Purchasing a generic domain name is a "good marketing spend", according to one industry expert.

Domainmonster.com says that although some domain names are expensive snapping one up can be "money well spent" for a small firm, as it will give them on online presence.

Matt Mansell, managing director of Domainmonster.com, said: "It's a marketing spend. Cruises.co.uk sold for a million dollars a couple of weeks ago.

"One of the reasons why they are achieving those prices is because the brands want the people who drive past some above the line advertising on the side of the road or on a billboard, to remember what they see, and follow it up."

He added that businesses can use their websites to publicise a ten digit telephone number, but said that ultimately, a web address is something everybody remembers, especially if it's relevant.

Generic domain names can be worth large sums of money when sold to a bidder who has a specific need for that web address, says Domainmonster.com.

The highest price paid for a .co.uk domain name was the £560,000 which www.cruise.co.uk paid for cruises.co.uk in January 2008, closely followed by recycle.co.uk, which was sold for £150,000 in October 2007.

In third place is .ink.co.uk, sold for £130,425 in 2007, while mobile.co.uk comes fourth after being snapped up for £120,000 last year, followed by .taste.co.uk which went for £110,000 in 1997, spearheading the trend.

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