What domain extension to choose?

.com .net .info ect

[sandpetra]

.org, .com or .net or .info for a global business to reach as many search engines as possible?

What would you recommend?

[tomda]

.com is THE must have!

[mack]

Go with .com to start with. Then as you grow buy the related extensons. This will prevent your competition buying them and may also help with repeat users who may type the wrong extension.

Mack.

[MichaelBluejay]

I disagree that .com is a must have, especially if your site isn't selling anything. I have several .info sites whose purpose is to provide quality info, and they've done rather well. (I sell advertising on them.) I also have .com's too. It depends on your preferences, how important it is for you to be branded, whether you expect much type-in traffic, etc. -- not to mention the case that you might be able to get a .net or .info for the name you want but .com is unavailable. You can't ask (or answer) what extension is best in a vacuum. It depends on your situation.

[sandpetra]

What about .org?

[Frequent]

.com is a must have because it is the default everyone tries first if they don't know the extension.

I would recommend buying the .com at a minimum. The .net, .org, and .info as well if you are planning long term.

Freq---

[dauction]

Any Global extension you find the best keyword in..

People will visit your site via the search engines..not from playing around in their browser address guessing what your website might be called .

Global Extensions including .Net , .Info . .Biz , .Org , .WS , .Travel , .Jobs etc..(actually a cctld but se's treat it as a GTLD)

ccTLDS use to reach specific country markets

[jchampliaud]

I'd say .com or .net depending on what name you could get. I can't see a business using a .org.

[Frequent]

Search engines are not the only source of traffic (yes they are one very good source) but if you are hoping to benefit from WOM or traditional advertising (radio, print, etc.) then the .COM is the way to go.

Freq---

[buckworks]

It's wise to have control of the dot-com even if that's not the one you actually use. Example: some Canadian businesses will use the .ca extension in all their advertising, but they also have the dot-com and redirect it to their main URL.

[WaDodger]

As mentioned by others, .com is the most common extension and a good place to start. Case in point, when I'm addressing a group about e-business and the domain market, I ask them how many remember the dot org boom and bust, or the dot net boom and bust. And the point is made.

However, there are other extensions which can fit your business model. For example, .orgs are a great extension if you're working with non-profits or public entities. (But the margin is smaller if you're simply a domainer.)

Also, many of the other, newer extensions are starting to make their marks and those premium domain names are now selling in the four- and five-figure range. For example, .de (Germany) is now the second most popular extension behind .com. .co.uk is another. And .us is becoming more and more popular (and more expensive in the premium domain circles) as the quality .com names are long gone.

Again, it depends upon what you want to do with the domain. widgets.com would be preferred, but no longer the only - or always the best - option.

[massomeh]

.com is the best for me...

[FrostyMug]

.com is a must. if a visitor remembers your site's name, it's the first extension they'll try.

[Beagle]

When I couldn't get the .com I wanted, I got a .us that worked in as part of the site name - visitors have found it very easy to remember. No, it's not widgetsR.us ;-), but that's the idea.

[recep]

from my point of you .com is the best way to announce your web site at the beginning cos its easyier for visitor to link it.
than you can use .net and than .org after .com

[edited by: jatar_k at 9:00 pm (utc) on Jan. 20, 2006]
[edit reason] no sigs thanks [/edit]

[JudgeJeffries]

I disagree that .com is a must or the best. You generaly hear this from US citizens. If you are looking for business from a particular country then a country specific domain can be more effective. Lots of people do not use the country specific search facility available on most of the larger se's and search the whole web before scanning the serp for a domain specific to their country. I always try to get the country specific domain rather than the .com.

[Mistra]

Get "all" of them - i.e. .com. .net, .org, .info.

[sandpetra]

i am thinking of .org.uk as all my domain names are available - a mistake or not?

I'm looking to acjieve global promotion, but the content is primarily about the UK.