| Juliette Anderson |
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Juliette Anderson is an Outreach Community Specialist for an e-commerce fulfillment company that specializes in partnering with online sellers who have an average parcel weight of 5+ pounds or greater. She works hand-in-hand with e-commerce stores to achieve optimal sales for four years already. Her specialty lies in social media marketing and paid promotions. |
| Juliette Anderson has written 1 articles for DomainInformer. |
| View all articles by Juliette Anderson… |
A lot of e-commerce businesses think that a domain name is simply the address of their website.
But choosing the right domain name for your site ismore than that. It helps represent your brand on the internet, and it should be the same as your brand name as much as possible.
That’s why you should choose a domain name that is rich in keywords, and one that can help drive traffic to your site and boost conversions.
Why Domain Names are so Important?
Do you think that the first point of contact a user makes with your brand is the moment that they land on your website? Well, think again.
Even before they arrive on your site, they’ve already experienced your brand through your website address. It’s the first handlebar that a user will hold on to experience a long journey with your brand.
That’s why you should turn that first brand experience into an impressive one. That’s how crucial a brand name is to your overall strategy.
In this post. we’ll walk you through the seven leading tips when picking an ideal domain name when you make an e-commerce site:
Stick to your brand name
If you have an existing business, it is advisable that you stick with its name when moving your venture online.
Say, you have a local clothing store. If you named it ABC Apparel, it would make sense that your website is named abdapparel.com.
On the other hand, if you are choosing a domain name for your online business for the first time, it is advisable to keep it short and simple. That way, it is easy to remember and type on the browser’s address bar.
A short and memorable domain name goes a long way in building your brand because it is catchy, and at the same time, easy to remember.
You also need to keep in mind that your brand is competing with major players in your niche, so you would find yourself wrestling with other brands through millions of domain names.
Choose the right TLD
One of the most vital features of your domain name will be the top-level domain (TLD) that you pick.
In a nutshell, it’s the part of your site that comes after the period. The most popular option is .com, but you could also pick one that’s more specific to your country, like a.co.ukdomain.
Each year, there are more and more TLD options that are added, so make sure that you watch out for the one that pops out and suits your brand. For instance,.shopand.clothingare already been used quite significantly.
Understand marketing psychology
Depending on the language of your target customers, it is suggested that people tend to associate a brand with a certain emotion. Think of how Coca-Cola can incite happiness among those who get to see its ads.
However, the emotional connection between a brand and its customer can be tricky.
Even if a word is defined as something positive, it does not necessarily mean that it has a positive connotation. So, before you pick a domain name, ensure that you have a clear idea first of how you would like people to perceive your brand.
Select a keyword-rich domain name
As mentioned earlier, a domain name that’s rich in keywords will help your site rank higher on search engines. That’s why you must choose a name that is connected to the core ideas of your brand, as well as what you have to offer.
Picking a short and smart domain name that’s relevant to your business could do wonders for your search engine optimization efforts. A keyword-rich domain name will help you get backlinks, which can result in your site ranking significantly higher.
So, a website that has a domain name of www.streetfashion.store, could earn backlinks using the anchor text “street fashion store.” This provides search engines with a positive indication of its relevance for those keywords.
Make it unique
When a user is trying to get to your site, the last thing that you want to happen is for them to land on your competitors’ site, and vice versa.
So, ensure that you pick a name that won’t mistake you for someone else, and you’re not going into someone else’s territory. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself in deep trouble.
You can do a quick Google search on a prospective domain name, and see if a company similar to that domain name comes up.
Doing this kind of research is also a great way to check out what others are doing with their TLD, how they find the right balance between discoverability, and their brand.
Do not use a person’s name
The problem you can encounter if you will use a person’s name is that users will be unable to associate with the name. More so if you are still new in the industry.
It does not provide you with a brand image and has the feel of a startup.
So instead of naming your domain with a person’s name, think of something more creative and what else could be done in a similar concept.
Avoid numbers, acronyms, and irrelevant words
When going with a domain name, you have to at least find out if it’s radio-test friendly. That would help you choose something that’s simple, and the chances of getting it wrong will be zero to none.
While hyphens, acronyms, and numbers could make your site look cool, it won’t do anything for your business.
If your customers are confused between ‘4’ and ‘four’ then they could end up with a site that isn’t yours. That’s why you need to pick a domain name that’s easy to spell and pronounce.
Over to You
Choosing the right domain name for your e-commerce business is important.
So before you make impulse purchases, it helps that you first take a deep breath and consider what your long-term goals are. The last thing that you want to do is rebranding your site.
So, pick something that truly has a staying power. After you have made your final decision, you need to register it as soon as you can.
You do not want to waste all the research and time that you have put in a domain name that is easily grasped away from your reach.