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Would you ever use a .net domain for a large site?

by mrdeflation
22 replies
Looking for feedback here..


Have a personal trainer with a larger following and wants to expand her business online... she owns hername.net which is VERY unique and nobody else in the whole universe has her name.. so when someone searches for her its only her thats going to come up. She has been using the .net tld to get some online coaching clients.

Problem is she wants to launch a larger company now and is concerned that "hername.net" isnt going to cut it.

She originally owned the .com version of her name but let it expire 7 years ago when the business wasnt doing well. When she decided to try again some domain squatter bought it and is trying to sell it back to her for $15k for the last 7 years now..LOL -- she is mildly famous and the dude thinks he can hold the .com domain over her head forever

She still has an aged .com blog by a "brand" name that she hasnt touched in 7 years as well but not sure if we should go with the unused brand.com domain, hername.net, or a totally new site maybe something like hernamefitness.com??

What would YOU do in this situation???

any thoughts are greatly appreciated!!

Thanks...
#domain #large #net #site
  • Profile picture of the author Tom Addams
    Build upon her current platform. It would be madness not to.

    I only buy or develop on .coms but, given her circumstances, she needs to build upon the .net.

    GRM
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  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by mrdeflation View Post

    She originally owned the .com version of her name but let it expire 7 years ago when the business wasnt doing well. When she decided to try again some domain squatter bought it and is trying to sell it back to her for $15k for the last 7 years now..LOL -- she is mildly famous and the dude thinks he can hold the .com domain over her head forever.
    She needs legal advice.

    In most countries, I think the law will probably protect her against a cybersquatter, in the circumstances you describe, and it may take only one or two lawyers' letters to resolve the matter satisfactorily. If she doesn't try, she'll never know.

    Originally Posted by mrdeflation View Post

    What would YOU do in this situation???
    Take advice immediately from an internet/media lawyer.

    My concern wouldn't be about whether or not a .net domain, specifically, is "good enough" to build her business: it would be about whether I'd want to run the risks of building a business on a domain-name of which the .com variant already belongs to someone else.

    Originally Posted by mrdeflation View Post

    Would you ever use a .net domain for a large site?
    In principle, I wouldn't mind it in the slightest as long as I also owned the .com domain-name myself. (Without that, I'd be very concerned about the lack of future resale-value, too - and that's not a good way to build a business!)


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  • Profile picture of the author Steve B
    IMO, she needs a dot com name. I would never give the squatter the satisfaction of profiting from her name. Since he will never develop it, just let him keep paying the renewal fees. He'll end up dropping it at some point.

    Unless you are a real celebrity or otherwise famous person that has name recognition, I would steer away from using a personal name as the domain name for a business. What if she grows the business, it becomes very successful, and she decides to sell it? Is the potential owner going to want a business name that is not his own?

    I would either use the old dot com or register a new dot com name. There are many, many great dot com names available if you know how to find them. It's easy and can be done in minutes with tools like Impossibility and Lean Domain Search.

    I don't like dot net names personally. If you have a business, dot com is the extension for commercial businesses. When you go to sell your business, you will be happy you chose a dot com as it is the preferred TLD.

    Good luck with this project,

    Steve
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    • Profile picture of the author mrdeflation
      never thought of this but DEFINITELY has me concerned about her even thinking about using her name as the "Brand" domain.... its worthless to anyone else... dot com or dot net... doesnt matter

      Originally Posted by Steve B View Post


      ...what if she grows the business, it becomes very successful, and she decides to sell it? Is the potential owner going to want a business name that is not his own?

      When you go to sell your business, you will be happy you chose a dot com as it is the preferred TLD.

      Good luck with this project,

      Steve
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      • Profile picture of the author roz28
        Ever heard of problogger.net?

        Darren discovered that .com was already taken, but he didn't let that stop him.

        I think IMers are amazingly blind to the possibilities of the other new extensions. The supremacy of .com is finally over, mark my words, and a good thing too.

        If she is a minor celebrity, she could use hername.club, or something like that. Giving in to the squatter is out of the question, but also, isn't he just applying the principle of domain flipping??
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        • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
          Banned
          Originally Posted by roz28 View Post

          Darren discovered that .com was already taken, but he didn't let that stop him.
          This is a very different situation involving the already-branded personal name of someone with a unique name, in which the .com is owned by a cybersquatter. There are laws about that.

          Originally Posted by roz28 View Post

          Giving in to the squatter is out of the question, but also, isn't he just applying the principle of domain flipping??
          Not according to the facts stated in the OP. In my opinion, on those facts, any court would probably rule that he isn't "just" doing that, but is breaking the law as well. And - respectfully - that's the point you're perhaps missing, here. Ownership of the ".com" remains hugely relevant to resale value - even for a branded "personal domain". And resale value is part of the value of a business.

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        • Profile picture of the author Rich Struck
          Originally Posted by roz28 View Post

          I think IMers are amazingly blind to the possibilities of the other new extensions. The supremacy of .com is finally over, mark my words, and a good thing too.
          I couldn't agree more. Google indexes the new extensions just fine and if you are getting clicked traffic it doesn't really matter what the domain is anyway. I am buying up good .email and .club names right now for use in the coming months. I'd rather have whatever.email than thisistheonlythingIcouldthinkofbecauseallofthename saregone.com any day. My only hope is that my competitors don't get the same idea.
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  • Profile picture of the author Christian Swift
    Hi mrdeflation,

    I agree with the words of GRM above.

    I normally only work on .com's too (and I also buy the .co.uk version normally and forward it to the .com as we are based in the UK). But I think the wise thing to do in her position would be to develop the .net, and then acquire the .com at a later date if she can afford to cut a deal.

    A .net domain is not THE end of the world, as if her tribe are strong enough then they wont mind.

    Christian
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  • Profile picture of the author mrdeflation
    It just seems that we would easily win any legal battle over the .com name being her "brand" and trademark which her whole business is currently built around. Her name is VERY unique that it should be no problem gaining control its just last we checked hiring a lawyer was a couple thousand vs just offering the squatter a couple thousand seemed much easier to do the latter. What has stopped her is just giving the squatter the satisfaction of "winning"


    thanks for all the suggestions... I know she just doesnt want to regret her decision..
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    • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
      Originally Posted by mrdeflation View Post

      It just seems that we would easily win any legal battle over the .com name being her "brand" and trademark which her whole business is currently built around. Her name is VERY unique that it should be no problem gaining control its just last we checked hiring a lawyer was a couple thousand vs just offering the squatter a couple thousand seemed much easier to do the latter. What has stopped her is just giving the squatter the satisfaction of "winning"


      thanks for all the suggestions... I know she just doesnt want to regret her decision..
      I'd do this. Check with LegalShield, or another pre-paid legal, and see if joining would be worthwhile for the instant case with the probable cyber squatter. If that does not look like good help, then talk to another lawyer. All you are trying to do right now is - as my fellow non-lawyer Alexa suggested - to get a "lawyer letter" written. This tells the guy what his legal standing is AND it gets him to think harder because it is on Law Firm stationary. It should not be that expensive and if it serves to make him back off?

      With respect to her unique name, I 'd keep it. A personal name can become a brand and be licensed. Pilates
      was started by Joseph Pilates. Pilates - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

      Jacuzzi has sort of become the generic name for a jetted tub. It is also a brand started by the Jacuzzi family.

      My .02.

      Darn. Still not a lawyer.
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  • Profile picture of the author Justin Lewis
    .NET is fine in my opinion.

    I've seen massive websites like Minecraft.net allow the .com to go away for some time. If you have a solid idea, proper optimization and good marketing the TLD itself doesn't even matter unless it's completely obscure.

    People are used to .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, .co, etc.
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  • Profile picture of the author Brent Stangel
    I would go with a brand new .com, sans her name.
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  • Profile picture of the author JNano
    Get the .com if possible with a law firm/lawyer. If not the .net will work just fine, this isn't 2006 anymore, .com doesn't have that big of an impact anymore. At least from my experience.
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  • Profile picture of the author mrdeflation
    what about getting a new .com "hername+keyword" and redirecting all the .net links and the other brand name domain links to the new "hername+keyword" domain? Would you do it for ranking power as the old domains are aged or do you believe its better to keep as many different domains as possible up and running??
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  • Profile picture of the author visimedia
    I personally have experienced this, building in the .net instead of the .com domain extension because it's been registered even I realized this... lol.

    Then I took the .net with no other choice, because that's the 2nd most common extension after .com.
    It would be a funny thing for me if I take .org for my commercial business.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ross Dalangin
    If it is really her name and you said she is known then she can get it.

    Check this Cybersquatting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and the country of registrant because usually each country has their own law for this but don't forget URDP.
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  • Profile picture of the author Red Eagle
    Ever heard of Arianna Huffington? She didn't get stuck just because someone else owns huffington.com. She just branded Huffington Post... huffingtonpost.com. She sold her brand for a few hundred million dollars, then went to work for the company who bought it from her!

    Have you heard of Matt Drudge? Matt Drudge isn't worried someone else grabbed drudge.com and (to add insult to injury) branded it, Drudge Retort! He doesn't even care someone else grabbed, the .net version of his domain. Matt Drudge simply branded Drudge Report... drudgereport.com. His site makes tens of millions of dollars every year.

    First, I'd get creative, then I'd get busy. Just find a brandable variation of her name, and register the .com version, at least. Register the .net and .org versions if they're available, too. If the .net and .org versions are parked, no problem. I'd stop over thinking this, get back to work, and BRAND something!
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    • Profile picture of the author mrdeflation
      Originally Posted by Red Eagle View Post

      Ever heard of Arianna Huffington? She didn't get stuck just because someone else owns huffington.com. She just branded Huffington Post... huffingtonpost.com. She sold her brand for a few hundred million dollars, then went to work for the company who bought it from her!

      Have you heard of Matt Drudge? Matt Drudge isn't worried someone else grabbed drudge.com and (to add insul to injury) branded it, Drudge Retort! He doesn't even care someone else grabbed, the .net version of his domain. Matt Drudge simply branded Drudge Report... drudgereport.com. His site makes tens of millions of dollars every year.


      First, I'd get creative, then I'd get busy. Just find a brandable variation of her name, and register the .com version, at least. Register the .net and .org versions if they're available, too. If the .net and .org versions are parked, no problem. I'd stop over thinking this, get back to work, and BRAND something!

      thanks and you are absolutely right on all counts... I guess whats holding us back is not necessarily the domain name itself but the fact that the dot net and the other website.com she owns are both over 7 years old...

      starting a new hernamereport.com has no pagerank, no domain age that we could potentially make use of...

      thanks again!
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      • Profile picture of the author Red Eagle
        Originally Posted by mrdeflation View Post

        ... I guess whats holding us back is not necessarily the domain name itself but the fact that the dot net and the other website.com she owns are both over 7 years old...

        starting a new hernamereport.com has no pagerank, no domain age that we could potentially make use of...
        Just pay a geek a couple hundred dollars (or less) to point or redirect her domain(s), etc., as required. An experienced tech guy can setup everything so she keeps all her back links, page rank, domain age, etc.
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  • Profile picture of the author Saywhaaa
    I wouldn't get the .net usless I could also secure the .com. Too much leakage in traffic because most people are in the habit of searching/typing in .com by default.
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  • Profile picture of the author tristatemedia
    i personally prefer .com or .org but net is still ok
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    • Profile picture of the author savidge4
      As suggested you want to go after the .com. but the long term plan needs to be to NOT use the .com for the site. Use the .net, because it is "Aged", it is and will be a far greater asset to her.

      Again all of this would hinge on the fact of getting the .com
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