How Greg Isenberg Went From Domain Skeptic to Believer
Greg Isenberg had a strong opinion about premium domains: they were a waste of money.
Why spend $500,000 on a domain when you could use those funds for paid ads, viral videos, and marketing strategies that directly acquire customers? The ROI didn't make sense.
Then he ran an experiment that changed his mind completely.
The Skeptic
As an entrepreneur and startup advisor, Greg had seen founders agonize over domain purchases. Should they spend $50,000 on a .com when a .co was available for $10? Should they compromise on their first-choice name to save money?
Greg's advice was consistent: save the money. Domains don't matter that much. Focus on product-market fit, customer acquisition, and growth. A great product with a mediocre domain will beat a mediocre product with a great domain every time.
It was a reasonable position. Logical. Data-driven.
It was also wrong.
The Conventional Wisdom
The startup world has largely moved away from caring about premium domains. With the explosion of new TLDs (.co, .io, .ai, and hundreds more), founders have options. Why overpay for a .com when you can get something "close enough" for a fraction of the price?
Greg subscribed to this view. Premium domains felt like a luxury from a bygone era—something big corporations might care about, but not scrappy startups trying to maximize every dollar.
Besides, everyone uses Google to find things now, right? Who types in URLs anymore?
The Experiment
Despite his skepticism, Greg decided to test his assumptions. He acquired several premium .com domains for relatively modest prices—some under $10,000, far below the six-figure investments he'd dismissed as wasteful.
Then he set up a controlled experiment:
- Take the same product
- Run it on two different domains
- One version on a .co domain
- One version on a premium .com domain
- Keep everything else identical: same landing page, same copy, same offer, same traffic sources
The only variable that changed was the domain name.
The Results
The data came back clear: conversion rates on the premium .com domain were 2-3 times higher than the .co version.
Same product. Same pitch. Same traffic. But the .com converted 2-3x better.
Greg dug into why. Two factors stood out:
-
Trust signals: Users inherently trust .com domains more, especially in B2B contexts. A .com feels established, legitimate, and serious. A .co can feel like a compromise or a temporary placeholder.
-
Organic search performance: .com domains consistently ranked better in Google searches, driving more qualified organic traffic that converted at higher rates.
The premium domain wasn't just about vanity or branding. It was a direct revenue multiplier.
The Conversion
Greg's conclusion was stark: "I was completely wrong about premium domains."
The experiment showed that in B2B especially, premium domains offer:
- Short payback periods: The conversion lift pays for the domain investment quickly
- Enhanced brand trust: Customers perceive .com brands as more credible
- Better organic visibility: Google still favors .com domains in search results
- Compounding advantages: The trust and SEO benefits grow over time
For Greg, the realization was transformative. He went from dismissing $500,000 domains as frivolous to seriously considering them as essential infrastructure for any serious business.
"I'm now considering only starting companies with premium domains," he wrote. That's a complete reversal from someone who thought domain investments were a waste.
The experiment showed what Greg hadn't expected: when you control for everything else, a premium .com domain can 2-3x your conversion rates. For B2B companies especially, where trust and credibility are paramount, that difference is transformational.
Sometimes the conventional wisdom is wrong. And sometimes it takes running the numbers yourself to find out.
You can follow Greg Isenberg on Twitter at @gregisenberg for more insights into his entrepreneurial experiments.