The domain addresses that direct Internet users to the wealth of content on the World Wide Web is made up of two parts, the domain name, which is a user-selected title for the site, and a domain address extension such as “.com,” “.org” and “.net.”
Just a few short years ago, individuals and business who wished to establish new websites for themselves had just a few choices about the extension attached to their domain names, but in recent years the Australian domain address registration guidelines have expanded to include a long list of new domain address extensions have been created to accommodate the endlessly increasing number of pages on the Internet.
.com
Perhaps the most familiar of domain address extensions, the suffix “.com” has origins as a representation of the word “commercial,” reflecting its roots in business and advertising websites. Through the proliferation of the Internet, the .com extension has continued to be one of the most commonly seen extensions for popular websites of all kinds, contributing to the suffix’s status as an unofficial Internet standard.
.net
Short for “network,” the “.net” suffix is favored by Internet Service Providers for their main websites as well as being heavily represented with web hosting companies, SaaS firms, and other businesses that take a special focus on the amenities and implementation of the Internet.
.org
“.org” is usually used by non-profit or trade oriented organizations to signify their non-profit or community-based status. A similar classification “.info” designates sites primarily intended as informational resources rather than sources commerce.
Region-Based Extensions
Another popular subset of new domain address extensions are region-based extensions, such as “.us,” “.uk” and “.au”. This type of domain suffix can also be combined with the standard .com extension (e.g. “uk.com” to create even further domain name combinations.
While these extensions make reference to their home countries and are intended primarily for use within them, webmasters anywhere in the world can use such extensions to create a closer connection with their international client base or establish themselves as a global brand.
Another use of these country coded extensions is as an acronym that describes the site at the address, such as in the case of Armenia’s country code entering common use in the sites of AM radio stations.
Some other specialty extensions have entered common use, including “.me” for blogs, “.biz” for small businesses and “.mobi” for smartphone or tablet-optimized sites, and the list of options appears to expand every day. With the days of “.com” dominance drawing to a close, progressive webmasters have a unique opportunity to attract more targeted traffic using a newly created domain name with a specialty extension.