# .com vs .net for website



## photographyfanatic (Feb 26, 2010)

Hello. The domain name I want for my online portfolio is taken as a .com but is availble as a .net
Any thoughts on this? Should one stay away from the .net? Or do you think it doesn't really matter?


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## Big Mike (Feb 26, 2010)

I think that .com is the ideal choice but it's not a big deal if you use .net
There are many, very successful sites that use .net

Depending on where you live, you could also consider a more 'local' domain.  For example, I'm in Canada and my domain name ends in .ca


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## GraphicsGeek (Feb 26, 2010)

Also think about coming up with creative names to use with the extensions. For example: photograph.me or picture.ly or something like that.


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## J.Kendall (Feb 26, 2010)

.net isn't all that bad. Most people are used to a .com, but a .net will be fine


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## Village Idiot (Feb 26, 2010)

Buy both. Host both. Put a redirect into .net so if some one goes there by mistake it takes them to .com.


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## HikinMike (Feb 26, 2010)

Village Idiot said:


> *Buy both*. Host both. Put a redirect into .net so if some one goes there by mistake it takes them to .com.



I guess you missed the part of "_The domain name *I want for my online portfolio is taken as a .com* but is availble as a .net_"


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## bcshort (Feb 26, 2010)

Historically, .com was for 'Commercial' and .net was for 'network'

These days my thoughts are if you can't get .com/.net/.org trifecta  for a domain name, then you are better off looking at another domain entirely as someone else suggested.

Reasoning for this is that its all too likely that someone won't remember which TLD you have, and visit the other person's site, can't find you, and moves on. Theres a client you may have just lost..


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## K.Li (Feb 26, 2010)

for a business NEVER EVER EVER have your domain name too similar to ones that are already out there. eg one letter off, .net vs .com. Especially if it's the same type of business.


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## Overread (Feb 26, 2010)

Yep you really don't want to share a domain name with something else unless you are vastly different markets then at least they will know they are on the wrong site. However if the other site is some cheap or poorly setup or "scam" site they might think yours is also part of the same setup (similar name and all) and that would hurt your business. 

I would say a .com is the best followed by a .country lable you operate in (eg uk or ca) then .net and .org. The reason is that the first two are far more common than .net and .org. 

I would also avoid any custom . titles - joeblogs.cat really would not work as no one would ever remember the last part - they would go to joeblogs.com, .co .net etc.... long before they did remember.


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