29 Jul 2023
When choosing a domain name extension, one thing is certain: for a Dutch website, “.nl” is still the best extension.
A .com domain name
If the domain name you want is already taken, consider a ‘.com’ extension. Why .com? Well, “.com” is the most well-known and easiest to remember. According to research, 43% of all domains have the “.com” extension.
Although there are many successful websites with a “.net” or “.org” extension, your website is likely to perform better if it has a “.nl” or “.com” extension. It is the safest choice.
Our advice
Our advice: Go for .nl or .com. If both are already taken, then try .net or .org. If those are also taken, it’s better to consider a new domain name.
Avoid unusual extensions
Avoid unusual extensions like “.club”, “.space”, “.pizza”, etc.
Registering multiple extensions?
You may want to prevent a competitor from registering the .NET or .COM version of your domain name.
In the case of large companies, it is common for other popular extensions to be registered. If you have a large company and can afford the additional annual costs of a few tens of euros, it’s an option to also register .net and .com so that others can’t do it.
Why would someone register a .COM version of your domain name?
Individuals or companies do this to capture visitors who mistakenly type your domain name with that extension.
In some cases, they do this to create an advertising page, a landing page that they promote on Google.
Registering a domain name and forwarding
In that case, you can choose to register those domain names and forward them to your website. This is called a “forwarder.” In many cases, your web host can handle this for you, or you can set up a forwarder in the domain name settings with your web host.
Fraud & fake registrations
There are various “companies” that alert you to the fact that someone is going to buy the .com version of your domain. They give you the opportunity to quickly purchase the .com version from them!
These are often fraudulent emails.
Why?
If someone wants to buy .com, they will simply do so. These fraudulent companies that “alert” you are aiming to register the domain name for a much higher price.
They charge 5 to 10 times more than the original price!!
Do not respond to those emails or verify the authenticity of the situation.
