Hi, wise VAs

I'm wondering if you can help me and my husband get some perspective on the issue site addresses. I have a handful of names that I like, but my favorite is currently in use (for something not in the VA field) as a .com. It seems to be open as a .net but my hubby doesn't want to go with anything other than .com because he feels that .coms are more respected, easily searchable and found.

What do you guys think?

Hello,

This is my feeling on the entire subject. .net is a perfectly acceptable domain extension, it is valid and I have never really heard of .net domains as disrespectful. However, the majority of internet users when typing in a web address will by reflex use the .com extension. So, if you only have one domain and it is .net, the odds are pretty good a person typing your web address in their browser window will type xyz.com and not .net, leading them to never reach your website.

For the domain name you really like, would it still make sense if you added the two letters va (for virtual assistant) after it? You can always purchase your second choice domain and keep an eye out for your favorite (they expire, so at some point down the road you may be able to purchase it).

One other piece of advice, buy both .com and .net domain extensions for the domain you choose. Domains can be purchased pretty inexpensively...this way you are covered should a person use the .com OR .net extension when typing in your web address.

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Darlene Victoria Gonzalez
The Voice & Vision Behind Your Business

Thank you. Your response helped me a great deal.

Thank you for the advice on purchasing both .com and .net when registering your domain. I had not thought of this. Great!!

Kali

It can possibly be confusing if you have a name that is currently in use as someone else's .com. The whole .com thing is a common assumption. No matter how many times you tell a client, or print it as .net, the autonomous response when telling someone about a website is .com and likewise when someone tells someone else about it, they hear .com. Just something to consider. I am not saying don't use .net I am just saying it may be more beneficial to use either (.com or .net) of something that may not already be in use. I hope that makes sense and helps.

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Nikki Johnson
The Millionaire's Assistant™

While there is nothing wrong with having a .net, .biz or any other domain extension my personal feeling is that .com is the key domain extension to have and it's a good idea to grab the remaining extensions to protect your name.

By default .com is the defacto extension that people automatically think about and use when accessing your site directly.

My personal thought on it is do what you can to get a .com address.

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Renee Shupe, Become a Techie Virtual Assistant
eMail Marketing & Aweber Training Starts May 15! - Save 50% using VAFAweber

I definately agree with Renee in attempting to get a .com address instead of .net. In another company, we had a .net address and was very confusing to those who worked there and to the potential clients searching for us online.

My domain is .net as .com was already taken. My choice was something along the lines of mylaserdog.com. or go with .net.

I've exchanged emails with the owner of laserdog.com. He got an inquiry for me - although how someone could possibly confuse our two different services is beyond me - he's a composer. He also sells a Pet Laser. ~lol

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Lezly Harrison
Laserdog Productions - Code that Doesn't Bite