Choosing a store name and domain name
In this guide, we look at how to choose a good name and domain name for your store.
About store names
If you have followed through the Success Training, then you will already have a niche. We will use this to come up with a great name for our store.
Your name doesn't have to include the perfect keywords for your niche. It is more important to have a professional and catchy name.
For example, a store in the "Baby Products" niche could be called "Lullaby Lane" with a domain name like lullabylane.store
In contrast, choosing a name like "Baby Nappies Store" with a domain name "baby-nappies-store.com" includes some relevant keywords but will not look professional. There is also no SEO benefit to having keywords in your domain or store name.
Finding store names
Using AI is a great way to find some store name suggestions and get the creative juices flowing.
You can use ChatGPT with a simple prompt like:
Write five eCommerce store names for a store selling Sports Nutrition products.
In this case, I got back:
- Fuel Up Sports Nutrition
- Athletic Peak Hub
- Endurance Central
- Muscle Pro Depot
- Vitality Boost Base
I liked the name "Fuel Up", so I will earmark that. If you don't like the names or it isn't quite right, you can keep prompting ChatGPT for more ideas:
Make more suggestions like "Fuel Up Sports Nutrition"
You can ask for a different style (e.g. "more professional"), for a target audience (e.g. "aimed at young adults"), or anything you can imagine (e.g. "make more outlandish ideas").
Play around and see what you get!
When you have one or more ideas, we will move on to choosing a domain name around that idea.
Using Vanity Domain Names
In FreshStore, you have free access to our vanity domain names. You can create your store on a subdomain such as cofffeemachineworld.secureonline.store
The advantage is that it will save you time and money in the early stages. You can test quickly; if you don't like this niche, you haven't wasted any money on a domain name.
In the future, you can quickly move your store to your own custom domain with a few clicks.
However, keep in mind if you move to a full domain in the future, you will need to update links and references to the old vanity domain.
Finding a domain name
Now that you have a good idea of your store name, you can start to look for a domain name that matches it.
There are many places to find and purchase domains; we will use Namecheap as an example.
When you search for a domain name on Namecheap, you will get suggestions and different TLDs to choose from.
TLD stands for Top Level Domain and is the end part of your domain name. Examples include ".com", ".co.uk", and ".store".
It is a good idea to explore the different TLDs as they can be creative and relevant to affiliate stores. Some good examples include:
- WeLoveSharks.club
- KiteThe.World
- BackTo.Fitness
Using the previous example of a sports nutrition store, I found the domain name "fuelup.health" available on Namecheap, which would fit perfectly.
Take a look at the domain names available, and if you can't find anything that fits, go back to find some different store names.
A good domain name is clear, short and brandable. Brandable means the name is unique, rememberable and will look good in a logo.
Should I choose a domain with keywords?
In the past, domain names were considered important and could give an advantage in Google rankings for organic search traffic.
Today, it is different. Over the years, domainers have bought up all keyword-rich domains and left them unused. Google no longer gives any advantage to your store for keywords in the domain name and hasn't done so for many years.
The best strategy for picking a domain name is to choose one that matches your niche and is brandable.
Examples of bad domain names
A poorly chosen domain can look awkward at best or unsafe at worst. Avoid using long domain names, hyphens, misspellings and keyword-stuffed domains.
Some TLDs (Top Level Domains) can hold a bad reputation, such as .biz or .info, due to abuse over the years.
Avoid using trademarks in your domains, as they can be taken away from you quickly.
Some bad examples include:
- best-cheapest-drink-fridges.com
- orgaanicmakeup.com
- amazonsuperstore.com
The next guide will look at creating your store using your chosen name and domain name.