4 ms·

Ask HN: Domain Hack OK when .com not available?

7 points by taterbase 14y ago

I'm curious what the current opinion is on using a domain hack when you can't get the .com for your startup.

x64arm 14y ago
What do you mean by domain hack?
- citricsquid 14y ago
  A "domain hack" is when you include the extension as part of the domain. For example if "hackernews.com" was taken you might use "hackerne.ws".
- taterbase 14y ago
  instagr.am del.ico.us turntable.fm Anything that uses something other than a .com in a way that relates to the brand name.
chunkyslink 14y ago
What do you mean by: ok?
- taterbase 14y ago
  Apologies, I should have been clearer on that. I mean do you think using a domain hack instead of a .com can impede or prevent success?
byoung2 14y ago
I would only go with a domain hack if the .com is also available. A certain portion of users will type in the .com version, and if you are popular enough, the owner of the .com might be malicious enough to capitalize on it. e.g. http://del.icio.us http://del.icio.us forwards to http://delicious.com/ http://delicious.com/, but imagine what would happen if they didn't own the .com.
- arn 14y ago
  I agree with you, but in the example you gave, del.icio.us didn't own delicious.com until much later.
  - byoung2 14y ago
    I'm sure they paid dearly for it too...better to get the .com upfront
dsp2138 14y ago
cmscase.com更好啊
csense 14y ago
IMHO, building a solid product that people want to buy is more important than your exact domain name. If you disagree with this philosophy and choose a marketing strategy that depends on getting a strategic domain, you should have your domain in hand early on -- before you announce the product, so everything you have to say about it points to the same URL. Also, if you're willing to be flexible about renaming the product to match the available domains, you can circumvent the whole mess.
timjahn 14y ago
Unless your site is for people who know what a "domain hack" is, you need a .com domain. People in the real world either go directly to the .com version or Google it. They're not going to remember your name or domain name if it's something impossible to remember like iluv.che.er.ios.
shloime 14y ago
I think it depends on your target demographic and marketing strategy.
natsu90 14y ago
Unless your targeting customer is techie people. Non-tech people don't know any other tld beside .com
asargent 14y ago
Might want to avoid .co -- I have found .co to be problematic for my customers. Because it's so close to ".com", I am constantly explaining "it's .co, no m at the end like .com".
justhw 14y ago
Stick with dot com by prepending or appending words or letters. For example eYoursite.com or getyourApp.com etc.. If you plan to go with a .net or .org, in most cases you will have to include the tld's with your logos, but not with dot.com unless generic. Also, I don't recommend domains like .io and .ly unless your site is targeted towards devs/techi people. A while ago there was a site: foundat.io/n . That is extreme domain hacking.

7 points by taterbase 14y ago

I'm curious what the current opinion is on using a domain hack when you can't get the .com for your startup.

x64arm 14y ago

What do you mean by domain hack?

citricsquid 14y ago
A "domain hack" is when you include the extension as part of the domain. For example if "hackernews.com" was taken you might use "hackerne.ws".
taterbase 14y ago
instagr.am del.ico.us turntable.fm Anything that uses something other than a .com in a way that relates to the brand name.

chunkyslink 14y ago

What do you mean by: ok?

taterbase 14y ago
Apologies, I should have been clearer on that. I mean do you think using a domain hack instead of a .com can impede or prevent success?

byoung2 14y ago

I would only go with a domain hack if the .com is also available. A certain portion of users will type in the .com version, and if you are popular enough, the owner of the .com might be malicious enough to capitalize on it. e.g. http://del.icio.us http://del.icio.us forwards to http://delicious.com/ http://delicious.com/, but imagine what would happen if they didn't own the .com.

arn 14y ago
I agree with you, but in the example you gave, del.icio.us didn't own delicious.com until much later.
- byoung2 14y ago
  I'm sure they paid dearly for it too...better to get the .com upfront

dsp2138 14y ago

cmscase.com更好啊

csense 14y ago

IMHO, building a solid product that people want to buy is more important than your exact domain name. If you disagree with this philosophy and choose a marketing strategy that depends on getting a strategic domain, you should have your domain in hand early on -- before you announce the product, so everything you have to say about it points to the same URL. Also, if you're willing to be flexible about renaming the product to match the available domains, you can circumvent the whole mess.

timjahn 14y ago

Unless your site is for people who know what a "domain hack" is, you need a .com domain. People in the real world either go directly to the .com version or Google it. They're not going to remember your name or domain name if it's something impossible to remember like iluv.che.er.ios.

shloime 14y ago

I think it depends on your target demographic and marketing strategy.

natsu90 14y ago

Unless your targeting customer is techie people. Non-tech people don't know any other tld beside .com

asargent 14y ago

Might want to avoid .co -- I have found .co to be problematic for my customers. Because it's so close to ".com", I am constantly explaining "it's .co, no m at the end like .com".

justhw 14y ago

Stick with dot com by prepending or appending words or letters. For example eYoursite.com or getyourApp.com etc.. If you plan to go with a .net or .org, in most cases you will have to include the tld's with your logos, but not with dot.com unless generic. Also, I don't recommend domains like .io and .ly unless your site is targeted towards devs/techi people. A while ago there was a site: foundat.io/n . That is extreme domain hacking.