What percentage of traffic com vs net?

[notlikeyou]

Anyone know of a site/resource that would have (current) data about what percentage of internet traffic is lost to the .com when a business uses the .net for their website?

And any other metrics when attempting to compare the amount of use between a .com & .net (of the same domain).

Example:

mysupercoolwebsite.com (owned by some domainer) :D

mysupercoolwebsite.net (used for a company's business)

 

[DotWeekly]

Every domain would be different depending on how Marketing is done.

It would be hard to put an exact number on any missed traffic of a .net owner to .com without putting up a poll or something like that.

Did you mean SiteX.net when you typed SiteX.com ?
Yes
No

Considering .com is the most commonly used TLD, I would guess the numbers could be pretty high, going to the .com when a .net is advertised or used.
:D

 

[notlikeyou]

Pretty much, what I'm looking for is just data that could give a approximation of users tendency to type in .com over .net.

Some empirical data to support a claim like 90% of all web users when attempting to navigate to a website will type in ".com" over ".net"

You could safely say that the Marketing of the domain is little to none.

 

[HuntingMoon]

that would be some interesting data if you can find it. i'm not sure how you can measure this traffic loss without some sort of spyware?

 

[samuelhr]

If you said to someone "Go to fdsfdfsdf in your web browser!" they'd do .com, however if you marketed it as a .net, you'd lose a lot less. It depends on the domain, the idea behind the site (Is it for the web savvy or neverusedinternetbefore'rs?).

 

[localexperts]

You market a web site via several tactics:

1) SEO - Zero traffic loss since a click comes from a search engine directly to your site
2) PPC/SEM - You purchase a click from a search engine or site directly to your site
3) Branding - Branding takes millions of dollars. Typically branded sites have unique content that is so distinct, if it was developed on a .net - unless the .com had the same exact content - the user would recognize their mistake and go directly to the .net.

I spend 10s of thousands each month driving traffic to dot nets and .tv and the .com gets nothing from my marketing efforts.

 

[Fka200]

It also makes a HUGE difference what audience the site is targeting. For example: Outside of the US vs. Americans. Americans might tend to think .com first, but someone in Germany might assume .de (I know it's not a net, but... still same concept. .Net is used quite a bit in the Middle East).

 

[labrocca]

I was redirecting my biggest dot com version of my successful dot net set to the dot net. I just changed it to redirect to my Sedo account. Now realize my members do know I own the dot com so I am sure some just type the dot com but after a couple weeks that effect should be minimal. My dot net recieves 9000+ visits per day and over 5000 uniques. I will report as the results build up.

 

[localexperts]

Here is what most dot commers don't want to hear.

I can get 90% of what I want with a dot net without paying thru the nose for a dot com.

All things being equal, I would buy the dot com.

But with the amount of quality dot coms in hands of people that won't sell or that have unrealistic expectations of domain value - dot net (and dot tv) represent a viable alternative.

 

[gladdy]

It depends, many sites use the .net as main site and redirecting the .com traffic to .net

For example try to estimate, Big Role Playing Forum like RPOL.NET they have thousands of online gamers and they are using only .net extension.
How much traffic(new clients) they miss not having RPOL.COM on account? Maybe not much traffic, but they miss new users for sure.

 

[labrocca]

But with the amount of quality dot coms in hands of people that won't sell or that have unrealistic expectations of domain value - dot net (and dot tv) represent a viable alternative.

Recently I had a friend contact me about a website he wants to build and needed a domain. He was getting my advice because the dot com version of his desired name was taken. Now this is coming from a complete non-domainer website novice. He said "well then shouldn't I get the dot tv version". His site is semi video related but I thought it very interesting that instead of hunting for a lesser dot com (long tail?) or trying to buy a good dot com he was more than willing to register a dot tv. To me that said a lot about the extension.

I ended up giving him a list of good domains I thought were reasonable to register and told him to get 2 or 3 in case he changes his mind.

I can get 90% of what I want with a dot net without paying thru the nose for a dot com.

For me it's more like 95%. What I lose is the vanity of owning the dot com and a couple percentage to a parking page.

How much traffic(new clients) they miss not having RPOL.COM on account? Maybe not much traffic, but they miss new users for sure.

http://siteanalytics.compete.com/rpol.net+rpol.com/?metric=uv

Looks to me like they really aren't losing anything significant. Probably less than 1%.

 

[andreyknure]

I would say that domain extention has a small impact on search engine rankings you will have for a website in the future!

 

[dropsdomains.com]

I must disagree. Most sales are made by returning visitors. And if you have .net you'll have slightly less returning visitors. If you got dummydummy.net, maybe 10-20% first time returning visitors will go to .com.

Less returning visitors = less sales. First time visitors mostly do some blind clicks.

I'm not telling it's imposible to build successful project on .net, but it wil have less traffic (unless it's fine domain hack like inter.net )

You market a web site via several tactics:

1) SEO - Zero traffic loss since a click comes from a search engine directly to your site
2) PPC/SEM - You purchase a click from a search engine or site directly to your site
3) Branding - Branding takes millions of dollars. Typically branded sites have unique content that is so distinct, if it was developed on a .net - unless the .com had the same exact content - the user would recognize their mistake and go directly to the .net.

I spend 10s of thousands each month driving traffic to dot nets and .tv and the .com gets nothing from my marketing efforts.

 

[labrocca]

If you got dummydummy.net, maybe 10-20% first time returning visitors will go to .com.

You assume too much traffic is coming from direct type-ins when that's not the case. Most traffic is link or search engine based. Leakage is average of about 2% from a developed net to a parked com. Your numbers are off.

 

[localexperts]

maybe, means you are guessing.

Several have posted fact using quantcast and compete when comparing undeveloped .com and large .net sites.

Data trumps opinion.

BTW, if I did accidently type in authorize.com, when I go to my account on authorize.net - i would quickly fix that mistake since I can't pull up my daily receipts at authorize.com. I can at authorize.net.

 

[cache]

I would guess less than 10% is for .net

 

[DubDubDubDot]

maybe, means you are guessing.

Several have posted fact using quantcast and compete when comparing undeveloped .com and large .net sites.

Data trumps opinion.

"Fact" in the same sentence as Quantcast and Compete? LOL!

BTW, if I did accidently type in authorize.com, when I go to my account on authorize.net - i would quickly fix that mistake since I can't pull up my daily receipts at authorize.com. I can at authorize.net.

Agreed. People know where they want to be, and most (if they really want to be there) will take steps to get there if they land in the wrong spot.

The only way to test this is to take a new .com and a .net, develop the .net and put a blank page on the .com. Then over time see what kind of type-in traffic the .com gets.

 

[Fka200]

The only way to test this is to take a new .com and a .net, develop the .net and put a blank page on the .com. Then over time see what kind of type-in traffic the .com gets.

Recently reg'd .net/.com pair (developed in October with 0 traffic traffic on both domains)

February:

Feb 2009 4960 uniques .net
Feb 2009 Bodis Parked stats .com : 2 uniques

~ 83% direct type-in, and 10% search engine, according to AWStats

 

[localexperts]

there were a couple of the DOT NETs that were quantified. So (yea) if they have the measure code on all their pages, hard to fake that data.

I agree, unless this is in a cleanroom environment - you don't truly know.

I know I can build a company on dot com, dot net, dot pro, dot tv, and whatever other extension is out there.

Because this is fact, Content, Substance, Business Model, Execution, Delivery, Layout, Strategy and above all Marketing - trumps domain and extension every day of the week.

If that wasn't true, then del.ici.ous wouldn't be popular. Photo.net wouldn't have 1 million uniques. TNT wouldn't be using TNT.TV. And EBAY would have spent millions to purchase Auction.com.

 

[andreyknure]

I must disagree. Most sales are made by returning visitors. And if you have .net you'll have slightly less returning visitors. If you got dummydummy.net, maybe 10-20% first time returning visitors will go to .com

If your website content is well-optimized make sure that you will manage to receive high ammounts traffic for a long time not depending on domain extention.