The conversation sparked by my previous post on domain trading has led to an in-depth exploration of the mystique surrounding top-level domains (TLDs). To shed more light on this phenomenon, I've created a dedicated thread to dissect the allure of.COM domains.

Initially, I posed the question:

72% of registered domains are.COMs, which begs the question - what's the underlying psychology driving this preference?

It appears that the.COM suffix has become an integral part of the brand identity, with many businesses opting for a.COM domain over other TLDs like.NET,.ORG,.biz, or.eu. The numbers are telling, with 131 million.COM domains in existence, dwarfing the 15 million.NET and 10 million.ORG domains.

I'm intrigued by the cognitive bias towards.COM domains. Is it a case of brand recognition, or is there something more at play? Perhaps it's the perceived commercial value associated with.COM, or the fact that it's often the default choice for online businesses.

Whatever the reason, it's clear that.COM domains hold a special significance in the world of online branding. As a community, let's delve deeper into the psychology behind this phenomenon and explore the implications for our own branding strategies.

The.COM craze is a perfect example of how groupthink can lead to a lack of creativity and innovation in the online space. By blindly following the crowd and opting for.COM domains, businesses are missing out on opportunities to stand out and create unique brand identities.
The perceived commercial value associated with.COM domains is nothing more than a self-fulfilling prophecy, perpetuated by the very people who claim to be innovators.

In 1985, the internet saw the introduction of several top-level domains (TLDs) aimed at general use. Naturally, when multiple options are available, one tends to rise above the rest, and in this case, it was the .COM domain that came out on top.

The main contenders during that time included domains like .MIL, .GOV, .ORG, and .EDU, which served specific sectors such as military, government, and education. The .ORG domain was designated for non-profit entities. Back then, the internet was still a nascent concept for many, and access to it was likely not very affordable. As the digital landscape evolved, .COM became a household name, while newcomers using .ORG might have struggled to create polished websites. Their early attempts likely paled in comparison to established sites like symbolics.com, the very first .COM website.

It's easy to imagine someone dismissing .ORG as inferior, perhaps jokingly calling it "complete garbage."

In the United States, everything gets commodified, monetized, and reduced to a profit-driven endeavor. Even countercultural movements like rock music, which originated as a rebellious and penniless outcry, get co-opted and commercialized. The 'bottom line' principle prevails - what remains is what generates revenue.

The.com domain, as we all know, is synonymous with commerce. American society is so deeply entrenched in consumerism that some individuals don't even recognize it. From a young age, children are socialized by corporations and marketing firms, shaping their worldview. The entrepreneurial spirit is still alive, but 95% of startups fail within the first year. However, some survive and thrive.

As English is the lingua franca, and Americans are geographically savvy, creating a website with a.com extension is a no-brainer for businesses catering to international tourists. The sheer number of service-based industries, from e-commerce platforms to food delivery services, is staggering, and each one requires an online presence. As a result, domain name registration has become a lucrative business, with individuals and companies vying to secure their names, surnames, and even those of celebrities to prevent cybersquatting. In the world of domain name registration, the phrase 'first-come, first-served' rings true - whoever registers the.com domain first wins. And let's be real,.com is the gold standard, while.gov and.edu domains are non-commercial and relatively niche.