To capture users’ interest, you need to choose the best domain name and extension, which is relevant to your business and brand. Whether it is ".com", ".org", or ".in" is the main character of your online presence. From the extension, your visitors perceive your brand, even before landing on the website. 

Choosing the top-level domain (TLD) is not an easy task for any brand, and in this blog, we will guide you on how to select the best domain name and extension. We will also compare the most common domain ".com" with others so that you get an idea and pick up the best TLD.

Let's begin.

What is a Domain Name?

So, what is a domain name? Well, the domain name is the unique name that represents your website. It is the address of your website. Visitors will type the domain name first to search your brand online. It plays a huge role in the search engine rankings so that people find you easily while looking for services that your brand offers.

A domain name is divided into two parts:

The name

The extension

Take Glancesys, for example:

https://www.glancesys.com/

Here, Glancesys is the name of the website address, and ".com" is the domain extension.

Domain name and extension taken together formed the address of your website on the internet.

What is a Domain Name Extension or Top-Level Domain (TLD)?

The domain extension is known as the suffix of the main domain name or sometimes as the second-level domain. The domain extension is known as top-level domain or both are used interchangeably. 

Types of Domain Extensions

As we know what domain extension is, here are the types of domain extensions you should be aware of:

Generic Domain Extensions

Sponsored Domain Extensions

Country Code Domain Extensions

Type 1 :  Generic Domain Extensions

As the name carries the word "generic", which means universal, it means the most used extension all over the world. Yet, the most powerful extensions represent business online presence. Some of the most popular and common extensions are .com, .org, and .net.

You can easily buy any of these extensions from famous hosting websites like GoDaddy, Bluehost, and Hostgator.

Examples:

Commercial Websites : www.xyz.com

Network : www.xyz.org

Non-Profit Organizations : www.xyz.net

Business Website : www.xyz.biz

Type 2 :  Sponsored Domain Extensions

Sponsored Domain Extensions can be used by selected organizations only. These organizations have to fulfill the terms and conditions to be a part of this extension. 

Some of the common and well-known examples of these organizations are schools, colleges, universities, and other government bodies. Only certified organizations can use these extensions, which include ".edu" and ".gov". 

Examples:

Government Agency: www.xyz.gov

Education Institutions: www.xyz.edu

Type 3 :  Country Code Domain Extension

From the phrase country code, it is clear that this extension is used specifically to represent their country. Most countries have two letter extensions to represent their country code with the location of the organization.

For example, the Indian country-code extension is ".in", which most of the startups, organizations, and enterprise-level organizations use to showcase that they are based in India.

Examples :

India : www.xyz.in

Australia : www.xyz.au

What does .com mean?

The .com extension was initially introduced as an E-commerce extension. However, today, it is used as a commercial extension. Whenever you will pass through any of the .com extensions then more than half of the websites might be serving commercial purposes. 

However, due to its growing popularity, it is becoming the preferred choice for individual websites as well. For example, bloggers, personal websites, and small organizations are using it too. 

There is only one disadvantage of this extension, that is, ".com" is not easily available. Half of the time, it is already taken. So your domain name should be unique enough to get a ".com" extension.

What does .net mean?

The .net is the second most popular TLD after the .com extension. It gained popularity a few years back. It stands for "network" which is designed to focus on network-based technology websites such as email services, ISPs, and database services. It is the second choice after .com and is a widely used extension all over the world.

Many businesses move to .net when the .com extension is engaged as per their business demands. So, next time whenever .com is taken by others, you can go for the .net extension.

What does .org mean?

The .org extension was initially introduced for non-profit organizations. However, this extension is used by many other organizations which include non-profit organizations, education service providers, open-source software projects, foundations, and charities. 

There are no restrictions in using .org extensions, however, organizations using this extension are most probably to be non-commercial ones. 

What does .co mean?

The .co extension among top-level domains, which stands for "company" & "corporation". This extension is popular among online businesses. It was introduced in 2010, as the alternative to the .com extension, in case .com or .net is already taken, users can go for .co. 

The .co extension is better paired with the country code extension, for example, www.xyz.co.in or www.xyz.co.au 

What does .biz mean?

As the name suggests, the .biz extension is used to represent businesses. It is the least popular extension on the list and a cost-effective one. Though it falls under generic extension, the .biz extension is used for E-commerce and business websites. 

.Com vs Other TLD Extensions: Comparison

Is .com superior to all the extensions? Or you can go for other TLD extensions? We will help you to find the answer in this article.

Here, you will find one-on-one comparisons between .com and other domains. After going through these sections you will have a clear vision of which one is best for your brand.

.Com vs .Net: What is better?

The .com and .net extensions are both used for online business purposes. The most common difference between these two extensions is that .com is used for "commercial" and .net is used for "network" sites. 

If your business purpose is to offer networking services like forums and community sites, then you can go for the .net extension. On the other hand, if your business purpose is to offer commercial services such as E-commerce or personal blog websites, you can go for the .com extension.

It is found that less than 4% of websites use the .net extension, which means that nearly half of the domain name is registered with the .com domain extension. The .net extension is only used as an alternative when .com is unavailable. 

Most people assume that your business extension is .com. So when you reveal your business name they might land on a blank page, as they will go for .com instead of .net. 

Since .com is most common and popular, it inspires your website to gain confidence. This is something that other extensions can't do.

Final Note: The .com is the most popular and common, as compared to the .net TLD extension. If you have an option to choose between .com and .net, then you should go for the .com extension. In case, .com is not available then you can pick .net.  

.Com vs .Org: What is better?

As of now, it is clear that the .com extension is for commercial purposes. Talking about the .org extension it is used by non-profit organizations, open-source software projects, online educators, foundations, and charities. 

If you are planning for an online business, and by mistake, you go for the .org extension then you might lose all the credibility of your website. Websites with .org extension are generally associated with non-profit platforms.

If your organization is only for a non-profit division, then you can consider for .org extension which will be useful for your organization to represent your brand purpose. 

Final Note: Both the extensions are unique and represent a different meanings. So if your business is for commercial or to earn revenue purposes then you can go for .com. In case, your brand is for social service or mankind, you can go for the .org extension. 

.Com vs .Co: Which is better?

The .com and .co are rivalry extensions for business websites. 

Due to the same terminology between .com and .co extension, it becomes challenging for .co business owners to establish their business online. Mostly, users assume the .co extension as .com and they land at the wrong address. Even Google also suggests websites with .com extensions rather than .co extensions. 

The .co extension is known as the most expensive domain extension among all the extensions. This means that you can only go for the .co extension, in case the .com extension is not available. 

Final Note: Both .com and .co are useful in their possible way. However, if you have an option to choose between two, you should go for .com, otherwise, you can go for the .co extension.

.Com vs .Biz: Which is better?

An online business using the .biz extension shows that the primary objective of the website is sales. It is a good option for businesses if there is no alternative available for them. The .biz is cheaper and does not require renewals as compared to other extensions. 

Whereas, using .com gives your business authenticity and the opportunity to promote your products and services, with other activities such as news publication, blogs, forum creation, Q&A websites, etc.

Final Note: Websites with .biz extension mean they are dealing with an online business. However, it is cheaper compared to the .com extension. You can go for the .biz extension, in case .com or .net extensions are taken.

Is .com extension more trustworthy and memorable with .co, .net, org, .biz, and other domain extensions?

The research conducted by GrowthBadger in Feb 2021, shows that .com is the most trusted domain extension, followed by .co in the second place.

The research also shows that the .com extension is 33% much easier to memorize as compared to other domain extensions. 

People are 3.8 times more likely to remember .com in the end, even though the domain extension is different.

Does the Domain Extension affect SEO?

The common dream that every website owner might have is to rank their website on the top SERPs, which motivates them to aim only for TLD extensions. However, the questions arise: 

Does a website's SEO ranking depend upon a particular domain?

Do .com extensions perform better at quick ranking on search engines?

Both the question answers are no.

Your website's domain extension does not affect your SEO ranking. Even owning the most popular extension might not help you to rank at the top of the results page. 

Google has confirmed that it does not consider domain extensions in the ranking metrics.

The only way to rank your website on the search engine result page is by following SEO techniques: On-page, Off-page, and other technical SEO concepts.

So, which TLD extension is perfect for your business?

In this article, we have introduced you to all the domain extensions and compared each of them with the most popular .com extension. We have also mentioned that domain extension will not affect your SEO rankings. 

We hope that you have got better information related to domain extensions so that you can pick one as per your business needs. If you are looking for a web and mobile app development company, feel free to reach out to Glancesys Information Technology Pvt. Ltd., India’s leading digital marketing service provider.