Hey everyone! I've got the main .com for my brand, but I'm pondering whether it's smart or necessary to grab other TLDs like .net, .co, or .io. Some folks say it enhances branding, trust, SEO, and protects against copycats or squatters. On the flip side, others argue it's just wasting cash unless you're a big entity with legal resources. I'm also curious if buying multiple TLDs now could save money in the future before someone snatches them up, or if I'd end up with a bunch of unused domains. What do you all think? Have any of you done this for your projects? Did it actually help? I'd appreciate any insights you have! Also, if buying in bulk is the way to go, where's the best spot to do that?
3 Answers
I grabbed a few different variations of my company name for cheap and just redirect all of them to my main site. I started out with various TLDs for different services (like .io for internal stuff and .dev for test environments). Now everything’s under one TLD to keep it simpler, although it was fun starting out. Just keep in mind, it’s extra work to manage them, and for smaller businesses, it might not be as necessary. Big companies often do this, but even they have to deal with phishing attempts—like domains that are just a letter off.
If your brand has value or is sensitive enough to need protection, then getting those extra TLDs is definitely worth it. A competing domain might dilute your brand's recognition, think of huge brands like Coca-Cola or Nike. If you handle sensitive data, you don't want someone getting tricked by a similar domain like 'github.io' instead of 'github.com'. You really need to think about whether your brand is big enough to be a target for those types of attacks.
What about something silly like 'github.beer'? Sounds questionable, right?
I’m kind of mid-sized right now, so I’m planning for the future.
If the additional TLDs are super cheap, then why not snag them? If they’re pricey, though, you might be better off saving your cash for something else.
I found some bundles from a few sites that offer good deals on the most popular TLDs. Might be worth considering!
Thanks for sharing your story! I think I’ll stick to subdomains instead.