Does .com really matter?

[Arantor]

I have a domain - well, I have more than one - where I own .org and .net but not the .com.

Certainly the traditional wisdom is that you needed the .com for maximum visibility but I'm no longer sure that's actually true given how many people just mash the brand name into Google and hit whatever comes first. In this particular case I'm certain I can SEO-outperform the current .com with zero trouble. In which case the only decision I have is whether I make the .org or the .net the primary.

It wasn't that long ago that I had a Harry Potter adjacent site called Floo Network, on floo.network where I was (heavily) outperforming a popular Minecraft mod of the same name as the site (and I wasn't even trying to be competitive) so I'm not entirely sure the old wisdom is true, as long as I don't go down a rabbit hole of using a fancy esoteric name that no-one will think is legitimate.

Is this experience unique? Do people not care about .com as much as they used to? (The last few years of my professional life has been building sites that don't have to worry about SEO so much)

 

[Cedric]

For a long time, I always preferred the .com ones. But it's so hard to register a decent one that isn't offered as a premium or hasn't been registered before. So, I've let that sail a while ago. I'd still prefer a .com over a .net if it's available, but for Google, it doesn't make one bit difference.

 

[InMyOpinion]

.com is definitely the most popular and recognizable extension. It's generally used for commercial or business websites.

with .net I think of networking so if the website or forum has to do with networking then that would be a good idea.

.org is usually non-profit organizations

I guess the extension is really only important when you're wanting to know which category the website falls under but ultimately I think .com works for anything so it's the one people use the most often.

 

[Arantor]

.com is definitely the most popular and recognizable extension. It's generally used for commercial or business websites.

with .net I think of networking so if the website or forum has to do with networking then that would be a good idea.

.org is usually non-profit organizations

I guess the extension is really only important when you're wanting to know which category the website falls under but ultimately I think .com works for anything so it's the one people use the most often.

Well, those were the original intents behind those three TLDs but in the last 25 years the rules have become so lax they’re allowed for basically anything now.

 

[frm]

I'm a domain name investor so my answer to this will be bias and on my anecdotes of turning $100s into $1000s buy buying and selling .coms to the most suitable buyer.

.com is king.

 

[InMyOpinion]

Well, those were the original intents behind those three TLDs but in the last 25 years the rules have become so lax they’re allowed for basically anything now.

I didn't know that. I remember in high school we learned all the different extensions and when to use what. I guess it was more formal now. Which really when I look at sites I don't usually see as much .org or .net it's mostly all .com

 

[2TonWaffle]

The .com still has the reputation of being professional or verified for its associated site. We've seen niche domains like .gg or .io come about, but their future existence is up in the air.

 

[Arantor]

I do remain amused at the appropriation of some of the country domains for things never ever intended for that. Literally none of the 2 letter domains were intended for anything other than country use.

.tv of course for television (Tuvalu), .ai is making bank with the AI hype train (Anguilla), .io lured the techbros (British Indian Ocean Territory), I also remember the heady days of .to (go.to, browse.to, etc) as an early URL shortener (Tonga), and .gg did get some traction in gaming though it's fairly niche outside that (the Bailiwick of Guernsey doesn't mind the revenue so much though)

I do find it interesting that we have sort of gone off track a little. The original question was really a stealth re-asking of 'I have the .org and .net, but since I can't get the .com am I wasting time with even considering the name because I can't get the .com?'

 

[Cory]

.com is what seems so widely popular with most sites that it's what people are used to using. If a user remembers the domain name, they are probably more likely to type in .com after the domain name due to its widespread use. If you have two different sites where one is used let's say, .com and the other uses .net I would think people would type in .com just for the sheer fact I mentioned previously. Most people who want to visit websites probably bookmark them or use search engines to find them, so I suppose it's not the biggest deal what you use. But what the majority uses is what most people probably remember the best.

 

[Khantastic]

The .com domain has long been seen as the gold standard, offering familiarity, trust, and professionalism. It's easy to remember and often the default people type when searching for a site. While newer extensions like .io, .blog, or .store work well for niche audiences or trendy industries, .com still holds an edge, especially for businesses targeting a broad audience.

I would say ultimately, a great website matters more than the domain extension. A .com can enhance credibility, but it’s not essential for success.