Small businesses are more likely to register a relevant .co.uk domain name rather than a .com domain name, says Sedo.

Research by the domain name marketplace revealed that nearly two thirds (63 percent) of small businesses register a relevant .co.uk website address compared to 53 percent that have registered the .com version of the same domain name.

Furthermore, .net and .biz are some of the least popular Top-Level Domains (TLDs) with just seven percent owning the .net version of their domain name and 10 percent registering the .biz equivalent.

Nearly a quarter (23 percent) of firms are using the .co.uk TLD to redirect to the master .com address.

"The research offers insight into the domain strategies of UK SMEs and highlights how small businesses are using domain names to expand their online footprint," said Nora Nanayakkara, business development director at Sedo.

"The findings should prove valuable to any company looking to make the most of its digital presence and the investments it makes online. Common pitfalls such as misspellings and confusion around the use of hyphens can be avoided if businesses take steps to make sure all search traffic is routed correctly."