Domain .COM - what is it?

Com is one of the most recognizable domain zones among Internet users. Its original purpose was to register commercial enterprises, however, in the mid-90s this restriction lost its relevance, the zone began to be used by organizations, private entrepreneurs, individuals to host any sites, regardless of the specifics and type.

In this domain zone, there are both large news portals, online stores with tens of thousands of product names, and private blogs. Its popularity is explained by the openness of the registration procedure, the absence of a regional binding. According to statistics, the total number of registered network resources has confidently exceeded one hundred and fifty million, and most of them are working.

Origin of the name

Com is an abbreviated version of the English word “commercial”. Such a choice cannot be called surprising: as already mentioned above, the zone was initially used exclusively for commercial sites. There is also another version of the decoding - “common”, “general”, however, it is erroneous. The abbreviated term for the zone is “dotcom”, it is used by both ordinary Internet users and specialists.

A little history

The appearance of the com domain dates back to 1985, it was among the first, belonging to the top level. Like many other zones, at first it was under the control of the US Department of Defense, however, in 1991 it was transferred to the GSI company.

The domain zone turned out to be in demand, first of all, among civilian enterprises, in 1993 it came under the control of the National Science Foundation. It was on its initiative that a $50 fee for registration and maintenance was established.

The first organization to successfully register in .com was Symbolic Incorporated, which specializes in the production of computer and electronic equipment, and software development. Now this network resource is in private hands, and its purchase is impossible.

Immediately after its appearance, the domain zone was not in particularly high demand. Within two years, literally a hundred sites were registered, however, by 1995, the number had grown to 18 thousand, by 2011 - to 100 million, by 2021 - to 150, and the active increase continues to this day.

Who is the .com domain zone suitable for?

The restrictions that were in effect in the zone until the mid-90s of the last century have lost their relevance. The following sites are currently listed here:

• Commercial, representing enterprises in the manufacturing, financial and other fields;
• News platforms, information portals, from huge state, regional and city to private blogs;
• Online stores, other platforms designed to sell goods, offer various services;
• Entertainment platforms, audio and video streaming;
• Social networks;
• Online representative offices of large radio stations, television companies, which have established Internet broadcasting.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantages of the domain zone are as follows:

• Openness of the registration procedure. There are no restrictions in the zone, the domain can be purchased by organizations registered as legal entities, individual entrepreneurs, and individuals, while the commercial specifics of the work are not required.
• Increasing trust in the site. Com belongs to the category of the most famous, authoritative zones, so the network resource registered in it is perceived by users as reliable and trustworthy. This increases conversion and traffic, and at all stages of the site's existence, even a young company registered in com can count on commercial success.
• Universality. The domain zone can be used for any site, regardless of scale and focus, from a landing page and a small blog to a huge online store. The specifics of the network resource do not affect the quality of technical support, the conditions necessary for successful registration.
• Absence of geographic binding. Com excludes associations with a specific state, which often confuses the user, limits the target audience. For example, residents of the CIS countries often avoid placing orders on ru-segment websites, believing that they work exclusively with Russians. Com indicates the international status of the network resource, allowing you to avoid such a problem.

The disadvantages of the zone include the cost of registration. For national segments, it is usually several hundred rubles, for com - twice, sometimes three times higher. This disadvantage is quite conditional, even with such a difference we are talking about small amounts. The second point is the limited number of available names. For example, since 2000 it has been impossible to find a three-digit name, since 2007 - a four-digit name, due to the popularity of the domain zone, they simply ran out. However, if you think a little, you will be able to find a memorable name.

Summing up

The number of com's strengths confidently outweighs the number of its disadvantages. The registration fee is 100% compensated by increased trust in the site, increased traffic and conversion, stable operation, and comprehensive technical support.

If you want to register in the specified zone, do not delay its implementation - the number of free names is decreasing!

Author of the article:

Editor-in-Chief

Danaev Almaz