When creating a business site, using an excellent Top-level Domain (TLD) is crucial. It builds potential customers’ trust through familiarity and a good reputation. It may also improve the site’s online presence compared to the least popular TLDs.
Some TLDs are popular for the use of hosting malicious sites and considered abusive over the internet, and being grouped there might lower how well your online presence is perceived. This article will help avoid that problem by listing the best top-level domains highly recommended for businesses.
The TLD king: .com
Off the top of everyone’s head, .com is the most popular TLD. The .com TLD is used by 51.5% of all websites over the internet, making up 72% of the total market share of top-level domains.
Building trust in a business is crucial, and a .com domain can make it happen. According to research, it is the domain that has the highest trust level compared to other TLDs. This fact is also supported by .com being the domain most used by big businesses, giving a sense of credibility to every other site that uses the same domain.
Also, it is easier for people to remember a business with .com TLD. When asked which domain is the easiest to remember on research, it sits in the first place, with 44% of total respondents agreeing. This might be because most people are familiar with it, as .com is one of the oldest domains to be around.
With plenty of substantial benefits, you should consider using .com to represent your business site. To do that, visit Hostinger, where you can check for available .com domain names and directly make the purchase.
Best non .com TLDs
The .com TLD is the best option, but there are still some downsides. For starters, the TLD can be more expensive and usually charges way higher than the price of less popular TLDs if you’re buying it second hand, or through an auction. As hundreds of millions of sites on the internet use this TLD, it can be difficult to find a domain name that suits your business for the .com TLD.
Besides, .com doesn’t always represent the spirit of a business. For example, if you’re selling products and services related to technology, using a .tech would directly explain what the business is about compared to an alternative. It also makes a business look more professional, as they are using a TLD that best represents what they offer.
When you can’t find a good and available domain name with .com, opt for generic top-level domains that rank not far below. That way, you can avoid registering for a TLD that is considered spammy or abusive. Below, I will list the best TLDs that rank under .com in terms of usage, along with their benefits.
.net
A .net TLD is good for a business as it promotes trust. .net sits in rank four as the most used TLD globally. Like it’s high ranking contemporaries, it provides a similar sense of familiarity to people. The feeling of familiarity it gives off is a big factor when it comes to building trust.
To a business, the TLD gives a professional, authoritative feel. The .net TLD has been around as long as .com has, and big networking technology organizations used it before the TLD was open for public use.
.org
The .org TLD perhaps offers the best online security for its visitors. This TLD is managed by Public Interest Registry (PIR), a non-profit organization that ensures every site registered under this TLD is not abusive.
This TLD is best for businesses that want to brand their product or services as beneficial to society. The .org domain has always been used by organizations that support great causes, and being grouped with those instances will give off a similar impression to the site.
.info
.info stands for information. Hence, a business should use this TLD if they want to create an informative page. They can use the TLD for their site and put product information, or post content marketing articles to help their potential customers learn everything related to their products or services.
Besides, a .info TLD is relatively cheap, and it is easy to find the right domain name for your business site. The .info TLD starts from $15 a year and ranks below the top 20 in usage, so there isn’t too much site registered under this domain.
.io
The .io TLD is closely related to tech businesses and startups. .io that originally stands for the Indian Ocean is also perceived to stand for ‘input-output.’ That term explains the foundational idea of how computers work, which is why it is favored by people working in the tech industry.
If you’re in the tech business, you might benefit from using this generic TLD. Aside from giving it a neat, edgy look from the two-letter TLD, it also boosts brand recognition as users will immediately recognize that your business is related to technology.
.biz
The .biz TLD stands for business, and it is excellent for all kinds of worldwide business sites. The TLD is straightforward, directly telling potential customers that they can purchase what they’re looking for on this site.
This TLD can be a way to boost sales. The self-explanatory TLD can be a good call-to-action method and with good SEO techniques, the business site will be able to create sales lead from the TLD itself.
.store
Just like the .biz TLD, .store directly gives the impression of a shop to potential customers. That is why this TLD is best suited for online stores that provide products, like e-Commerce websites.
This TLD provides easy branding for online stores. Use a domain name that best describes your products, and potential customers will understand what you are selling in one look.
Wrapping Up
In conclusion, .com is still the best TLD for a worldwide business site. However, there are alternatives to consider that may play to your advantage if a .com TLD does not suit your situation.