URL Ending in com or net - which is best

Does it make a difference?

[lindavh]

I looked for it in the webmasterworld library but couldn't locate the information.
The url I am requesting for .com is taken and .net is available.
Does it make a difference in terms of SEO and also for people looking for the company?
Any opinions and or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you, Linda

[agerhart]

In terms of SEO, it does not matter. In terms of website branding and users remembering that the site is .net, there may be issues.

[jackofalltrades]

I think that .com is generally valued higher.

I doubt that there is any SEO impact - its all in the eyes of the user!

You might want to take into consideration what the yoursite.com does. Could this branding reflect badly on your site?

JOAT

[lindavh]

Thanks for the information.
So I just checked on the registration of the .com site and it is not up, although taken.

I emailed the owner/admin to see if it could be made available as it is the name of the company.
I'll wait a day or so, and then my client said they would take .net

First .net I've ever registered and my feelings of it's lack of user friendliness was confirmed by your emails.

Wish me luck on possibly acquiring the .com from current owner...maybe they don't intend on using it since there is no site up and it's been registered since April 2002.

Thanks again.
Linda

[lorax]

Does it make a difference in terms of SEO and also for people looking for the company?

The .net extension was originally intended for websites that dealt with computer networks (i.e., internet service providers, backbone providers, telecommunications providers, etc...). To anyone who has been in the business for a long time they'll either think your .net DN falls into the aforementioned grouping or realize it doesn't and possibly write you off as a TLD muddler (someone who grabs TLD even if it doesn't fit their topic). If they actually visit and you're not what they expected to find - your credibility just fell a notch. IMHO, tis best to stay with a TLD that matches what your website is all about.

[dingman]

I don't think anyone will be phased by a .com that really belongs in .net or .org. Dot com is too generic at this point. However, commercial sites in .org always strike me as slightly sleazy and if they aren't related to some networking or telecomunications purpose, .nets just look clueless to me.

[2_much]

I have a .org site that has a short, branding domain.

At least 20% of our visitors type in the .com (which redirects to the .org)

If you have any interest in branding, I always reccommend - if you can, get both, if you can't, always get the .com

It's just how people remember things.