Yes, it is true that a domain name plays a significant role in shaping the future of your website. From search engine optimization to branding to running a successful marketing campaign, a smartly chosen domain name can help you by all means.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the domain name is the foundation of your website. Since a domain name holds that much importance, you should choose it carefully.
As your domain name is something that you will carry with you for a long time, you shouldn’t hesitate giving it the proper time and attention. We often see that people get confused between domain extensions. Sometimes, they are not able to decide which domain extension is right for them.
If you’re one of those, this post is for you. As in this article, we’re going to take a look at how these domain extensions came to be and with which extension you should go with to make your website or blog successful.
But before that let’s take a look at the brief history of domains and their extensions
History of domains & extensions
You may skip this section if you don’t like history as this is going to be a little boring for you.
It was the year 1972 when the United States Defense Information Systems Agency developed something called (IANA) Internet Assigned Number Authority. Later on, it became the internet protocol or IP address system.
The first ever name server was developed by researchers at the University of Wisconsin in the year 1984. The very next year the domain name system was executed and the real top-level domains were introduced. These domain names were .com, .net and .org.
Today, there are over 19 million domain names are registered and this count is growing with each passing day.
Now you know how domain extensions came to their present form.
Choosing the right domain extension
As we said above, it is important that you choose the right domain extension if you really want to see your website successful. Though it is not possible to buy two identical domain names yet there can be two versions of the same domain name but with different extensions. For instance, If Google.com is already taken, but Google.biz could also be bought.
And for that reason, there are many companies that purchase all the available extensions for their domain names so that no one else can use their domain names with a distinct name.
When shopping for a domain name extension you should consider the following factors.
The aim of your site
This the first question you should ask yourself – what is the purpose of your site? For instance, if you are planning to start a blog, you should consider what is going to be a method of your income. On the basis of this, you can better decide between different domain name extensions.
In case you are planning to launch an online business, then a .com or .biz domain extension can beneficial for you. However, if you are an organization, .org extension will be a viable option for you.
In addition to this, if you have built a blog just for the purpose of keeping an online journal, you may like to go with an extension such as ‘.me’.
Though most people register for “.com” extension it is not always an ideal choice for every website owner. With which domain extension should you go will usually depend on the purpose of your site.
If you don’t know where to find different domain extensions you may go through this URL= hostinger.com/search-domain to find out different domain extensions for your potential domain name.
Don’t ignore local TLDs
In order to get better local results for your business, it is necessary that you target the special geographical region that you are in. And for that, you will need to some local SEO.
Speaking of top-level domain names, there are more than 400 different domain extensions available. But you should look for something that matches your location. Some of the common ones include co.uk for the United Kingdom, .us for the United States, .ca for Canada.
Don’t ignore SEO
For any website owner, it is crucial to practice the right search engine optimization to rank well in search engine results. And your domain extension plays important role in the same. Choosing the generic top-level domain is one of the most effective ways to improve the visibility of your site in the local search engine.
Common Options for Top-Level Domain Extensions and When to Use Them
.com – As we said in the beginning, it is a popular domain extension that can be used for commercial websites but nowadays it is being used for almost all kinds of websites.
.net – Originally, it was designed for networked websites. Today, it is used for a wide range of purposes.
.org – It can be best used if you are running a non-profit company or organization. Since it is meant for organizations, don’t go for it if you’re running a commercial business.
.edu – As you can judge by the name, this domain extension is meant for educational institutes such as colleges, universities, etc. Therefore, it is not available for public registration.
.me- If you’re planning to build a personal website or blog without any commercial intent. You can go for this domain extension.
.info- If the aim of your site is to impart knowledge, this domain extension will work best for you.
.biz- It is a good alternative to the “.com” domain. However, since it has been used by many spammy websites, you shouldn’t go for it.
Final words
As we mentioned above, there are more than 400 domain extensions available in the market. And each extension has its own features and technical details. Therefore, you can’t buy any random domain extension for your website.
We hope this post will help you know which extension is going to best match your requirements.
If you have any query and suggestion don’t forget to write to us in our comment section. We will be happy to hear from you.