News Courtesy of wpbeginner.com:
We are often asked by our users about .com vs .net domain name extensions. Choosing a domain name is extremely important for your business goals because it can have an impact on your branding and search rankings. In this article, we will explain the difference between Com vs Net domain extensions and which one is better for your website.
Differnce Between .Com vs .Net Domain Names
Com and Net are two of the most popular domain name extensions. If your preferred dot com domain name extension is not available, then many domain name generator tools will suggest .net as the alternative.
However, it is not a suitable alternative for your business in most cases.
COM in the .com domain name represents commercial domain names. This includes all business websites, websites that want to make money online, personal websites, blogs, portfolios, and almost anything in between.
On the other hand, the NET in the .net domain name extension represents “network”. It is recommended and suitable for internet, email, and networking service providers.
Ryan’s Take 
Last month, I wrote about the power of using a domain name for branding. Specifically, I mentioned how new domain extensions can be used to create short and powerful domain names. Of course, I still believe that .com and .net domains instill the most confidence in visitors. Perhaps that has to do with how established those two extensions are. However, the internet is constantly changing and evolving. If you want to be successful, that change should be embraced which means not excluding these extensions just because you want to brand with the coveted .com or .net.
Honestly, I never really thought of the meaning behind these two popular extensions. .org and .edu were obvious in what type of websites they promoted. To me .com and .net were synonymous with one another. In reality, I’ve always thought of .com as the bigger brother to .net. If you read the article, the disparity in usage is staggering. It states that an astounding 46% of registered domains use the .com extension. Comparing that to .net’s measly 4%, you would think that the reach and visibility of the latter is next to nothing. Is it really that important today though?
Now that we have multiple branding signals to measure trust in a website, the type of domain extension doesn’t weigh as heavily in the eyes of the visitor. SSL, social media accounts, business pages, and reviews all help to establish a level trust today. Branding is so important that it should be considered over choosing a domain extension. For instance, you may not get the .com domain you want because it is unavailable. However, you shouldn’t settle for a variation of the desired domain just to satisfy the extension. The article references putting a city name in your domain if necessary. I disagree and think that a location in the name should only be considered if it fits the branding.
Why do you think many of these newer extensions costs more than the traditional .com or .net? It is because if they are used correctly, it can be a powerful way to promote your business. I just checked the price on Godaddy for workinjury.lawyer. $2749.99 to register AND renew that domain! Since workinjurylawyer.com is unavailable the .lawyer equivalent would make an excellent, perhaps even better, alternative. But at what cost? That’s a decision each business needs to make on their own.
