.com domain names still rule and if you think this iconic domain extension is dying down – think again because .com domain registration is still the number one route to go when registering a business. If you’re starting a business or are thinking of rebranding, consider opting for a .com domain extension.

There are many benefits to choosing a geo-specific (like .durban or .joburg) or industry-specific domain extension (.photography or .clothing) but the benefits of registering a .com extension are greater. There are several factors take into consideration before deciding on a business domain extension, namely:

  • The purpose of your website
  • Growth and scalability
  • Easy to interpret and remember

These factors will generally determine the domain extension that will best suit your business. If you foresee expansion for your business and want a memorable domain extension that rolls off the tongue: a .com domain lookup is where you should start to check availability.

Here are a few reasons why the .com domain remains the undisputed champion and the most popular domain extension globally.

.com Domain extensions are good for SEO

Do .com domains rank higher? 

In many cases, yes. Google loves and favours .com domain extensions because it is the oldest and most popular. This quote from branding experts Novanym sums up why Google is biased towards .com domains:

Although, businesses may wonder why .com is still afforded so much authority by Google. The answer is within human interaction with the search engine. Cognitive fluency favours a top-level domain (TLD) that’s easy and familiar.

Cognitive fluency, in short, refers to the ease of which information is processed. People gravitate towards things that are easy to think about and remember more so than things that require a high level of difficulty. Google and other search engines are engineered to consider and prioritize human search behaviour. A website called 1-grid.co.za has less authority than 1-grid.com because users are more likely to search for 1-grid.com. So, yes, a .com domain helps your rankings because people are more likely to search for and click on a .com domain in search results.

.com domains are ingrained in our minds because they have been around from the inception of the internet – which brings us to the other reason .com domains are king:

People most likely assume your domain ends in .com

When you hear about a business for the first time and their services or products pique your interest; you most likely will go and search for it on a search engine. Our cognitive fluency (as mentioned above) makes it that we automatically assume that the domain extension of said business is a .com extension.

The first 20 domains ever registered were all .com domains, and although the internet has grown tremendously since then; .com domains remain the most popular domains to register worldwide. Our introduction to the internet was through .com domains. And that is why we will assume that a business domain ends with .com.

Registering a .com domain for your business is a smart way of taking advantage of searchers’ familiarity and inherent trust in .com domains.

Which brings us to the last reason to choose a .com extension:

Credibility

A .com domain extension has inherent reliability because it sounds professional and authoritative.

Other factors that make .com domains more credible are:

  • They are more memorable;
  • Trusted; and
  • When people don’t remember a URL, they are more likely to think it ends in a .com.

Here are some frequently asked questions about .com domain extensions: 

What are .com domain prices?

You will find domain registration prices vary according to which extension you would like. There are a number of options available to suit all budgets.

Which domain extension is best?

.com will always be number one but do your research on which one is best for your industry and business.

Should I buy all domain extensions? 

It’s advisable to buy all domain extensions associated with your brand, that way people can’t leverage your brand identity by using a similar domain name.

Where is the best place to register a domain name? 

1grid.com, of course.