We recommend GoDaddy or Hostinger for researching and registering your chosen domain name. Get a free domain name when you sign up with Hostinger.
A domain stays with you and represents your online identity. Getting your domain name right the first time pays off, as you won’t be changing it in the future unless you want to do a complete rebrand.
This guide is for ecommerce newcomers. You’ll learn the most useful ways to develop a strong domain name, best practices to stick to, and pitfalls to avoid.
7 Best Domain Registrars to Choose an Ecommerce Domain Name From
Collectively, we’ve bought hundreds of domain names over the years. To help you choose a domain name, we’ve used our experience and extensive research to curate the best domain registrars. To keep an eye:
GoDaddy – Best for domain security and privacy Hostinger – Best for domain registration and web hosting Porkban – Best for creative domain extensions Domain.com – Best network solution for fast and simple domain purchases – Best for long term domain registration Namecheap – Best Affordable Domain Registration for Namesilo — Best for Buying Domains in Bulk Choose an Ecommerce Domain Name in 10 Simple Steps
Choosing a domain name seems like a simple task on the surface, but you need to carefully consider choosing a name that reflects your brand and appeals to customers. Here are our top tips, along with dos and don’ts, for choosing a domain name for your online store:
1. Sign up for Hostinger
2. Align Your Domain Name With Your Branding
3. Think about the meaning behind your domain name
4. Consider Using SEO Keywords
5. Come Up With Unique Domain Name Ideas
6. If You’re Stuck, Use a Domain Name Generator
7. Opt for a short and simple domain name
8. Search for Trademark
9. Research your domain name from across the web
10. Come up with an alternate domain name if yours is taken
Step 1: Sign up for Hostinger
If you’re ready to get a domain name for your ecommerce store, we recommend that you sign up for Hostinger. Its the best deal – when you sign up for hosting for only $2.59 per month you get a free domain name for one year.
Another cool thing about Hostinger is that you get a free SSL certificate for your domain. SSL makes your domain “https” instead of “http”, which is essential to rank well on Google and keep your site secure.
You also get free privacy protection when you register a domain with Hostinger. This prevents Internet users from looking up the details associated with your domain using the WHOIS database.
When you have a domain name in mind, visit Hostinger’s Domain Name Search to see if it’s available.
Get your domain for free when you sign up for hosting with Hostinger.
If the domain name is taken, Hostinger will show you other available options, such as .co or .store.
Step 2: Align your domain name with your branding
Your domain name is synonymous with your brand. This will be at least part of your domain name, if not the whole. This way, how people will recognize and remember your online store.
If you don’t already have a name for your ecommerce business, choose a name that reflects your brand’s values, the atmosphere you want to generate, or how you want to appear online. That’s what good branding is all about.
To give you an example, “4ocean.com” is an ethical brand where customers purchase funds ocean cleanup initiatives.
Your domain name should make it clear what your ecommerce business is about.
The domain/store name makes complete sense, reflects what the company does and what they stand for.
Another way to hint at your branding with your domain or company name is to choose an adjective that reflects what you are. Happysocks.com is a great example—they sell quirky socks that make people happy.
Step 3: Think about the meaning behind your domain name
Your domain name should have meaning. Tell a story with it and use it to represent what you stand for.
Plus, when you have a meaning behind your domain/online store name, you humanize your brand. Modern consumers care about this because they want to shop with smaller brands that are more authentic than large corporations.
There’s a deep and interesting reason for the name Peloton at onepeloton.com.
The term “peloton” is a cycling term, which makes sense for a brand that sells exercise bikes. But there’s more to it—the peloton is a group of riders who work together throughout a race to reduce drag, save energy, and increase their chances of winning.
Thus, the name evokes thoughts of using teamwork to succeed in a sport that is generally considered to be quite solitary.
Pay close attention to the meaning behind your domain name. Step 4: Consider Using SEO Keywords
You can use keywords that describe what you sell in your domain name. This gives Google and users a hint about the type of store you operate. Hence, it helps your web pages to rank higher on the search engine result pages.
Use only one keyword with your brand name. Otherwise, your domain name will look spammy and not belong to a trusted company, eg, “shoesandsneakers.com”.
You can use your niche as a keyword. For example, “herocosmetics.us” works well for this skincare brand.
Add a keyword to your brand name to generate a strong domain name.
Another option is to use the primary type of product you sell, as in “chubbiesshorts.com”.
Step 5: Come up with unique domain name ideas
Your domain name should differentiate your brand from others in your niche. Unique domain names are memorable, and that’s the goal. After all, you want customers to remember and visit your online store.
One way to come up with a unique domain name is to choose a portmanteau or made-up word. Adidas, for example, is not a real word; It is a portmanteau of the founder’s name, Adolf Dassler.
Or go for a play on words. A great example of this is Lettucegrow.com, an online store that sells seeds and supplies for growing your own vegetables:
Show off your playful side by using a play on words as your domain/store name.
Another way to generate a unique domain name is to use an abbreviation. ASOS, on asos.com, is actually short for “As Seen On Screen”. But most people do not know this; They just think of ASOS as a separate word.
Step 6: If You’re Stuck Use a Domain Name Generator
If you’re struggling to come up with a creative domain name idea, there are many domain name generators on the web. Most ask you to create a domain name and enter one or two keywords to check its availability. But it’s not particularly useful for coming up with a unique domain name idea.
Instead, go to Namestation. Enter the type of business you are starting and create an account. Type in a list of favorite words and/or keywords, then hit Generate Name. The tool generates thousands of domain name ideas and separates them into handy lists.
First, there are domain names that are the closest match to the words you entered. Then there’s a list that takes context into account. It associates your favorite words with keywords related to your business.
The handpicked section generates the most unique, domain names available.
Use Namestation to generate relevant domain name ideas for inspiration.
There are also lists with broad keyword matches, popular suffixes, alliteration, one-word domains, and more.
Step 7: Opt for a short and simple domain name
Short, simple domain names are easier for customers to maintain. Make your domain name too complex, and it will be difficult for people to find you online.
Make sure that your domain name does not exceed 15 characters. Also, it should be easy to speak and loud. You don’t want people to get frustrated and give up trying to find your store.
It’s also a good idea to avoid hyphens and numbers, as they complicate the domain name. Note that no other special characters are allowed in the domain name.
Step 8: Search the Trademark
When you have a domain or online store name in mind, you’ll need to do research to make sure other companies aren’t using it.
Naturally, you don’t want to get fined for copyright infringement. But more than that you need to build your own brand.
Check whether the name is trademarked. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website has a trademark search tool.
Visit the USPTO website to see if your store name is already trademarked.
If a company is selling a similar type of product to the one you’re selling under the same or similar name, go back to the drawing board. Your name is probably fine if there is a trademark for the same name, but they sell something different, for example, you are “Unicorn Stationery” and they are “Unicorn Coffee”.
Step 9: Research Your Domain Name Across the Web
Find brands on Google that have a similar name to yours. Even if it is not a trademark, the online store may still exist. Your online store should stand out from the crowd.
If the domain or store name is actually taken, it doesn’t bode well for your business. Imagine creating a lot of promotion for your product and store, so that the customer may go ahead and buy from a competitor with a similar name.
If you’re sure you have a unique domain/brand name, check domain availability with Hostinger’s domain name search tool.
At this point it is also a good idea to see if your brand name is available on social media channels. If not, you can always add a word or phrase like “store” or “official” to your username.
Remember, it should be consistent across channels, ie, if you have @unicornstore on Instagram, ideally you should have @unicornstore on TikTok, etc. This ensures that users can easily find you across all channels.
Step 10: Come Up with an Alternative Domain Name If Yours Is Taken
If your chosen domain name is not available, we recommend that you develop a new name. You have to differentiate yourself from other companies.
However, if you are dead set on your chosen brand name, there are a few things you can do. First, combine your brand name with an SEO keyword like “brand” + “keyword” + “.com,” for example, in this made-up web address, “terraformplants.com.”
Alternatively, add a phrase or word before your brand name, such as “wear,” “this is,” “I love,” “official,” and so on. For example, take the domain name “wearlively.com” for the brand Lively.
Another option is to choose a different top-level domain (TLD), ie .store, .net, .co, etc. However, this isn’t ideal, as .com is the most reliable TLD you can get.
Final Thoughts on Choosing a Domain Name
Your domain name represents who you are on the web. It should reflect your branding and differentiate your ecommerce store from others. The best domain names are simple, unique, and memorable.
You can choose a domain name that is meaningful to your brand and reflects your values. Or perhaps you’ll add an SEO keyword to make what you sell more clear and contribute to higher rankings on search engines. To avoid copyright issues, be sure to check that your domain is available and that your online presence is clearly defined.