In the ecommerce industry, it is vital that virtually all aspects of your ecommerce business are unique and one of a kind. You want to occupy space and make a name for yourself and your business. You can only do that if you claim your own position in the online marketplace and design your website to the best of your ability. Registering an ecommerce domain name allows you to do this.
A domain name identifies your website as your own business’. It is the address that your site visitors or customers type in the search bar. Basically, it is the name of your website and it is part of your brand. It is an important part of your online business and this article will help you understand why that is. This would also give you some tips on how to choose a domain name and how you can register it with the help of Strikingly.
Importance of An Ecommerce Domain Name
An ecommerce domain name is important for your business because of many reasons. First of which is that it is the first and most indicative piece of information that your online business would hold. Many online business owners choose domain names that are good representations of what their business is all about. Another reason is that it gives you credibility. You are a more authentic business because of it. When you have a registered ecommerce domain name, you immediately earn a spot in the online marketplace alongside the biggest brands and businesses who are offering your products and services as well. Also, your domain name sets you apart from others in the ecommerce domain. It is what introduces your business and brand to the world. How you choose a domain name for your business is vital because it will determine how easily your potential customers can find you on the internet. Thus, in the long run, your domain name is also what increases the brand awareness of your business. If it is significantly unique and memorable, you increase your chances of getting the attention and loyalty of your customers. Last, another reason your ecommerce domain name is important is that it helps your search engine ranking. Your domain name would play a big role in making sure that your website is one of those that appear at the top of search results.
8 Tips On How To Choose a Domain Name For Your Ecommerce Business
Now that you have understood how important it is to choose a domain name that is right for you, we want to help you in doing it. Here are eight tips you should keep in mind when you choose a domain name for your business:
1. Include Your Brand
As previously mentioned, your domain name indicates your brand and your business. Thus, it only makes sense to make sure that your brand name is at least part of your ecommerce domain name. Most startup businesses make the mistake of sacrificing their brand name for getting “.com”. While that is indeed important and helpful, it is much more important to make sure that your brand name is included in your ecommerce domain. The uniqueness of your brand name is yet another factor for this. Remember that your ecommerce domain name is the address your business has in the online world, so make sure that customers can easily connect and relate it to your brand and business.
2. Be Simple and Unique
Much like your branding, your brand name, logo, themes, etc., you also want your ecommerce domain name to uniquely identify what you offer. But in doing so, be careful not to overdo it. You can add adjectives or other keywords to your domain name, but make sure that it won’t make it hard to decipher or remember. Apply all the extravagance you want to your main website, but be careful not to do it to your ecommerce domain name. You want it to be as short as possible so that your customers or your potential customers won’t have a hard time typing it up. The uniqueness of your domain name is also vital because it will increase the probability that it is not taken yet, so you can freely buy and register it as your own.
3. Blend In Your Industry
While you want to choose an ecommerce domain name that is one of a kind, you’d conversely want it to help your target market immediately identify what you offer. That is why “.com” is the most often used because it easily tells anyone who searches it that the website is for a commercial business. But there are a lot of other top-level domains you can use as an alternative to “.com”. You can use the TLD, “.store” if you are an online store. It would immediately give your customers the idea that your website is one of an online store. You can also use TLD based on your location. For instance, “.ca” is used for websites based in Canada, or “.au” for Australia, “.th” for Thailand, and the likes. Your products may also be the subject of your TLD. Use ".coffee” if your primary product is coffee, or “.baby” for baby-related products, or “.design” for graphic designs. When you choose a domain name, make it representative of not just your brand, but also of the industry or community you are a part of.
4. Avoid Numbers and Hyphens
Numbers and hyphens are a big no-no when you choose a domain name for your business. It makes your ecommerce domain name too complicated. It might cause confusion for your potential customers. If your customers find a hard time finding your website, they will not be encouraged to buy anything from you anymore. Don’t risk losing customers by putting hyphens or numbers on your ecommerce domain.
5. Make It SEO-friendly
Your website content is not the only thing that you have to optimize for search engines. When you choose a domain name, you also want it to help you in terms of SEO. Remember that your ecommerce domain must not only impact your customers, it also has to make a name for itself in the online world. You must identify your whole business website’s main keyword. If your ecommerce domain name is filled with keywords, then you increase your chances of being recognized by the online systems and be ranked high. But again, be careful not to overdo it. Too much of anything doesn’t help you or your business.
6. Be Creative
This next tip will help you choose a domain name that highlights the best combination of all the aforementioned tips. Be creative and strategic in incorporating your brand name, being simple and unique, yet blending in your industry, avoiding numbers and hyphens, and being SEO-friendly. Find the right balance in choosing your ecommerce domain name. You need not sacrifice one for the other. Start with listing down keywords, then combine it with your brand name and industry/SEO needs and you can go from there.
7. Ensure That It’s Easy To Remember
Your ecommerce domain name must not only be unique, it also must be easy to remember. Be careful not to overthink and over complicate it. No matter how unique, creative, SEO-friendly, and on-brand your domain name is, if it is not memorable, then it wouldn’t matter. Your site visitors and customers still would have trouble finding it if it did not make a mark on their minds. When you choose a domain name, you can find out that it would be easy to remember by telling some of your friends, or even a couple of nieces, nephews, or children, first. If they can say it back to you even after a while, then you’re good to go.
8. Check If It Is Available
Before you get ahead of yourself and be so confident about the ecommerce domain name you came up with or you chose from a bunch of lists, determine first if it is still in the market. When we say that your ecommerce domain name has to be one of a kind, it literally means that no other website can use it. So when you can pinpoint and choose domain names from an entire list and are leaning towards just a couple as your final one, do yourself a favor and check first its availability. Don’t get your hopes up only to disappoint yourself in the end. And if ever that you get disappointed, just remember that there’s no shame in coming up with or choosing another.
How to Register Your Ecommerce Domain Name?
Strikingly is one of the best website builders that is available to you. And in addition to being a website builder that provides you with different features and even backup in the form of Happiness Officers that will help you grow your business, it also assists you in choosing and registering the best ecommerce domain name for you.
- You can start by going to your site editor and then clicking on “Settings” where you will see a menu for “Domains”. Click on the “Register New Domain” button to get started.
Image taken from Strikingly Product
- You will then be assisted in typing up and searching for an ecommerce domain name. The system uses an algorithm that checks whether the domain name you entered is already taken and registered or not. If it is taken, it will tell you so and offer up some alternatives for you to use. Strikingly has some interesting deals that would allow you to register for free or at a discounted price for your first year.
Image taken from Strikingly Product
- Once you have chosen your desired ecommerce domain name, you can register it for a period of one to ten years. You would be taken to a page that would ask you for your personal information.
Image taken from Strikingly Product
- After submitting your personal information and verifying your purchase, you can now connect your ecommerce domain name to your business website. Go back to your site editor settings and to paste your domain name and have it connected to your website.
Image taken from Strikingly Product
Your ecommerce domain name is a vital part of who you are as a business. It tells the world what you offer. It allows search engines to identify you and give you a place in the online world. So you would do yourself a favor if you can choose and register the best ecommerce domain name for your business. Sign up with Strikingly now and let us be your partner in conquering ecommerce.
