.org, .net, .us, .shop – there are many different top-level domains, or TLDs, to choose from when setting up a website. But one of them is head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to popularity, recognition, and widespread appeal: .com.
.com is, without any doubt, the leading domain name on the market today. Over 44% of websites use .com as their TLD. That’s a colossal figure, especially when you compare it to the second most popular TLD, .org, which has just a 4.2% market share.
But how did it become so popular, and why does it continue to dominate the internet as the de facto choice for most new websites? Let’s find out.
The History of .com
First, a quick history lesson. The .com TLD was launched back in January 1985. It was part of the first ever batch of TLDs, introduced alongside .edu, .org, .net, .mil, .gov, and .int. The first .com registration occurred a few months later – for symbolics.com, a computer manufacturer.
Many, many more registrations followed. Businesses, in particular, were drawn to .com over the other available options at the time, because the “com” part originally stood for “commercial,” but also inferred “company.”
As the years went by, .com swiftly emerged as the TLD of choice. It had a serious head start over other TLDs that were slowly introduced in the 1990s, 2000s, and later, becoming particularly famous during the “dot-com bubble” of the late 90s, when online business and shopping started to surge.
By the end of 2011, there were around 100 million .com domains. Now, that figure has grown to approximately 160 million. Even though there are more TLD options than ever, .com continues to assert clear dominance across the market.
Reasons for .com’s Dominance
Its historic head start certainly helped .com emerge as the top TLD. But that’s far from the only factor that has allowed this particular extension to surge so far ahead of all the others out there. Here are some reasons why .com dominates, and why it could be the right choice for your own website registration.
Recognizable and Versatile, Worldwide
One of the defining factors behind .com’s success is its universal appeal. Some TLDs are country-specific, like .fr for France or .us for the U.S. Others are specific in terms of how they should be used, like .edu for colleges or .org for non-profits. .com isn’t constrained like that. It’s one of the most versatile and globally recognizable TLDs of all, making it the ideal choice for all sorts of sites, businesses, and uses.
Easy to Remember
It’s a simple fact that the best website names tend to be those that are easy to remember. If people have a hard time remembering your site, it’ll be much harder for them to find, access, or recommend it to friends. .com has the benefit of being an easy to remember choice, and it’s also the TLD that people usually try first when they’re trying to remember a site address.
A Symbol of Trust and Authority
Thanks to its widespread usage and long-running history, .com has also become associated with a sense of trust and authority. People see .com sites as more “official,” on the whole, compared to those that use obscure or lesser-known alternatives. Indeed, studies have shown that people see .com as the most trustworthy of all domain names.
Not Necessarily the Most Expensive
It’s a common misassumption that, because of its popularity, .com must be the most costly TLD to register. But that’s not actually the case. While some .com sites can be quite costly, it’s perfectly possible to find .com domains cheap, if you shop around, make the most of sale events, and compare different registrars.
The SEO Edge
Last, but absolutely not least, it’s worth noting that .com has a clear SEO (Search Engine Optimization) advantage over most other domains. This ties into the fact that .com sites are seen as more trusted. So, they tend to be given higher priority over sites with other TLDs by Google’s algorithms, and most other search engine algorithms, too. This can help to attract visitors or generate leads for brands and businesses.
Choose .com for Your Next Website
Recognizable, flexible, and with universal appeal, it’s easy to understand how and why .com became the king of TLDs. So, if you’re setting up a site and want to give it the best chance of speedy success, .com is more often than not the way to go. It’s definitely worth weighing up against other TLDs to ensure you make the right choice for your future sites.