A domain name has two parts – the name and extension. When you are coming up with the name for your website, you must decide what extension to use for it. While you can find several extensions for a website, two extensions, .com and .net, have been quite popular among website owners.
Seeing .com on a domain name suggests a “commercial” website and .net in a domain name stands for “network”. Both .com and .net have their appeal but your domain extensions must reflect the right type of business and the purpose of the website. Learn which extension is more suitable for your business now.
What is .com?
The domain extension .com represents websites for commercial or business entities. Because of its massive popularity and familiarity, this extension’s use went beyond business sites to cover almost everything.
A vast majority of website owners register for .com irrespective of the type of their business. The .com domain extension is best suitable for business, e-commerce and advertising.
What is .net?
The .net extension represents websites for web service companies or websites that work as a portal for a wide range of smaller websites.
It is the second most popular domain extension and an alternative to .com and fits internet service, database, network services, collaboration tools providers and online technology company websites.
Comparison of .com and .net
While both .com and .net are popular choices for any website, going beyond their pre-defined industries, they are unique and meant for different purposes.
More appropriate for an organization
The most recommended domain extension name for an organization is .org. But, this extension has been broadly popular with non-profit organizations. If a website is for profit organization, using the .org extension can question your brand’s credibility.
To sell services and products or market your organization, you should use a .com domain extension. Using a .com extension, you send a clear indication to the visitors that you are running the website for a commercial organization. While there is no rule dictating a non-profit organization shouldn’t use the .com extension, visitors will often find it hard to trust your website and organization.
If the .com extension of a website doesn’t exist, the .net extension might be available for website owners to go to. Though initially designed for web technology-related companies, .net has become a popular alternative to the .com extension. If you cannot find the domain name you want with a .com extension, you can consider using a .net extension. It is the second-best choice after the .com extension.
So, both .com and .net are appropriate for organizations provided depending on their purpose. However, a .com website is easier to market than a .net website because of the popularity of .com.
Better SEO
Technically, choosing .com or .net from an SEO perspective doesn’t make any difference. For search engines, what matters the most is the relevance of your site with the search item and not the extension of your website. Instead, the domain name and the SEO best practices impact the SERP (search engine result pages), which demands your serious attention.
If you are looking from a visitors’ perspective, the case is different. Statistics show that 52% of the websites in the world use the .com extension. This suggests that visitors are more attuned to looking at a .com website than a .net website. If you have a .net website, many people might not visit your website unless you are a known authority. This effect can negatively impact your website ranking, reducing the website’s chances of appearing in the top ten searches.
If you target to rank higher in the search engine, using .com could be a wise decision. The only issue is finding the perfect domain name that isn’t already in use.
Cheaper
Despite the higher demand for .com registration, the cost of a .com domain is relatively cheaper than a .net domain. Be it the cost of new registration, renewal or transfer, .com registrations come at an affordable price. The price for a .com extension for your website starts from $0.99 per year. But, due to high demand, finding the domain name with the .com extension may not be easy.
On the other hand, buying a .net extension can cost you as high as $4.90 per year. If you search thoroughly, you might also find hosting service providers offering a .net domain at a cost-effective price. Yet, it can be hard to beat the price of a .com extension on any given day.
More value for money
The .com extension for a domain name leads the race in terms of value for money. The extension is very popular on the internet and also easier for visitors to trust. Because of these benefits, there is a high chance of a .com website ranking higher in the search engine results. It fits almost every kind of business and compared to a .net extension its price is significantly lower.
Operation-wise, a .net extension is as effective as a .com extension. Technically, you can do everything with a .net extension that you can do with a .com extension. You can also find your desired domain name with a .net extension more easily than you can with a .com extension. But, .com reigns as the most popular extension because of general perception and familiarity. A .net extension is a good choice but only next to .com. Overall, .com provides more value for money.
The overall image portrayed when using the domain extension
The purpose of the domain extension is to categorize your website based on type, location or business model. Despite the availability of several extensions, the competition for .com is fierce.
Every business wants to be visible and noticeable on the internet. Therefore, they look for domain extension names that give their site an impression of being bigger and established. The extension .com undoubtedly leads the preference of business owners when it comes to adding credibility and authority to the site.
A .net extension also adds a positive image to your website. If you have a domain name with a .net extension, visitors will often perceive your organization has a community around it, promoting your business’s positive image. Yet, the fame of .net is nowhere near .com.
Find the Best Domain Extension for your Website Now
The domain name extensions are as crucial as the rest of your domain name. It has the power to impact both your chances of being listed in the search result and your audience’s perception of your brand.
Evaluate the nature of the business you are operating or want to operate and weigh the pros and cons of both .com and .net extension before committing to one.
