The domain extension choose can help with your online business branding. There are a multitude of extensions, some of which are available to anyone and some of which are restricted for certain types of businesses or organizations. Some common domain extensions you may see are .com, net, .co, and .org.
.com
The .com is the most popular domain extension and is available to any individual or business. It was originally used to designate for-profit companies, but over time has become the most common extension for any type of business.
.net
Like the .com extension, .net is available to anyone. Originally intended for internet service providers or networks, it has become a common alternative to .com. The .net is a nice extension for technology or application-based industries because it implies network and technology.
.co
The .co extension has become a popular option because “co” is a familiar acronym for “company”. This familiarity has led many businesses to build their brands on a .co. This extension could be a great way to diversify your brand.
.org
The .org extension was originally designed to represent non-profit organizations. It’s a popular option for non-governmental and non-profit organizations, political parties, and online communities. Many people associate .org with a reliable source of information.
Other popular domain extensions include:
- .gov — Limited to government agencies
- .edu — Limited to educational institutions
- .info — An extension that is short for information
- .biz – for online businesses
- .us – Reserved for citizens and organizations in the United States.
A common question is whether a domain extension can affect a website’s SEO. The good news is that it doesn’t. Google doesn’t show preferences based on.com, .net, .name or other domain extension. What is important for SEO are other factors such as keywords, meta tags, and proper content.