I know .com is the best but what about the others?

Do not just focus on them, there are many more good ones

 

.com or Not to .com, That is the Question

From my experience, the answer to your question depends on what you want to do with the domain. You are either domaining (buying and selling domains) or you are using the domain.

Domaining
If you are domaining, then you need to be sure the domain you are considering will have value to someone else. The many new domain TLD's are so vast (plentiful) that it can devalue the name itself. I think the general rule should be to stay away from them. As you already know, .com will always be the most desirable, and therefore the most valuable. Among the mainstream alternatives, .org is also desirable, as may also be .net. Surprisingly (to me, at least), .info domains are also sought after. Also note that, no matter what TLD you choose, if the domain is not desirable, the whole point is moot because you won't be able to sell it.

Using The Domain
If you are purchasing a domain for your own use, the importance of the TLD is based on the way you do business. If people (your customers/visitors) need to "remember" your domain name, a .com is essential. For instance, if you advertise over the radio, in print, on a sign, etc... People will hear or read the domain, and (hopefully) remember it. People often forget the extension, and therefore a .com is always the way to go in this scenario.

On the other hand, if you are driving traffic from your online efforts (PPC, links, email lists, banner ads, etc.), then it does not really matter. So don't fret if the .com is taken. Search engines will treat the SEO process based on the keywords (the domain name itself), and not the extension. Therefore, if you know what you are doing as an Internet marketer, you can potentially rank high with a .whatever if you chose the right name and optimized your site properly. One word of caution though, this works best for a transaction (purchase or subscribe) at the time of the first site visit. If you are relying one your visitor to come back before subscribing or buying, then they very well may not find your site if they forget that it was not a .com. Once you have a buyer or a subscriber, they will be on your list, and your emails will remind them, with links, to come back to your site.

Personally, I prefer .com for my own websites. With that said, I sold my first domain two weeks ago (yeah baby!) and it was a .org! AND I received a bidder TODAY for another domain - which means it WILL SELL!! (Yeah, again!!). That domain is a .com.

I hope you find this helpful.
Scott