Reaching your target market and ranking higher than competitors online is marketing 101 for businesses, but both can be achieved in just a few clicks thanks to domains.
What are Domain Extensions?
So, you know you need a domain, but what are extensions? Let’s look at domain names first. To put it simply, a domain name is your website’s address translated from a long string of numbers and letters called the IP address. The Domain Name Server (DNS) can identify the domain name that is attached to the IP address, so you can just type the domain name into your search engine. Then voila, you’re at the website.
The extension is what comes after the dot. The most common domain extensions include .COM worldwide, and .IE in Ireland. There are a few types of extensions such as general Top Level Domains (gTLDs) and country-code TLDs (ccTLDs). GTLDs are the most basic of the domains and can be used on almost every type of website – Examples of these are .COM, .ORG, and .NET. CcTLDs are another type and have some rules attached due to the location of the businesses that want to use a ccTLD – They include .IE, .CO.UK, and .IT.
If you want the more technical and detailed explanation, have a read of this.
Which One is Best for You?
The general rule is that a domain should be short, relevant to the business, easy to remember, and easy to understand. Your domain name could simply the business’s name and the extension could be something as simple as .COM. As we said, that’s the simple solution. Nowadays, due to the amount of websites on Google, we encourage businesses to come up with something more unique so they can stand out. Here’s some domain extensions to try:
- .FASHION – An obvious choice
- .STYLE – Also looks great on a fashion blog
- .SHOP – Tells your customers exactly what your business is, and looks great on search engines
- .CLOTHING – For the luxury clothes retailers
- .DESIGN – This is a great domain if you design and sell your fashion by yourself. Just imagine yourname.design!
- .IRISH – Hear us out, especially if you’re an Irish retailer or want to sell to Irish customers. Nothing says our pieces are 100% Irish than this domain. Also, it’s not a ccTLD so there’s no restrictions.
- .SHOES – Another great SEO domain, and nice and short too
- .STORE – A more American approach to .SHOP
How Do I Get a Domain?
First, you need to choose a domain registrar, like us. We’re Ireland’s leading domain registrar with 24/7 trusted customer support. Getting a domain on blacknight.com is an automated service so it’s super easy to do. Just go here, type your ideal domain, choose how long you want it for (you can renew it when that time runs out), then add it to your cart. If your domain is taken, we’ll suggest other domain extensions or name variations to help you find an alternative. You can also read our blog for other tips.
Instead of doing all that, just scroll to the bottom of that page and type your ideal domain into the search box. You can skip all of this if you’re already a Blacknight customer – Just log into your account and go to Domains to get started.
With a domain, you can then set up a website and create professional emails for your employees (such as marketing@yourbusiness.fashion and contact@yourbusiness.fashion). These are the first steps in creating an e-commerce shop and building an online presence for your current fashion business.