Do domain extensions even matter?

In the 1990s and 2000s, the internet was booming. Tech gurus christened the best domain name extensions top-level domains (TLDs). A business communicated credibility by securing the best TLD available, usually a dot-com. What’s changed since then? Marketing experts weigh in and explain the power structure of domain extensions.

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When businesses buy domain name suffixes, the most common is dot-com (.com). Statista, consumer data specialists providing statistical information worldwide, estimate that 51.6% of companies have secured a TLD.

Is .com a requirement for success?

A decade ago, a business’ worth was built around the power of its URL. In those days, the internet was still being built and was not the established digital marketing tool it is today. A company’s URL was the most efficient way for clients to identify credibility.
Today, things are different.

“The .com suffix is…not a requirement for years now,” says Dave Shanley, respected entrepreneur. “Most companies follow the typical path of choosing a good, related suffix or name derivative, and then, as they become much more successful, they acquire the dot-com domain.”

Does SEO work better with a .com suffix?

The .com suffix was essential to SEO when a company’s URL needed to be easy to remember. Nowadays, businesses have digital marketing tools available such as social media, so a catchy URL name with a .com suffix isn’t driving SEO results as much anymore.

Sanket Shah, the entrepreneur behind InVideo, says, “Many countries are opting to use their own country’s TLD rather than the .com suffix….some companies are using industry-specific suffixes without facing a huge penalty.”

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How to acquire the best URL

There are many ways to establish a credible URL. The .com suffix remains the most recognisable and trusted URL suffix worldwide. With some flexibility and shrewd thinking, businesses create brilliant URLs by tweaking their business name slightly.

Two popular methods are adding prefixes such as “try” and “use”, and words such as “app” after the business name, which is something even the biggest players do. The good news is that the best URL providers, such as https://www.names.co.uk/domain-names, will recommend alternatives for businesses seeking a solid presence online.

The internet was created using ingenuity and innovation, the same qualities required for creating a lasting profitable business. Researching the business industry and online marketing tools will yield successful results for a worthwhile business presence online.