What are generic domains: advantages and disadvantages.

The generic domains or gTLD -geographical Top Level Domain-, are those that are not cataloged within a specific country, as is the case of the .com, .net and .org domains that are the most recognized because they were practically born with Internet.

When the user searches for a keyword on the internet, the search engines provide results based on various factors, and, therefore, it is more likely that the generic domains appear positioned in the first places. However, it is the decision of each company or organization to choose a domain option according to the institutional needs.

What factors to take into account when choosing a domain name?

There are a number of reasons why it is important to choose a name for your site, but the main one is that the one you choose is going to represent the company on the web.

The first thing you have to ask yourself are the objectives you have for your company or organization, to be able to take advantage of the tools offered by internet to the maximum. For example, if your company is important and the objectives are to succeed “in large”, the ideal would be to enhance the brand not only on the Internet, but also to reinforce the promotion in other media. On the other hand, if it is a small company that seeks to expand gradually, it would be optimal to use a generic domain. A third option would be to consider both options.

Benefits of generic domains:

  • The truth is that the results generated by a site with generic domain are much more effective in the short and medium term.
  • They have a strong presence on the web
  • Due to its age and the strength that its internet use acquired from the beginning, they never go out of fashion and people tend to remember them more easily.
  • Position better in search engines
  • Currently, the Google algorithm, to mention a search engine that works with the positioning of web pages, considers within its main values ​​the name of the URL, not only taking into account canonical URLs -used in SEO to avoid duplicate content-, but also the name of the domain used, the keyword and the age with which the domain has.
  • They save money on web positioning and marketing
  • A generic domain name generates immediate memory, facilitating the dissemination of the site in social circles outside the internet, and reducing potential investments in advertising and marketing campaigns.
  • They are the most sought after by users
  • People tend to enter more frequently in sites with the same name of the service / product they are looking for, therefore direct traffic is generated from the navigation bar, and this traffic is of high quality, because in most cases culminates in an eventual purchase or contracting of the service.

 

Disadvantages of generic domains:

  • Although the investment decision in a generic domain is highly reliable due to its rapid growth value, it is a market subject to speculation, since the competition can acquire a generic name to harm us, or the name we request may not be available.
  • They can endanger the seriousness of the site
  • To give a solid image, it is advisable to establish your own brand, because, for example, if our product is for cosmetic use we could not call our business “cosmetics.com”, but “cosmeticosNombreX.com” to also differentiate with the products of the competition.
  • The risk of copying is greater
  • It is much more likely that the site is vulnerable to copies if we use a generic domain, that if we choose a brand and try to position it.
  • Positioning takes more time
  • If our site only has a generic domain, it is likely to take longer to rank for keywords than if it has a brand. In addition, the positioning can vary by several factors, not so the brand.
  • Remember that the choice of a domain facilitates the accurate classification of a web page contributing to its online positioning. The advantages of generic domains are innumerable and represent a new tool to take into account to enhance the place in the search generating anchoring in the visibility of a company on the Internet.