Does this sound familiar?

You’ve decided to start a new business…or you’ve created a new product…or you’ve finally decided to create a website for your existing business…and you need a domain name.

So you go to a domain registration site like Godaddy and type in the URL you want (for example “marketingforeveryone.com”) and find out…

… someone else already owns the name.

In fact your three favorite domain names are taken.

What About the Alternatives?

But wait! Only the domain names ending with “.com” are taken. You can still get the domain name you want if you register using “.info”, “.us”, “.biz”.

In fact, you can register your preferred domain name as just about anything. Except as a “.com.”

Like many small business owners, you wonder, “do I really  need to register my domain as ‘.com’?”

I’ve asked this question myself when trying to find the right domain name. It’s utterly maddening to submit one domain name after another only to learn each is taken.

The Reason to Choose Dot Com for Your Domain (Even though it takes more time to find one that is available)

The reason lies in why people visit your website to begin with.

People are visiting your website because your business offers them something that want: information, a solution, entertainment, etc. Whether or not they visit is based on how likely they think you can provide what they’re looking for. They also want to feel safe. The want to feel that behind the website there is a business owner who cares.

Contrast this with websites domains like 1000leads4U.biz, loansnow.info, and cheapbizcards.us.

Domain names like these feel opportunistic. They suggest the business owner is focused primarily on making a quick buck with the absolute minimum investment in time and attention.

Don’t know about you but those aren’t the types of businesses I want to give my phone number to much less my credit card number.

Bottom Line

It’s worth taking the time and energy to find a .com domain name for your business’s website or blog.

Despite the availability of options (.biz, .tv, .us, .info), people still associate .com with the qualities of trustworthiness and commitment to customer service. Everything else being equal, customers will still choose .com over the alternatives.