If you are building your own website, the domain name and its extension is one of the most important factors of all. This tells people who you are. 

However, what many people may not consider is the domain extension, which is the few letters that come after the period. Some of the most popular ones include .com, .co, .net, .org, and .us.

However, if you are a beginner in the world of website creation and design, you might not have the slightest clue as to what makes all of these domain extensions different.

This is exactly what we are here to explain to you today, so you can choose the right one for your next website. Today, we’ll take a look at these five major types of extensions, what they mean, who they are used by, what the differences between them are, and which one is best for you.

What Is a Domain Extension?

The domain extension is the few letters that come after the domain name, after the final period. The .com extension is the one that you are most likely to be familiar with. Domain names and its extensions can both be purchased from domain registrars in various hosting providers.

You would have to see which domain names are available with which extensions, and pick the one that suits your needs the best. If you don’t know how to choose one, keep reading, because you’ll find out further below.

Defining Different Domain Names

There are five main types of domain extensions that you should know about, which include .com, .co, .net, .org, and .us.

What Are .com Domain Name Extensions?

A .com extension is a specific type of web address associated with the country code top-level domain of the United States or the ccTLD for the USA. Technically speaking, .com stands for “commercial”, and has historically been associated with commercial business entities from the USA.

This means that a website that has a .com extension is always served from and belongs to the US Central Office for Internet Domain Names, also known as the COID. This was especially crucial back in 1995 when it was very difficult for people outside of the USA to access websites located in America without using a proxy server.

Thankfully however, thanks to advancements, there are many other domain extensions that work as alternatives for American individuals and businesses.

Today, a .com extension is a unique web address that identifies online resources and websites that are not only located in the United States, but also in Canada, Europe, and Australia. The .com extension is now far more global than it once was and may be utilized by both commercial and individual entities.

What Are .co Domain Name Extensions?

Next is the .co extension, and in some cases, this may signify that the website in question is based in and operated out of the country of Colombia. However, for anybody living outside of Colombia, it has a slightly different meaning.

.co actually stands for “company”. In some cases, this domain extension may also be recognized as standing for corporation.

In most cases, it is used in combination with country code domain extension, such as .co.com (USA) or .co.uk (United Kingdom). .co is an identifier signaling that there is commercial content on the website, usually owned by a company or corporation.

What Are .net Domain Name Extensions?

At this time, the .net extension is the second most popular one after .com. Roughly 4% of the domain extensions in the world are .net. This stands for “network”. This was originally used by large umbrella websites that acted as portals for smaller sites.

In other words, it represents a vast network of websites that are connected all under one easy to find domain name.

This type of domain extension is most often used by businesses that have various services such as website hosting, databases, Internet services, collaboration tools, and more. It is usually reserved for commercial sites and is generally not used by individuals.

What Are .org Domain Name Extensions?

.org is a type of top-level domain, and this stands for “organization”. This is usually used by various nonprofit organizations, nongovernmental organizations, charities, educational platforms, and open-source projects.

Over the many years, it became exclusively used by nonprofit organizations, a technical restriction that was removed in 2019. Originally, this extension was created for organizations that did not have the same intent as other domains.

.org extensions were originally used by entities that were not commercial, not part of networking, not a for-profit university, and not part of the military or government.

However, since 2019, for-profit businesses have been allowed to legally purchase .org extensions. Even with this recent development, it is still viewed as being exclusive for nonprofit organizations.

What Are .us Domain Name Extensions?

The .us extension is specifically for businesses and websites operating out of the USA. A person can only register a dot US domain extension if a business is located in America. It may be used by anyone operating in the USA, not just commercial entities.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Domain Extensions

Now that we know what the five main domain extensions are and what they represent, let’s take a closer look at all of the pros and cons of each of them.

.com Pros

  • These extensions are very easily recognizable, and it’s the domain name that most people use automatically.
  • These domains are also extremely indispensable, which is why many people use them even when the primary domain name extension is a different one.
  • This type of extension generally results in better search engine optimization rankings than country code domains.

.com Cons

  • The .com domain is oversaturated, which means that it can be extremely difficult to find a domain name that suits your needs.
  • This is a very commercial type, so if you are political, activist, government, religious, educational, or nonprofit, then it’s not the right kind of domain extension for you.
  • If English is not your main language, then the .com extension might not be right for you.
  • It is also very generic, which can either be good or bad.

.co Pros

  • This is a very popular type of domain to use when the .com you are looking for is not available. The main extensions are usually readily available.
  • This is a beneficial type of domain extension to use if you are a company or corporation, as the extension identifies you as such.
  • This type of domain name is also great for branding and creating global appeal, plus it is also very friendly in terms of SEO.

.co Cons

  • An issue here is that some people may confuse .co with.com, resulting in difficulty finding various websites.
  • There is also an issue of confusing .co which represents companies with .co sites that represent websites from the country of Colombia.
  • Many people may also view .co extensions as less valuable or prestigious than .com.

.net Pros

  • .net is fantastic to use if you are a large network or an umbrella company that has many affiliates, sub brands, and other serviceable websites that are connected to the main network.
  • .net domain names often have fantastic search engine rankings.
  • Visit type of domain name extension is also designed to provide you with increased online security.

.net Cons

  • This type of domain name extension has an extremely high price tag, with these being some of the most expensive at all.
  • The options available are also somewhat limited, and the use cases are as well. Only certain types of websites can be registered with a .net extension.

.org Pros

  • .org extensions can be beneficial as they display enhanced credibility and brand awareness.
  • This type generally has great search engine optimization potential.
  • These extensions have a very strong presence.
  • It also has great online visibility and reach.

.org Cons

  • Monetizing a website with a .org extension is very difficult.
  • These tend to be some of the most expensive extensions on the market at this time.
  • There is a risk of diluting the brand as well as infringement issues because these extensions are open to anybody.

.us Pros

  • This type of domain is ideal for individuals and companies exclusively in the USA, and from websites exclusively for Americans.
  • The .us extension features great credibility and search engine optimization potential within the USA.
  • .us extensions tend to be relatively cost-effective as well.

.us Cons

  • For American citizens only.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Domain Extension

There are many different factors that need to be considered when choosing the right type of domain extension for you. The following are the most important factors.

Your Purpose

You first need to consider what your overall purpose is. First, are you an individual or a larger entity? Furthermore, are you an educational institution, a government body, a nonprofit organization, a blog, or a business?

As you should have gathered from above, the type of entity you are determines the domain extension that you choose. For instance, if you are a nonprofit organization, choosing a dot US domain name might not be the best.

Your Location

The domain extension you choose also depends on your location. Yes, in most cases, you could just use the.com extension. 

If you want to be country specific, using country-specific extensions is called for. If you are located in the USA and serving Americans, then a .us domain would be best.

SEO

A very important part of driving traffic to any website is search engine optimization. Search engine optimization is how search engines determine where on their list of search results to rank you.

If you have good SEO, it means that you’ll appear at or near the top of the list of search results when people search for topics related to your business or organization.

Google does mention that the domain extension does not determine SEO rankings, this is not always 100% true. For instance, if you are an educational organization, ending your website name with .edu would likely be beneficial for SEO purposes.

Your Budget

The other important factor we’re considering here is your own budget. You always need to choose a domain extension that fits your budget, and although .com extensions are fantastic in terms of easily recognizing them, they can often be fairly expensive.

Conclusion 

The bottom line is that each domain extension discussed today has its benefits and drawbacks worth considering. Now that you know what they are, you can get to choose the best one for your needs.