There is a lot to consider when choosing a domain name for your online store. A good domain name is fairly short, intuitive, easy to remember and easy to say. Your customers must be able to easily find your store and pass it along by word of mouth. And considering it is the identity of your store, a good domain name can go a long way in helping you with your branding and communication.
To ensure that you pick the right domain for your eCommerce business, here are a few dos and don’ts to help you make a well-thought-out decision.
1. Use the name of your business or product when building a brand
For example, if you sell pet food and your brand name is YumTum, then www.petfood.store or www.yumtum.store could be your domain name options. The first one is simple, intuitive and memorable. Moreover, the domain name in itself tells the user what he/she may find on the website. Depending on your brand and business objectives, you can pick a domain name.
2. Focus on keywords if search is your priority
If getting your SEO right is on top of your to-do list, then having a keyword rich domain name can help. However, ensure that you do not put a lot of keywords in your domain name or Google might blacklist you and mark you spam. The search engine is constantly updating its algorithm and websites that are not providing real value aren’t getting the rankings they desire. So, highlight your top 2-3 keywords and try to include them in your domain while keeping it short and simple.
3. Pay attention to what domain extension you choose
Albeit just a word on the right side of the dot, a domain extension can make a whole lot of difference in the effectiveness of your web address. A brandable domain extension can add immense value to your brand. For example, look at what Emirates did with their branding—www.emirates.com is their official website while www.emirates.store is their merchandise website. Their domain name includes the brand name and a keyword describing what the website might be about. Having .STORE as their domain extension, they are communicating and branding their website right. Moreover, when it comes to SEO when you search for ‘Emirates Merchandise’, the .STORE website shows first in the results.
1. Pick domain names that don’t include your product or brand name
Having a domain name just so that you have a web address is a bad business and branding decision. If you are an online bag store and use www.emsbgz.com, not only will your domain name be hard to remember but also a little suspicious. It’s best to completely avoid meaningless domain names. They are neither memorable nor do they serve any branding purpose.
2. Include unusual spellings in your domain name
When thinking of a domain name, ask yourself is it easy to remember and pass on? If there is even the slightest doubt, then avoid it. Just imagine your customer trying to recommend your website to their friends. “No, not bagsforyou.com. it’s bags with the letter z and for is the number 4.” There’s a high chance your potential customer will misspell (or rather, correctly spell) part of your domain name and end up at a competitor’s site. Now imagine telling someone, “go to newbags.store”—as simple as that. No extra explanation needed.
3. Make your domain name a drag by keeping it too long
Extremely long domain names are not only a drag, but they are confusing and a pain to remember. Also, they can be easily misspelled. For example, handmadebagsforyoustore.com is not easy to remember and chances are your customer will give up halfway through typing it in the URL. However, handmadebags.store is easy and simple. As a rule, try to keep your domain names under 18 characters.
Before you make your final decision, run the domain name you’ve selected by a few people and get their opinion. Say it out loud and ask them to do so too. Ask them to tell it to someone over the phone and if they can say it clearly and the person on the receiving end can understand it then that’s a positive sign. Moreover, if they can remember it after some time has passed, you’re on your way to building a stellar eCommerce brand.
Join the Discussion