subject: Keyword domain names - SEO and your ecommerce website [print this page] Keyword domain names - SEO and your ecommerce website
You've got an online shop and all your products and categories are almost done. Before you launch the ecommerce website, you must come up with a domain name that's up for grabs. Once a domain has been registered it belongs to that particular business or company, so you need to make sure you get yours sorted as soon as possible. There's no point sitting on a greatdomain name ifit'sunavailableor already in use!
Choosing a domain name that will get your ecommerce website in the search engines comes down to target keyword informaton. Somewhere in your URL you need a solid keyword reference your industry. For instance, if you're in the trade of selling cars, you'll want to make this clear in the domain name you choose. Exisitng car websites such as renowned 'autotrader' and 'whatcar' effectively display their business branding as well as being a keyword based domain name.
SEO is moreeffectualwith a domain name that manages to balance the two. Say you hada domain name in mind such as 'davidsons,' unless you're an established brand that many people know of, the search engines won't do your ecommerce websitejustice. Manypeople are starting to takethese pointers onboard to make a good go of their online shop from the offset. If you're new tothe ecommerce business, youwant touse theinternetin a waythat best shows off your brand.
To find out which domain names are open to you, search for your potential domain on a 'whois' system such as hexillion.com or get in touch with whoever provides your ecommerce software. There's absolutely no reason why you should be charged for this service - only once you've registered the domain is there a minor set-up fee to pay. That said, there are some domain registration and hosting companies who will charge a pricey sum for 'giving out' an availabledomain name.Avoid these types of 3rd partygroupsif you're not satisfied with theservice(s) you receive.
Another issue to address is whether you register the .co.uk or .com domain for your ecommerce website. Many online shop ownersconsider them of equal importance so it perhaps isn'twise choosing one over the other.What ifa prospective customer was to search for your business using the .com domain when you'd only registered .co.uk? In a positionlike this, a competitor in the same trade as youcould swoop in on that unregistereddomain and bascially 'take' your direct traffic! These are the sorts of things we want to avoid.
The distinction between'direct' and'natural' search engine traffic isquite simple. 'Direct'refers to your web address being typed straight into the web server, where 'natural' is a general search carried out onthrough the search engines. Your ecommerce software provider can point you in the right direction and provide more information on choosinga domain name that not onlysounds the part but works the part. It's far easier to registera domain than previous times, so make sure you join the ecommerce racein style.
