Which Is Better For Seo
When choosing a domain extension for your website, youll likely be concerned about SEO. Many webmasters wonder if choosing a .net extension might harm their SEO if their website is not network-based.
The good news is that search engines like Google do not give domain extensions any particular SEO value. Instead, domain labels are of far greater importance.
The best practice is to include a relevant SEO keyword in your domain label if you can.
In general, you shouldnt worry too much about using your domain name for SEO purposes. Instead, be sure to pursue a more complete SEO plan.
What Are The Top Domain Names
The top domain name TLDs are .COM, .ORG, .NET, .CO, and .US.
.COM domains are the most common on the web. They were originally designated for for-profit businesses but have become the most common choice for everyone nowadays.
When settling on a domain extension, you should likely pick a .COM if its available.
The .ORG extension was originally meant for not-for-profit organizations but nowadays is available to everyone. It remains most used by non-profit firms such as government organizations, charities, political parties, etc.
.ORG is a less popular domain extension than .COM, so theres a lesser chance of someone having already registered your desired domain.
.NET was initially meant for internet service providers or networks but is now available to the public. Its a good option for technology or web-based companies because the net implies network and technology.
.CO is a common domain name extension and a good substitute for .COM. Its typically associated with commercial ventures. However, its a less popular extension than .COM and the close similarity between .CO and .COM can confuse some users.
.US is the official domain extension of the United States of America . Its only available to permanent residents or businesses domiciled in the US.
Domain Pricing On Site Builders
Site builders are those services that do it all:
- They let you build a website yourself .
- They host the website.
- The vast majority of them will let you buy domain names as well.
Pros:
- Again, its often convenient to have everything in one place, and the site builder usually handles all the technical stuff.
- Almost all site builders offer free subdomains to start with.
- Not sure what a subdomain is? Weve got you covered.
Cons:
- Domain prices on site builders are often a little higher than on domain registrars but definitely more standardized compared to hosting companies.
- You may or may not have full control over your domain and how it works.
Observations
- All Jimdo domains are 20 euros per year, but there are not a lot of TLD choices. Depending on the plan, you can get a free domain for the first year.
Shopifys domain pricing is very what you see is what you get, with no hidden fees. And its definitely one of the more affordable places to get a .store or .shop domain.
- Square Online is only available in a few select countries. The list is expanding, but customers all over the globe should take note.
- While WordPress has low initial prices, there are super-high renewal prices.
- Zyros first-year prices are also lower, though the renewals are not as expensive as WordPress.
Note: The table below includes the name of the cheapest free plan on every site builder that offers a free domain for the first year.
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Also Check: Can I Buy A Domain Name That Is Trademarked
The Backbone Of The Internet
Verisigns role in the architecture of the internet is a product of history.
In the late 1990s, when the U.S. government sought to privatize the internet, the Commerce Department chose the company Network Solutions Inc. to manage the .com domain. Verisign bought the company and took over the agreement in 2000.
Since the beginning, the Commerce Departments NTIA and antitrust prosecutors at the Justice Department have tussled with Verisign over the price.
The government originally set a price cap of $9 per domain per year in April 1999, which it said reflected NSIs costs and a reasonable return on investment.
During the Bush administration, NTIA lowered the price to $6, but said the company could increase its fees by 7 percent in four out of every six years.
DOJ justified the price caps on the grounds that Verisign possesses significant market power, noting that individuals and companies view the .com suffix as the gold standard for websites.
When the Obama administration reviewed the contract in 2012, NTIA kept the price cap, then at $7.85, for the next six years, though it permitted Verisign to request an increase if its own costs rose. Before the U.S. government handover in 2016, Obama administration officials told Congress that Verisign was in talks to extend that $7.85 cap through 2024.
Then came President Donald Trumps administration, which maintained that the price controls were no longer needed.
But he disputed the idea that Verisign is a monopoly.
Com Vs Net Pros And Cons
If youre still debating between using .com vs .net, make sure to factor in the advantages and disadvantages that each may bring to your website. To help you out, were going to compare .com vs .net domain extensions in this section.
When it comes to using .com domain extensions, the main pros are:
- Memorable. The .com extension dominates domain addresses, making it more recognizable than other extensions. People will instinctively type the .com domain extension when looking for your site.
- Credibility. The .com domain will help present your website as business-oriented, helping to instill trust in customers.
- Easier to type. A lot of devices have a dedicated .com button on the keyboard for quick typing, making your address mobile-friendly as well.
- Affordable. This domain name extension is available from $8.99/year.
However, there are a couple of cons to consider:
- Unavailability. It can be tough to find a domain name with .com available, as many websites already use it. As a result, you may need to look for a different domain name. Domain name generators can help you come up with an idea.
- Too generic. If you provide services in a specific location or language, it might be more interesting to use a country-code top-level domain. It will help potential customers know that your business caters to their region.
As for the .net extension, some of its pros are:
On the other hand, using a .net domain name also has its cons:
Read Also: How To Create Email With My Domain
I/o Stands For Input/ouput Which Made It Popular In The Tech Scene
Since I/O stands for input/output, this TLD has become another great option for tech companies. In particular, founders who are bootstrapping a startup or simply working on a side project use alternative TLDs more often than they donât. The clear favorite here is dot io.
Dot com just doesnât seem as modern and contemporary to creative geeks. As a result of so many entrepreneurial minds working with these alternative TLDs, dot iosâ ranking in the top 10,000 domains increased by almost 2,000% in four years.
Why Are Io Domains So Expensive
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means, if you click on the link and purchase the product, I will receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Dont worry, I only recommend products or services that I have personally used and believe will add value to my readers.
Todays businesses, organizations, and individuals have expansive options when choosing a domain name for their website. Internet domain extensions or top-level domains can be almost anything, from the globally recognized .com and .net to the geographically specific codes, known as country code top-level domains , such as .us and .uk.
The extension .io is a ccTLD assigned to British Indian Ocean Territory. This domain is well-loved by the tech industry and often costs more than three times more than other domains. So why are .io domains so expensive?
.io domains are expensive because they quickly became trendy with tech startups due to their similarity with information processing, in tech circles, I/O stands for input/output. Another reason is that millions of .com domains are already taken, but corresponding .io domains are still available.
I did some research to find out if it was really that simple. Would people pay extra for a domain because it has cachet in their industry?
Heres what I found
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The Decision That Could Change The Web
A little over a month ago, ICANN agreed to a proposal to lift the previously installed price caps on .org domain name registration after the contract with its registry expired. In ICANNs new deal with PIR, it can now charge nonprofits and other individuals anything it would like to register a domain.
Similar price cap removals were also approved for domain registries Afilias and Neulevel, which run the .info and .biz TLD extensions, respectively.
This is despite the fact that when ICANN first made its proposal earlier this year, more than 3,500 comments were submitted by members of the public and 98 percent of them were in support of keeping price caps, according an analysis from Namecheap.
So, what does this mean for consumers? Can the .org registry now charge hundreds of dollars per year for a single domain name?
Yes, Public Interest Registry is now free to charge whatever price they determine for any .org domain name, confirmed Namecheap CEO Richard Kirkendall in an email. He also explained that PIR can now charge even more for registrations for specific names that it determines to be premium quality. While domain speculators already charge higher fees for premium domains on the aftermarket, this move would essentially cut out the middleman and allow the registry to directly profit.
Higher prices could be especially devastating to non-profits, a group including the YMCA, AARP, and NPR pointed out during the comment period.
Other Domain Extensions To Consider
When searching for a domain name, most domain registrars tend to suggest .net alternatives to popular .com domains. This may lead to the impression that .net is the only alternative to .com.
There are many more options to consider depending on your business type. Here are three popular extensions to consider:
Read Also: What Is The Difference Between Domain And Subdomain
How Do I Know If My Domain Is Valuable
Firstly you need to know that there is not an absolute way to estimate a domain names value exactly. What you can do is to check against the previous factors I mentioned and some other suggestions that I will mention now.
Domains that contain additional words or articles before or after the keywords decrease the value a lot. For example the domain insurance.com worth much more than theinsurance.com.
A good rule of thumb is to check previous sales of similar domains. You can visit that site for more information about recorded domain name sales namebio.com/.What you see as selling prices if you visit different domain marketplaces cant be considered as a good reference point since many domain name owners set the prices too high.
The domain valuation tools usually dont provide so good results and I believe that previous recorded sales and some common sense can evaluate better the price of a domain.
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.
When people arent sure which TLD a website uses, theyre much more likely to guess its .com than anything else.
In other words, .com domains are still thought of as the default.
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 it 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.
Recommended Reading: How To Check Domain Worth
Domain Costs Vary Considerably
Youll see a lot of different prices for domain options when you search at Namecheap. Namecheap offers domain options for as little as $0.99. But some top-level domains are much, much more expensive.
For example, do you want to register the TLD .sucks? Prepare to pay hundreds of dollars. And it doesnt stop there. A few domain options are even more expensive. Fittingly, youll have to be quite wealthy to buy a .rich domain, which will set you back almost two thousand dollars.
What Is Net Extension
.net domain name extension is derived from the network, which indicates that it is created for organizations involved in networking technologies.
The .net domain is the second most popular domain name extension. It is often presented as an alternative to .com when you try to buy a domain name that already exists. The .net domain name extension was initially meant to be used for network and network-related products.
Recommended Reading: How Much Do Domains Sell For
Why Are Domains So Expensive
1. Domains are expensive because they are a valuable commodity.
Domains are expensive because they are a valuable commodity. They are the equivalent of digital real estate, and just like with physical real estate, the value of a domain can fluctuate based on a number of factors. The most important factor is usually the location of the domain – a .com domain is usually worth more than a .net domain, for example. The length of the domain name can also affect its value – a shorter domain is usually worth more than a longer one. And finally, the overall popularity of the domain can drive up its price.
2. The cost of a domain reflects the value that it brings to a business.
A domain is an online address that allows customers to find a business on the internet. The cost of a domain reflects the value that it brings to a business. A domain can be an important part of a business’s branding and can help customers to find the business online.
3. Domains are a necessary investment for businesses that want to establish an online presence.
Domains are a necessary investment for businesses that want to establish an online presence. By registering a domain, businesses can create a unique identity on the Internet and control their own destiny in terms of branding and marketing. Additionally, domains can be used to create email addresses, build websites, and create online applications.
4. The price of a domain is also influenced by the costs of maintaining and protecting it.
When To Use Net Vs Com
As a rule of thumb, we recommend choosing the .com option if its available. Users trust .com names slightly more than any other TLD, and its the most well-known domain name extension on the market.
The only exception to that rule would be if the .com domain isnt available, but the .net option is. In that scenario, wed recommend going with the latter extension.
In practice, the difference between a .com or a .net domain is minimal. Theyre both TLDs that consumers know and trust. The same cannot be said for gimmick TLDs, such as .george or .ninja. Those extensions might sound fun, but theyre likely to have an impact on the way that users perceive your website.
Choosing a domain name can take a long time, so opting for .netinstead of going back to the drawing board can make sense. Sometimes, you also might be able to save a little money by registering a .net domain vs. its .com equivalent. However, those savings tend to be so minimal that it may not be a worthwhile tradeoff.
Remember that you can always change your domain name later if youre not happy with your first choice. However, transitioning to a new domain name brings several SEO challenges, so its not something that you should do lightly.
Recommended Reading: Is Tech A Good Domain
Premium Domain Name: Their Value And Why They Cost So Much
Why do premium domain names cost so much? What is the difference between a premium domain name versus a domain name?
Domain names are quite powerful entities in the world of the internet. In fact, they can make or break a business when an owner allows the domain name to expire.
If the owners fail to pay the domain name renewal fees, then the domains become the property of the domain registrar.
You may know this or have already experienced this costly lesson.
Nevertheless, expired domain names become available to the general public once again if no one purchases the domains in a public auction.
Expired domain names sometimes become the property of domain investors, known as domainers, or sometimes trademarked expired domain names end up in the hands of unethical cybersquatters.
However, no matter who owns a given domain name, there is a different class of domain names on the market known as premium domain names.
Typically, premium domain names were registered in the early to late 1990s. Some of these domains are actively developed. Others are parked, and a small percentage simply doesnt resolve to a web page.
In most cases, many of these valuable domains are redirected while others are parked in hopes that someone would come along want to purchase the domain name for their business.
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