Your domain name is a key element in ecommerce. The process is quite simple these days.
This can seem daunting and you might not be familiar with what a domain is or how to search for one.
This guide will provide all the information you need to establish a domain.
What is a domain?
Your website’s domain name is its URL. This is what visitors will enter into their browser’s address bar to visit your site.
This is the simplest explanation of what it all means. To put it in simpler terms, the internet is essentially a huge global network connected by cables.
These cables can be connected to computers that have the ability to communicate with each other.
Each computer is assigned an IP address. This is a number that identifies each computer. The following is an example of an IP address:
41.235.55.3
It is difficult to remember numbers such as these, as you can see. To make this task easier, the domain name was designed. The domain name system (DNS), which corresponds to the domain name with its IP address, does this.
What is the cost of a domain name?
Domain pricing starts at $0.99 per month. The pricing structure for a domain registration can be confusing.
Many domain providers offer a discounted price for the first year. Make sure you read the fine print to see what the monthly charges will be.
Sometimes, the domain name may be free. To make this happen, you’ll need to sign up for a webhosting plan from your domain provider. SiteGround can provide web hosting as well as managed WordPress plans. These are recommended by WooCommerce as well as WordPress.
You might be wondering what web hosting is.
Hosting is where your website files live. It is possible to buy your domain name and web hosting through two different companies. To make things easier for you, we recommend purchasing both domain names and web hosting from the same company.
Types of domains
Your top-level domain (TLD), determines the cost of your domain.
There are over 100 TLD options available, including.co.uk and.org. A.com domain is the best choice for SEO. These domains are preferred by search engines and therefore are highly recommended.
You can view the various options on GoDaddy’s website. A TLD that is specific to your business will help you stand out and be distinctive. Are you selling coffee products online? You can choose a.coffeedomain.
The best places to buy domain names
There are many domain providers. These domain providers are also known as ICANN’s, which is an internet corporation that assigns numbers and names.
Which domain registrars are the best? These are our top three recommendations.
NameCheap
NameCheap is a company that practices what they claim. They are both cheap by name and by nature. They offer several free domains, including.host,.online, and.site.
They also have great customer reviews. They have an average rating of 4.7/5 based on over 1.5 million reviews.
NameCheap offers great functionality that will help you find the perfect domain name. They have a tool called “Beast Mode”
You can enter keywords relevant to your business and set a price range. This will generate some ideas for you. NameCheap can offer alternative options if your first option is unavailable.
Benefits:
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- The starter plan allows you to host up to three domains
- Interface is simple to use
- Free domains available
SiteGround
SiteGround hosts more than 2 million domains since its inception in 2004. They offer a variety of domains starting at $11.95, as well as country-specific domains like.blog or.online.
They have recently added 30 special domains, and you can get up to 35% off the cost of new domains.
SiteGround offers unlimited subdomains to your URL. This is especially useful if you’re looking to test your website and need somewhere to host it.
Benefits:
- Support available 24/7
- Unlimited subdomains
- Interface that is intuitive
- Flexible server location
GoDaddy
Even if you don’t know much about ecommerce, it is likely that you have heard of GoDaddy. They are undoubtedly the largest domain name registrar worldwide.
Their extensive range of domain TLDs is impressive, and it’s no surprise they have more than 20 million customers. You can register your domain for as long as 10 years with their packages. The more time you sign up for the domain, the greater the discount you’ll receive.
Domain investing through GoDaddy’s Discount Domain Club is a great way to make extra income for your ecommerce store. This allows you to sell and buy domains at a profit.
Benefits:
- Options for domain extension
- Support by phone and live chat
- Buy domains in bulk
- Domain Club Discount
Google Domains
Google is another option to register domains. Google Domains is still in Beta, but you can still get more than 300 domain endings to suit your business.
Google offers a lot of useful functionality. You can save URLs you like to your favorites and share them with colleagues or friends for feedback.
Google domains come with an insight option. This allows you to see the advantages and disadvantages of your URL choice. This is based upon length, memorability, and complexity.
Google offers privacy protection free of charge. This means that third parties can provide alternative contact information to your WHOIS listing directly. You won’t be subjected to spam.
You will notice that your domain will automatically renew each year when you checkout. There are no hidden fees. Google does not offer discounts based on the number of years that you have owned the domain. NameCheap and GoDaddy offer this discount.
Benefits:
- Transparent fees
- Support available 24/7
- Privacy Protection
- URL insights
How do you find the perfect domain name?
We’ve already mentioned that the ICANN’s have their own domain generators. However, there are many other websites you can use to help you find the right domain for your company.
These key elements will help you create a memorable domain name.
- Avoid using numbers and hyphens
- Use .com for SEO benefits
- Keep it simple and short.
Every day, more domains are registered. This means that all the most popular domains have been taken. Finding one can be difficult.
Domainr has taken this onboard and now allows you to instantly search for domain names using their per-keystroke search engine. Domainr will tell you which domains are currently available, and whether that keyword is available as TLD.
After you have entered your keyword, if there is an option available, you can select the URL to display the options. The default link to GoDaddy is the “Buy Now” button.
Domain Wheel
Many domain generators are available on the market. They are fun to play with. You can input a keyword and refine the TLD’s you want to display for it.
Domain Wheel will generate a URL with a prefix and suffix that matches your keyword.
You can also find words that sound similar to your keyword, rhyme with them, or give a general suggestion for that keyword at the bottom.
How to register a domain
It is now time to buy your domain and register it for your business.
You will be asked to add additional domain extensions to your domain when you go to the checkout. The domain registrar will determine what you can add. The privacy protection offered by Google is shown in the above examples. This must be added to the existing 2.
Email is a common add-on to your domain. This allows you to create a custom email that matches the business. me@nameofbusiness.com. This not only looks professional, but also builds trust among your customers.
How to purchase a domain already owned
What happens if your products are already in place and you have a business plan? Only to discover that the domain you want is already in use? It is possible to keep the same business name, but change the TLD.
It’s worth looking into whether you can buy the original you want before you make that purchase.
Identify the purpose of the website
First, check the website to see if it is still being used. The website might have been discontinued or purchased, and it may not be up to date.
If the answer is yes, then the owner might have purchased the item and is trying to find a fair price for it.
Locate the domain owners
Next, find out who is the owner of the website.
Domainr allows you to make an offer which links to Agents, who are a domain brokerage and negotiation platform.
Alternativly, you could use GoDaddy’s WHOIS database. You will receive the following key information:
- Domain registration date
- Owner
- Contact information
- domain expiration date
It will be more difficult to locate the correct contact information if they have used privacy protection. You may have to be creative and go through Google to find out if they have LinkedIn pages and then reach out.
Set a budget
Before purchasing your domain, it is worth knowing how much you can afford. There are many factors that will affect the price you pay.
- Keywords Domains with popular keywords will be favored by Google. Ash Young made a million pounds his first year. He attributes this to strong keywords and the cost of CarMats.co.uk at PS3,500.
- Vagueness If the keywords are very vague and could be used by several companies, this will increase the price. Gardenpots.com, for example, could be quite expensive because it targets so many businesses.
- Length Domain names are more affordable if it’s shorter. It’s more expensive if it’s shorter and punchier than it is.
- Domain age The more valuable a domain is, the greater their value. Because they have a reputation that is well-known and can be found by search engines, this is because they are more likely to be trusted.
Get in touch with the owner
Contact the owner at the last stage. Domain Agents can negotiate these deals for you, as we have already mentioned.
These companies will require you to pay for a service, so it may be worth sending a polite email. You might wait to see if there’s an expiry date. They may buy it back for you if you show interest.
Ten tips to help you choose a domain name
We thought it would be helpful to share some tips with you before you start your domain name registration.
1. Shortened URL It’s worth looking for your domain to improve your online presence. This is useful for text messages, as well as for social media posts. Let’s suppose your business is Gardenesque. Is gardesq.co possible? This will increase your click-through rate for marketing output.
2. Renewals is a cost that was not included in the initial price. Your domain will automatically be renewed at the end each year at a higher price. It’s worthwhile to register a domain name for a few years ahead of time if you have enough money.
3. Length URLs have a limit of 63 characters, but you shouldn’t go beyond that. Your URL should be short and include your business name. It should also reflect your brand.
4. Web Hosting – Many domain providers offer web hosting. GoDaddy is a good option, but you can also look around. You can also find great providers like Bluehost
5. Website builder Some companies offer website builders. We recommend Shopify and WordPress if you’re looking to create an ecommerce site.
6. Dot Com There are hundreds of TLD’s out there, but none can compare to.com. It not only gives you SEO benefits but also instills trust with the customer
7. Backorders If the domain you are interested in is already taken, and you have checked WHOIS to see that it is soon expiring, then you can place it on backorder. GoDaddy allows you to place your order. If you are part of a backorder, your initial payment will be used to place the first bid in an auction.
8. Social Media It’s worth checking to see if there is a Facebook, Twitter and Instagram page for the keyword you are looking for. For consistency, it’s best to use a consistent name on all social media platforms.
9. Trademarks: Is there a trademark against your chosen name? Hugo Boss recently had to deal with a Swansea bar for using the name “Boss”. It is worth looking into patents for your company name.
10. Discussions — As we mentioned earlier, you can favourite domains via Google. Make a list of your friends and get their opinions
