If a .com isn't available, what's your next choice?

[Shawn Gossman]

If you can't get a .com for your forum, will you go with a different TLD or will you change the name altogether in order to get a .com?

 

[AWS]

I wouldn't. I might buy the .com so no one else gets it. No reason to change if the site is doing well on the domain it's on.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

I wouldn't. I might buy the .com so no one else gets it. No reason to change if the site is doing well on the domain it's on.

I mainly mean initially. Fresh forum idea but the .com isn't available.

 

[Mike30]

I would find a name with the .com available. .com is the king.
If you don't own the .com, you don't own the brand.

 

[AWS]

I would find a name with the .com available. .com is the king.
If you don't own the .com, you don't own the brand.

True years ago. Not now. .com is just another domain.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

True years ago. Not now. .com is just another domain.

Now, everyone wants the shorter domain.

Convertkit.com somehow got kit.com. I'm sure they paid an enormous for it, LOL.

If I could afford it, I'd take forum.com LOL

 

[Mike30]

True years ago. Not now. .com is just another domain.

When we talk about serious business, it's still true today.
For hobby websites it's ok.

 

[Bawse]

If I had to pick another one, .net would typically be my second choice. I also have a .community domain that I really like.

 

[AWS]

When we talk about serious business, it's still true today.
For hobby websites it's ok.

Really? Can you explain why Microsoft uses a .ms domain? No they don't own .ms. There are many other big corps that use domains other than .com. Sure the main domain might be a .com. It's not important to have a .com like it was 20 years ago. If you think it is then you're losing out.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

I just haven't seen forums catch on to the .forum yet. Have any of you?

 

[Mike30]

Really? Can you explain why Microsoft uses a .ms domain? No they don't own .ms. There are many other big corps that use domains other than .com. Sure the main domain might be a .com. It's not important to have a .com like it was 20 years ago. If you think it is then you're losing out.

I am not talking about other extensions for different uses. I am saying if you do not own the .com, you don't own the brand.
in your example of Microsoft using .ms, yes, they use other "shorter/brandable" names, but they own Microsoft.com.

Can you name any big company/brand that does not own the .com?

 

[Shawn Gossman]

I am not talking about other extensions for different uses. I am saying if you do not own the .com, you don't own the brand.
in your example of Microsoft using .ms, yes, they use other "shorter/brandable" names, but they own Microsoft.com.

Can you name any big company/brand that does not own the .com?

I can see where you're right in terms of branding.

Now, if I registered cycling.forum I would think this is fine because that's my brand.

However, if I created a company called, Gossman Corp but gossmancorp.com was taken, I think any other TLD wouldn't be worth it because the .com is already taken making the main brand look like it's not me.

Is this what you mean, Mike?

 

[Mike30]

@Shawn Gossman yes, that's what I mean. In this case, if you want to secure the "brand" for your cycling.forum, you should own cyclingforum.com even if you run the forum under cycling.forum (for better branding or for short)

So, from this perspective, yes, the .com still is the king.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

@Shawn Gossman yes, that's what I mean. In this case, if you want to secure the "brand" for your cycling.forum, you should own cyclingforum.com even if you run the forum under cycling.forum (for better branding or for short)

So, from this perspective, yes, the .com still is the king.

I do think Cycling.Forum can be a brand all on it's own. Including the DOT FORUM as a part of the brand.

But if you want to just brand the terms "cycling forum" then yeah someone else owning a forum using the .com could be bad for your brand.

 

[Mike30]

Let me put a real example.
Here we all know Admin-Junkies right?
But I currently own AdminJunkies.com. So, they are building and working on a brand that it's owned by someone else.
Maybe the current owner of Admin-Junkies does not need the name as he said. But the bigger their forum gets, the more valuable AdminJunkies.com gets.
So in other terms, they are building value for my domain name.

So, you don't want to build something and end up in situations like this.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Let me put a real example.
Here we all know Admin-Junkies right?
But I currently own AdminJunkies.com. So, they are building and working on a brand that it's owned by someone else.
Maybe the current owner of Admin-Junkies does not need the name as he said. But the bigger their forum gets, the more valuable AdminJunkies.com gets.
So in other terms, they are building value for my domain name.

So, you don't want to build something and end up in situations like this.

I could see that unless they incorporate a hyphen as part of their brand.

That can work, but most often, not using a hyphen is better. It's easier to remember adminjunkies.com than admin-junkies.com.

 

[Cedric]

Not owning the brand when you don't own .com is nonsense.

 

[Mike30]

Not owning the brand when you don't own .com is nonsense.

I know. it takes a little to grasp the idea.

 

[Mike30]

If you still think is nonsense. Try this
go to Face-Book.com (why is that?)

 

[AWS]

I just haven't seen forums catch on to the .forum yet. Have any of you?

I have a few. Gradually moving all the forums to .forum.