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So, you've decided that it was time for you to experience the great online. You've chosen your topic, you've thought of a brand, and now you're ready to break ground on the construction of the road that will lead to online fame and financial independence. There is a perfect way to do things - alas, sometimes the perfect way is simply not an option due to a variety of factors, like budget, for example. Lucky for you, there are alternatives to anything, alternatives that will even cost you less - but they come with a series of downsides, as well, that can make your life miserable in the long run.
Domain names would be the perfect example.
Domain extensions - top-level domains, or TLDs - are of two kinds: generic (.com, .net, .org), and country code (.us, .uk, .ca, one for each country). The generic ones were built to indicate the purpose of the organizations behind them: .com for commercial entities, .net for networks, .org for various organizations, .edu for schools and universities, .gov for government agencies, and so on. Of these, the .com TLD has proven to be the most popular - it is used for anything from personal blogs to online stores, gaming venues, even the Vegas Palms online casino.
The Vegas Palms is, in fact, one of the best examples to show its versatility: the Vegas Palms Casino is a commercial entity and an entertainment venue at the same time. All games at the Vegas Palms can be played freely by any visitor, which makes it a fun destination for many. At the same time, playing at the Vegas Palms can involve real money, which gives it a clearly commercial connotation. The .com TLD is the perfect choice for such a venue, and basically anything else that you can think of.
The .com TLD was one of the first introduced, along with .edu, .gov, .mil, .net, .org, and .arpa. The .com TLD is also the most popular, which makes it a pain to find a .com domain name that fits your topic of choice. No wonder - .com is considered the most desirable TLD from a series of points of view. Your domain name of choice is most likely already occupied - and even if its owner is willing to sell it to you, its price might reach considerable levels. A new .com domain costs anywhere between $8 and $15, depending on which registrar you choose. Buying an already registered domain name can cost you anywhere between tens and thousands of dollars, which is often not an option.
There are, of course, alternatives. You can always choose the (imperfect) option of going with an alternative generic TLD - .net, .org, .info, and a whole bunch of newly introduced gTLDs like .blog, .casino, .xxx or even .ninja. These, in turn, are far less appreciated by the online community - they might hurt your image in the short term. (From an SEO point of view, they are OK, albeit some claim that search engines clearly favor websites with .com domain names).
Choosing a newly introduced alternative will most means not only a lower price but also more freedom to pick the perfect domain name. With the host of options, you'll be able to find surprising options unregistered - the google.blog domain name seems to be free when this article is written. Yet building a reputation for your website using such alternatives might prove to be a struggle in the long run.
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