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Re:Ask HN: Do you still “need” the .com in 2023? by gavinhoward on Sunday July 02, 2023 @10:59PM (#36568222)
Absolutely get a dot com.

Notice that I said to get a dot com.

Several years ago, I had the thought that I might want to start a business someday. I decided to get a dot com right then and hold it.

I found the same situation you did: I was struggling to find any good ones still available.

So I decided to make my own. I went to a random word generator (I think it may have been a gamer username generator, but anything that will generate non-existent words), set it to five letters or less (a short name is better), and started clicking.

It took a while because I would stop and evaluate words that looked good.

Finally, I found one that I loved. I think my reasons for loving it are justifications, but I really did like it.

It was unique in that its first two letters were the last two letters of the alphabet.

It was memorable because I could connect its pronunciation with the awesome evil character Yzma [1].

It rolled off the tongue in a way I didn't expect.

And the dot com was available!

I registered the domain and a few ancillary ones.

And that is how my new business is named Yzena. [2]

Worth it.

The lesson here is this: if the system has problems, think outside the box; get out of the box of existing words and make your own. It works for plenty of companies.

My family has water bottles made by a company called Owala. Google was not a word until it was. Yahoo was a catchphrase of an Italian plumber. And what is up with the name nVidia?

So make it up, and then make it your own. Get the dot com.

[1]: https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Yzma

[2]: https://yzena.com/

Re:Ask HN: Do you still “need” the .com in 2023? by rcme on Monday July 03, 2023 @12:46AM (#36568980)
Was your .com helpful to you? You said it was worth it, but how are you evaluating that worth? Is the business doing well?
Re:Ask HN: Do you still “need” the .com in 2023? by jesterson on Monday July 03, 2023 @03:40AM (#36569979)
You can easily evaluate it by getting say, xxx.com and xxx.net.

Market xxx.net and see how much traffic .com sister will get.

Results will be surprising (it were surprising for me)

Re:Ask HN: Do you still “need” the .com in 2023? by mike_d on Monday July 03, 2023 @04:08AM (#36570154)
The insane amount of money spent advertising .com is only comparable to maybe the amount spent on (800).

Every time Nike puts "nike.com" on a billboard, or Coca-Cola prints "coke.com" on a bottle, that is advertising dollars spent on reminding everyone that websites are at [what you want].com.

Re:Ask HN: Do you still “need” the .com in 2023? by gavinhoward on Monday July 03, 2023 @07:12AM (#36571333)
Yes, it has been helpful, even though I just started my business and haven't gotten customers. (I technically just barely started it.)

This is why: email. It's much easier for people to remember my email with a dot com domain. I've had at least one person comment on having the dot com as my business email and as my code forge site.

Re:Ask HN: Do you still “need” the .com in 2023? by SecretDracula on Monday July 03, 2023 @02:15AM (#36569464)
You just don't see the Simpsons font used all that much in business.
Re:Ask HN: Do you still “need” the .com in 2023? by ender1235 on Monday July 03, 2023 @06:42PM (#36579766)
With this method you may also land upon future pharmaceutical names.
Re:Ask HN: Do you still “need” the .com in 2023? by Tommah on Monday July 03, 2023 @09:43PM (#36581126)
> And what is up with the name nVidia?

It's an alteration of "invidia," the Latin word for "envy."