When selecting a domain name it seems the good names under the .com extension are always taken. Thus comes the question of whether a .net or .biz is any good. Well, it all depends…

If you are concerned about search engine optimization then no, it doesn’t really matter. According to GoogleGuy no extensions get preferential treatment over others. As far as other search engines go I have never seen any hard core evidence that would prove that it matters.

If you are concerned about marketing online or offline, then yeah, I would say your best bet is a .com but it’s not totally necessary. A .com extension is by far the most common and it is easier to remember than others. However, using a .net isn’t going to ruin your business by any means. In fact, some .net or .biz extensions are easier to remember for some people because they set your site apart.

I remember I had a party once back in college. My house was extremely hard to find and to get there you had to make about 7 different turns inside a very poorly designed subdivision. I gave directions to quite a few people which were pretty complicated and barely fit on the back of matchbooks, I remember I hardly had room to fit all the roads. Amazingly everyone found the house including some people I didn’t even invite who never had the directions. My point being, if people want to find your site (or party) then they will find it. Plain and simple.