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Ask HN: Stats around non-traditional domain endings

2 points by virmundi ↗ HN
I'm trying to come up with a product name/domain. I've seen the trends on HN to have endings in .io or .ly. While I see the appeal in smart names like that, I don't know how well they work with average consumers. Has there been any research on how using a non-traditional domain (.com, .org, .net) effects sales?

2 comments

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kluck
In my opinion, domains have become rather unimportant. Just create a name that does not return any search results on google and make it as short as possible and easy to pronounce.
pauljmartinez
Depending on the size of your market, it's possible that the TLD won't matter so much in the beginning. At that point you may be more reliant on word-of-mouth and early adopters, so a non-traditional TLD could be in your benefit, giving you time to prove out the idea and generate some income that can be put towards purchasing the .com version. I suppose the demographic would also be a factor to consider.