Just a few years ago, if you asked people which domain name extension they should choose for their website, almost every person would answer that a .com was the only way to go. Well, it’s 2024 and this isn’t your grandma’s internet. There are hundreds of top-level domains (TLDs) that might fit your project better than a .com could. Internet users are more exposed to and familiar with other TLDs, and they use and interact with them everyday: from big sites like Twitch.tv and YouTube.tv to more niche .blog and .shop sites.
So, do you still need to use a .com? Or is it finally time to branch out?
The King of Domains
The .com TLD accounts for 1/3 of all website domain names—there are over 150 million .com websites currently registered. The .com extension is by far the most popular and well-recognized. Our mobile device keyboards even prompt us to fill in .com when entering our email address. It’s the default.
Created initially for commercial purposes, .com was one of the six TLDs that were first introduced to the world in 1985 (along with .org, .net, .gov, .edu, and .mil). Each extension represented a specific purpose: .gov for governmental entities, .edu for education institutions or organizations, .com for commercial purposes, and so on. Today, .com can be used by anyone for any purpose.
The pros to using a .com domain include broad appeal and familiarity. If people know one TLD, they know .com. And, if one of the goals for your business is to convey stability and trust, a .com does just that. Site visitors don’t know if your .com website was created thirty years ago or yesterday, unlike a website with a newer extension that can only be as old as that TLD has been around.
In short, know your audience and know your budget. That being said, if the .com for your project or business name is available and you have the budget to do so, we suggest you jump on it now—even if you aren’t ready to put up your site yet and even if you plan to use a different TLD as your main domain name. Because, in reality, people do default to .com when they type in a website—and you don’t want to miss out on those links and searches.
The Era of New Domains
Since .com domain names can be registered by anyone, many common words, names, and phrases are already claimed and in use. And, even if they aren’t being actively used by someone, a lot of domain names with snappy phrases and words have been bought up and put on the resale market at raised prices.
Up until more recently, the only way to get around .com overcrowding was using other old guard mainstays like .org and .net as well as using country-code TLDs (ccTLDs).
To combat this availability crisis, beginning in the late nineties, ICANN started approving the creation of hundreds of more niche and industry-specific TLDs. These newer generic TLDs allow for shorter domain names that fit within people’s budgets.
There are now hundreds of TLDs that you can use for your project’s website. These range from industry-specific (.attorney, .taxi, .surf), to functional (.guide, .info, .supplies), to honestly just fun (.xyz, .cool, .party). These newer TLDs—and the use of ccTLDs like .tv and .me outside their nation of origin—has helped normalize newer domain extensions.
Reasons to Use a Different Extension
Still unsure whether or not you should go with the .com or with something a little more specific? Here are a few key reasons many people choose TLDs that aren’t .com:
Your chosen .com isn’t available, or is too expensive
Like we said, many of the decent .com domain names are either off the market or on the market at a raised price. If a .com isn’t in your budget now, it makes sense to start out with a domain extension that you can afford. You can always register the .com once you’ve brought in some profit.
Your audience or client-base is specifically from one country
In this case, you’re better off choosing the specific ccTLD (or country-code Top-Level Domain), like .co.uk for the United Kingdom or .de for Germany. Users may be more tempted to click through one of these because they’ll understand that the information and products are more catered to their needs.
You’re a non-profit business or charitable organization
If you really want to signal that making a profit is not on your organization’s radar, consider using a .org domain, especially if you’re looking for a domain extension that has been around as long as .com. There are also other newer TLDs, like .charity, .foundation, and .gives that can showcase your non-commercial goals.
You want to make it very clear what your business does
There are hundreds of industry-specific extensions you can use. If you’re a photographer, you might use .photo, .photos, .pics, or .gallery. If you’re in the hospitality business, there’s .cafe, .pub, and .restaurant—and anyone in real estate can have luck with extensions like .homes, .rentals, or .realty.
You want to be memorable
Because so many short and snappy domains with .com extensions are taken, you have the opportunity to get creative (and be more memorable) with newer TLDs. HairNet.com may be taken, but hair.net might not be. Or, if your business’s name was Cleaning Ninja, cleaning.ninja is more impactful than CleaningNinja.com. Browse all the possibilities and let your imagination play.
Something else is trending in your industry
See what other people in your field are using. For example, the Tuvalu ccTLD, .tv, has become popular with streaming services and video sites. And different areas of the tech industry have adopted extensions that include .tech, .io, .xyz, and .ai.
Conclusion
No matter what you do, what you’re looking for, or what your budget is, there is a TLD for you. If you want a .com, you should get one, but if you’ve found inspiration in anything you’ve read here, let your imagination drive you towards something creative and clever.
And remember that it doesn’t have to be an either/or—you can get a .com for your site and a more unique one and activate domain forwarding so that they point to the same site. Just remember to do your research about reputation and audience trustworthiness for each TLD, and share your ideas with colleagues and friends before jumping into a commitment.