Why .coms Are Still A Must

New gTLDs are amazing, but when you pick up a new one you may still want to pick up the .com too…
If you are reading this post, we can most likely assume that you own a website, maybe even a few domains. You may also know that the world has been crazed with the emergence of hundreds of new generic Top Level Domains, or gTLDs. These gTLDs are taking the world by storm, but .com (our 30-year-old standby) is still on top. Let us explain…
What does .com actually mean?
We’ve been investing in .com domains for years, but what does .com really mean? .com is actually an abbreviation for ‘commercial’, or the act of engaging in commerce or buying and selling. It’s funny when you think about it because .com has come to mean so much more than buying and selling. It has become synonymous for information, but there is a lot of business going on too. So much of the World Wide Web has become ecommerce, or commerce online, because it works. Ecommerce is slowly taking over our brick and mortar retail experience.
So do I still need a .com?
The .com has become a signal to explain to your visitors what they can expect. Information and retail are the key ingredients to success on the internet. So when investing in a new domain the answer is yes, you do still need a .com whenever possible; it should be your first stop when researching domains.
Web addresses ending in .com have become a signal for trust. They are instantly recognizable as a key marker for a professional website. There are a few key factors to keep in mind when registering a .com: it must be shorter than 12 characters (the fewer the better), it must be memorable, and it must also be recognizable. If you can adhere to these recommendations without altering your brand drastically, then the .com address is for you.  
Many new businesses have adopted nonsense words, take Google or Twitter for example. Odds are that if you create a word that is not in the dictionary, the .com will be available. Be careful though, brands that are hard to say outloud rarely make it very far.
What if my .com domain name is already registered?

The trouble with .coms are that many have been registered. In fact, most have already been registered. The shortage of .coms is exactly what created gTLD success. If you are having trouble finding a .com suitable for your website, don’t panic. There are hundreds of alternatives to your domain woes. Look into geo domains, or domains that fit your geographic location, and also try industry specific domains like .tech, .info or .photography. Be creative and the perfect domain will find you. Remember to keep your domains short, sweet and to the point.

Discover your new domain today at Midphase.com