Even though you will be primarily used to seeing .com at the end of a domain name, there are a whole host of other variations for you to choose from. Now, even though most would argue that the .com version is the best to have, which it is, this does not mean that you should be wary about other options if your first choice is not available.
So, how do you go about making your decision? How do you know that you have actually stumbled across the perfect extension? Well, there are several key points that you should perhaps keep in mind before you proceed any further.
1. What is Your Website About?
This is the first point, and it is also a rather important one as the reason for the mere existence of your website could prove to be useful in helping you with the domain extension.
For example, if you are primarily an organization, then aside from the .com option there is also .org to consider as this is certainly going to be appropriate. Also, if you are a business, then there is also .biz to perhaps think about as well. The reason why this is so important is simply because it provides a certain sense of cohesion with your domain and business in general.
2. Consider a Local Extension.
Different countries have their very own local extension and that can be another attractive option for a number of websites. Even though it is perhaps not as good as the .com concept, there is still a lot to be said for using something such as .us or .ca or .co.uk. By using these extensions, it means that people will also be able to instantly grasp where your website is based. This can be extremely useful for those websites that focus on a more local aspect so it is certainly one thing that should be looked into.
3. Forget About the SEO False Belief.
You will often discover that there are a number of people within the world of SEO that will state the .com extension is the best from their point of view. However, this is not entirely accurate.
Instead, one of the primary reasons as to why they state that this is the case is simply because the .com extension is the most popular around the world. This means that the most work has been carried out on this extension as well as the majority of individuals even just opting for this extension as they feel that they too need to follow the popular idea.
The truth is that it is the domain name alongside the SEO work that you carry out on your actual website that will make a difference.
The Difficulty with TLDs.
The difficult that exists with these domain name extensions is that there are currently over 400 different options out there. Of course, the majority of them are going to be useless for your website, but that is certainly not the case for all of them.
As we said at the outset, you need to think about the main reason for the existence of your website when choosing the extension ending. For most options, you need to forget about them simply because they will often only relate to websites that have a very specific business model as you would hardly expect a blog related website to have a .tv extension as nobody would even dream of searching for that.
In conclusion, choosing this extension is only going to involve you thinking carefully about your website model, the reason for it existing, and also what you would expect people to use in a search. Also, even if there is a .com available that ties in perfectly with your desired domain name, it may also be a prudent move for you to look at purchasing other extensions for the same name. By doing so, you will be working at improving your brand and doing so in an effective manner.
Of course, you may also want to consult with your web designer prior to purchasing your domain name and get their input on what would work best for you. Not only will their experience count for so much, but it will also reduce the chances of you making what could be a small, and yet significant mistake.
