Your website plays a big role in the success of your business. Choosing the right hosting and domain extension is also important for your website’s success. Thus, moving on from our previous post .COM vs .CO extensions, today let’s look at the differences between .COM vs .CO extensions.
If you’re one of those who think that both are similar, then you need to know about the two extensions in detail. When you choose the wrong domain extension for your business, it may affect the branding and ranking of your website in SERP.
What’s the Difference Between .Com vs .Net Domain Extension?
The texts that appear as a part of your website address are domain names. It is followed by the website name that you’ve registered. You’ll be able to identify the intent of the website category using top-level extensions that are available.
More than 5000 top-level domain extensions are available for registration .com and .net are two of the most popular extensions. Other generic extensions are – .co, .org, .us, .edu. A particular extension can be registered depending on the location or country code. Most domain name extensions have restrictions based on countries and business types.
Further reading: How do I Choose Between a .Com, .Org, or .Net Domain Name.
Contents
1. What Does The .COM Extension Mean?
.COM is the most used TLD extension and a shortcode for commercial. Most businesses, blogs, portfolios, and organisations use the .com extension as it represents different services and products.
When it was introduced, it was intended for eCommerce sites and product-related websites. Today, it serves over half of the websites in the webspace. There’s only one issue with the .com extension – its availability.
As many use this domain extension, it won’t be available if you want to register for a new website using the extension. There’s a chance that a perfect .com extension is already taken by someone else.
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1.1 Reasons to Choose .COM Extension
If you want to expand your business in the future and looking for credibility, then you must stick with the .com extension. Your customers will be able to remember this extension name easily compared to .net.
When users search for a website, they always tend to add .com at the end. It has a good recall value, people will not remember extensions that are non-specific or not of a top-level domain.
It is not only highly recognizable but also relatable. Its often considered a reliable marker for dependability in the web space. Your potential clients may also see it as a sign of professionalism.
Pros of .COM
- It is widely accepted and familiar to the audience globally.
- It helps establish a credible business site.
- People see the .com domain as a business symbol, giving it a professional stamp.
- It has dedicated keyboard support and is mobile-friendly.
- It is great for branding as people know about the .com extension.
- It helps in marketing and develops a good online presence.
Cons of .COM
- More than half the websites on the internet use .com so it is not easily available.
- It can only be used for commercial sites (and not for non-profit sites).
- It is a bit expensive compared to other top-level domains.
Further Reading: How To Buy Domain, Hosting and Install WordPress on HostGators.
2. What Does The .NET Extension Mean?
.NET is the second most popular top-level domain extension and a shortcode for network. It was specifically created for organisations that dealt with network technology. .Net is often used as an alternative to .com extension.
Initially, it was only meant for network-related products. Most companies that include database services, ISPs, and email services use .net extension for their websites. If .com is taken, then the only option people prefer is the .net extension.
It may add the same value as top-level extensions do. But, .net extensions may need some marketing efforts for exposure compared to .com extensions.
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2.2 Reasons to Choose .NET Extension
If your site offers networking, email services, or similar types of services, then choose the .net extension. Also, irrespectively, most businesses register their website with a .net extension so that it is not available for other people.
You can use this extension for speed checking websites, the ones that allow internet users to check their site’s speed in real-time. Bigger brands or businesses usually register .com as their primary domain and .net for other business purposes. So, it is used for both branding and marketing of the business
Pros of .NET
- It helps sites that deal with networking or is server-based.
- It is easily available with hosting providers.
- It ranks in SEO similar to .com.
- It helps to market service-based business.
- It can be located easily in the URL.
- It is a common extension for technology firms.
Cons of .NET
- It needs to be marketed harder than any other top-level extension.
- It offers limited services to sites that are non-tech related.
- It won’t rank well for commercial sites.
Read this HostGator reviews to know why it is a popular domain name registrar.
#Difference Between .NET and .COM
.COM is mainly a commercial domain that includes different business platforms. It includes business websites, personal websites, eCommerce, and websites with general categories. It helps to establish an identity in the web space.
Finding a .com extension is not easy as most of the websites on the internet use .com. It can be a time-consuming process if you need to register for a new website.
If you compare the price with .net or .co, then its price may be higher given the demand. It is the most widely used extension, and most companies still prefer .com to any other top-level extensions.
.NET is derived from the network and was specially designed for networking. Most companies that deal with the internet or host emails use this extension. It is also suitable for all technology-driven websites.
The best part about the extension is; its availability. .Com extension is not easily available because of its demand. But, registering with .Net is easy as the extension is available with all major hosting companies.
The only reason people ignore this domain is marketing. It requires more marketing efforts than any other domain. You’ll have to write the full domain name with an extension when providing your website address.
Check out these hosting comparison articles to know which hosting provider offers the best deals for .Com and .Net domain extension.
#Which Domain is Better For SEO?
Search engine optimization is an important ranking factor. If you don’t optimise your website for SERP, then it may not be able to get traffic. Though most domain extensions bear little weight in search, still they may have an impact on how your site ranks in Google.
Search engines treat both .com and .net similarly when it comes to ranking. The difference lies in the content of your site. If your content is great, your site will rank higher. You’ll need to create targeted and useful content to rank higher.
Here the domain name plays an important part and not the extension.
For example – healthyliving.com will rank higher than healthyservices.net as the domain uses the ranking keyword in the website name.
There may be some advantages of using .com as people tend to search for .com based sites on Google. But, if you’re looking to target users in networking and technology, then .net makes an ideal choice.
Many factors affect SEO – images you use, the content you create, and your website speed. Choosing an extension has a minimum effect on your site’s traffic and ranking.
Wrapping Up,
.COM or .NET both the extensions offer the same value, but it depends on your business and product needs. If you want to stick with .com and your domain is already registered, try different name combinations.
Make sure that the domain name you choose is short and can be easily pronounced. For selecting a domain name, use a domain name generator.
When comparing .com vs .net, most people will find .com a feasible choice as it has a universal appeal. It is not only more relevant but also more recognizable than other top-level extensions available.
If you’re registering for a domain name, then evaluate your business needs and select the best. And to buy web hosting, use these HostGator hosting coupons.
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