When choosing a domain extension for a website, the two most popular options that normally come to people’s minds are .co and .com, but even though both are widely used, there are certain characteristics that set them apart. That’s exactly why we will explore the difference between .co and .com extensions! Keep reading to have a better idea of which one to choose for your business’s top-level domain and start your web hosting journey with us now!
Purpose and Usage: Difference Between .co and .com Extensions
Domain extensions are part of the URL of your website. All web pages have a domain address, and these extensions are the last part of it (it is on all kinds of domains). You can identify the domain extension of an old or new domain because it is right after the final dot “.” and has two or three letters.
Domain extensions are there to help internet users to tell which kind of website are they accessing. That’s the main reason why choosing a good domain extension that fits the purpose of your business is important! If you select the perfect domain name extension for your site, it’ll be easier to reach your target audience.
What is a .com Domain Extension used for?
The com domain name extension is the best-recognized one internationally. It is widely used and it means “commercial”, you see this extension in websites like “Google.com“, “Amazon.com“, and “Apple.com“, among so many other web pages that use it (approximately half of all websites on the internet use it).
In fact, most people think the .com extension is the default one for internet addresses, and that’s why com is taken as the best and most recommended extension! .com websites are perceived as more trustworthy because of how established the “com” version is.
What is a .co Domain Extension used for?
The .co domain extension is short for “company” and is also a very popular choice. In fact, it’s like the alternative to .com (because the .com one is usually not available due to its high demand). It doesn’t mean that the .com domain extension is better, it is just like the classic choice while the .co version is seen as the modern and innovative one.
Keep in mind that a co LTD can also be understood as the Colombian country-code domain. This is because some domain owners go for a local extension (known as cc TLDs) for their country-specific websites to create a local presence on search engines. Then, a “co” extension website can be seen as if it was from the country of Colombia.
What other Options are there Aside from the .co and .com Extensions
As we were mentioning before, when it comes to choosing a domain extension for your website, the most common options are .com and .co, but did you know that there are several other domain extensions available? Let’s check the alternative options that could maybe better fit the purpose of your website and be the perfect domain extension for your online presence.
A Local TLD for your Web Address
A country code top-level domain or ccTLD is a very common choice among many domain creators. This is such a great option and is, in fact, very recommended for local SEO because it’s generated for specific countries based on their standard country codes. It helps search engines and your visitors to know where is your business located so that your website appears on the search results of people that are near you, which is ultimately the target audience of a local business.
A Different Extension like .info, .edu, .org, etc.
Even though com TLD and co TLD extensions are the most popular ones, there are a whole lot of different domain extensions that you can use for your particular domain depending on what is it going to be about. For example:
- .NET: This domain extension is short for “network”. It’s used by companies associated with networking technologies.
- .ORG: This one means “organization”. This extension is used by non-commercial or non-profit organizations like charities.
- .EDU: EDU is short for “education”. This one is for all educational institutions like schools or universities.
What is the Difference between Domain Names and Extensions?
As we mentioned a little bit earlier, the domain extension is part of a website address, and well, the domain name of a website is just the other part of a website address! For example, in the website address “YouTube.com” the word “YouTube” is the domain name, and the “.com” is the domain extension.
If you notice, YouTube is the company name of the popular free video-sharing platform, and it’s the same as its domain name. That’s because the name of your brand is always your ideal or desired domain name as it will help your visitors recognize you above all your competitors (which ultimately leads to a stronger online presence).
What is a Domain Registrar?
Domain registrars are platforms like MyHostingLive that can help domain registrants (people like you that want to register their domain) to create a domain with its name and extension online. With MyHostingLive you can select the website’s name and extension of your preference without having to pay anything!
Register your Domain Name and Extension with MyHostingLive!
If after this “com” and “co” domain comparison you already know which one your business needs, then we invite you to complete the domain registration process with us! MyHostingLive is one of the top domain registrars on the internet and with our help, you can easily make a website for your business in no time and 100% for free.
Benefits of using MyHostingLive’s Service
The principal benefit is that this service is completely free, so you don’t really have to waste a lot of money to enter the e-commerce world. In addition, MyHostingLive also offers you a platform to create and manage your domain with a cPanel that will make your hosting experience so much better.
Our system is pretty easy and safe to use, so it doesn’t really matter if you are a startup and don’t have a lot of experience. Also, keep in mind that you get to create your private account so that you are the only person accessing your personal data. Get started now!