The name that you chose for your business communicates volumes of information to your potential customers. Like an effective branding strategy, the right name sets the right expectations (the expectations that you as a business owner want to set) in the minds of people who visit and ultimately purchase products from your site.
Choosing the right domain name for your ecommerce site is just as crucial. You may think that if you already have a name for your online business, that choosing a name for your website involves nothing more than attaching a .com extension to your existing name. However, this isn’t always possible, and it isn’t necessarily the best strategy, either.
Focus On Your Products
Your first impulse is probably to purchase a domain name with the name of your company in it, as noted above. If you are just starting out, in a niche market, or in a very competitive market, it may be better to choose a name that reflects what your business sells and provides, rather than using the exact name of your business.
Choosing a name that includes the keywords that you are targeting is a great way to give your ecommerce site an instant SEO boost, because once the search engines visit your site and index it, they will rank your site based on a number of factors, including keywords.
This isn’t to say that choosing a domain name that matches the name of your business is never a good strategy. In some cases, it is a strategy that works very well. It really depends on a number of factors, including the type of products your business sells and the amount of name or brand recognition associated with your business.
Keep It Simple And Straightforward
Remember that the domain name that you choose is the one that your customers will have to remember and enter into their browsers when they want to visit your store. Choose one that is easy to spell, easy to remember, and doesn’t confuse your customers. This is one case where being creative (i.e. spelling words incorrectly, leaving out letters, etc.) can actually work against you.
Be Original
Regardless of which domain name you choose, you want to make sure to pick one that is original and is not currently being used by someone else. Remember, domain names aren’t really “owned,” they are technically “rented” by site owners for a specified period of time. Company names, product names, and slogans can be owned or trademarked, however, and people who attempt to use them without permission of the owner can be sued for copyright infringement.
For example, if you purchase Costco.net and decide to start your own bulk goods warehouse ecommerce store, you will likely run into some trouble, even though you have the legal rights to the domain name that you are renting.
The Bottom Line
Make sure that the ecommerce domain name you choose is:
1. Available: If the .com extension is not available, you may want to try a .net or .gov extension, but in many cases it is a better strategy to simply choose another name with an available .com extension.
2. Not owned by another company.
3. Is easy to spell, pronounce, and remember: If your name is easy to spell and pronounce, it goes without saying that it will be easier to remember.
4. Relates directly to your business and to the products that you sell, even if it doesn’t match the name of your business exactly.
The domain name that you choose can significantly impact the success of your business. Above all, take your time, research your options, and choose carefully.
Miva