What should someone from USA buy if .com is taken?

[Name Trader]

What should someone from USA buy if .com is taken? .NET, .ORG, .US or somethig else?

 

[kaposzta]

I've been following the reported domain sales thread for a long time, and e.g. Federer sells tons of .net domains to US endusers (a couple of .orgs as well, but not as many).

 

[-NC-]

Not from the states myself, but when I was helping a friend from Kentucky set up a personal website, he said no one he knew would understand if he told them the url and it didn't end in .com or .net. He wasn't interested in his lastname.us, tried to acquire lastname.net and finally went for lastnamekeyword.com

 

[PNW]

Depends what's at stake. If it's really important, I'd buy all available (.US, org, net, TV) and I'd contact the owners of the ones I really want to see about a trade. Finally, I'd search term(s) with added prefix or suffix as well.(..for a .com) <--EDIT--> I also wouldn't advise others, especially those new to this, to buy up available names for flipping.

 

[Kate]

A longer .com.

 

[RazorNF]

It depends on what the domain is being used for.

If you are going to build a brand, or company that has wide reach, then as sdsinc suggested, think of another .com.

But if you just want a web presence for your local dry cleaning business or hair salon, I think an alternative such as a .net is fine.

 

[Name Trader]

So no one recommends them buying the .cctld, .US (except menzl). I find that interesting. .NET appears to be the next best from the replies.

 

[Kate]

It is unfortunate that the US is the only major country shunning its own TLD.
But few Americans consider .us viable enough for their business.

 

[ArielT]

I think depends of the type of site, so as alternatives to .com could be .net, org, biz, us or info

Also as sdsinc commented, a longer .com is a good option

Anyway, the domain if not the ideal could be changed later if found a better one, although of course is better to start with the ideal from the beginning

IMHO

 

[oldtimer]

So no one recommends them buying the .cctld, .US

It’s funny that Stub started this thread just a few minutes after I started my .US sales thread, I guess it must have been a coincidence.

In my opinion it depends on the strength of the keyword for the domain and what you want to use it for.

Those who are good with development and seo might prefer a good .US domain such as OnlineGames.US or PhoneShop.US over a forth or fifth tier .com (these are in my current sales thread in the ccTLD for sale section).

But then I am kind of partial to .US domains, although I have trimmed the number of .US domains that I own, but I plan on keeping a few category killer ones for development.

All and all it is probably a good strategy to get as good of a keyword as one could without going too far down in the quality of the extension, and I personally consider .US to be in the good enough to have extensions. Although there is some restrictions for owning .US domains, but on the other hand .US is going to be more immune to all the risks associated with some of the other extensions and it will be more recognizable amongst all those hundreds of new gTLDs that are going to come out soon.

But then this is just my personal opinion and as I said I am kind of partial to .US

Thanks, Ojohn

PS: be sure to visit my sales thread in the ccTLD for sale section to see some of the other .US domains that I currently have for sale.

 

[Name Trader]

@oldtimer - It was entirely coincidental since I haven't seen your sales thread (yet). but I will look after this.

This thought came to me after I just registered namesales.us, because all the other .tld's were taken. and I wondered if I'd lucked-into something.

 

[biggie]

What should someone from USA buy if .com is taken? .NET, .ORG, .US or somethig else?

:talk:


offer the owner of that .com more money!

 

[oldtimer]

@oldtimer - It was entirely coincidental since I haven't seen your sales thread (yet). but I will look after this.

This thought came to me after I just registered namesales.us, because all the other .tld's were taken. and I wondered if I'd lucked-into something.

Stub, I understand.

NameSales.US sounds like a good domain for someone who wants to sell .US domains.

:talk:


offer the owner of that .com more money!

This might actually be the best option provided that you could afford to buy the same caliber domain in .com

 

[DU]

It depends on your primary marketing source and business. Even biz or pro work for local companies.. .us is no issue.

Imho

 

[Name Trader]

By "no issue" I presume you are saying it's acceptable for a US business? Personally I think .biz/.pro are not so good for US based businesses.

 

[Freeborn]

It depends on what will you do with the domain? If you want to sell this, you should buy .net maybe. But it's not good choice like .com

 

[htmlindex]

I would go with the .net, why would you go with a .us? It's not popular & worth hardly anything, depending on the strength of the keyword

 

[DU]

By "no issue" I presume you are saying it's acceptable for a US business? Personally I think .biz/.pro are not so good for US based businesses.

I'm saying it's acceptable.

IMHO

... if a company that wants to be a global internet presence the .com is necessary.

... if a company wants to offer professional services in the US the .com is necessary (appropriate country code outside is same).


Many companies don't need it - the majority of businesses don't operate in either of those spaces. I've seen successful small business exist on pro us biz and I doubt it makes any difference to their turnover. Most people searching for a landscaping business do not pick based on extension ... they pick based on name.. if you see a truck outside of a nice yard that says

LandscapingPros.biz

You wouldn't think for one second - how come they don't have the .com or .net (though you should think twice if Scott's owned it and they operated in your neighborhood ).

In general, a simple, brandable, nice .com would be preferable over the equivalent smaller TLD. It's all relative.

My main email, my main communication for all that I do is a .TV and only once in 2 years has anyone asked me about it. Everyone else just uses it without question.

 

[Havela]

It is unfortunate that the US is the only major country shunning its own TLD.
But few Americans consider .us viable enough for their business.

It seems the Americans consider the .com their own ccTLD, so there is no place for the .us.

If American I would go for .net if .com was unavailable and would not consider any of the other extensions (except .org for non-commercial ventures).

In Europe it it the opposite. One should always go for the ccTLD if available, whereas .com plays the role of the stepchild, much like .net in the USA.