Your own domain: what it does and whether you need one
You have a store, or you are about to. Somewhere you read that a serious business has its own domain, and now you are wondering whether to buy one before you have sold anything.
Probably not yet. Here is what a domain does, what it does not, and when it is worth it.
What a domain is
The address people type or tap to reach you. A store can sit on an address it is given, such as yourshop.berkedai.com, or on one you own, such as yourshop.com.
You do not buy a domain once. You pay for the name by the year from a domain registrar, and it stays yours for as long as you renew it.
What it changes
- The address is only your name. It is shorter to say out loud and easier to print on a label or a card.
- It looks settled. To a buyer who does not know you, your own address looks more established.
- It is yours to keep. The name belongs to you, and you decide what it points to.
- It can carry email. An address at your own name is possible once you own the domain. That is set up with an email provider, separately from the store.
What it does not change
It will not bring visitors. People reach a new store from a link you posted or sent, not by guessing its address.
It will not make the store work better. The products, the checkout and the payment are the same at either address.
It will not fix a store nobody is buying from. If the photos, the price or the product are the problem, a new address leaves them as they are.
When it does not matter yet
Before your first orders. Buyers reach you by tapping a link. They are not typing the address.
The address your store opens on works from the first day and it is not temporary. A store can run on it for as long as you like.
A new store needs buyers before it needs a new name.
When it starts to matter
- You print the address. Packaging, a thank you card, a banner at a bazaar. Printed things last, so the address on them should be the one you intend to keep.
- People say your name to each other. A buyer telling a friend where they got it needs something short to say.
- You are sure of the name. A domain is a commitment to it. If you are still deciding what to call the business, wait.
If you buy one
- Keep it short and easy to spell. If you have to spell it out every time you say it, pick another.
- Buy it in your own name. Not a friend's account, not a designer's. Whoever holds the account holds the name.
- Turn on automatic renewal. A domain that lapses can be taken by someone else.
How it works on Berkedai
A new store opens on a berkedai.com address, with your name and your branding. You can change the name in that address, once a month.
A domain you own can be pointed at the store once the storefront is verified. We show you the DNS records to add where you bought the domain, and the store opens at your domain when they are in place. Your products, orders and settings stay exactly where they were.
So the order that works is simple. Open the store, sell, and add the domain when you are ready to print it on something.
Start your store at berkedai.com