Why I think dot com is king, and why it is likely to stay that way.

The domain names world is changing all the time.

However, one area of domain names that is least likely to change is the fundamentals that support the internet addressing system. By that I mean the existing system of domain names and domain name extensions – the fundamental way that people navigate the internet.

It is not perfect system by any means – but in many ways we are stuck with it. While it is difficult to see how internet navigation will change in any fundamental way (were are stuck with domain names and domain name extensions for some time, I would think) there is at least one trends that I see emerging that domainers need to consider.

The .com domain name extension is by far the most easily recognised and understood domain name extension of all. For many, possibly most people their online surfing experience is limited to websites with a .com extension or the extension for the country they live in. The .net, .tv or .mobi extensions mean little to many people and I suspect that the problem is greatest with older users, and users in countries where internet usage is much lower than that of the US and UK.

Dot com is known worldwide – it is effectively a global brand – and this advantage gives it a dominant position that puts it far ahead of any other domain name extension. That is unlikely to change. As a consequence .net and .org as well as other extensions will never be viewed in the same light as .com, except for the purposes of search engine optimisation (which is not covered in this article). In addition, if you have a site that is not built on a dot com domain, it may be harder to market the site. This is because people who are looking for your site but don’t remember its name are likely to type in the dot com version of the domain name first. Having said that, there will always be demand for memorable, short, descriptive and compelling domains, regardless of the extension.

So, to put it simply, dot com will continue to be ‘king’ for the foreseeable future. What does that mean for domainers? Three things, I think-

• If your domain name portfolio contains names without the .com extension be aware that they are likely to be worth only a small fraction of the .com version.
• I believe that many domainers are avoiding non dot coms for the reasons mentioned in this article (except for premium generics)
• When valuing domain names be sure to factor in the unique characteristics of .com domains, as outlined below.

Having said that, I am still very optimistic about the .uk domain space, and I am encouraged by the healthy sales being reported. For this reason I will continue to seek premium generics in the .uk ccTLD.