In the current year, with a quarter of the world’s population shopping online, there is no better time to start an e-commerce store.
One of the first – and most important – steps in building an eCommerce business is choosing a domain name, well before building the website and promoting it online.
The domain name is the email address through which a visitor can enter your website. Simply put, it is the link that is registered in your browser bar in the frequent format www.domain-name.gr.
Although the process of registering is quite simple, what matters most is finding a suitable name for your business. This is very important, as it will be used as the basis for building your brand and will essentially be your identity online.
For this reason, you need to ensure that it is chosen in such a way that it fits your company’s areas of business, but also that it is also easily accessible in searches so that you can promote it.
Find the ideal domain name
The domain name you choose needs to be memorable, but also easy for someone to type. Use keywords that describe the business and the services it offers.
It is advisable to avoid hyphens and numbers, as they often cause misunderstandings and access difficulties.
Choosing the right suffix after the domain name (.com or .gr etc.) is also important, as it indicates a specific use.
Other extensions in addition to the above, which are widely used are:
- .com (referring to company, commerce and community)
- .info (refers to information websites)
- .net (refers to infrastructure websites)
- .org (refers to non-commercial, non-profit organizations)
- .me (refers to personal sites and blogs)
Visit a Domain Name Registrar
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a non-profit organization, is responsible for administering the domain name system. ICANN licenses independent companies called Domain Registrars to sell domain names to the public.
Although each registrar has its own way of operating, the registration process is roughly the same for all of them. After you search for your desired name, the registrar will inform you of the available extensions. You will then be able to select the extension you think is right for you and proceed to complete your purchase.
Please note that you can purchase a domain name, provided that it is free, i.e. not reserved by someone else. However, once you register it and become its owner, you should know that you will not own it forever. In fact, you will rent it for as many years as you wish, but even if it expires, you will have a period to reinstate it without someone else being able to vest it.
Buy your Domain Name
The last step of the registration is the payment of the domain name, which will be done either by card, PayPal or bank deposit. After purchasing the name, you will need to change the name servers, which are the two numbers that indicate which server your domain name is hosted on. These are given by the company from which you buy the hosting package.
In order to avoid any delays in the creation or promotion of your online store, we advise you to be ready to pay for the domain name and the hosting from the beginning of the process.
Once you have done all the above, you will be ready to start building your website!