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Owning a website has become a critical business need, and no one is immune from it – not even an established business like Amazon or Goldman Sachs. But while setting up a website, it is crucial to choose the right TLD extension for the simple reason that your website will represent your business for the foreseeable years. Trust us; you do not want to get stuck with the wrong one!

Choosing the right TLD is critical for your business niche, and in this blog, we will show you how. Read on to learn what a TLD or domain extension is and the different types of TLD extensions you can choose from. We will make a one-to-one comparison between .com websites and other websites to give you a comprehensive understanding of the TLD extension that is right for you.

Let’s begin.

What is a Top Level Domain (TLD) or Domain Name Extension?

The name of a website is known as the second-level domain. It is the unique identifier of the website. The domain name extension follows the second-level domain. It is referred to as a top-level domain or TLD, and both terms are often used interchangeably.

Types of Domain Extensions:

Now that we know what a domain extension is, here are the three types of domain extensions you should be aware of:

• Generic Domain Extensions
• Sponsored Domain Extensions
• Country Code Domain Extensions

TLD Extension Type 1: Generic Domain Extensions

Generic Domain Extensions are the most commonly-used extension category. Most online businesses in India and across the world use a generic domain extension. Popular extensions are .com, .org, and .net.

You can easily buy a generic domain extension by signing up for a domain name on domain hosting websites like Bluehost, Hostgator, and GoDaddy.

Examples:

• Commercial Websites: www.xyz.com
• Network: www.xyz.org
• Non-Profit Organizations: www.xyz.net
• Business Website: www.xyz.biz

TLD Extension Type 2: Sponsored Domain Extensions

Sponsored Domain Extensions are domain extensions that only a select few organizations can use. You need to fulfill the qualification criteria to use these extensions as part of your website name.

Some common examples of sponsored domain extensions include .gov and .edu. Only certified educational institutions like universities and colleges are allowed to use the .edu domain extension. On the other hand, the .gov domain extension is explicitly used by government agencies.

Examples:

• Government Agency: www.xyz.gov
• Education Institutions: www.xyz.edu

TLD Extension Type 3: Country Code Domain Extensions

Country Code Domain Extensions are country-specific domain extensions. Most countries have unique two-letter domain extensions to showcase the location of the organization.

For example, many Indian-based organizations, startups, and enterprise-level organizations use the .in extension to showcase that they’re based in India.

Examples:

• India: www.xyz.in
• United Kingdom: www.xyz.uk
• Russia: www.xyz.ru

What does .com mean?

Initially designed for eCommerce extensions, the .com domain extension is increasingly used for commercial websites today. If you come across any website with a .com extension, it most likely means that the business is a commercial website.

However, the growing popularity of this extension has made it the preferred choice for independent players too. In addition to eCommerce and business websites, you will come across blogs and personal websites using a .com extension.
This shows that a .com website owner may not necessarily be someone who runs a business or an eCommerce platform. For ecommerce websites, .com is the top level domain extension preferred. You can get professionally designed top-level ecommerce websites from a reputed ecommerce website design company.

What does .net mean?

The .net LTD extension stands for network. It was originally envisioned for websites specializing in network-based technology such as ISPs, email services, and database services. It is second in popularity after the .com extension and is widely used across countries and organizations.

In recent years, the .net has begun to inhabit equal importance as the .com extension, and many websites have started using this extension if their preferred .com domain is already claimed.

What does .org mean?

The .org extension was initially envisioned and explicitly designed for non-profit organizations. However, this limitation has been recently lifted and made more accessible to foundations and charities, education service providers, open-source software projects, and not-for-profit entities.

Almost anyone today can use the .org extension. But the common consensus remains that any .org website is most likely to be a non-commercial one.

What does .co mean?

The .co LTD extension stands for “company” or “corporation.” This website domain extension enjoys popularity among online businesses.

Recognized internationally as the best alternative to .com and .net, the .co LTD extension is often paired with country code domain extensions (Example: .co.uk, .co.in).

What does .biz mean?

The .biz LTD extension is designed for business owners. It is the least popular and most affordable extension on this list. Though it falls under the generic domain extension, the .biz LTD is primarily used by business and eCommerce websites.

.Com vs Other TLD Extensions: A Comparative Analysis

Does .com enjoy an uncontested advantage over other domain extensions? Or should you consider other factors while considering an LTD? Find the answers to all this and more.

We will now make a one-on-one comparison between .com and other domain extensions.

Reference: wpbeginner.com

.Com vs .Net: What is better?

The .com and .net domain extensions are both business-targeted extensions. These are two of the most common domain extensions for online businesses.

Here are some things that you must consider before deciding to with either:

• The .net extension is used by less than 4% of websites.
• Most people will assume that your website extension is a .com. So if you reveal your business name to them, it is likely that they might land on a blank page or a competing website.
• Visitors are most likely to remember your domain if it ends with a .com extension.
• Since the .com is more memorable and more widely used, it inspires a spirit of confidence in your website. This is something that other extensions fail to do.
• The .com extension also comes with unique usability. Most smartphone keyboards come with a “.com” key to enable users to plug a domain into their browser quickly. This option is not available for other domain extensions, including the .net extension.

The verdict: The .com is more popular and well-acclaimed than the .net TLD extension. Use the .com extension if you have the option to choose between the two. If you can’t claim your preferred domain name with the .com extension, you might consider the .net extension.

.Com vs .Org: What is better?

Are you confused between the .org and the .com extension, and which one is right for you?

If yes, consider the following points:

• The .com is the preferred TLD extension for commercial business websites.
• The .org is developed for non-profit organizations, making it the ideal fit for charities, NGOs, free online educators, and open-source technology platforms.
• You will lose credibility if you are a profitable business and use a .org extension as websites with this extension are generally associated with free resources.
• If your company has a for-profit and non-profit division, you can consider using the .org extension for your non-profit vertical and the .com extension for the business vertical.

The verdict: Both .com and .org are equally popular and trusted domain name extensions. They also convey different meanings about your website. Use the .org extension if you run a not-for-profit organization. Use the .com extension if you run a business, blog, or personal website.

.Com vs .Co: What is better?

The .com and the .co are rival extensions for business websites.

Here are some top things you might want to consider before you decide between the two:

• Due to the similarity in terminology between the .com and the .co, it becomes incredibly challenging for .co website owners to brand themselves effectively as users automatically assume that their domain name ends with a .com, thus requiring clarification.
• The .co domain is more expensive than .com, which means that you should go for this domain extension only if your target domain name is unavailable in the .com version.

The verdict: Both .com and .co are equally viable. But if you were to come down to choose between the two, we would recommend the .com domain extension anytime, any day.

.Com vs .Biz: What is better?

Does running a business website automatically mean that you should go for the .biz extension? Let’s find out.
Read on to learn if you should go for the .biz extension over the .com extension:

• Using the .biz extension has some implications that are hard to evade. If you use the .biz domain extension, you are communicating to your visitors that sales are your website’s primary objective.
• You might appear too sales-y to your customers if you use the .biz website. While turning a profit might be your ultimate objective, it is not something that you want to advocate actively.
• On the contrary, using the .com extension will not only give your website a sense of authenticity but help you promote activities on your website that are not product or service-specific. For example, you can run a blog, a news publication, an open forum for discussion, and explore a plethora of other activities with a .com website.

The verdict: Owing a .biz website means that you are running a business. Moreover, the extension is relatively cheaper to purchase. But despite this unique value proposition, the .com remains uncontested as the premium website domain extension due to the trust factor associated with .com websites and the versatility it brings in terms of what you can do with the websites.

Is .com more trustworthy and memorable than .co, .net, .org, and other domain extensions?

According to independent research conducted by Growth Badger, .com websites are more trustworthy and memorable than websites with other TLD extensions.

This research found that:

• Websites with a .com extension are 33% more memorable than websites with a .biz, .co, .net, .org, or other TLD extensions.
• People are 3.8 times more likely to assume that a website ends in .com than anything else.
• Websites with a .com extension are most trusted, and .co websites are the second most trusted.

Does the Domain Extension affect SEO?

Everyone in the online space wants to optimize their websites for SEO, which begs us to contemplate the role that a TLD extension plays in it. So I guess the question we should be asking is:

• Will a particular domain extension affect my website’s SEO ranking chances?
• Do .com websites enjoy a better chance at quickly ranking on search engines?

The answer to both questions is no.

Your domain extension does not affect your website’s SEO ranking chances. Neither does owning a .com website give you an SEO advantage over websites with other TLD extensions.

Google has announced that it does not consider domain extensions as a ranking metric.

In other words, whether you own a .biz website, a .org website, a .net website, or a .co website – your domain extension will not affect how quickly you rank on search engines. If you want to rank your website in search engines, you have to optimize it for on-page, off-page, and technical SEO.

So, what TLD extension is right for your business?

In this blog, we have introduced you to all types of TLD extensions and compared them all. We have also shown you that your TLD extension will not affect your SEO rankings.

Now that we have all this information, we will show you the best TLD extension based on various parameters:

• Trustworthiness & Memorability: Growth Badger’s research on TLD extensions suggests that websites with a .com and .co extension are most trusted by users. The same research has found that .com, .co, .org, and .biz extensions are more memorable than websites with a .blog, .net, .io, or .us TLD extension.
• Versatility: Most website extensions such as .biz and .org are limited in terms of what they represent. On the other hand, .com websites emerge as the obvious winner in terms of versatility as it gives you more freedom w.r.t what you want to represent. You can be a news publication or an online journal, a blog or a magazine, a product or service business or an independent website owner – the .com is for everyone!
• Industry Niche: For most niches, the .com is the preferred TLD extension as it is most trusted by users across the world. However, if you are a non-profit organization, a charity, or an online resource website, then going for a .com extension might make more sense for you.
• Pricing: In terms of pricing, .biz websites tend to be more affordable than other websites. On the other hand, the .com websites tend to be the most expensive. So if you’re a website owner with pricing limitations, you can consider a .biz TLD extension for your business.

Conclusion

We have done a comprehensive of all TLD / domain extensions in this blog. We hope you have a better understanding of what these are and which one is right for you. If you’re looking for website designing services, feel free to check out our dedicated website designing service page.

For custom quotes on our web development services, please write to us on this email ID: enquiry@techmagnate.com. A member of our team will get in touch with you at the earliest.

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