This is my feeling on the entire subject. .net is a perfectly acceptable domain extension, it is valid and I have never really heard of .net domains as disrespectful. However, the majority of internet users when typing in a web address will by reflex use the .com extension. So, if you only have one domain and it is .net, the odds are pretty good a person typing your web address in their browser window will type xyz.com and not .net, leading them to never reach your website. For the domain name you really like, would it still make sense if you added the two letters va (for virtual assistant) after it? You can always purchase your second choice domain and keep an eye out for your favorite (they expire, so at some point down the road you may be able to purchase it). One other piece of advice, buy both .com and .net domain extensions for the domain you choose. Domains can be purchased pretty inexpensively...this way you are covered should a person use the .com OR .net extension when typing in your web address. Get both .com and .net domain names at cheap rate here: a reliable Domain Registration service. The Service Friendly, efficient service is always on tap. Ask us anything! We’re here to help you make the most of your internet experience.
Honestly, how many people type in the address? Depends on what kind of website it is and where the traffic comes from. If the majority of traffic comes from search engines than there is no real need to worry about whether it is a .net or .com. Yes, .com domains are more popular as that used to be the standard. However, as the net has grown people are coming more aware of these other domain extensions also. My thoughts!
Most traffic comes from search these days - however, there are some big sites that run from .net sites such as www.vps.net & www.hivelocity.net etc.
if you were thinking of snapping up various extensions of your domain name then I would strongly encourage the .co extension as this is designed to 'take over/follow on' from the saturated .com market. the extension is also interpreted around the world for words like commerce, company, corporation and community. big names have registered their .co's such as twitter, amazon, apple and overstock and even after just 7 months of being released, generic .co domains have been sold for $20-30,000
Good question! My thoughts reflect what the other posters on this thread have said. The actual domain extension doesn't really matter all that much any longer since most people will find your site based on some link they have happened across. Ideally, you want to have a .com address if at all possible but there's no need to stress out about it. A .net or even a .org will work just fine. It's far more important to have your major keyword as part of the the address as this is a significant indicator to the search engines about what your site is all about. Second to the domain name would be a backlinking strategy to give your site some link 'juice." Best, --JR
I've heard of people ranking all sorts of TLD's. Just search for "SEO Services". Seo-Services.us is ranking VERY HIGH...
I would ideally not let another company own .com if you are dealing with an English speaking audience in America. Then again really matters more how users are finding you.
It doesn't matter which extension you would choose, because they have a little effect on bring traffic to website.
Exactly, I rarely type an address in. And when I do, it autocompletes after a few characters before I ever get to the domain extension.
My take on this is NO since most of us search for info and products. That is why SEO is such a hotly discussed topic. Get your site to rank well with the Search Engines. A com, net, co or org is a personal WANT and not NEED. We are so used to a .com... and once all the .com dries up.. the market will accept the next prefered which is org or net?
I don't think that .com domain is important.Your visitor will depend on your marketing not domain name
i am getting same revenues from .com and .info domains its not the tld which matters its actually targeted traffic which makes a lot of difference
The domain extension doesn't really matter but it is always the best to get a dot com domain because not everybody are aware that net, info or us tlds are existing unless you are an internet savvy.
Even if your .info domain has quality content, it can make good money than .com domain name. Content matters!
I'm pretty sure that Top Leve Domain like .com. .net and .org will give more attention to serach engine to rank our site
We've had mixed success with our .info sites as compared to .com. That could just be our focus, but my gut tells me the .com's are a little bit more respected since Godaddy.com has the .info's for $1.99 to get started.
think a .net is just as good as a .com. But, there is a perceived authority with a .com and that is why so many use that extension. Perception online is sometimes more important than reality.