written by
Joe Uddeme
There have been many ‘young pretenders’ such as .ai and .io, but .com reigns supreme in the world of domain names. NameExperts.com Director Joe Uddeme explains why a .com URL is still the one to aim for in most cases.
Using a .com domain offers several significant advantages that can positively impact your brand’s identity, visibility, and long-term growth. To this day, a .com domain registration transfer is often the best choice for a new domain and purchase in your desired price range.
Buying a domain name can be daunting and less secure without the proper knowledge of the transfer process, which is where a top domain brokerage service can help. Price range is a major factor when it comes down to buying your URL – or selling it – and a broker can streamline the whole process.
A .com website has the most-recognized Top Level Domain: The .com domain extension is known worldwide and widely respected. When users see a .com domain, they immediately associate it with a legitimate organization. It’s the default extension most people think of when typing a domain name or securing one for ownership and transfer. It’s a key consideration when you want to acquire a premium domain name.
Buyers tend to trust websites that have a .com domain over other top-level domains. Most International registrars support the transfer of .com and offer additional features.
Since it’s the most established and widely used domain extension, it adds an element of professionalism, security and reliability to your marketing plan. This helps visitors with peace of mind and makes them more likely to engage with your entity and feel more secure. If you’re involved in domain name portfolio management, it’s a good bet you’ll have one or more .com names in your collection.
A short, catchy .com domain is easier for people to recall. People are conditioned to associate websites with .com, making it more likely that they’ll remember your complete domain name when searching for your business or product suite.
This improves free direct visit traffic, where users type your domain into their browsers, leading to higher engagement and conversions on your site to protect your brand and keep you covered.
Because .com is the default TLD, potential individuals are more likely to accidentally type yourbusiness.com even if your actual website is on a different extension (e.g., .net or .org). Owning the .com prevents you from losing traffic to other sites and allows your client to complete the navigation. It’s all part and parcel of a great brand name strategy.
Customers often expect businesses to use .com for both websites and email addresses. If a site uses yourbusiness.com for its website but an alternative domain like .net or .biz for its email, it could create confusion or even raise questions about its legitimacy, even if it is catchy.
A professional email address ending in .com adds security and simplicity – and attracts more visitors to the domain to achieve success.
Using the same .com domain for both your website and professional email helps create a cohesive brand identity for your new domain and keeps you protected and ready to continue to build your organization.
If your website is hosted on a .com domain but your email uses different domain extensions (e.g., [email protected]), it can lead to confusion and undermine the consistency of your brand. Clients may accidentally send emails to [email protected] because they assume your email matches your website domain.
Perception of Success: Having a .com domain is often seen as a sign that a brand is more established, successful, and serious about its online presence.
Investors, acquisition partners, and other account stakeholders may view your brand more favorably if it has secured a .com domain, especially if you’re targeting a global audience or providing services or support.
Domain as a Digital Asset: A .com domain purchase that you intend to hold onto can also become a valuable long-term equity play. Premium .com domains tend to appreciate over time, adding value to your organization if you decide to sell or expand services to maximize the best price for transfer.
Register top keywords that identify with your services or product offerings or answer questions. Purchase a .org for your non-profit or a .net for your network platform.
Alternative TLDs such as .net and .org may each hold value to the domain name owner and may be attractive to the buyer as a cheaper alternative, based on the availability of domains.
Higher Click-Through Rates (CTR): A .com domain will ensure greater click-value in search engine results. Since users trust .com websites more, search engines like Google may favor them in search rankings, especially for advanced searches.
Even if a domain extension doesn’t directly impact SEO, user behavior (like click-through rates) does, and .com domains tend to perform better in this area.
Backlink Value: When other sites link to you, they may be more willing to link to a .com site due to its perceived authority and security. High-quality backlinks are essential for SEO performance, and .com domains tend to naturally attract more of those links.
Global Acceptance: If your organization operates globally or plans to expand internationally, a .com domain is universally recognized and accepted across borders and everyday life.
Country-specific domains (like .co.uk or .de) can limit your reach or cause confusion in markets outside that specific country. They can also cause transfer issues.
Consistency in Branding: As your organization grows, maintaining a consistent identity across different regions is essential. A .com domain helps establish a unified web presence, making it easier for customers worldwide to find and recognize your branding and url.
Competitor Safeguard: Owning the .com version of your entity name prevents competitors from using it. Even if you currently use a different extension for your account, a competitor could purchase the .com and use it to divert traffic, confuse clients, or dilute your message or image and hurt security. Always be sure to check out a .com’s history before buying, though – there could be some nasty surprises if it has been used before.
Professionalism: Many well-established businesses, particularly in competitive industries, prefer .com domains. If a competitor has the .com version of a similar name, they may be seen as more professional or legitimate than a business name using a less common extension. Having a .com gives you an edge in appearing professional and trustworthy.
As your network grows, the .com extension is flexible enough to accommodate expansions into new products, services, or geographic markets. Unlike some niche TLDs, which may be associated with specific industries (like .tech or .store), a .com can grow with your entity and remain relevant in any market.
Premium .com domains can become valuable assets if your organization is ever sold or merged. The high demand for .com domains, especially short, brandable ones, means they often increase in value over time and make them an easier sale for the seller in a reasonable range. Some names exceed all expectations, however, and command seven-figure price tags or higher.
Clients ask regularly if there are decent top-level domain alternatives to the .com for transfer. There are many, including .org, .net,.co, .io, .ai, .xyz and .club domains that a degree of power and authority.
These extensions are popular for use in the crypto and web 3 space. There are many organizations that capitalize on the generic value such as the banking industry with the .bank top-level domain.
With more than 2,500 new GTLD domain extensions, you can now register and transfer anything from .legal to .car for your business, which is worth knowing if you’re securing a unique domain name for a startup in particular.
Here are a list of some top extensions and how they’re often used:
You definitely don’t need to use a website builder for every domain name you purchase. Make sure you forward any additional domain names you register to your primary site and add a secure server to protect your organization.
When we talk about long-term investing and ROI, we think about the stock market, commercial or residential real estate investing, gold bullion and Forex – but domain investing is a legitimate business pursuit, too. Domain names hold value and add instant equity to the branding strategy and ownership in the purchase and sale of domain names.
There are hundreds of thousands of prime opportunities to invest in the domain space – and as the last 30 years have shown, the .com is the most credible TLD on the market, both domestically and abroad. This holds true if you are buying your domain for your business or to hold and transfer at a later date.
Whether this is your first domain or you own many, the .com creates easy accessibility for consumers and brands alike.
Companies work hard to protect their domain brands, accounts and marketing tactics. They invest millions of dollars and countless resources at building that beach-front real estate and maintaining their Internet presence in the world. As leaders in the domain space, the NameExperts.com team continues to recommend the .com as the superior domain with considerable upside and long-term equity potential.
Here’s a case study of a .com domain acquisition transfer that highlights the importance and benefits of acquiring a premium .com domain for a business. The study involves Tesla’s acquisition of Tesla.com.
For many years after its founding, Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer, operated under the registered domain TeslaMotors.com. Despite its growing success, the entity didn’t own the highly sought-after Tesla.com domain. TeslaMotors.com was functional, but having Tesla.com would better align with the company’s image as it expanded beyond cars to include energy products like solar panels and batteries.
The domain Tesla.com was originally owned by a man named Stuart Grossman, who had registered it long before the organization existed. Grossman wasn’t actively using the domain, but he also wasn’t interested in selling it easily, making the acquisition a challenging and lengthy process.
In 2016, Tesla successfully acquired and completed the transfer of the Tesla.com domain and immediately rebranded their website and digital assets. This acquisition allowed Tesla to secure its concept and image across all its product lines and simplify its online presence and customer support tools.
Joe Uddeme is Director and Principal of Name Experts, one of the world’s leading domain name brokerage services. He has overseen domain name sales and acquisitions totaling more than $150 million and is renowned worldwide as a go-to expert in buying and selling premium domains. Joe’s specialty is helping clients secure .com domain names that appear unreachable – and at the right price, too. Contact Joe at: [email protected]
Even the best domains can be snapped up at an attractive price if you follow the rules and get the timing right. In this blog post, domain name expert Joe Uddeme shares the top strategies domain brokers employ when securing high-value names for their clients.
It is surprisingly easy to take your eye off the ball when managing one or more domain names. In this blog post, domain name expert Joe Uddeme explains what to do if your domain name appears to be lost. My domain is expired. My domain name is lost. I forgot to renew my domain name. Now what? If you lost your expired domains, missed the grace period and now your website is deleted, it’s easy for panic to set in. Expired domains can wreak havoc for any brand. A common issue is that an expired domain name has transferred to another registration – and now there is no access to search your registrar. The redemption period has lapsed and your domains cannot be renewed. Another burning question is: “Did my backlinks expire or transfer with the renewed domain name transfer?” Let’s explore expired domains and detail the grace period for your expired domain. Key takeaways All is not necessarily lost when a domain name has expired Just because your name has been bought by someone else, it doesn’t mean you’ll never get it back Discover the key issues for a business when a domain name is lost
Picking a domain name for your brand should be given the respect it deserves. After all, says NameExperts.com Director Joe Uddeme, it could make or break your business. Among the most crucial decisions in establishing an internet presence is picking a domain name to buy. Ignore the trends and fads of the day and pick a name that makes sense for your company or subject matter a decade from now. When you choose well, you can rest assured that you have a valuable piece of digital real estate that is woven into the overall success of your business. Here are 10 suggestions that will help you to make a fantastic domain name purchase. 1. Do your homework Just a small amount of research can go a long way when buying a domain name. Find similar websites and check out your competitors’ domains using a website like Compete.com. Use dnpric to determine when a domain name was last sold, for how much, and the web hosting agent. You can search by keyword, which will help provide the popularity of particular words in a domain name. While any research is better than none, plan to put aside days or even weeks to properly research the right name for your brand – something that will help it to grow. If you need some guidance and an insider’s eye, an experienced domain broker can help you come up with – and secure – the perfect name for you. 2. Buy a domain name people can remember Even if you’re planning on optimizing the website for search engines so that it can be found when people search for “used boats in Dallas” or “hair styling near me”, you still need a domain name that individuals can remember and type. Anyone hearing your name needs to know how to get right to your business without you having to say things like “the number 4,” and “dash-dash.” It’s also wise to avoid words that have more than one spelling if your customers are likely to be confused and type in the wrong name. Alternately, you can purchase both versions of the name and guide visitors to the one you prefer – safe in the knowledge that your backup site will scoop them up if they make a mistake. Avoid anything mysterious like “voodrifunk” or “flambinastic” that might sound fun but is so out there that people will have difficulty remembering it. 3. Avoid slang terms Stay away from slang terms and instead select a name that will continue to be meaningful in ten years. This may also help your title be known and remembered by non-native speakers. Even if you don’t intend to conduct business globally, this strategy can help your neighborhood audience also. 4. Purchase a domain that is shorter rather than longer The longer your domain name is, the harder it is for people to remember. And the greater chance you have of someone misspelling some of the words. Most good single word domains are long gone (read “what do to if the domain name you want is taken“), but it’s still possible to avoid super-long alternatives by getting a little creative. For those who have one word in mind that’s not available, consider adding an adjective or verb in front of it and seeing if those variations are available. Perhaps not “GetAppple”, as that would likely lead to a world of trademark issues and other legalities, but you get the idea. Think of your domain name as part of your brand, and be sure it matches how you want visitors to consider you. 5. Stick with .com if you’re able to Most individuals assume that a domain name ends in .com – it’s just become the default for most of us. If you purchase a domain name with a different extension or “TLD” as they are known (.net, .info, .org, etc.), you will have some additional work to do if you want to get people to keep you in mind. However, do not automatically assume you should only ever buy .com domains. Many websites have done very well with different extensions – such as last.fm 6. Do not buy trademarked domains Even if you’re not intentionally trying to create confusion, you are most likely to face some legal challenges by purchasing trademarked terms in your domain name. To be safe, look for U.S. trademarks at www.uspto.gov and be sure no one owns a trademark on the name you’re contemplating. 7. Do not buy a domain name that is too similar to an existing website Even if the wording, name or expression in the domain name that has caught your eye is not trademarked, do not buy it if is is merely a variation of some other domain name. This applies to plurals if the singular is taken (mediatemple.net vs. mediatemples.net) and hyphenating a term (media-temple.net). 8. Avoid buying hyphen domain names If you have to go with hyphens, do not buy a domain with more than three of them. It is just too messy. 9. Avoid numbers People may get confused about whether the amount is a digit (3) or a word (three). If you would like a number on your domain name because there’s a number in your organization’s name, purchase both versions (word and digit ) and redirect one to the other. 10. Check availability on social networking sites When you’ve got a name picked out, see if this word or phrase can be found on social networking sites like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, and Tumblr. Even if you don’t intend on using social media straight away, you will want the option when you are ready, and it is easiest if you can use the identical phrase on each website. About the author Joe Uddeme is Director and Principal of Name Experts, one of the world’s leading domain name brokerage services. He has overseen domain name sales and acquisitions totaling more than $150 million and is renowned worldwide as a go-to expert in buying and selling premium domains. Contact us at: [email protected]
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