Do .com domains hold more value than .net/.org?

[Jay Gould]

I've always argued this with myself when buying a new domain and I can never come to a solid conclusion. Sometimes I can find a valuable domain which has the .com take but has a .org variable open, but I still sit back and think it doesn't seem "right".

Does anyone else have this first world problem at all?

 

[Quags]

I use all types, but I think in the end .com is just preferable. Its the de-facto extension.

 

[hydrlon]

I believe godaddy finds value in specific domains, because if you go and try to register a domain on their site, some domains like .me or .tv are WAY less than .com domains if they're available.

 

[Henry33]

I think the value of the extension depends upon the intent of the webpage. .COM is the most common, recognizable and trusted domain endings. Most people say they are no different in ranking, even though I personally believe a .COM will rank over the rest any day. Some people say that . NET ranks over .ORG. I take that with a grain of salt because I believe there is too much we do not know about that part of search engine algorithms.

I will almost always go with a .COM. I would prefer a variation on the URL as a .COM than have to go with one of the others. If I do go with something else, I choose .NET. I think .ORG can cause too much confusion and misinterpretation on the side of the user, so I generally avoid it.

 

[andrewt]

A .com does seem more appealing, but if you plan on opening a successful website, you should buy all the extensions, just in case. You wouldn't want someone to take advantage of your success later on. As a first choice whoever, I usually go with .com yes.

 

[Jatelo2]

A .com does seem more appealing, but if you plan on opening a successful website, you should buy all the extensions, just in case. You wouldn't want someone to take advantage of your success later on. As a first choice whoever, I usually go with .com yes.

I don't understand. Are you saying that I should buy all the available extensions for my domain? The cost factor aside, how will I use them on one blog or should I launch other blogs and assign a .Net or .org and so on? Just asking because this has been very confusing matter for new webmasters like me.

I'd really appreciate your help with this..

 

[mark edwards]

Jatelo2 - it might not be a bad idea to pick up the other extensions. if your name really takes off, you may find yourself trying to buy those domain names with dot-org and dot-net at a much higher price! too bad i didnt keep facebook.org and facebook.net when i had them!

but i am in the dot-com camp myself. if anything its easier to remember, like Quags indicated.

side-note: 1and1.com has the $1 dot-info names. they are great for experimenting around.

 

[himagain2]

All good comments here on this vexing subject, people! Here's my last 20 years (yes) experience:
Dot COM is the world's default.
Virtually all Search Engines will react to an input of just a name and automatically search for WWW.Name.COM So hypothetically you could miss out on a million dollar deal if I owned getrich.COM and you only owned getrich.net. (Or one of the million others out there now) My listing would come up first.
I understand that Google gives a high plus rating to COM over all others. (They used to discount any sub-domains automatically. (hostname.com/getrich).
Everyone fears their business being hijacked by someone with a similar name: gOtrich.com, who will pick up on your advertising.
Won't happen till you are buying a million visitors per month. That's what the ratfink thieving criminals out there concentrate on.
My advice? Forget it. Get as close a name as makes descriptive sense and focus on your product - or more precisely, what that mysterious market out there wants. AND there is no telling. Just look at Twitter, or Apple, or tatoos, or body-piercing......

If you are a small or boutique type business, use your own name: www.FinkelsteinFasterFashion.com and get to work canvassing.

 

[mikelouis]

Yes they have more value but with the trend of Google ever changing their algorithms, am sure they will not be that important. These days all we look for is quality in a site not the domain name.

 

[bauss]

No they don't, there's just a lot more .com sites, because it's the most commonly known domain extension. I would never use .net extension for my main site for that reason.

 

[Rohan99]

I don't think so but .com is just preferable and many people are just use the websites with that extension. The most popular form of extension therefore means that you are better off using it for your website. When you tell a person the name of a website then automatically think it ends with a .com.

 

[Dez97]

Normally when I look at sites, I think .com has an upper hand over .net or even .org. People see .org they think old at least I do. I see .net I think umm up and coming probably won't be going to far but in some cases I am wrong and in other cases I am very right. .com just says business up and running to me, and that's why I prefer them more. Then again that's just me everyone is different.

 

[ShaneVP]

When it comes to value I would say yes, .com holds more value over others. When it comes to people looking for a domain for their website, the majority of people will search for an available .com domain and do not want to settle for a domain other than a .com. I have 1 .co.uk website and one with .com, I will be searching for a new domain for my website so instead of co uk it'll have a .com website.

 

[themonk3y]

I have read that your domain extension does not effect your search engine ranking but I still prefer to go with a .com domain because most of the popular website use the .com extension and it is the most widely used. I even read some sort of a study which showed that people were more likely to visit a .com domain than other extensions.

 

[Jacobr5000]

I believe .com holds much more value. Generally, people will assume your website is a .com if you do not specify. Of course, not all .com domains are better than all .net/.org domains. thisismywebsiteandiliketopostonit15612.com is certainly not as good as blog.org. It all depends on your name.

 

[themonk3y]

I believe .com holds much more value. Generally, people will assume your website is a .com if you do not specify. Of course, not all .com domains are better than all .net/.org domains. thisismywebsiteandiliketopostonit15612.com is certainly not as good as blog.org. It all depends on your name.

It happens to me all the time. I always end up putting a .com at the end of the domain most of the time it lands on a completely different website and some time the domain is not registered by anyone so nothing happens. Shorter domain names no matter what extension they are from are better that bigger domain names.

 

[elmarianexx]

I believe godaddy finds value in specific domains, because if you go and try to register a domain on their site, some domains like .me or .tv are WAY less than .com domains if they're available.

Godaddy sucks in my opinion by the way.
I think that .com domains are the most valuable.

 

[licklozay]

I think that.com is definitely the best and most valuable once there. For me personally I find it hard to remember when a particular site is a dot org site. Something about org feels a bit unnatural for me. And I am an avid computer user so for me it worries me how it comes across with trickles down to use is that really struggle with computers. And to be honest it is a huge population I really don't know their ways around computer in the same way some of us more experienced users do. So basically having a.com website really helps bridge this gap.

 

[calebmelvern]

I have read that your domain extension does not effect your search engine ranking but I still prefer to go with a .com domain because most of the popular website use the .com extension and it is the most widely used. I even read some sort of a study which showed that people were more likely to visit a .com domain than other extensions.

This. I think it's really just a psychological thing. When it comes to websites, people generally think of .com. But this doesn't meant that .net and .org are more difficult to rank in the search engines. I always check my competition when I find a new keyword and I have been battling against these domains for many years now.

 

[Profit5500]

I believe godaddy finds value in specific domains, because if you go and try to register a domain on their site, some domains like .me or .tv are WAY less than .com domains if they're available.

Buying a domain whether its .me, .org, or .gov I do not think that matters. I feel that .com is just that common and many site owner use it since it is that easy to find. I guess the .com domain just attracts more users but I am not sure.

 

[themonk3y]

This. I think it's really just a psychological thing. When it comes to websites, people generally think of .com. But this doesn't meant that .net and .org are more difficult to rank in the search engines. I always check my competition when I find a new keyword and I have been battling against these domains for many years now.

I agree it is just a psychological thing. Search engines do not take in to account your domain extension when ranking your website in search results. I have seen a person who ranked his .info domain over a .com domain in the past for a number of keywords. In the end it is the hard work and your unique content that matters no your domain extension.

 

[Rohan99]

I also think that a .com domain name is easier to remember and it also looks more professional to most internet users who don't understand what the other domain names represent. People have become used to .com and so having that extension for your website is a great choice.

 

[cameronpalte]

They seem to be more valuable. I personally have found that .com is more common so people are more willing to use it and .com domains from my tests also seem to get better rankings quicker unless you have a super high leel domain (.gov or .edu)

 

[Profit5500]

I agree it is just a psychological thing. Search engines do not take in to account your domain extension when ranking your website in search results. I have seen a person who ranked his .info domain over a .com domain in the past for a number of keywords. In the end it is the hard work and your unique content that matters no your domain extension.

Search engines just pick search results regardless if it is .com or .gov sites. I feel that sites like Google would just pick up sites and arrange them however they so please. So even if it is a gov site that would not impact the position of your website.

 

[themonk3y]

Search engines just pick search results regardless if it is .com or .gov sites. I feel that sites like Google would just pick up sites and arrange them however they so please. So even if it is a gov site that would not impact the position of your website.

I read some time ago that Google has divided the queries in to two different categories one where the user is searching for a specific brand or a company for example if they type the name SONY in the search result the first result would be website of SONY it self. You can rank 1st for the search term no matter how hard you try. The second ones are where users are searching for relevant information. In this case Google does not take in to account anything it just displays the results. Your domain name mattered in the past where having the keyword in the domain could be an advantage but not today. Google is improvising day by day to tackle sites which are using black hat tricks to rank better in Google.

 

[calebmelvern]

@themonk3y I agree that Google is getting better and better at punishing sites that use blackhat techniques to rank. They still have a long way to go but they have surely improved. One thing I don't like, though, is how they prioritize brands over small sites. It's just unfair in my opinion. But that's another discussion.

Going back to the topic, as long as you provide valuable content to your readers, you shouldn't worry about getting a .com or whatever domain. Just prioritize user experience and you should do great.

 

[Profit5500]

Google sounds like they are being sneaky just to destroy the SEO so marketers would fail. I mean Google should get real and leave SEO alone. If they want to get somewhere they should work keeping the system stable.

 

[Dez97]

I use all types, but I think in the end .com is just preferable. Its the de-facto extension.

Yes, when you see .com it simply just screams "This is better"!

 

[VinayaSpeaks]

.com is the first domain therefore, people seem to be trusting more. However, .com, .net and .org all are top level domain and search engine trust these extension more than geographic or niche domains.

 

[djinter]

Its just about instinct. If you have a brand say "Superglue", people will instinctively search for or try to access "Superglue.com".

The trick is to know when and how to buy that .com domain name for cheap.