What If The Com Domain I Want Is Already Taken
People tend to prefer the domain extension .com there is an undeniable familiarity with .com that you will not find with any other domain extensions. But do keep in mind that because of their popularity and demand, there might be a chance that the domain name you want is no longer available in the .com extension.
If the .com domain name that you want is already taken, you have a few other options:
The Best Domain Extension
The best domain extension should be chosen to help you create a stronger brand identity and improve results in your marketing. The only way you can make this choice is by deciding what is important to you, and how you want portray your website/business.
Lets start by going over the different types of TLDs you can choose from.
When People Remember The Top
This last factor is an interesting one:
When people remember the URL almost correctly when they remember the brand name but put the wrong domain extension at the end which domain extension do they say?
This helps us see how much of a bias people have in favor of each TLD.
For example, if the correct URL was mattressrankings dot net but they misremembered it as mattressrankings dot com instead, that would count as a point for the .com TLD.
The results of this test show an even bigger difference between .com vs other domains.
Heres the data:
First place again goes to .com, by far.
Out of all the wrong-but-almost-right answers, 57 of them said .com instead of the correct TLD. Thats 3.8 times more often than the next highest, .org.
This is strong evidence that .com domains are still thought of as the default.
When people arent sure which TLD a URL uses, theyre much more likely to guess .com than anything else.
The distant second place goes to .org, which people guessed only 15 times: 26% as often as they guessed .com.
Not shown on the chart above is the .co.uk domain suffix, which received two guesses but wasnt a subject of this study .
Key takeaway: People are 3.8 times more likely to assume a URL ends in .com than in anything else.
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How Domain Name Extensions Work
A web address is more than just its name. When you enter a web address into your browser, your local Domain Name System translates it from something readable like kinsta.com to a numerical IP address. For example, our main IP address is 104.18.0.153.
You probably wouldnt want to type in an IP address whenever you want to visit a website . Thats why we use domain names and DNS servers to make the process easier.
But just typing google or kinsta into your address bar would make it difficult to organize websites effectively. Enter TLDs like .ORG and .COM.
When you enter a domain name with a TLD like google.com, youre addressing the second-level domain google associated with the top-level domain .COM. Short for commercial, .COM is intended to group all commercial-related websites under a single domain or category.
However, thats not to say .COM is some big website you can visit. Instead, its more of a category that DNSs, web hosts, and Internet service providers use to keep the Internet organized. In addition to purpose-related categories like .COM and .ORG, other TLDs, such as .CO.UK, help associate websites with their geographic locations.
Of course, you dont necessarily have to be commercial to register a .COM domain, just as you dont need to be an organization to register a .ORG.
What Is A Domain Name
A domain name is the address of your website that peopletype in the browser URL bar to visit your site.
In our case thats bloggingwizard.com.
Without a domain name, people wouldnt be able to find you.
Notice how the domain name consists of two parts. Reading from right to left, you can see:
The TLD isessential for a domain to function, and you can choose from hundreds ofdifferent extensions.
The original top-level domains are: .com.net.org.int.gov.edu.mil etc.
Then there are country code top-level domains , including: .au .de .fr .in .jp .ph .uk etc.
And since 2011 we have a load more generic top-level domains , including: .tech.shop.biz.club.live.photography.music.cards.bike.agency.city.digital etc.
Although, as you can see in this table, .COM is by far the most popular TLD:
The SLD is whereyou can choose almost any name you want, as long as its not already beenregistered by someone else, to go in front of the domain extension.
So lets take a look at how you go about choosing andregistering your domain name.
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The Best Extensions For A Cost
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When you find yourself in need of a domain name, one of the first decisions to make is which extension you intend to use. This is an extremely important choice to make, as the right extension can help you reach your target audience more effectively. On the other hand, choosing a sub-par domain extension can saddle your website with a negative impression youll struggle to shake.
What Are The Best Domain Extensions?
To understand what separates one domain extension from the next, its important to understand precisely what these are. First of all, the word extension is not necessarily correct the suffix at the end of a domain name is technically referred to as the top-level domain, or TLD.Second, even the best TLD works in exactly the same way as another on a technical level. If thats the case, how can a best domain extension even exist?The answer lies in the purpose of domain names, particularly TLDs themselves.
The .com Extension
Consider An Alternative To .com: .net
Much like .com, .net has evolved into a fairly universal domain name that any website can use. Its not quite as well-regarded as .com, but its often a fine choice nonetheless.
The Colombian Country Code
Country Code Extensions
Governmental, Education And Nonprofit TLDs
Domain Extensions To Avoid
Consider A Domain Brokers Assistance
Other Domain Extension Options
The domain extensions above are a great place to start, but they arent your only options. In fact, there are more than 1,500 different TLDs available in addition to the five most common domain extensions already covered.
Below are some other popular options:
- .gov Limited to government agencies
- .edu Limited to educational institutions
- .info An open extension that is short for information
- .xyz An open extension available for general use
- .ly Country code for Libya, but used by many tech startups for creative spellings
- .site A newer, generic domain extension that recently reached over 1 million registers in 2019
There are a lot of considerations that go into picking out the perfect domain name. In addition to finding a name that reflects your personal or brand identity and is easy to remember and type you must also make sure the domain extension is available and aligns with your needs.
If youre looking to register a domain using one of the most common extensions, then you should consider GoDaddy. They have a large marketplace of domains, so you can find the perfect one to build your new website. The best part? You can also host your website with their WordPress Website platform, set up your site with ease and promote your business using the Digital Marketing Suite. Also, try our free Domain Name Generator to find your next domain name.
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Top 5 Most Common Domain Extensions In 2020
Top 5 most common domain extensions and the use of it
When choosing a domain name for your business, personal blog, forum, or website, there are a few important elements you need to consider. First, register a domain name that is easy for your target audience to remember, and doesnt have misspellings, numbers or hyphens. Next, youll need to get a domain name that reflects your brand or your business nature. It could be your name, slogan or keywords that you want to use to target your niche. Last but not least, its your domain name extension, one of the most important things to consider when choosing a domain name.
To give you a complete idea what domain extension to choose, weve compiled the 5 most common domain name extensions and the reasons to choose them. After reading this blog post, youll understand the differences among some of the most sought after domain extensions, and get the idea of choosing the one that would best suit your business.
Choosing more recognizable domain name extensions can help to boost your brand and SEO.
Here are the 5 most common domain name extensions:
.COM domain
When it comes to building backlinks for your website, a .com domain enjoys more advantages compared to a new or an unfamiliar domain extension. Thus when conducting a backlink campaign, youre likely to gain more interest and credibility using a .com domain compared to a TLD.
.ORG domain
.NET domain
.US domain
What Are Regulation Domains
A regulation domain is a type of domain name extension that is used to identify websites that are related to government or regulatory activities. These extensions can be registered by both individuals and businesses, so long as the content associated with the extension is principally related to the regulatory activity.
Some examples of popular regulation domain extensions are .GOV for government websites and .EDU for educational institutions. It is important to note that these extensions are restricted to specific types of organizations, so it is not possible to register a website with a .GOV extension if you are not affiliated with the government in some way.
Here is a breakdown of the three most popular regulation domain extensions:
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What Is A Tld
Domain extensions, also known as top-level domain names, are the letters that come after the dot in a web address, such as .com, .net, and .org. The most common extension is .com, followed by .net and .org. There are also a variety of specialty extensions, such as .edu for educational institutions and .gov for government agencies.
Avoid Hyphens If Possible
If your domain name is two words , you may want to separate the words with a hyphen for readability: www.example-site.com. But, keep in mind that use of hyphens also strongly correlates with spammy behavior and decreases domain name readability and memorability. For that reason, generally, no more than one hyphen should be used .
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So Which Domain Extensions Can You Use For Your Website
That depends on what type of organization youre running and which domain name extension youre looking at.
Domain extensions are either considered:
- Restricted you need to meet certain criteria to purchase one of these domain name extensions. Many of them have been paid for by an organization or set aside for certain groups.
- Unrestricted anyone can purchase a domain name with one of these extensions.
If you search on a domain name registrar like GoDaddy or Namecheap, you can pretty much guarantee that most of the results are unrestricted extensions:
One of the only types of restricted domains sold through sites like GoDaddy is a country domain extension. So, .us can be bought directly online, but you must prove that youre a permanent resident of the United States.
As for most restricted top-level domains, you typically need to be part of an organization, industry, region, or another type of group to get the domain extension. In addition, youre required to contact the top-level domain owner and walk through their unique vetting and purchasing process.
A great example is the .aero domain extension. This top-level domain was paid for, and is now sponsored by, an organization called Societe Internationale de Telecommunications Aeronautique . This sponsor has rules on its top-level domain, saying that in order to use it your company must be in the air transportation industry.
Top Domain Name Extension List 2022
Last updated on January 21st, 2022 by Editorial Staff | Disclosure: Our content is reader-supported. This means if you click on some of our links, then we may earn a commission. See how WPBeginner is funded, why it matters, and how you can support us.
Are you wondering which are the most popular domain name extensions?
Choosing a new domain name is a very important decision for every business. Your domain name extension is a big part of this decision and can influence your brand identity.
In this article, we will share the top domain name extensions, so you can choose the perfect extension for your new domain name.
What are Domain Name Extensions?
Domain name extensions, also called top level domains , are a part of the domain name thats to the right of the dot. So, with wpbeginner.com, the domain name extension is .com.
The right domain name extension can make it easier for people to find your WordPress website.
There are hundreds of different domain name extensions to choose from.
The two main types of top level domains are generic top level domains , and country code top level domains .
- Generic top level domains are the most common type of domain extensions including .com, .net, etc.
- Country code top level domains are commonly reserved for certain countries, but these can be used in certain cases, as youll see below.
Beyond the top domain name extensions, there are hundreds of additional new domain name extensions, like .app, .technology, .guru, and more.
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Trick #: Shop Around For The Url And Extension You Want
Generally speaking, any available domain name can be purchased from a reputable domain registrar, including the tools listed earlier in this guide. But some registrars only offer certain TLDs. This is usually the case if domain registration isnt the primary service offered by a particular platform.
So if the URL and domain extension you want cant be registered from the first place you looked, dont assume that its impossible to get. Shop around and look at other domain registrars. You can probably find what youre looking for elsewhere.
This is especially true if you want a really unique extension. You might not be able to get an extension like .wedding or .cool from a web hosting provider. But a service that specializes in domain registration will have more options.