.com vs .net

[Amanda]

So, typically, when I create a site or forum, I register a domain name. Usually, I always opt for the .com. However, if a .com isn't available, I'll go with .net. Those are the two main ones I use. I've never used any of the other. What I'd like to know is this: What is the main difference between the two and does it really matter which one I go with?

 

[Harry P]

In my personal opinion, always .com it looks like an official form for domain names or it presented for commercial hence I always like using it for my domains ..I don't know why..

It has no difference between .com and .net, you can use both to build websites without any problems, even you can build a website with .net that better than .com if you have good ideas and more time for it.

 

[fjk23]

I have always wonder about this and if it actually makes a difference??

 

[ulterios]

In most cases either will be fine. Of course a .com is best for resale value if you ever try to sell the domain name when you are done with it. I always prefer a .com, same as Harry above. Many people feel it gives a more professional and/or official feel to it.

I also prefer a .com for the reason that if you have any other extension and you were to tell someone verbally about a site, they might forget the extension and just type .com as a result and wind up on someone else's website.

If you are going to be having people guided by links, advertisements, etc., then it really won't matter from an end user point that much.

 

[Tshepo]

In most cases either will be fine. Of course a .com is best for resale value if you ever try to sell the domain name when you are done with it. I always prefer a .com, same as Harry above. Many people feel it gives a more professional and/or official feel to it.

I agree with you, I sold 2 .com domains with a decent traffic easily while .net and .org is a bit more lower price or don't get any impressions from buyers.

With me, I always choose .com for all my domains now, I don't know why but maybe it looks professional and standard under users' view.

I also prefer a .com for the reason that if you have any other extension and you were to tell someone verbally about a site, they might forget the extension and just type .com as a result and wind up on someone else's website.

Its exact for some browsers, you only type brand names or names and the rest is, it will redirect automatically to .com with corresponded name.

 

[ulterios]

ulterios

That's a good point. Many people will look at extensions other than a .com as less that standard.

I have even been told before by some people that they feel that a website on an extension other than a .com makes the owner of the site look cheap. Since the .com's have been what everyone was used to seeing over the years many people look at them as "Standard" and everything else as LESS than "Standard".

 

[rmmfree]

The main advantage of .com domains is that you don't need to say it when promoting your site. If for example your page is AmandaForum.com you only need to say "visit us at AmandaForum". The .com ending is understood implicitly and the users will remember it very easily. If you have a .net they might forget it easily and will try firstly with .com, or they could try .co.uk, .us, .co, etc.
I only choose .net when the name is the perfect one and I don't have similar alternatives with .com.

 

[acquisto]

It's no problem buying a .net domain. The only "problem" from my point of view is that, let's say you buy ABC.net (because ABC.com is already taken). Many people who would want to type your site on the address bar will probably type .com, because they're used so. Also, for the search term "ABC", you will already have a competitor, with the same domain name as yours, only .com.

 

[UVM]

I have heard from many of my SEO friends that .net is by far the worst domain to use today... Google almost ANY business and you wont see anything .net in the top 3 pages.

I would say .org is better than .net

 

[ulterios]

ulterios

The domain extension has nothing to do with SEO, that's what's on the site. There are more .coms at the top of the search results for a few reasons. One being that they are simply more of them than any others and also that most of the .com domains have been around longer. More people buy .coms for other reasons so there are more sites using them. SEO is relative to what is on the domain as far as website.

The only way an extension has anything to do with SEO is if you have a country code domain. Then that domain will get a slight bump in rankings in that country that the code is for. If you have a .ca domain for example then the site on that domain would get a boost in rankings in Canada. The generic domains have no SEO benefits one way or another. Google is on record for saying these exact things.

 

[Ron Killian]

Always get .com, always. Yep, nothing to do with SEO.

Because as so many others have already said, it's what most every one is use to, or what they expect. It what started the whole net thing.

Also, look on many phones, tablets and Ipod keyboards, many of them have a ".com" key. Just saying

 

[ulterios]

ulterios

Many people, just by habit/default will type in .com for most domains. If you tell someone your websites address is KillerName.net, many will either forget the .net and just put .com at the end or they sometimes add it to the end. I've seen studies where there was a very high percentage of people typing .com out of habit and that is costing you traffic in most cases.

Plus .com domains are easier to sell because of the demand and they are also more valuable in general than any other extension with the same name.

 

[newsdeals]

With me, .com or .net is always fine and I think it's not influence to SEO

 

[ulterios]

ulterios

Yes, the extension won't affect SEO, unless it's a country code domain, and then they only get a boost in the relevant local searches. Based on SEO only, any extension could potentially be equal for SEO purposes.

 

[Ron Killian]

Years back, actually one of my first domains was a .NET. Sure don't know much back then. I was able to build it up over the years, got it ranked well and it made great money. Was even able to sell it for a good price. But I bet I lost alot of traffic to the .COM version. Probably helped them build their following. Wonder how much traffic I kind of sent them

The other thing to think about... what about promotion? With my .net domain I always had to make sure I added that to banners or ads. To make sure people who traded links add that in the link name. If you want to get serious with a domain, something other than .com it is going to take alot more effort with branding.

 

[ulterios]

ulterios

Very true, especially with these crazy new extensions. Extensions like .rocks, .club, .red and so on are going to be losing traffic and they need more marketing efforts because people just aren't familiar with them and most people don't know extensions like that exist.

If you tell someone your website is something like climbing.rocks, many are just going to go to climbingrocks.com because they don't know that .rocks is a real extension.

 

[LowEndXeon]

Extensions make a huge difference to me, they make you look official and supplemented. Just my opinion people could agree with.