Should You Get a .com Domain Name? Key Questions to Ask

When starting new websites, the vast majority of people pick the .com extension. That’s why .com has such extraordinary dominance across the internet, with over 44% of all websites using the .com extension. By comparison, the second most popular extension, .org, is used on just 4.2% of sites.

Based on those stats, and the general prevalence and popularity of .com websites in general, many people assume that .com is the obvious way to go, or sign up for a .com site without even considering any other top-level domains (TLDs).

But is it always the right choice? Not necessarily. While .com has numerous advantages, there are cases when other TLDs may be a better fit for your website. To help you decide if .com is the right fit, let’s look at some key questions to ponder as you set up your next site.

What Is Your Site All About?

First, and arguably most importantly, you need to think about the intention of your site. What purpose will it serve? Perhaps it’s a business site, a blog, or an online store, for example, or maybe it’s something more specific or niche.

Different TLDs work well with different types of sites. .org, for example, is famously one of the best TLDs for non-profits and community projects, while .edu is good for schools. New generic TLDs like .shop, .blog, and .music also fit certain types of site (like e-shops and blogs) particularly well.

.com is a great universal TLD, in that it can work for many different types of site, especially brand and business websites. But, if you’re making a site with a more niche intention in mind, you may be better off looking for a TLD that immediately tells visitors what your site is all about.

Who Is Your Target Audience?

Next, consider your target audience. More specifically, think about where that audience will be located. Are you only trying to attract visitors from one particular country, or are you hoping your site will have international appeal and bring in traffic from across the globe?

This is where the .com vs. ccTLD debate arises. A country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) are those that are specific to certain nations, like .us for the United States or .uk for the United Kingdom. Using these TLDs can be advantageous in appealing to specific regional and national audiences.

So, if you want your site to be seen all over the world, opt for .com or another generic TLD. However, if you’re mainly or exclusively targeting those from a certain country, you may be better off getting a ccTLD instead.

Is Your Desired Name Available?

One of the downsides with .com domain names is that .com is such a saturated TLD compared to all the others out there. As touched on earlier, almost half of all websites use .com, meaning that the majority of great domain names ending in .com have already been claimed and registered.

Therefore, you may find it hard to obtain the exact name you wanted with .com at the end. However, you might find that your brand or business name is available as a web address if you use a different TLD like .net or .us.

Run a domain name availability search on your ideal name to see if it’s available. If .com is already taken, you have two options: either come up with a more original name that is still available with .com, or choose a different TLD instead.

How Much Are You Happy to Spend?

Last but not least, you have to consider your budget. The cost of creating and launching a site adds up over time. There are usually design and development fees, hosting fees, and domain name registration fees, too. Often, .com domain registration is a little pricier than other TLDs, due to .com’s popularity.

The difference might not be much – only a couple of dollars in some cases – but it may still make a difference to those on a tight budget. If you want to stretch your finances a little further and get maximum value for money, using a different, cheaper TLD may make more sense.

Find the Right Domain Name for Your New Site

In the majority of cases, .com is definitely one of, if not the best TLD to choose. It’s versatile, universally known, and trusted by many. But in some cases, an alternative TLD could be a better fit. Keep these questions and factors in mind to help you pick the right one.