Rate the Domain Extensions

[zenmushin]

I wanted to get a discussion going about domain extensions. What does everyone else think?

For U.S.-focused sites, I rate the extensions like this:

• .com
• .net
• .org
• .biz/.us (equal)
• .mobi/.tv (equal, but depends on name)
• .fm (if audio-friendly)
• .info
• .ws
• .cc
• country codes

 

[VisualArtistFrankBonilla]

I wanted to get a discussion going about domain extensions. What does everyone else think?

For U.S.-focused sites, I rate the extensions like this:

• .com
• .net
• .org
• .biz/.us (equal)
• .mobi/.tv (equal, but depends on name)
• .fm (if audio-friendly)
• .info
• .ws
• .cc
• country codes

I would kinda sorta agree with your list, except for the .fm, it would definately be in last place, even though it "sounds" cool. IMHO

Frank

 

[smashfactory]

zen- do a thread search and you will get your answer- this has been asked several times before-

 

[GF]

Call me crazy, but I like .cc much better than .biz and .us

 

[steveteva]

You forgot dot to add .pro and .asia.

Usually the 1st 3 were Com Net and Org than all below depends on domain name.

ex:
Radio.fm will be better than radio.biz
business.biz will be better than business.fm
phone.mobi will be better than phone.info
newyork.us will be better than newyork.org
..... It really depends on what domain name you have but dot com will always be on top for any domain names.

Even now dot net is not really worth it because it's the second market of domain name for people missing the dot com and it doesn't really impress end users. It's old fashion, in the late 1990 there were only .com and .net (.org too)

 

[Keral_Patel]

For me it is something like this.

* .com
* .net
* .org
* .biz/.us (equal)
* .info
* .cc
* .mobi/.tv (equal, but depends on name)
* .fm (if audio-friendly)
* .ws
* country codes

Thanks.

 

[Dean]

I wanted to get a discussion going about domain extensions. What does everyone else think?

For U.S.-focused sites, I rate the extensions like this:

• .com
• .net
• .org
• .biz/.us (equal)
• .mobi/.tv (equal, but depends on name)
• .fm (if audio-friendly)
• .info
• .ws
• .cc
• country codes

.cc is way better then .ws. Also IMO better then .fm.

 

[bmugford]

To me it is .com by a mile, then the rest. It has been the standard and always will be. The only reason I would consider any other extension is if the name is a super premium.

 

[onewordonly]

I would do it like this for a US targeted Business:

* .com
* .net
* .us
* .biz
* .info
* .org
* .cc
* everything else

 

[akcampbell]

This thread gets rolled out every month. People tuck in the extensions they hold in flattering places behind .com and .net.

For example, zenmushin presumably has an axe to grind with .fm so he puts it in front of .info. There have been 10 reported sales of a .fm ever according to dnsaleprice but 23 reported .info sales in April 08 to date so can we have a bit of objectivity in these rankings.

Based on reported sales, .info is 4th behind .com,.net and .org and the gap between .org and .info is shrinking (35 April 08 sales for .org versus 23 for .info).

For other extensions, .biz has clocked up 4 reported sales in April 08, .Mobi 13 but in fairness they are for higher average amounts than .info, most are around $1,000, .us has zero but 12 in March 08 and .tv has 12 but a couple of those are $5,000 and $13,000 so it edges .mobi.

This would translate to;

.com
.net
.org
.info
.tv
.mobi
.us
.biz

Everything else is so far behind the leading pack in terms of actual sales it's not worth arguing about rankings. For example, .cc has 2 reported sales in April 08, one for $100 and the other for $200, and only 13 in total for 08. .ws is pretty much the same.

To put .fm, .cc and .ws into perspective, I've spent more buying and regging .pro in the last 6 months than the combined reported sales of these 3 extensions in the same period and that includes the sale of Poker.cc for $7,200 in Dec 07. ICANN is voting on whether to open .Pro registration to all professions and countries this Tuesday.

 

[Rubber Duck]

Some objectivity at last!

 

[michaeldotcom]

This would translate to;
.com
.net
.org
.info
.tv
.mobi
.us
.biz

Very good analysis, akcampbell.

I agree with almost everything you said, except that you forgot to mention ccTLDs which are doing very well in many countries. For example, in Germany or in the UK, .de or .co.uk are often seen as good as .com.

And quite often US corporations develop specific local websites for major ccTLDs.

 

[gpmgroup]

Nice analysis akcampbell.

This chart shows the relative size of each of the new gTLDs and "domainer" ccTLDs indexed by Google at the start of 2008.

www.chart.info/namespace/stats19.htm

In terms of registrations there are

76,000,000 .com
11,300,000 .net
6,700.000 .org
5,000.000 .info
2,000,000 .biz
1,400.000 .us

 

[zenmushin]

Based on reported sales, .info is 4th behind .com,.net and .org and the gap between .org and .info is shrinking (35 April 08 sales for .org versus 23 for .info).

Isn't it safe to say that .info is in fourth place because registrars offer the domain for 99 cents? If .tv was offered for 99 cents for the first year, I imagine the 2 letter extension .tv would be in fourth place and would topple the four character .info extension.

 

[htmlindex]

.com
.net
.org
.info
.tv
.us
.biz
.cc
.mobi
.ws
.fm (if audio-friendly)

 

[Lalo]

.com
.net
.org
.mobi
.info
.biz
.cc
.tv
.us