Choosing your domain is an important step in establishing your brand and building trust with your customers. A domain is the URL or website address where your customers go to find your store online. While every Shopify store comes with a myshopify.com web address by default, we highly recommend that you invest in a custom domain.
You can buy a custom domain directly in your Shopify admin, which makes it easy to manage and renew. In this video, I’m going to show you how to buy a new domain. If you want to point to a domain that you previously purchased from a third party provider like GoDaddy, head to our help docs for a step by step tutorial. There’s a link to this below. To buy a domain through Shopify, click on “Domains” under online store. Click buy a new domain. Type in the domain name that you wish to buy.
Ideally you buy a domain that’s a .com or an extension that indicates what country you do business in, like .ca or .co.uk .Com is a globally recognized extension. It can be frustrating if your ideal domain is not available. Shopify will provide you with alternatives if you’re set on a business name.
It’s recommended that when you choose your domain you also check to see if the social media handles similar to your domain are available also. If that ideal domain name isn’t available, consider adding the word shop to your domain name. This makes it easy to find a good domain that clearly shows your brand and also communicates that your website is an online store with products for purchase.
The price of a domain depends on the type of extension you buy. When you buy a domain through Shopify your domain is automatically set up for you and you keep ownership even if you leave Shopify or close your business. Domains purchased through Shopify are registered for one year by default and they can be renewed until you no longer need it or close down your Shopify store. when you choose your domain, you’ll be prompted to add in your credit card details.
Click “Continue” to review your purchase summary. By default the account owner’s email information is used to purchase and renew your domain. Review your personal details to ensure they’re correct. You will receive an email with the details of your purchase. If you want your domain to be renewed automatically keep the auto renew box checked. It can take up to 48 hours for your new domain to start working.
Now you’ve set up your domain and you’re one step closer to launching your store. In the next lesson, you’ll learn how to set up your “About” and “Contact us” pages.
