Choosing the right domain name is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your eCommerce website.
This is because a domain name should be easy to remember, memorable and easy to spell, and speak to your brand in a way that’s not overly technical or difficult to pronounce.
To help you determine what kind of domain name will work best for your online store, let’s take a look at all the things you should keep in mind when searching for yours.
How to choose a domain for your eCommerce brand: best practices
Branded and memorable
You might already have a brand name for your business. If so, try to find and register that name as your domain. Customers can easily find your business online. For example, Curiosity by Lidwin, a pottery brand uses its exact brand name as a domain name.
If you don’t want to use your brand name as your domain, it’s best to choose a domain that indicates the products/services you sell. You can also play around with words in your niche and come up with unique domains.
Some brands, like Aahararogya, get creative with their domain names. Their website visitors instantly know what their business is about and indicate their product benefit:
Include keywords, but not too much
If possible, try to include your target keywords in the domain name. These are words your target market searches for and related to your product.
The concept is simple: having target keywords in your domain can help you rank in search results. In fact, Google itself attests to this fact. Descriptive words also help first-time viewers recognize what you sell.
If you use this tip, you’ll need a creative mix of words to ensure the domain is unique. For example, say you sell candles and your brand name is Mira. So, your domain name can be candlesbymira. This is both unique, is branded, and contains keywords. Here’s a real example from Kurtitales, a brand selling kurtis. Their domain name carries both brand and keyword.
Choose a .com or .in domain if possible
There is a wide range of domain extensions you can choose from. On Instamojo, you can find atleast 10 domain extensions available.
However, try to get a .com extension if possible. It’s the most credible extension, chosen by millions of businesses. Another great option for Indian businesses is .in extension — the country code TLD (top-level domain). If both these are not available, you can go for any other extension available, such as: .co.in, .shop, .academy, .store, .travel, .software
However, please keep in mind that alternative domain extensions do not affect your search rankings.
Things to avoid when choosing a domain name
Here are a few things you should avoid when deciding a domain name for your eCommerce business:
- Using hyphens and other special characters
- Using abbreviations
- Difficult to read, pronounce, or spell
- Using numbers
How long should a domain be? Though you can it’s best to keep your domain within 15 characters.
Research and find your preferred domain name
Once you’ve decided on a domain name, you’ll want to check if the domain is available. Sometimes, the name you had in mind might have already been registered by someone else. So, it’s best to have a few options in hand.
To check the availability of your domain name, you easily search on domain registrar sites like Domain.com, Godaddy, or Google Domains. Instamojo also offers domains and you can easily search for them within minutes.
Once you confirm your domain’s availability, also make sure that your competitors or other businesses don’t use a similar one. This can be found with a quick search on Google and social media.
How to purchase and register your domain for eCommerce
Once you choose a domain name for your business, it’s best to purchase and get it registered as soon as you can to avoid it getting registered by someone else. To register a domain, choose a domain registrar, choose the domain and extension, and make the purchase. Most domain providers charge annual registration fees.
There are many registrars you can choose from. Here are some of the most popular domain name providers:
Choose a domain provider based on their rates and what they offer. Some offer email domains as well.
Registering your domain with Instamojo
If you’re creating an eCommerce website for your business, the best way to register a domain is by purchasing it directly through Instamojo. Here’s why:
- You get domains 70% cheaper than other websites
- Ability to add unlimited sub-domains for your online store
- You get a discounted domain on purchase of the Instamojo Premium Store Plan or Smart Page Pro
- You get secure matching forwarding email addresses
Follow these steps to choose and register your domain from Instamojo:
Step 1: Visit Instamojo Domains and type in the domain name you desire in the search bar along with your preferred domain extension. Click Find domain.
Step 2: If your desired domain name and extension is available, it will show up in the results. To purchase, just click on “Buy Now,” fill in the details and make the payment. (Note: the payment is an annual registration fee. You will have to pay the amount every year to retain your domain).
If your desired domain name is not available, you can pick from the list of suggestions and extensions.
In this example, I searched for “hometreasure” with .com extension. The name was not available for .com. You can see the other options that show up.
Step 3: Verify your email address and get your domain linked to your eCommerce website!
That’s it! In three easy steps, you can choose and register a domain name for your eCommerce website.
If you have an Instamojo online store or Smart Page, you can register for a domain or link an existing one directly from your dashboard.
Navigate to Online Store > Store > Domains & Mailbox
Click on ‘I want to register for a new one.” Type in the name you desire, choose from the options available and make the purchase.
How much does a domain name cost?
A domain name can start from as low as ₹70 and go up to lakhs, depending on its popularity and availability. At Instamojo, we strive to give you the most competitive pricing for domains in the industry. Premium Instamojo sellers also get a discounted price on domains.
Get a domain for your online store
Once you’ve decided on a domain name, it’s time to get it registered and make your business official. The process of choosing and registering a domain is easy and will take up only a few minutes.
If you’re not ready to buy your domain name yet, that’s okay. When creating a store on Instamojo, you can use an auto-generated free domain name in the format yourstore.myinstamojo.com. You don’t have to take the stress of choosing a domain before creating a website!
Sign up for Instamojo for free and start building your online store.
