If you've recently gone in search of a .com or .net suffix for your website, chances are your first choice is taken. This is becoming an increasingly frequent problem given the proliferation of "domain squatters" that buy up domain names and then wait for someone to come looking for one of them, at which point they insist on an exorbitant fee for the use of the name.

I’ve run into this problem a few times with some of my past clients setting up websites. In the past, the client always opted for a different name, sometimes throwing off marketing plans built around a particular name.

But with the proliferation of more domain suffixes like .ws or .tv or .cc, it appears the options for getting the name you want are broadening.

But is it necessarily a good idea to buy a .ws when the .com you coveted isn't available? Maybe. Maybe not.

Maybe

The primary advantage of the newer, and lesser known, suffixes is that you are more likely to get the domain name you want since there isn't much demand for .ws and its brethren. Major corporations are buying up .ws, .tv and other names, but that's strictly to protect their brands. Most don't bother to do anything more than post a redirect, and rarely use them for advertising or marketing purposes.

Maybe Not

At this time, it's pretty well established that the average person has little or no awareness of the range of domain suffixes that have only come into being in recent years. So if someone is uncertain of your domain name, they're more likely to guess at ".com" or ".net" and possibly never look beyond those options.

For some reason, we've tended to attach a certain cache to .com and .net, while viewing .ws, .tv and others with a degree of dubiousness.

And, as noted, the big boys don't see much value in these suffixes. They're only picking them up to keep someone else from grabbing them and using them as a tool to take business away.

Based on pure recognition value, a .com is the best choice, followed by .net, .org and .biz. These suffixes tend to have higher recall and definitely have higher resale value, as reflected by the values found at www.Afternic.com and other such sites.

So, do you or don't you go with .ws?

If at all possible, find a name that is available with a .com or .net. Failing in that, check into .biz; .org is also an option, but people tend to associate .org with non-profit and governmental entities.

But if you just can't find a name that works using those suffixes, .ws and others may be your only choice.

Look at it this way, if you go with one of the lesser known domain suffixes, you may be a trendsetter, .ws may be all the rage a year from now.