How important is the .com to you?

[Shawn Gossman]

Now they have all sorts of TLDs to choose from making it easier to get a good short domain name.

You can even get a .FORUM domain name.

But for some people, the .com is the only way to go. It's because it's the more standard one that everyone automatically remembers. If the .Other TLDs were used more throughout the generations, that could change the equation.

I fall under the .com-only pool. While I have some of the other ones, the .com is important for me on sites like this and my blogs.

How important is it to you?

 

[_Al]

It's not in the least bit important (to me). If its available, sure, I'll use it, but I'm happy with a .net TLD instead. From what I have read search engines don't really care either. They're more interested in content and not TLDs. If I have a well written website on a .xyz domain that will rank better than a bad .com site.

I don't think people are these days either. It's rare that people actually t y p e i n d o m a i n s these days. Everything thing is either Google searched or a hyperlink. When was the last time you saw an advert for a website on tv and went and typed in the domain? Many adverts on the radio will say "search for [product]" rather than providing a domain name.

Dotcom preference is a legacy of a time which is long passed. Just admit it. You're old. Way back when I would avoid .cc domains because I knew they were free and therefore, silly old me, assumed that the quality wasn't going to be there. That's a fallacy.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

I don't think people are these days either. It's rare that people actually t y p e i n d o m a i n s these days. Everything thing is either Google searched or a hyperlink. When was the last time you saw an advert for a website on tv and went and typed in the domain? Many adverts on the radio will say "search for [product]" rather than providing a domain name.

You know. I think you're right! I don't hear go to so-and-so.com anymore that much these days.

Dotcom preference is a legacy of a time which is long passed. Just admit it. You're old. Way back when I would avoid .cc domains because I knew they were free and therefore, silly old me, assumed that the quality wasn't going to be there. That's a fallacy.

You might be right again. It might be that I'm old school and I need to modernize a bit

 

[_Al]

If you keep telling me I'm right I might start to believe you so be careful.

I was of the same opinion for a long time and for a long time the Googles of the world did pay attention to TLDs and it did matter, but that changed. See: Google's handling of new top level domains | Google Search Central Blog | Google for Developers



Some people are still hung up on dotcom. I had an argument about this exact same thing with someone who refused to even consider an alternative.

There is a caveat: There are people who are old (like you and me) who will still feel that a website ending in dotcom is in some way superior to a different TLD, but that's an emotional reaction with no basis in fact. Eventually, all these old people (like you and me) will retire and die so the benefit of a dotcom is actually reducing each passing day as the demographic which still has a subjective opinion on dotcom become less relevant.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Generations and cultures.

What we find to be offensive, annoying, or just plain wrong in today's world is being accepted by younger generations.

We were the same thing as those before us.

I'll try not to be "Get off my dot com, you pesky kids!" anymore LOL.

 

[Nomad]

In started with xyz domain because after a lot or research I found that domain extension has nothing to do with SEO. However, after running websites for years and using over a dozen different extensions, I came to realize that if you are not using dot com, people do not take you seriously.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

In started with xyz domain because after a lot or research I found that domain extension has nothing to do with SEO. However, after running websites for years and using over a dozen different extensions, I came to realize that if you are not using dot com, people do not take you seriously.

I think they don't even notice anymore, aside from us old schoolers.

 

[AWS]

I was old school got to have a .com. Now I have mostly .forum. They don't matter as much as they used to.

 

[Jason]

Most people seem to be finding things thru social media anyway so maybe it's not as big a deal to get a .com. However, though, despite me being more aware of the extention, maybe others aren't. If they see a .xyz extension, for example, they might still later try to type a .com to get the wrong website.

 

[Cpvr]

I was old school got to have a .com. Now I have mostly .forum. They don't matter as much as they used to.

I’m part of the old school crowd as the .com extension is the only one that I’ll use. I’ve been using it since 2004.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

I’m part of the old school crowd as the .com extension is the only one that I’ll use. I’ve been using it since 2004.

Me too by all means. But I'm starting to accept some of the newer ones.

 

[Jason]

I think only using the .com restricts my freedom and fun. However, that doesn't mean I'm totally against sometimes using them.

They don't matter as much as they used to.

Why do you feel that is the case?

 

[Bawse]

.com is my first choice when it comes to domain names. I have settled with using other extensions, but I usually won't get a domain unless the .com is available.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

.com is my first choice when it comes to domain names. I have settled with using other extensions, but I usually won't get a domain unless the .com is available.

I'd rather have a .com especially for a forum because most of us are old schoolers who are used to the .com. The blogs however, I'm allowing myself to explore other cTLDs for those.