Which domain to choose for an online store?
Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2024 4:27 am
What is a domain?
This is the site name , a unique set of characters that identifies the site in search engines and for users. Example: weblium.com is the domain name of our constructor's site.
Domain names are usually divided into levels.
Domain structure
Domains of the 1st, or top, level can be national or general (regional and thematic).
Regional domains also reflect the business's connection to a specific location. For example: .kyiv.ua (for Kyiv), .cv.ua (for Chernivtsi), .lviv.ua (for Lviv).
Thematic international domains were created to reflect the theme of the site. For example: .dev , .art , .shop .
Technical tips for choosing a domain:
The ideal domain is between 3 and 15 characters long. Short domains are easier to remember.
Please enter your company name or keyword + top-level domain.
Avoid hyphens, dashes, doubling of letters, as well as letters that are transliterated differently (х, ц, в, я, щ) and names similar to the names of famous brands.
Check the domain history before registering. If a site with a dubious reputation was previously hosted at this address, then its promotion will be either more difficult or impossible. You can check the domain history using the Web.archive.org or Serpstat services.
Which domain zone should I choose for my online store?
If the main audience of your online store is from Ukraine , of course, for the request “buy tires in Ukraine” you will be higher in the search results with a domain in the .ua or .com.ua zone (provided that the page itself has relevant content). However, it should be noted that for registration in the .ua domain zone, it is mandatory to have a trademark. And this is both a minus and a plus. On the one hand, registering a trademark is a rather labor-intensive process that can take from 18 to 20 months. Although you can do it in 7-8 months if you pay an additional fee. On the other hand, it is the presence of this condition that makes visitors trust sites with the .ua extension more . If your business has not yet entered the all-Ukrainian market and the target audience is residents of Kiev or Vinnytsia , for example, then a regional Ukrainian domain, such as kyiv.ua or vn.ua , would definitely be a good choice. This will give you an advantage in regional search results for requests like “buy tires vinnytsia”.
If the online store is international , then Ukrainian domains will not work. In this case, it is better to pay attention to thematic zones, for example: .shop, .store, .trade, .org, .net or the universal .com. If you are just starting to develop your online store and your budget is limited , we recommend paying attention to the promotional domain names in Hostpro.
In general, be guided by the human factor. If the domain is easy to spell and remember, it evokes pleasant associations and sounds prestigious, then it is a good domain.
What to do if the desired domain is taken?
Sometimes it happens that you are a little late and the desired domain is already taken by someone. But it is not a problem. Here is how to solve this problem:
Choose a domain in another domain zone , for example, if shop.com.ua is taken, try shop.in.ua or shop . top . This option is suitable if there is no time and desire to hunt for that desired domain.
Try to buy the domain from the owner. You can find out the domain owner's contacts in the general Whois database. This method, of course, is not very reliable, because the owner can hide information about himself, inflate the price or simply reject your offer. Sometimes a domain broker is hired for this procedure, who will negotiate the sale of the desired domain for you. But it is worth considering that no one will give a 100% guarantee that the deal will take place.
Wait until the domain is renewed. There are special platforms through which you can monitor domain statuses. Therefore, you can simply enter your email there, and when the domain is forgotten or they do not want to renew it, you will know about it and will be able to intercept it.
How much does it cost to register a domain for an online store?
In fact, the price range for domains is very wide. For example, here are some prices for the most popular domains for online stores from a registrar with an average pricing policy, HostPro:
Domain price for online store
Ukrainian domain zones: .ua – $63.80/year .com.ua – $13.07/year .net.ua – $12.10/year .biz.ua – $8.43/year
International domain zones: .com – $18.50/year .top – $15.00/year .net – $18.85/year .shop – $2.00/year (promotional price)
Is it possible to get a domain for free?
Yes, some hosting providers, such as HostPro, when kazakhstan phone number material ordering hosting for a year or more, give the opportunity of free registration in the .com.ua zone for 1 year. Another advantage of this scheme is that it is actually much more convenient to renew both hosting and domain in one place + you won’t have to waste time on connecting the domain to the hosting.
Another example is the website builder Weblium . Here you can get a domain for free for the first year of use after purchasing an annual subscription to the service.
How to protect your domain from theft?
Register a domain with real data. If a dispute arises, you will be able to confirm ownership of the domain in court or in the arbitration of the World Intellectual Property Organization.
Connect ID protection. When you register a domain, your contact information is entered into the Whois database. We have already said that the information that is indicated there is available to absolutely all Internet users, including online scammers. However, there is a special service called “Domain ID Protection”. With it, your data in Whois is replaced by the registrar’s data. The service is usually paid, and you can find out about the possibility of connecting it from your registrar.
Set up two-factor authentication. This can usually be done through your domain registrar or hosting provider's personal account. Once activated, you'll need to enter another security code in addition to your login and password when logging into your account. This can protect you from unauthorized access and loss of control over your domain.
Finally
When choosing a domain name, consider your target audience. If your business is distributed only in one region, choose a regional Ukrainian domain, for example, .kyiv.ua . If you are targeting the whole of Ukraine, the ideal choice would be domains in the .com.ua , .biz.ua zones or thematic international .shop , .top , .net .
Are you aiming for an international market? Then a .com domain would be ideal (if you're lucky and it's available).
Also remember to keep it concise, easy to remember and spell, and associated with your brand.
For readers of the Weblium blog, the hosting provider HostPro gives a promo code for a 20% discount when registering a domain in any Ukrainian zone. To take advantage of the offer, enter the promo code WEBLIUM20 when ordering a Ukrainian domain until 12/31/2025. The price on the invoice will change automatically. We wish you inspiration in registering your dream domain and a profitable online store!
This is the site name , a unique set of characters that identifies the site in search engines and for users. Example: weblium.com is the domain name of our constructor's site.
Domain names are usually divided into levels.
Domain structure
Domains of the 1st, or top, level can be national or general (regional and thematic).
Regional domains also reflect the business's connection to a specific location. For example: .kyiv.ua (for Kyiv), .cv.ua (for Chernivtsi), .lviv.ua (for Lviv).
Thematic international domains were created to reflect the theme of the site. For example: .dev , .art , .shop .
Technical tips for choosing a domain:
The ideal domain is between 3 and 15 characters long. Short domains are easier to remember.
Please enter your company name or keyword + top-level domain.
Avoid hyphens, dashes, doubling of letters, as well as letters that are transliterated differently (х, ц, в, я, щ) and names similar to the names of famous brands.
Check the domain history before registering. If a site with a dubious reputation was previously hosted at this address, then its promotion will be either more difficult or impossible. You can check the domain history using the Web.archive.org or Serpstat services.
Which domain zone should I choose for my online store?
If the main audience of your online store is from Ukraine , of course, for the request “buy tires in Ukraine” you will be higher in the search results with a domain in the .ua or .com.ua zone (provided that the page itself has relevant content). However, it should be noted that for registration in the .ua domain zone, it is mandatory to have a trademark. And this is both a minus and a plus. On the one hand, registering a trademark is a rather labor-intensive process that can take from 18 to 20 months. Although you can do it in 7-8 months if you pay an additional fee. On the other hand, it is the presence of this condition that makes visitors trust sites with the .ua extension more . If your business has not yet entered the all-Ukrainian market and the target audience is residents of Kiev or Vinnytsia , for example, then a regional Ukrainian domain, such as kyiv.ua or vn.ua , would definitely be a good choice. This will give you an advantage in regional search results for requests like “buy tires vinnytsia”.
If the online store is international , then Ukrainian domains will not work. In this case, it is better to pay attention to thematic zones, for example: .shop, .store, .trade, .org, .net or the universal .com. If you are just starting to develop your online store and your budget is limited , we recommend paying attention to the promotional domain names in Hostpro.
In general, be guided by the human factor. If the domain is easy to spell and remember, it evokes pleasant associations and sounds prestigious, then it is a good domain.
What to do if the desired domain is taken?
Sometimes it happens that you are a little late and the desired domain is already taken by someone. But it is not a problem. Here is how to solve this problem:
Choose a domain in another domain zone , for example, if shop.com.ua is taken, try shop.in.ua or shop . top . This option is suitable if there is no time and desire to hunt for that desired domain.
Try to buy the domain from the owner. You can find out the domain owner's contacts in the general Whois database. This method, of course, is not very reliable, because the owner can hide information about himself, inflate the price or simply reject your offer. Sometimes a domain broker is hired for this procedure, who will negotiate the sale of the desired domain for you. But it is worth considering that no one will give a 100% guarantee that the deal will take place.
Wait until the domain is renewed. There are special platforms through which you can monitor domain statuses. Therefore, you can simply enter your email there, and when the domain is forgotten or they do not want to renew it, you will know about it and will be able to intercept it.
How much does it cost to register a domain for an online store?
In fact, the price range for domains is very wide. For example, here are some prices for the most popular domains for online stores from a registrar with an average pricing policy, HostPro:
Domain price for online store
Ukrainian domain zones: .ua – $63.80/year .com.ua – $13.07/year .net.ua – $12.10/year .biz.ua – $8.43/year
International domain zones: .com – $18.50/year .top – $15.00/year .net – $18.85/year .shop – $2.00/year (promotional price)
Is it possible to get a domain for free?
Yes, some hosting providers, such as HostPro, when kazakhstan phone number material ordering hosting for a year or more, give the opportunity of free registration in the .com.ua zone for 1 year. Another advantage of this scheme is that it is actually much more convenient to renew both hosting and domain in one place + you won’t have to waste time on connecting the domain to the hosting.
Another example is the website builder Weblium . Here you can get a domain for free for the first year of use after purchasing an annual subscription to the service.
How to protect your domain from theft?
Register a domain with real data. If a dispute arises, you will be able to confirm ownership of the domain in court or in the arbitration of the World Intellectual Property Organization.
Connect ID protection. When you register a domain, your contact information is entered into the Whois database. We have already said that the information that is indicated there is available to absolutely all Internet users, including online scammers. However, there is a special service called “Domain ID Protection”. With it, your data in Whois is replaced by the registrar’s data. The service is usually paid, and you can find out about the possibility of connecting it from your registrar.
Set up two-factor authentication. This can usually be done through your domain registrar or hosting provider's personal account. Once activated, you'll need to enter another security code in addition to your login and password when logging into your account. This can protect you from unauthorized access and loss of control over your domain.
Finally
When choosing a domain name, consider your target audience. If your business is distributed only in one region, choose a regional Ukrainian domain, for example, .kyiv.ua . If you are targeting the whole of Ukraine, the ideal choice would be domains in the .com.ua , .biz.ua zones or thematic international .shop , .top , .net .
Are you aiming for an international market? Then a .com domain would be ideal (if you're lucky and it's available).
Also remember to keep it concise, easy to remember and spell, and associated with your brand.
For readers of the Weblium blog, the hosting provider HostPro gives a promo code for a 20% discount when registering a domain in any Ukrainian zone. To take advantage of the offer, enter the promo code WEBLIUM20 when ordering a Ukrainian domain until 12/31/2025. The price on the invoice will change automatically. We wish you inspiration in registering your dream domain and a profitable online store!