The internet started out with 7 top-level domains (com, org, net, int, edu, gov, and mil), but in recent years, we have seen an explosion of new domain extensions.
Should you get a traditional domain extension, such as .com? Or should you use one of the new ones, like .business or .coffee?
Here are some of our observations that may make that decision a little easier.
Popularity
We looked at a list of the top 100,000 websites in the USA, based on traffic. We found that there are very few sites with the new extensions that made that list. One may argue that if you want to be popular, you stay with the mainstream extensions.
Marketability
People are used to domains such as .com or .org. Many people do not even know that the new extensions exist. Many people online or offline may think that a .ninja address is not valid. It may be harder to make a name for
yourself if people hesitate when they see your web address.
Reputability
Many of the new extensions have been used by less than reputable “companies". You are required to be an actual educational institution in order to register a .edu domain, however anyone can register a .college domain. People may take you more seriously if you use one of the 7 top-level domain extensions.
Based on our points above, it seems you should stick to the traditional
domain extensions. However, one could argue that a .com domain receives a lot of traffic because it has been around for a long time and has had time to build up popularity.
Furthermore, you could get a really cool .cool domain that
may receive lots of attention and be very marketable.
One could also argue that, as with anything, reputation takes time to
build up. Why go for one of the obscure, but still available, .com domains
when you could get a domain that is spelled correctly and really describes you?
In conclusion, for a short-term strategy, you are probably better off
with a traditional domain extension. However, in the long run, all the new
extensions may become common knowledge and be as useful as the old domains.
|
|