Top Level Domain (TLD) or Domain Extension

Top Level Domain (TLD) is the part of the Domain Name that is located to the right of the dot.

Read to find out Which Domain Extension to Choose, and why, and where to get your domain name registered.

In a more general and non technical way TLD is also known as Domain Extension. The most common TLDs are .COM, .NET, and .ORG. Some other popular top-level domains are .BIZ, .INFO, .NAME and .IN etc.

Also discussed on this page are the following articles:

• Which Top Level Domain (TLD) name to choose?
• Who are the Best Domain Registrars?

Basically there are two types of Top Level Domains.

• 1. Generic TLDs
• Most Top Level Domain names with three or more characters (such as .com, .net, .org) are referred to as "generic" TLDs, or "gTLDs".

• Some examples of gTLDs that are open to everyone are:

• .COM - represents the word "commercial", and is the most widely used, and highly recognized domain extension in the world.

• .NET - represents the word "network", and is most commonly used by Internet service providers, Web-hosting companies or other businesses that are directly involved in the infrastructure of the Internet.

• .ORG - represents the word "organization", and is primarily used by non-profits groups or trade associations.

• .INFO - signifies a "resource" web site. It's the most popular extension beyond .com, .net and .org.

• .NAME - It is a domain extension that is specifically designed for personal use. It is commonly used for easy to remember e-mail addresses and personal web sites that display photos or personal information about an individual.

• .BIZ - It is used for small business Web sites.

• 2. Country-code TLDs
• Top Level Domain names with two letters (such as .ca, .uk, and .us) have been established for over 250 countries and external territories and are referred to as "country-code" TLDs or "ccTLDs".

• Some examples of ccTLDs are:

• .US - represents American Web sites

• .CA - is the country code for Canada

• .CN - is the country code for China

• .DE - is the country code for Germany

• .IN - is the country code for India

• .RU - is the country code for Russia

• .UK - is the country code for United Kingdom

• .EU - represents the European Union

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Which Top Level Domain (TLD) name to choose?

Initially seven gTLDs i.e. .com, .edu, .gov, .int, .mil, .net, and .org  were created. Domain names can be registered in three of these (.com, .net, and .org) without restriction while the other four are reserved for limited purposes.

Primarily, the choice of Top Level Domain depends upon a number of factors such as the nature of your website, type of business, location of your business, targeted audience, sought after territory, type of organization, and the like. With time .com TLD has become the most popular and sought after Top Level Domain. It is only after its non availability that one looks for other popular TLDs.

The popularity of .com TLD can also be gauged by the fact that when a desired .com TLD is not available then people resort to other means to twist their domain names by using mis-spelled words, acronyms, mix of words and numerals, use of hyphens, etc to somehow get the .com TLD.

Generally it is seen that to protect their domain name from getting registered exactly for other TLDs, people get them registered simultaneously in their name. The usual practice is to get a domain name registered for the three most popular TLDs:- .com. .org and .net. This way they ensure that no other website by a similar domain name can “steal” their traffic by registering with a different TLD.

If you are focusing on a particular territory or a geographical location, then going for a country code TLD is your best choice. Chances are you will be able to register your most favorable ccTLD and their annual subscription will be cheaper than other generic TLDs.

If you are targeting an international audience then our foremost advice is to get a .COM TLD for your domain name. Besides getting people’s creditability for a dot com website you are likely to get search engine preference as their algorithms are designed to look for .com sites before other TLD websites. But that is just one algorithm criterion to gain search engine ranking. If you feel that your desired domain name is more important and you must have it in its original form, then if it is unavailable under the .com TLD then you can first try with .org and then .net TLDs. This usually happens when you decide to make your brand name as your domain name and can’t afford to mis spell or alter it in any way.

So identify the goal of your website and decide which Top Level Domain suits you the most.

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Who are the Best Domain Registrars?

Want to go shopping to buy domains? How do you know where you will get a fair deal? Do you always go to the cheapest one?

The best domain registrar need not be the cheapest domain registrar. It’s not always the cost of a domain name that makes a registrar a good or an average one. Neither does a good sounding name make a registrar a good one.

There are numerous domain registrars and domain resellers that have flooded the domain registration industry. Obviously they all are there for business and sometimes your interest might not be their upmost priority. In such a scenario it is easy to get duped by certain unscrupulous ones.

Below we offer a list of the best domain registrars:

• 1 - GoDaddy - World’s Largest Domain Registrar
• For price and service features read our: GoDaddy - Review

• 2 - Dotster - Over 10 Years & 1 Million Customers
• For price and service features read our: Dotster - Review

• 3 - Register.com - Get 25% off your entire shopping cart use coupon code : REGISTERSPECIAL25.....applicable through this link only.
• For price and service features read our: Register.com - Review

• 4 - Network Solutions – Over 30 Years of Experience
• For price and service features read our: Network Solutions - Review

• 5 - Moniker - Over 2.44 Million Domain Names Under Their Management
• For price and service features read our: Moniker - Review

• 6 - Netfirms - LOWEST priced 1-year .com anywhere
• For price and service features read our: Netfirms - Review

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Domain Registration
You choose your domain name. They register it for you (in your name). One click and you're done. Like everything else, the domain name is included in the price. No third party extra charges.

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............and much, much more.

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