When you see a .biz domain, does it look good to you? I have a web design client who purchased a .biz domain and I'm thinking it looks kind of cheezy. I prefer .com or .net, or even .org.... Is it just me?

I agree, .biz does seem cheesy.

I always associate .biz domains with SPAM for some reason - I'm not implying anything by this, it's simply my personal opinion.

Having said that, we have the .biz variation of our domain name in order to "complete the set" - but it's not used.

Kevin

Thanks for the imput, H-U.net

I think they look rather cheap. I don't know, is it supposed to indicated businesses? Because it's basically slang and like I wouldn't think much of a business called something like electriks4u or something weird like that, I couldn't think much of a .biz website.

Can you imagine amazom.biz? Urgh.

I too also think of spam when I think of them :) I do quite like .org though but really only because it looks quite nice :)

Originally posted by H-U.net
I agree, .biz does seem cheesy.

I always associate .biz domains with SPAM for some reason - I'm not implying anything by this, it's simply my personal opinion.



yes .biz is very commonly used by spammers, much more than any of the other new extensions.

Agree also that these domains sound cheap and the slang "biz" doesn't leave a good impression.

.biz seems to be viewed as a bit of a joke or associated with spam

we advise customers to find a .com or .co.u domain

.biz is the most suspect extension. 99% spam
maybe we'll go to block the complete extension in spam filter next time

I haven't encountered to much spam from .biz domains. However, I have received a lot from .bz domains.

RMF

I'll point the client to this thread - hopefully he'll give up the idea of using the .biz domain.

:D

You can certainly not associate .biz to spammers... .biz domains are certainly not .com-s but I rather prefer a domain name like: bluewidget.biz vs thissiteisaboutbluewidget.com....

Originally posted by zoli
... I rather prefer a domain name like: bluewidget.biz vs thissiteisaboutbluewidget.com....
It depends ...

a) If it's a REALLY good one-word (not just any dictionary word) name, like gardening.biz, then the .biz undoubtedly wins.

b) However, if it is only between bluewidget.biz and darkbluewidget.com, I guess most people still prefer a .com. At least that's my personal preference. ;)

Just my two cents.

nameslave, everyone with his / her own preferences. I only have one .biz domain name, and all I can say is that, if you manage to build a brand around it, it can be like any other .com.

Originally posted by zoli
You can certainly not associate .biz to spammers... .biz domains are certainly not .com-s but I rather prefer a domain name like: bluewidget.biz vs thissiteisaboutbluewidget.com....


EXACTLY :D

I'm personally not a fan of .biz domains. They just seem second tier becuase someone more than likely has the name in a better extension. I personally think .info has a bigger future than .biz.

The only problem with developing different extensions is that you will always lose a percentage of that traffic to the .com version. Here's an article that illustrates just that. Pay attention to the comments at the end of the article
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/computing/20040111-9999_m1m11global.html

"Take Ron Wigginton, a landscape architect in Berkeley, who bought Landstudio.ws after failing at multiple attempts to buy Landstudio.com from a college student who got to the name first. Wigginton said looked for other dot-com names, but eventually decided dot-ws would be easier.

Still, Wigginton said many friends and customers are confused about the dot-ws designation.

"When we tell people over the phone they expect dot-com, and it throws them so far off that we have to tell them three times," he said. "

.biz is ugly, but 1 word are not to bad!

I think that argument that .biz domains are associated with spam is a bit silly to say it midly. The reason spammers like them because they can still get some good names with it. But you can get spam from anywhere.

Sure if you are coke or mcdonalds it is not as appropriate but for a small biz it might be perfect. I do not mind it. But then again each to his own.

I would probably get a .com first in preference to a .biz but...there you go. A lot about it is perception.

Originally posted by zoli
You can certainly not associate .biz to spammers... .biz domains are certainly not .com-s but I rather prefer a domain name like: bluewidget.biz vs thissiteisaboutbluewidget.com....

I guess so, though you seem to be implying that is the usual choice people have, either a short .biz or ridiculously long .com.

Usually the choice is a short .biz or a slightly longer .com, in this case the person would probably get something like "bluewidgetsite.com" which is available at the moment.

Personlly I don't think there is a shortage of usable .com's. There is a shortage of *great* .com's, but for something to be valuable it also must be scarce, the is the basic law of economics :D

Originally posted by ttremeth
I think that argument that .biz domains are associated with spam is a bit silly to say it midly. The reason spammers like them because they can still get some good names with it. But you can get spam from anywhere.


I think they use it because it is cheap (around $4.95 at godaddy) - spammers have to regularly change domains, and whois lookups are more difficult for people to do than for .com so its helps in covering tracks.