How To Choose Between a .com or .net Domain Name Extension

Did you know that as of 2017 there are well over 882 domain name extensions compared to just 280 back in 2009?

That's a lot of domain name extensions, since 2017, even more have been added to the list, so it's clear that there's a lot of competition, so how do you choose the right one?

Two of the most popular domain extensions are the .com extension and the .net extension, and I've used both, but which one should you choose?

That's exactly what I'm going to help you with in this article, we're going to deep dive into the differences between them, and I'll help you pick the best one!

Are you ready? Let's dive right in.

Is a .com or .net better?

Many websites opt to go for a .com domain name extension for simplicity, ease and price, typing in a long domain name plus a complicated domain extension can be difficult on the small smartphones that we all carry around with us in our pockets these days.

Typically, a .net extension will be used over a .com extension purely because of the recognition that .net extensions have gained over the years and this makes them a popular choice for many businesses.

Equally, a large proportion of websites use the .com extension because of the price, one domain name called catfactsonline.com that I found through Namecheap ended up coming in at under £6.53 a year, and that's without any discounts.

The equivalent .net extension came in at over £8 a year, so there's a cost saving measure here.

Is it bad to have a .net website?

A common misconception with having a .net domain is that they're bad for websites, this is down to them seemingly having built the reputation of not working well for SEO and other sorts, but there's nothing wrong with them.

It will work pretty well, but if you're a business, you might prefer to opt for a .com domain since these indicate to users from the beginning that they're an organisation even though you don't have to have an organisation to own one of these extensions.

When to use a .com domain name extension?

When you're building your website and want to launch it, you're going to need to buy a domain name for your site.

You'll have endless numbers of extensions that you can choose, all at different prices, some extensions are quite funky such as having a country specific domain and having a domain that ends in .xyz

The opportunities are endless, but there are several reasons why you might want to choose a .com extension:

1. Price - the amount of money you're willing to spend out of a budget is obviously quite important to consider, and these domain name extensions typically come in at less than £10 a year and offer value for money
2. Popularity - by the end of Q3 of 2019 there were well over 144 million .com extensions globally according to Makeawebsitehub, so it's unsurprising that they're a "go to" choice for many businesses
3. SEO - Search Engine Optimisation is critical to growing a website, so it shouldn't come as a shock for me to tell you that these extensions often rank pretty well on Google since many people use them, but this might be a reason not to use one as well? The market is diluted
4. Trust - many people are familiar with the .com domain name and as a result are likely to click onto your website and stay

Here at the Domain Monitor, we wanted a domain name extension that was slightly different from the norm, so opted for the .io extension since these seem to work well with SasS websites.

Are you a SaaS website? That's something for you to consider if you are, but we'll cover that in another article.

Consider a .co domain extension instead

Sometimes, when you're searching for the perfect domain name, the extension that you want isn't available, and it can be incredibly frustrating when you've been thinking long and hard about what one to go for.

If a .com extension isn't available, one of your next best options is to consider purchasing a .co extension, despite their built up trust issues and SEO related issues, these couldn't be further from the truth.

The reality is, companies like Apple use this type of domain extension because it's extremely short for the user and is also great for coming across as being professional as well.

When to use a .net domain name extension?

Do you remember when I said that a .com domain name extension was one of the most popular?

.net extensions come out on top with popularity considering that there were 13.4 million of them registered as of March 2020 according to an industry report.

When setting up the Domain Monitor, this type of domain name extension was of course an option as well, and it's likely you're considering this extension as it's why you're reading this article...

Here's some reasons behind why you're going to want to use one of these extensions:

1. Personal Website or Blog - if you've got a blog or personal website, then a .net domain extension makes perfect sense, there's a balance between price and popularity
2. Internal Systems - if you've got internal systems in your business, you might want to consider getting a .net extension to access them on the internet
3. Price - although these extensions are typically a bit more costly, it's a worthwhile investment for the long term because they're recognisable
4. Recognition - many people recognise this domain extension and as a result, are likely to trust your brand more

If any of the above points, or all of them meet the situation that you're in, then a .net extension might be the way to go for you.

Still stuck and just can't choose between them?

A domain name extension is more than just an extension

A domain name extension is more than just an extension for your website, and sometimes, it can be quite overwhelming figuring out which one to go for that in the end you just end up picking one at random...

Here's the thing...

Choosing a great domain name extension is just as important as the domain name itself, and as it turns out, people will recognise your brand based on your extension as well as your domain, so keeping it simple is crucial as well.

We live in a society where more and more businesses are turning online to the digital world, and ensuring that your domain is easy to read, memorable and short.

The more complex your domain name and extension are, the more chances someone is likely to click to another website.

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