Picking a Domain for an Online Store

A lot of thought, planning and consideration go into creating a successful online store. The world of e-commerce is fiercely competitive. No matter what type of niche your store falls into, you're sure to be facing a lot of steep competition. One thing that can make or break the long-term success of your online store is its domain name. All of the best website design and quality products in the world aren't going to matter if your site's domain name is problematic. Choosing a quality domain name involves more than just selecting something that rolls of the tongue. To get a clearer understanding of how to choose a great domain name for your online store, check out the following information.

Benefits of Creating an Entirely New Domain Name

If your budget is tight, you're probably going to want to create and register an entirely new domain name for your e-commerce site. The biggest advantage of doing so is definitely financial. New domain names tend to be quite inexpensive. Another advantage of creating a new domain name for your online store is that it gives you complete control over the situation. As long as the domain that you want isn't already registered, you should be good to go.

Advantages of Buying an Existing Domain Name

It's disheartening to learn that the domain name you want is already taken. In many cases, though, it can be had for a price. Buying an existing domain isn't usually cheap. However, it's easier to hit the ground running with a domain that's been around for a while. Make sure to select a domain that relates to the products that you are marketing. Otherwise, major search engines like Google could penalize you, and your venture will ultimately fall flat.

Selecting the Right Domain Name: Top Tips

With that basic advice out of the way, it's time to move on to more specific information about choosing the right domain name for your online retail endeavor. Look below to find seven indispensable tips for choosing a spectacular domain name.

1. Include Your Brand or Company Name - To be successful in marketing in general, it's critical to develop a strong brand. As a part of those efforts, you should always include your brand or company name in the domain of your site. Down the road, you can always register more generic domains and have them point back to your site. For now, it's crucial to include your company or brand name.
2. Keep it Simple - Nobody enjoys having to type long, complicated URLs into their Internet browsers. With that in mind, you need to make sure to keep the domain name of your online store as short and simple as possible. Striking the right balance isn't always easy. You need to include your brand and company name and make other considerations. At the same time, you need to keep your e-commerce site's domain name short and simple. It may seem difficult, but it can be done.
3. Include Relevant Keywords - If you've already embarked on a search engine optimization strategy, you should already have a list of keywords that relate to your online store. It definitely pays to include at least one or two of them in the domain name of your site. This strategy can dramatically enhance the effects of your SEO strategy, and it makes sense in a general way as well. People need to know, at a glance, what they can expect to find at your store. The easiest way to convey that is by including relevant keywords in your store's domain name.
4. Steer Clear of Numbers and Hyphens - The domain name for your site should glide right off the fingers. If you include hyphens and numbers in your store's domain name, things will be a lot clumsier. It's not easy or intuitive to enter a URL that includes such characters, so avoid them at all costs. Some people think it's okay to include them if the domain they really want is already taken, but that's not true. This kind of move is sure to backfire on you in the long run.
5. Stick with Dot-Com Domains - If the domain that you want for your online store is already taken, you may be tempted to register the same domain with a .net or .org attached instead. This is invariably a bad move to make. There's no question that dot-com domains get the vast majority of search engine love. Without a dot-com at the end, the domain name for your store is going to be a liability instead of an asset. It takes more time to come up with a domain name when your ideal one is taken, but it's still better than using something other than a dot-com.
6. Make it Easy to Remember - Have you ever struggled to remember the domain name of a site that you'd like to visit? If so, the odds are high that you performed a quick online search. If people have to do that to find your store again, there's a good chance that they'll land on a different site. In other words, you could lose a lot of business. That's precisely why it's so important to choose an easy-to-remember domain name. Keeping it short and simple helps, but it should also stand out in a clear and memorable way.
7. Uniqueness is Important - You shouldn't try to ride on the coattails of a popular online store by choosing a domain name that's similar to its own domain name. If someone is looking for the other site but lands on your site, they're bound to feel duped. That's not a good first impression to make to a prospective customer. This is also a sketchy tactic to use in general and is generally considered to be a black-hat strategy. Choose a domain name that makes it clear that your site is totally unique.

The Next Step to Take

Once you've selected the perfect domain name for your site, the next thing to do is select the right array of e-commerce tools. At minimum, you're going to need a merchant account for processing payments, a shopping cart and security certificates. You can certainly select these items on a one-by-one basis, but it's easier and more affordable to choose an all-in-one solution. There are many all-in-one e-commerce services out there, so take your time when shopping for one. After your store is established, going back and choosing different e-commerce tools isn't going to be easy.

Achieving Online Retail Success

There are many things to take into consideration when setting up an online store. As competitive as things are, you have just as good odds as anyone else of making a real go of it. By laying the right groundwork, you can dramatically improve those odds. You should take the time to make the right decisions every step of the way. Keep in mind that real, lasting success takes time and dedication. With the right domain name for your store, you will get your online business off to a really good start. Choose yours wisely and reap the rewards later.