The Arrival Of Domain Name Extensions
Name servers arrived in 1984 long after the birth of the internet. Before this, domain names did not exist. Anyone who wanted a web address only got numbers. This, as mentioned above was very confusing and did not relate to what the website offered.
This meant a web address looked like this: 174.120.153.72, with the HTTP in front of it. These numbers do not mean much. It does not provide any information. The numbers are very hard to remember with them not giving away any information about what the website offers. It could be a website address for a news blog, a personal web space or store. Visiting the site was potluck.
Thankfully, this changed and today anyone can register a great looking domain name. For instance, instead of the numbers, the web address for someone selling clothing for dogs might be dogclothing.com.
If I were looking for clothing for my dog, though personally, this is something I detest, I would check out this website. With the name in the address, I immediately know the website sells clothing for dogs.
Today there are more than 800 different domain name extensions, with the main three choices being .com, .net, and .org.
Best Domain Name Registrar Bluehost
Bluehost is a hosting provider and domain name registrar specializing in WordPress sites. Since WordPress is by far the most popular website builder for businesses of all shapes and sizes, this is a good thing.
At Bluehost, you can get a .com domain for $11.99 a year and a .org domain for $8.99. However, you actually dont even need to pay a thing, because you get a free domain whenever you sign up for a basic hosting plan. At $2.95 a month, its a steal of a deal.
Despite being a cheap entry-level plan, it comes with great features like one-click WordPress installs, multiple email accounts, and domain privacy and security. Bluehost servers are also super-fast and reliable, and the companys customer service is top-ranked as well.
Fostering Credibility From Day 1
There is a certain level of sentimentality and trust attached to .org websites. This extension is popular with charitable causes and, in general, are not used for commercial purposes. Whatever the sentiment might be, if you want to establish trust, then you should consider buying a .org domain. You will still have to do a lot of work to gain your visitors confidence, but beginning with .org as your websites extension is a step in the right direction.
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Seo And Your Choice Of Domain Name
Now I want to turn to another aspect to consider when choosing a domain name. This is SEO, search engine optimization.
The easiest part of choosing a domain name is choosing between com vs net vs org. The part of the name before that is far more important to get right as it can affect SEO.
What I mean by this is the closer the domain is to the subject of the website, the better it works for SEO purposes. SEO = people finding your website in search engines.
There is a fine line here. It is important for SEO purpose but the domain name has to be people friendly too. The easiest way to bring SEO into a domain name is to take advantage of a keyword for the actual name. For example, if the website sells dog toys use the word dog toys in the domain name, if it sells computer parts use the keyword computer parts etc. Of course, this does not help you decide between com vs net vs org.
Registering Domains With Strikingly
Image taken from Strikingly user website
Did you know that Strikingly offers $24.95 domain credit for the first year if you’re subscribed to any yearly plan? Thats right! This is the best opportunity to maximize your new website! You have to take note that buying a domain is separate from your website subscription.
Now that you are ready to register, here is a step-by-step guide that you need to follow!
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Type Of Business Or Organization
Generally speaking, for-profit companies and stores should use .COM, and nonprofits and charities should use .ORG. Simple as that.
However, there are some exceptional cases. For example, software providers often use a .ORG if theyre open-source even if they accept donations or other revenue. Read on to the next section as we explore more of these cases in detail.
Make Sure Its Easy To Pronounce
As easily as your domain name rolls off the tips of your fingers, it should roll off the tip of your tongue.
This makes it easier for visitors to share your domain name by word-of-mouth and makes it easier for you to share your site with friends and potential customers.
You can test this the same way as with the spelling.
Write your domain name on a piece of paper and ask 10 people to pronounce it. If more than a few people struggle to pronounce it, you should simplify it.
Heres what to keep in mind: You want your domain name to be passed along easily by you and others. The only way for that to be possible is if its 1) easy to spell and 2) easy to pronounce.
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Domains Are Different From Urls
URL stands for uniform resource locator, and it contains a domain name along with other information.
An example of a URL would be https://rockcontent.com/blog.
The components before rockcontent guide the computer to the exact IP address of the website, while the term after the last backslash points to a specific page within the site.
What Are The Differences Between Domain Name Extensions
In the US, the most common types of domain extensions are .com, .org, .net, .gov, and .edu. Unique domain extensions are available as well, though are much less often seen.
Most likely, you already associate .gov domains with the US government and .edu domains with educational institutions. But what about the other three?
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When To Use A Net Extension
A .net extension is a popular option thats often recommended to buyers whenever the desired .com domain is taken. The .net stands for network and was originally designed for umbrella websites that serve smaller sites, such as web hosting companies.
If the .com name you want isnt available, find out if the current owner is in the same industry before settling for a .net. Thats because you dont want your customers becoming theres.
In general, the .net extension is trusted and perceived as authoritative by consumers. Its also been around enough that people can easily remember it.
From the SEO end of things, .net is better than other specialty extensions. But since it isnt quite up there with .com and .org extensions, you might not get the same benefits as using those alternatives.
If your ideal .com name isnt available, .net is typically a strong second choice.
What Is A Domain Extension
There are two parts to every domain name: the name and the extension. Together, these form the address of your website on the internet.
The name, also known as the second-level domain, is the unique identifier of the website. The domain extension comes after the second-level domain. Domain extensions are also referred to as the top-level domains, or TLDs. These terms are used interchangeably.
While the second-level domain signals the name of your brand, the domain extension specifies the entity that your website represents. HubSpots top-level domain is .com because were a business.
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The Best Domain Registrar: How We Choose Them
- Pricing structures can be complicated. A low headline figure could become expensive on renewal, for instance. Prices vary between domain extensions, too, so a registrar that offers great value for a .com domain might give you a poor deal on when it comes to .org.
- There may be extra costs for tasks like transferring your domain to another registrar, too. Read the small print before you sign up.
- Look for any bundled or optional extras. A Whois privacy service prevents your address, phone number and email address appearing as public contact details for the domain, something which could otherwise get you a significant amount of spam email and phone calls. We’ve seen this cost as much as $11.20 a year, but several registrars provide it for free.
- Many domain registrars offer hosting as an extra, but keep in mind that web hosting companies can also register domains. If you have an idea of which web host you’d like to use, check the details of its plans: you may be able to register a domain for free when you buy hosting, and that’s often the cheapest option.
- Finally, take a look at the support a registrar offers. You may never need any help at all, but if anything critical crops up maybe an issue which might cause a problem with renewal it’s important that your provider is on hand to ably assist.
- Balancing all these priorities can be tricky, so that’s why we’ve created this list of top domain registrars to help point you in the right direction.
Why Whois Privacy Is Important
Without going too in-depth to what ICANN and WHOIS are, suffice to say its the nonprofit corporation that is responsible for keeping the internet secure and the naming structure of websites as it is. It requires anyone who registers a domain to provide accurate identifiable contact information, including name, address, email and phone number. Not everyone is comfortable with that information being public.
Domain registrars have found a way to keep your info safe and still provide ICANN with the info they need. These domain privacy features replace your information with the registrars info, at least publicly. Anyone can look up who registered a domain name, so having domain privacy can reduce spam for you, and keep you safe.
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Net Vs Com Differences
The most obvious difference between a .net and a .com domain is their purpose, as they were created for network and commercial sites. If your goal is to provide internet-based services or networking platforms, such as creating a forum, you should buy a .net domain. On the other hand, if your goal is to make money online, whether it is with a personal blog or an eCommerce website, youll want to purchase a .com domain name.
However, with nearly half of all domain names registered with a .com extension, .net has risen as the go-to alternative for unavailable web addresses. With time, the semantic differences have significantly diluted and the original purposes of these TLDs are no longer the main difference between the two. When it comes to comparing .net vs .com in 2022, the most significant distinction is the effect each of them has on mobile websites.
While choosing a .net or .com extension does not impact your site’s SEO capabilities, mobile browsers UI design can negatively affect sites with a .net domain. Most smartphone keyboards have a button dedicated to domain extensions, but as youve probably noticed its default option is always .com. As a result, searching for .net domains is more time-consuming and less user-friendly. With mobile accounting for more than half of all online traffic, this small detail can have a significant impact on the success of your site.
Register A Domain Name
Once youve found a registrar, use their search tool to find, register, and buy your domain name. Youll usually need to set up an account and provide a form of payment.
When registering, be sure to check for multi-year discounts or hosting packages. You should also choose WHOIS protection, which will hide your personal information from domain registries.
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Pick A Web Host And Cms
Now that you have a domain name, its time to link it to a website. The first step is to rent server space from a web host.
Though there are many web hosts available, many registrars also offer hosting packages. Unless you have special hosting requirements, its often more convenient to buy hosting from your domain registrar. However, if youre using WordPress, youll probably need managed WordPress hosting.
Finally, its time to go live! While theres a lot involved in publishing a website, using a Content Management System such as WordPress can simplify the process.
If youre wanting to change your current domain extension, theres a way to do that too. Check out our guide on how to change your domain.
What Is The Advantage Of A Org Domain Name
In a world dominated by .coms an ad agency decided to promote a financial services company as being different to show their non commercial / non-profit nature. 99 times out of 100 a .com is better than a .org, but if you can get a name that costs a million for the .com and only pay a few grand for the .org version and then add $998,000 of marketing to it I think the .org comes out on top.
Using a .org can also make your business look more trustworthy if you are offering a free service and/or are a quasi non-profit. A large part of the current price differential between .com, .net, and .org names is that those who are the biggest domain buyers do not have much development talent or intent to develop them. As a PPC lander page it is hard to earn much as a .net or .org.
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Net Vs Com And More: What’s The Best Domain Extension
Your domain name is the face of your website and your online brand its the first thing visitors learn about your website. Every domain name is unique, but the best ones are relevant, familiar, and easy to remember.
domain extension
So, whats the right domain extension for your site? In this guide, Ill review and compare some of the most well-known extensions you can use to cap off your domain name. And dont worry if youre unsure what a domain extension actually is. Well start there.
Us Domains History And Ranking
This domain was created for US based individuals, companies and websites. You must be a US citizen, a permanent United States resident, or a US entity such as organizations and corporations. Additionally, any business or corporation with a bona fide presence in the USA may register. Lastly, you cannot WHOIS protect a .US domain which makes it a deal breaker for almost everyone.
You would think these strict, exclusive requirements would improve ranking, right? Wrong. I personally bought a .US domain and waited for months in order to achieve ranking. I watched junkier .NET and .INFO outrank my articles day after day. I finally gave up and retired my .US domain name in favor of a .COM. Needless to say, traffic and ranking immediately shot up after creating my suitable 301 redirects and getting indexed.
.US? Never again. Not recommended for anything or anyone. Its high price and restrictions dont allow the throw away usage recommended for .INFO domains, either.
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