Is .shop a Good Domain Name?

When deciding on a domain extension for their retail stores or e-commerce sites, many brands are now considering the .shop top-level domain (TLD) over the traditional .com TLD.

But is .shop a good domain for your business venture?

Explore the history and benefits of a .shop domain extension below to determine if it’s the best domain name for your brand.

The birth and rise of .shop

Although the .shop domain name extension has been around for several years, it’s still fairly new in the grand scheme of Internet history. By learning more about .shop’s rise to popularity, you can better understand some of the context surrounding its value as a store domain today.

What is a .shop domain?

The .shop domain extension was launched in 2016, four years after it was first suggested when the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) opened applications for new domain extensions in 2012.

Since its inception, .shop domain name extension has become a wildly popular store domain among e-commerce sites. In fact, as of October 2023, there are now over 2.1 million registered .shop domain names, accounting for over 6% of all domain name registrations*.

Big brands embracing .shop

The adoption of .shop by large businesses was one of the major drivers of the domain’s rise to popularity, with brands like Google and Amazon both submitting requests for .shop’s creation before its release.

Now, these brands are using .shop domains to promote their e-commerce initiatives. Notably, Netflix has also registered Netflix.shop as a portal to an online store featuring merch for Netflix productions.

Advantages of choosing a .shop domain

The benefits of .shop domains extend far beyond their notoriety. Here are a few reasons to consider .shop for your brand:

Memorable and global recognition

People worldwide understand the implications of the word “shop,” making .shop domain extensions an easy way to communicate the purpose of a website to visitors and potential customers.

The simple, direct wording also makes the domain name memorable without detracting from the business’s core identity and brand name.

Clear intent and trustworthiness

When customers visit a .shop site, they expect some sort of shopping experience. By subtly meeting visitor expectations with a descriptive .shop extension, brands can implicitly build trust with their customers.

SEO benefits

Domain names and extensions are a minor factor when it comes to ranking in search engine results**. However, they are a factor worth considering. Having the .shop keyword in your domain name could potentially give your site a slight boost when potential customers search for online shops in your niche.

Practical uses of .shop domain

Any retail-related business can find multiple practical applications for .shop domains, including:

Beyond just e-commerce stores

Online shops are the clear beneficiary of .shop domain names, but any retailer can establish a strong reputation with a .shop website extension. For instance, physical storefronts can use .shop domain names as marketing assets to promote brand awareness and drive traffic from the internet to their in-person shop.

Voice search optimization

As more people use voice search tools to browse the internet and find answers to questions, voice optimization becomes a significant factor for any website. By incorporating .shop into your domain name, you can potentially capture more traffic from people who vocally ask for certain types of shops or stores.

Linking to third-party marketplaces

Businesses that sell products on third-party platforms like Esty and Amazon can carve out their own digital identities through .shop domain names. By claiming .shop extensions and having them redirect to a third-party storefront, entrepreneurs can build their branding without having to manage the infrastructure of their own sites.

Considerations before choosing .shop

.shop is just one of many options when it comes to domain extensions. Before registering your own .shop domain, be sure it’s the right choice for your brand by exploring these key considerations:

Comparing .shop with .com

While .shop has the advantage of specificity for e-commerce and retail brands, it’s a relatively new TLD. Meanwhile, the .com extension has been around for 30 years***. Due to its familiarity, many people regard .com domain names as highly trustworthy.

One solution is to consider claiming both .com and .shop domains for your brand to benefit from the established reputation of .coms while investing in the growing popularity of .shops.

However, it’s also worth noting that you may find more domain name availability if you use a .shop extension given .com’s popularity and demand over the years.

Pricing and availability

For any domain name to be an asset to your brand or online shop, it must be available. Fortunately, you can use domain search tools, like Name.com’s domain search tool, to determine whether you can purchase your desired .shop domain name.

You can also use these tools to get price estimates and compare .shop prices to other TLDs. Typically, new TLDs like .shop are more affordable than options like .com.

Name.com is your ideal choice for .shop domains

When searching for the right domain name for your brand, choose Name.com—you’ll gain access to hundreds of TLDs, including .shop. Plus, when you search for .shop domains on the Name.com platform, you’ll receive other relevant, available suggestions based on your chosen keywords.

Then, you can claim and manage your domain name right on the Name.com site and seamlessly connect it to your online shop or storefront.

For an easy and convenient way to enhance your brand with a unique domain extension, choose Name.com.

Source:

* NTLD Stats. .shop. https://ntldstats.com/tld/shop

** First Page Sage. The 2023 Google Algorithm Ranking Factors.
https://firstpagesage.com/seo-blog/the-google-algorithm-ranking-factors/

*** History. World Wide Web (WWW) launches in the public domain. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/world-wide-web-launches-in-public-domain