Ask HN: get*.com and *app.com domain names • Hacker News Board

Ask HN: get.com and app.com domain names

#1

Post by antileet » Mon, Oct 24, 2011, 8:11 AM UTC

I am building "productx", which is a nice and suitable name for the product. Unfortunately, productx.com isn't available. But getproductx.com is available.

While I am used to these kind of domains, my target audience isn't. Will opting for getproductx.com hurt in the long run?

Re: Ask HN: get.com and app.com domain names

#2

Post by adityar » Mon, Oct 24, 2011, 8:38 AM UTC

At some point, if you're successful you're going to have to buy them out. I believe mobify started with mobify.me (hey another option!) and then later bought mobify.com after gaining traction.

Re: Ask HN: get.com and app.com domain names

#3

Post by ___dav » Mon, Oct 24, 2011, 8:41 AM UTC

From a personal perspective, I'd say choose productxapp.com, if it is an app, over getproductx.com. (Or choose a domain hack, like produc.tx, if that would be possible/available?) But you always should keep in mind and accept the fact that some of your target audience and visitors will end up at productx.com anyway.

Re: Ask HN: get.com and app.com domain names

#4

Post by user24 » Mon, Oct 24, 2011, 9:39 AM UTC

dropbox started with getdropbox.com and it didn't seem to do them any harm.

Their customers were techies though so I take your point about lay people not being 'used' to them. It's really a pretty arbitrary decision though, 'google' means nothing to their customers intrinsically. Build a brand and the name is unimportant.

Re: Ask HN: get.com and app.com domain names

#5

Post by metachris » Mon, Oct 24, 2011, 11:06 AM UTC

Problem with Xapp.com or getX.com is that once you gain traction (and possibly funding), at some point you'll be buying the original domain for a lot of money (since the owner knows about your startup). I'd recommend to look for another name with an available .com domain.

Re: Ask HN: get.com and app.com domain names

#6

Post by metachris » Mon, Oct 24, 2011, 11:07 AM UTC

user24 wrote: post #4

dropbox started with getdropbox.com and it didn't seem to do them any harm. Their customers were techies though so I take your point about lay people not being 'used' to them. It's really a pretty arbitrary decision though, 'google' means nothing to their customers intrinsically. Build a brand and the name is unimportant.

Except that Dropbox needed to spend _a lot_ of money to get the .com domain.

Re: Ask HN: get.com and app.com domain names

#7

Post by sathishmanohar » Mon, Oct 24, 2011, 12:50 PM UTC

I personally went with productapp.com, since getproduct.com sounded a bit generic, while productapp.com implied that its a software app in some form.

Re: Ask HN: get.com and app.com domain names

#8

Post by user24 » Mon, Oct 24, 2011, 2:48 PM UTC

metachris wrote: post #6

user24 wrote: post #4

dropbox started with getdropbox.com and it didn't seem to do them any harm. Their customers were techies though so I take your point about lay people not being 'used' to them. It's really a pretty arbitrary decision though, 'google' means nothing to their customers intrinsically. Build a brand and the name is unimportant.

Except that Dropbox needed to spend _a lot_ of money to get the .com domain.

and they acquired that money while they had getdropbox.com. If get was a bad thing, it certainly didn't seem to hurt dropbox is what I'm saying.

Re: Ask HN: get.com and app.com domain names

#9

Post by mjs00 » Mon, Oct 24, 2011, 3:08 PM UTC

___dav wrote: post #3

From a personal perspective, I'd say choose productxapp.com, if it is an app, over getproductx.com. (Or choose a domain hack, like produc.tx, if that would be possible/available?) But you always should keep in mind and accept the fact that some of your target audience and visitors will end up at productx.com anyway.

I agree - productxapp.com is probably best second choice after productx.com for an app name/domain combo, especially consumer apps. And make _sure_ that an existing productx.com service and domain are so different from yours in focus, there is no confusion for consumers who type productx.com by mistake, they know to keep looking for you. Also check US trademark and existing apps to make sure you can trademark it, else if you are successful you may find folks trying to clone variations of your name, or worse claiming your app name on different (android / windows mobile /...) app store if you just start with Apple, for example.

Re: Ask HN: get.com and app.com domain names

#10

Post by chc » Mon, Oct 24, 2011, 7:13 PM UTC

metachris wrote: post #5

Problem with Xapp.com or getX.com is that once you gain traction (and possibly funding), at some point you'll be buying the original domain for a lot of money (since the owner knows about your startup). I'd recommend to look for another name with an available .com domain.

That's a rich person's problem, along the same lines as "You might get a headache from all the expensive tequila you sip as you relax on the beach with millions of dollars in the bank." I'm not sure it's actually profitable to worry about this even in the long run, and certainly not before you even launch. As long as "getX.com" works for marketing purposes, it's better than choosing something weird and unpronounceable.