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Domains - Which TLD?
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Domains - Which TLD?

With most of the good .com's taken, and the costs of buying them second hand, is it important for a hosting provider to have the .com, or will .net be seen as more/equally suitable and/or desirable?

When i'm looking to start a venture, i search the web for sometime checking if any names i come up with are registered as a .com, if they are i tend to deem that name unsuitable even though the .net is unregistered.

Any thoughts?

Domains - Which TLD?
  1. Which TLD(s) should a hosting provider use?25 votes
    1. .com only
      20.00%
    2. .net only
        4.00%
    3. if .com is taken, register .net
      24.00%
    4. won't register .net if .com is taken
        8.00%
    5. .com and .net (if possible)
      44.00%
  2. Would you choose a .com provider over a .net provider?25 votes
    1. Yes, i would choose the .com provider
      60.00%
    2. No, i would choose the .net provider
      40.00%

Comments

  • IshaqIshaq Member

    Prometeus.net should clear things up for you.

    It's not about the extension, it's about the product.

  • r0t3nr0t3n Member

    @Ishaq they also own the .com which points to the .net

  • IshaqIshaq Member

    Primary is still .net

  • souensouen Member
    edited March 2014

    Either is fine for me (or both if you can), but I'd pay more attention to the provider reputation and the website design itself than the tld. Some people would just type in the company name and it auto-resolves to company.com, which could be bad if company.com business is in the same industry. If people use Google/search engine then it's probably not a major problem, a strong branding can overcome that.

    Maybe the future trend would be using a variety of new tlds like .host and the emphasis on .com would lessen somewhat.

  • ricardoricardo Member
    edited March 2014

    If you're serious about building a brand, the extra $10/year to register both domains shouldn't matter. You'd definitely want to own both for any long term brand building.

  • raindog308raindog308 Administrator, Veteran

    Yes, both. But there are providers who don't - e.g., buyvm.net

    You definitely don't want register examplehost.net if examplehost.com is taken as you'll be creating customer confusion. If it's only squatted, someone could start a new hosting company with it tomorrow.

    There are tons and tons and tons of good unregistered .com domains suitable for hosting company names. The name really isn't as important as what you do with it.

  • NomadNomad Member

    It doesn't matter...
    The quality is of more importance. It can even be an xxx tld for all I care.

  • r0t3nr0t3n Member

    Sadly the .com i want is taken by a "creative design and marketing solutions" company, they have it for sale but currently price prohibitive to me, that's whats putting me off buying the .net varient as the .com price will increase when i come to need it for brand protection as well as a competitor possibly snapping it up or even the owner doing something with it

  • I vote fore the .xxx . As far as I care, if it's not .com then it doesn't matter what it is unless it's easy to remember (i.e. like host.it or a similar hack). .net is no different than .biz in my books. I wouldn't remember it.

  • akzakz Member

    does it matter if the .com is taken but not developed for many years? would .net suffice?

  • akz said: does it matter if the .com is taken but not developed for many years? would .net suffice?

    I would choose a different domain name if the .com was taken.

  • raindog308raindog308 Administrator, Veteran

    @akz said:
    does it matter if the .com is taken but not developed for many years? would .net suffice?

    You're running the risk that someone will buy the .com and spin up a new host.

  • HassanHassan Member, Patron Provider

    It doesn't really matter unless you're using something that doesn't make sense like a .info

  • PwnerPwner Member

    Personally, I feel that a .net is better for a hosting company (like VPS hosting or dedicated server hosting) because all the nodes are hosted on a network. A .com is used for commercial companies like Cartoon Network or some other major company. I feel that since hosting companies are using networks, it only makes sense to register a .net domain.

    Kinda like how personal websites are being registered as .me and organizations are .org

  • JakJak Member

    just scored http://exnet.systems :D

  • jvnadrjvnadr Member
    edited March 2014

    I think gTLD's will grow in the near future so much, that some .com domains will lose their power. For example, I just registered a .builders gTLD for a customer of mine, that will host a property development website (for an existing company). Some gTLD's are cozy, easy to remember yet weird till now because people are used to know .com or country's tld's. BUt, in the near future, long specific domains will be better than .com or .net

  • NomadNomad Member

    I'ld prefer a gov tld to a com btw (:

  • Nomad said: I'ld prefer a gov tld to a com btw (:

    I rather get a .edu tld, so many discounts that I could get.

  • What's wrong with .info? blockchain.info is pretty popular. Just find a memorable domain and either get a .com or a ccTLD domain hack that people can remember. If not, just take any domain and concentrate on content/services.

  • BradBrad Member

    .tk

  • raindog308raindog308 Administrator, Veteran

    Pwner said: A .com is used for commercial companies like Cartoon Network or some other major company.

    It amuses me that of all the companies in the world, that's the first one that came to mind when you needed an example :-)

  • @Brad said:
    .tk

    I've been making quite a collection of those free domains.

  • .plumbing

  • Mahfuz_SS_EHLMahfuz_SS_EHL Host Rep, Veteran

    http://www.syncserve.net/ I use Dot Net Btw ;-)

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