Redalto Communications Support Site
Question: What is the difference between the domain name extensions (TLDs)?
This question relates to category Domain Names
Answer:
A domain name extension is the combination of letters to the right of the domain, for example the 'com' in redalto.com, or 'net' in redalto.net. This extension is what is called a Top Level Domain (TLD).
Each TLD has been defined with a specific purpose in mind. When registering a domain name, it is useful to understand what each Top Level Domain (TLD) was/is intended to be used for. These days Australian businesses can register any of the below domain name types.
| Domain Extension | Intended Use / Purpose |
| .com | .Com is designed for commercial organisations and is globally the most widely used domain extension |
| .net | .Net was originally intended for entities involved with the running or development of network infrastructures. The use of .Net today is unrestricted and is the TLD of choice for global businesses when the '.com' equivalent is not available. |
| .org | .Org was originally intended for organisations not falling within the other TLDs such as non-profit bodies. Today use is unrestricted and is popular for community groups or those that have not been able a register a .com or .net (anyone can register these) |
| .biz | .Biz is for business use. This is a relatively new TLD introduced to meet ongoing demand for domain names as more businesses get online. |
| .info | .Info is intended for informational sites, and like .Biz is a relatively new TLD introduced to help meet demand for domain names. |
| .*.au | .Au is a country specific TLD which when prefixed with a subdomain like .com (eg, .com.au) have similar purposes to above. Only Australian business and organisations are allowed to register these domains which means there is a greater chance that a domain name is available. |
| .*.nz | .Nz, is a country specific TLD and intended for New Zealand entities. Like .Au, the .Nz TLD is prefixed with a subdomain (eg, .co.nz or .net.nz). and designed for similar purposes as the global TLDs above. |
The table below shows the popularity of domain extension (suffix)
Source: wsj.com
Additional information
- Should I register more than one domain name?
- What is a Top Level Domain (TLD)?
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- Author: Redalto Support Team
- Created on: 16 May 2006
- Views: 2657
- Last modified: 13 Nov 2007
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