HOW TO PICK THE RIGHT DOMAIN NAME FOR YOUR ONLINE STORE

In the world of e-commerce, it all starts with a domain name. Your domain name becomes your internet identity and its just like selecting a location for a brick and mortar store. If you choose a poor location, or in this case, an ineffective domain name, it can determine the success or failure of your online store.

There are two strategies to take when deciding the name of your e-commerce site – a keyword rich domain name or a brand centered domain name â and its up to you to decide which one will work best. Let™s get started.

Keyword Rich Domain Names
The easiest way to begin is by making a list of 15 to 20 keyword phrases that relate to the products youre selling. For example, if youre selling furniture you might want to use the word “home†in your domain name, same idea if youre selling make up, youll want to include the keyword cosmetics.†Keep the following in mind:
- Try to keep phrases short about 2 to 3 keywords long
- Make sure it’s easy to spell, pronounce and remember – it should roll off the tongue nicely
- Do some research – write down the number of times each keyword is searched in your brainstorming list to make sure you pick the best possible name
Note: Hyphens included in domain names do not affect the searchability of your online store but remember that hyphens can be difficult to remember
Examples of domain names used by successful online stores that include keywords:
- www.gardenhome.it
- www.johnsonspopcorn.com
- www.egolf-balls.com
- www.tennisbrands.ru

Brand Domain Names
If you decide to create a domain name that reflects the name of your brand without powerful keywords, understand that you should have SEO friendly webpages to bring in traffic. Also, your brand domain name should align with the products youre selling. For instance, if my e-commerce site™s name is Natalies Closet I should probably be selling womens clothing. Of course, it should still be easy to spell, pronounce and remember. Also, make sure that your site name is not too similar to another â its an easy way to lose traffic and you could potentially be infringing on copyright laws.
Examples of brand domain names used by successful online stores:
- www.shop.heydude.pl/pl/
- www.lilac-lane.de/
- www.madamechoup.com/
- www.fontable.it/