.com or .net?

Well, yes, .com is better, but...

I've bought a domain that I really like. It's reasonably short, its brandable and it's easy to remember. The only drawback is it that the domain has a .net TLD. The domain is already listed in Google, so there's another plus.

Now, my partner is insisting that a .com address would be better, but the .com TLD for this domain is taken (parked domain, no site on it), so we'd have to find a new domain name, and neither of us are very good at thinking of them, so, what shall we do...

a) take a risk and try and find a .com, probably won't be as good a domain as the .net I own though
b) just stick with the .net, it'll be fine.

Thanks in advance.
Rep will be given to useful answers

 

if the domain is parked then why not contact the owner... do a whois lookup and find his email adress... he might sell it..

 

But nothing. Dot com is better.

Get good at thinking of them. Or go to someone who's good at thinking of them. Or start forum threads inviting suggestions for them.

You surely wouldn't want to start a business using the dot-net version of a name of which the dot-com version belonged to someone else anyway?! Hard to see this being the right thing to do, honestly, however you look at it.

My own starting-point for discussing this would be that if "my" dot-com is gone, I need to buy it or change the name.

Defeatist attitude! I'm sure you can come up with an even better one if you have to. And you do have to!

 

.net is an atrocious domain name for a few reasons: 1) it was intended to pertain to computer networking/IT related domains, 2) it is very hard to get a .net on page 1 of google for a competitive term (learned this lesson the hard way many times, until I broke down and did 301 redirects to a .com 3) the .com owner of your .net will always have the upper hand on you when it comes to type-in traffic 4) .net's are simply hard to brand (see point 1). Your logo will always have to say ".net" in it, like it or not.

 

.com above all. Even if it's less attractive than the .net.

 

For a business, .com is definitely the way to go. If it's just a personal domain I don't think it really matters, but if you're trying to sell something and get your product across, .com is what you need. Be creative. Or, like Paul suggested, see if the .com owner will sell you his/her address. Chances are, the answer is "Yes" but the price may be hefty. Supply and demand.

 

Try and contact the owner of the parked domain, as a compramise to your partner. If you can get that one go for it.

However in the .com vs .net area, you need to consider what kind of website you have. Would it be network related? Or commercial related? Undecided? Most people today now understand that .net is another option for website and if the domain is already listed and out of the sandbox, it is obviously more valuable than the .com one is.

Personally, I'd go for the .net since it is already publicsised.

 

contact the owner of the .com , if that fails, then back to the thinking lab because .com's make more sales then .net's. Thats just based on my research.

Overall it would be better if u had the .com and the .net.

 

Well, I'm definately going to contact the .com owner and see if he would be willing to sell it. If he doesn't, then I'll guess we'll go for a different .com and hold a contest for domain suggestions, or something like that.

We had always thought we might have trouble with people either typing in the .com or the .com even going a step further and stealing our traffic if we didn't buy it, hence coming on here to ask for some advice.

Just giving out reps now

 

def .com all they way. Especially people who do not have any computer knowledge dont like anything else other then .com

 

If you have the funds, an investment in both might be a really good way to go.

 

Yeah, that's what I'm hoping for, and also that he doesn't ask an obsurd (sp?) amount. Like I said, it's a pretty nice domain so I just hope we can be reasonable

 

Go with your natural instincts

 

Well mate, if you don't find something with .com than stick with the .net.. but mostly it turns out better if you just clear your mind and think about some good names!
It's very easy to find a better name

And if you really can't find a good .com (which is impossible )
Than use your .net

Greetz

 

Given how popular and how long .com's have been around, it is actually very possible to have a hard time finding a good .com domain that not only fits your nitch but isnt taken. You're right though, there are always alternatives.

 

If you have contacted the .com owner but he refuse to sell.
Then you should offer him a higher price such as $1000 for it.
I'm sure he will sell the domain to you.
And it worth it for $1000 for the .com

 

if can get .com is the best but doesn't mean .net is no good, i don't see obvious advantage on .com over .net from SEO point of view.

 

dot com is better

 

use whois lookup
and use .com
it will help u
or contact where is it host

 

Use .us mate