Millions of .com domain names have already been purchased. Got yours?
Unveiled in January 1985, the .com extension was one of the very first Top-Level Domains (TLD) and has since grown to become the world's most popular. Dozens of other TLDs are now available, but no matter how many new extensions get added, everyone agrees — .com domains are still the world’s most popular.
When you register .com, it puts you right next to some of the internet’s most established brands, as it’s been there since the start of the internet. Short as dot com sounds, it can speak volumes about your credibility and go a long way in building confidence that you aren’t a fly-by-night operation —?you’re here for the long run.
The .com domain: A reputation established over time.
Back when the internet was just beginning to transition from science fiction to everyday use, .com domain names were among the first TLDs replacing strings of numbers that had served as web addresses. In 1985, a computer manufacturer in Massachusetts registered the first .com domain. By the end of that year, there were a total of six domains registered worldwide (compared with the hundreds of millions today).
Originally created to designate commercial entities, by the mid-1990s there were no restrictions to register .com and before long it was used for all types of online endeavors. Today when you look at the most expensive TLDs in the world, .com domain names top the list — with many of them valued upward of $10 million. Most of us don’t have that kind of cash laying around, but a carefully chosen .com (no matter its cost) can still have a heavyweight impact.
What else can a .com domain do?
Compared to the days when .com launched, there are hundreds more options for setting up an online presence. But even with all the new choices, people buy .com over others for a number of solid reasons. A .com domain:
- Gives you credibility in the online world. It’s the go-to for anyone looking to establish themselves on the web.
- Can be purchased by anyone. Although initially intended for businesses, there are no restrictions on who can register a .com.
- Is extremely versatile. Some domains suggest something specific, but .com can work for any type of website.
Register .com to protect your brand.
According to Verisign, the registry handling .com domains, this TLD accounts for nearly a third of the more than 335 million domains (and growing) registered today. Registrations for the two most common domains, .com and .net, alone will gain millions of new registrations each year. With .com touching nearly everything imaginable online, it’s a good idea to protect your brand.
Even if you go with another TLD, registering .com domains with common misspellings of your website address will keep others from misdirecting your traffic to their sites. Best of all, you don’t need to have a separate site for each domain — you can just have them redirect visitors to your primary .com site.
