Starting a social network without a .com domain?

[The L]

If you wanted to start a new social network and somehow managed to raise a decent budget for your project, and you were keen on a particular name for it, but the name was not available for .com, would you venture to get another domain extension?

Do you think a social network could be taken seriously and grow on a .net, .io or .co domain? Or would it be better to look for another name that has an available .com? 😄

 

[Kane]

Domain extensions do not matter when it comes to rank on search engines. Search engines equally tread a dot com or dot net or even dot xyz. However, search engines really care what you have used for your name.

 

[glitch]

I don't think these matter as much today but I do know they matter to some people still which is why .COM is still the most expensive for any given word or string of words. Social media though, it tends to matter less. What matters is getting people on your site and building up a userbase to promote it for you. This is what all the big ones did. Reddit, Twitter, and TikTok all used the same approach, believe it or not.

 

[gammarays]

A social media website domain should be trendy and catchy. You don't necessarily need a .com domain extension. There are trendy domain name extensions like .me, .us, .Io, .xyz, .fun and others. Keep in mind that they might be expensive especially.io extensions.

 

[Danny4cash]

The truth is domain extension doesn't really matter in google ranking, and getting enough enough. But people often have a high regard for a website with dot com extension. Some people bypass website with extension other than dot com on google.

 

[Ricsca]

In my opinion, however, it makes no sense to open a social network.
The gee uses Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram etc. etc. and does not use new sites.

 

[Shortie]

When it comes to domain extensions, I used to be the same as many other people and I would always think that the domain extension was important and if I did not get one like .com or even .net that it would cause issues.

The truth is that the domain extension does not make a huge difference at all. Look at sites such as Twitch, they have always used .tv and they have never had any issues. It's about how you promote your site and how you work on the SEO and increase your SEO. If you find that the domain extension you wanted is taken, choose another.

 

[Melanie Marie]

You could always use .org if .com isn't available.
I could be wrong, but doesn't .org stand for organization? Hey, that sounds pretty professional to me. And reliable.
Also, look at Comcast.. your email ends up with a .net at the end and that has never stopped me from trusting Comcast/Xfinity as my main email provider.
I had 2 websites going at one time; one was .com and the other was .org and I can tell you the .org site actually got more views. 🙂

 

[saoussen57651]

I could be wrong, but doesn't .org stand for organization? Hey, that sounds pretty professional to me. And reliable.

You could even first commercial sites using .org extension means or organizations using .com domain name, in end of state if .com is not available alternatives exists.

 

[Grant]

You could start a social site with a different domain. I hear that .to and .io I think are popular domains. But bear in mind some people might find this to be scetchy. I think sticking with a .com is better though.

 

[Kane]

When it comes to domain extensions, I used to be the same as many other people and I would always think that the domain extension was important and if I did not get one like .com or even .net that it would cause issues.

The truth is that the domain extension does not make a huge difference at all. Look at sites such as Twitch, they have always used .tv and they have never had any issues. It's about how you promote your site and how you work on the SEO and increase your SEO. If you find that the domain extension you wanted is taken, choose another.

Search engines treat all domains equally, however, people tend to like some domains more than others. When you are using domains like xyz, people will not take your site seriously as opposed to dot com or dot net domain.

 

[Mostee501]

While .com is the most commonly used domain extension for websites, it is not a requirement to have a successful social network or any other online platform. There are several alternative domain extensions available that can be equally effective. It's important to choose a domain extension that is relevant, memorable, and aligned with your brand or concept. Conduct some research to determine which option will work best for your social network, and ensure that the chosen extension is available for registration.

 

[Jason]

I have written that domain extension doesn't matter, well, not necessarily. I would say that is the case for someone not into massive marketing. I mean, if you have a site you want to make serious money from, then not having a .com can hurt marketing.

 

[Dot]

Get a .com, you want to be as professional as possible

 

[Dot]

You could always use .org if .com isn't available.
I could be wrong, but doesn't .org stand for organization? Hey, that sounds pretty professional to me. And reliable.
Also, look at Comcast.. your email ends up with a .net at the end and that has never stopped me from trusting Comcast/Xfinity as my main email provider.
I had 2 websites going at one time; one was .com and the other was .org and I can tell you the .org site actually got more views. 🙂

It has nothing to do with the Domain extension but the content of the site.

 

[Kane]

You could always use .org if .com isn't available.
I could be wrong, but doesn't .org stand for organization? Hey, that sounds pretty professional to me. And reliable.
Also, look at Comcast.. your email ends up with a .net at the end and that has never stopped me from trusting Comcast/Xfinity as my main email provider.
I had 2 websites going at one time; one was .com and the other was .org and I can tell you the .org site actually got more views. 🙂

Generally speaking, dot org is most appropriate for non-commercial sites, especially non-profit organizations. However, people use this extension for almost anything. I also have a dot org domain that I am using for a content site monetized with Adsense. You might be getting better views with dot org because some search engines push forward non-commercial content and they believe when someone is using dot org it is basically on-commercial content.

 

[SDL]

Personally, I only really use social media on my phone via their apps. I can confidently say the same for all of my friends and would bet my house that millions of others are in the same boat. For that reason alone, it really doesn’t matter what extension you use as long as the brand name is good and the social network itself is even better.

Would I still use Facebook if it’s primary url was Facebook.xyz? Yes I would. I’d even use it if it was a free extension such as .tk if it was legitimate.

Obviously a .com domain is more universally recognised and would be advantageous, especially amongst the less tech savvy people who may get confused, however I don’t think it would make a massive difference.

 

[Melanie Marie]

It has nothing to do with the Domain extension but the content of the site.

I was wondering why Comcast is comcast.net when you have an email address through them.
Does it have something to do with Xfinity? Because I think Xfinity is Xfinity.com but still, why would that matter; Comcast is a whole different name.