusiness.co.uk looks far more credible than a free @gmail.com address.
- It's what people search for — customers often search for a business by name, expecting a "yourbusiness.co.uk" result.
- It builds trust — a proper domain name signals an established, serious business rather than a temporary or hobby project.
Domain Name vs Web Hosting — What's the Difference?
These two are often confused, but they're not the same thing:
- Domain name — your address (yourbusiness.co.uk). It's what people type or click to find you.
- Hosting — the actual storage space where your website's files live and are served from. Without hosting, a domain name just points to nothing.
You need both to have a working website. Many providers sell them completely separately, which is part of why website costs can be confusing to piece together.
How Much Does a Domain Name Cost?
| Domain extension | Typical UK price |
|---|---|
| .co.uk | £5 – £15/year |
| .com | £10 – £20/year |
| Registered via EasyWebUK | £30/year (or free if you already own one) |
Prices vary between registrars and depend on the specific domain and extension you want. EasyWebUK's £30/year domain option keeps registration and renewal handled for you alongside your website, rather than being one more separate account and invoice to manage.
How to Choose a Good Domain Name
- Keep it close to your business name — the easier it is to guess, the easier it is for customers to find you.
- Prefer .co.uk or .com — these are the most recognised and trusted extensions for UK customers.
- Keep it short and easy to spell — avoid hyphens, numbers or unusual spellings where possible.
- Avoid trademarks you don't own — using another business's name or brand in your domain can cause legal issues later.
How EasyWebUK Helps
A domain name is kept separate from EasyWebUK's core website plan (£15/month or £150/year) so it's always clear what you're paying for. If you already own a domain, we connect it at no extra cost. If you need a new one, we register and manage it for £30 a year — one less account to keep track of. You can see the full breakdown on the pricing page.