Got .Store? How 2 Easy Upgrades To Your Web Domain Will Make Your Brand Pop

How Do I Say That?

Are you a business owner whose company name is hard to pronounce (I've been there), a brand whose name is complicated or similar to another brand, or an entrepreneur who coincidentally also shares a famous name? Taking this to the next level - can you imagine the potential issues with finding these brands online? Or even the actuality of your chosen domain name being available?

In any case, this is just part of doing business today. The landscape is changing, as are your options for your domain name and your domain extension (or TLD). Luckily, there are companies like Radix, the world's leading new domain registry specializing in dynamic domain extensions. In this blog, Hollywood Branded shares the strategic benefits of launching or moving over to a premium domain extension and how it can increase sales and visibility. 

What's In A Name?

There are few things as thrilling as starting your own business. All of the details, bits, and pieces come together to realize your vision, start to take shape, and create your brand identity. One of the most important tasks in this mission is selecting a name. Then, after you have narrowed down your top choices from probably multiple lists, one shines through and speaks to you. Once you have completed the process of forming your business and jumped through all of the legal hoops, you are ready to share your business with the world. Hopefully, the name you select is available as your domain name as well. This is your calling card to the world wide web and beyond.

For years, the most accessible and common top-level domain extension has been ".com." We've seen it, we know it, we get it. There are over 157 million ".com" domain name registrations. But what if there is a better fit for your brand?  

Domain, PDN, TLD, URL, ...WTH?

Okay - hold the iPhone, I'm getting ahead of myself. If you're just starting out, you may be wondering, "what exactly is a domain, and why is it important?" Brace yourselves because there is a lot of tech jargon coming your way, but by the end of it you'll be an expert!

A domain name is the actual name of your website and probably the most vital piece of this puzzle. Choosing the right domain name for your company is an essential part of starting your business and attracting your customers, regardless of your business type. Your domain name is as significant as your logo, and keep in mind, every domain is unique to a specific site.

Photo Credit: discgolfscene.com

To quote a very wise gentleman (The Highlander)..."there can be only one" domain with that name! This is where Premium Domain Names (PND) come into play...stay tuned for more on this later in the blog.

Next, let's talk about Top Level Domains (TLD). These are located to the right of your domain name; they are also called domain extensions. Yep, you've seen them and probably didn't pay much attention. TLDs help identify distinct fundamentals of the site, for instance, the country where the business is located, who owns the site, or its function or intent. For example:

• ".com" (Commercial businesses)
• ".org" (Organizations)
• ".gov" (US government agencies)
• ".edu" (Educational facilities, like universities)
• ".ca" (Canada).

In fact, these would be considered generic TLDs!

To confuse things even more, there are also sponsored Top Level Domains such as .museum, .travel, .sch, among others.

Your Universal Resource Locator (URL) ties it all together, it is the complete address that will be used to find your website.

Domain name + TLD = URL. 

All of these items play a vital part in assuring that your business will attract attention, appear tech-savvy and be more distinguishable online.

Photo Credit: Emily Krause | designpowers.com

Why ".Store"? .Store Is The New .Com For E-Commerce!

If you are a brand that is e-commerce focused, ".Store" may be a perfect fit for you! After all, you are in the business of selling, so why not tell the world that at first glance? Of course, there are many other benefits to switching over to a ".Store." It is the perfect call to action. Research shows using a branded custom domain can increase sales by 400%, drive up to 35% more traffic to your site, and increase page views by 20%. 

In fact, 70% of all names registered at Etsy are ".Store" domains and at Shopify, ".Store" is the 2nd most registered TLD at Shopify after ".com!"

Compelling, right? Here are a few of the Who's Who on ".Store":

Brands

• Emirates Airlines
• Urban Dictionary
• Faber Castell
• Discord

Celebrities

• Rihanna
• Michelle Obama
• Jay-Z
• Troye Sivan
• Mariah Carey
• Lorde
• Shakira
• Cristiano Ronaldo 

Social Media Stars

• Zach King
• PewDiePie
• Dude Perfect
• Danny Gonzalez
• Jack Douglass

And so many more!

Do We Have Your Attention? 

• Any single letter/number domain names, such as:
  • A.store
  • K.store,
  • 1.store, etc.
• Any combination of 2/3 letter/number domain names:
  • Go.store
  • XY.store
  • 55.store
• FirstName / LastName domain names:
  • Mariah.store
  • Jimmy.store
• Keyword domain names:
  • awesome.store
  • wonder.store
• Category Killer names:
  • shoes.store
  • beauty.store

Having a short, modern contextual name will break it away from the internet clutter, plus it is memorable & meaningful, globally understood, and drives more traffic and sales. Such domain names, owing to their premium value, are usually available at a very high price or made available only in domain auctions, often going upwards of $1M.

Photo Credit: Rihanna.store

How do you transition to a .Store?

You may be thinking this sounds great, but I am not exactly tech savvy...we got you, and by the way...your earthlink email address gave you away! It is super simple and can happen in 5 easy steps. But even better, we can handle it all for you. Simply contact Hollywood Branded and you will be fast on your way...

Eager To Learn More?

Are you looking for more sales? Would you like more views on your site? Here are some additional blogs from our team-

• The Importance Of Integrated Sales And Marketing Strategy
• Improve Your Digital Marketing Strategies
  
• Being Efficient and Finding Success in eCommerce Marketing with Mike Begg
   
• Top 15 Highest-Paid Instagram Influencers

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