There are over a billion websites floating about in cyberspace. That is probably the reason why you haven’t been able to find a strong domain name for your retail or eCommerce business. 

However, you shouldn’t have to change your brand name or settle for a clunky domain name that wasn’t your first choice. Having said that, finding a name for your eCommerce business can be a gruesome task. Especially since most desirable names on traditional domain extensions such as .com and .biz are already taken. 

Domain availability (or unavailability) is a major problem for eCommerce businesses looking to establish a striking online presence. This is especially true for eCommerce startups and newbie online businesses. 

What Do I Do If My Domain Name Is Taken? 

What do you do if the domain name of your choice is taken? Don’t fret, here’s what you can do to overcome domain availability issues if the name of your choice is taken: 

1. Consider New Domain Extensions

As a shiny new eCommerce business that wants to emerge as a successful eCommerce brand, you don’t need to restrict your domain name choices by picking names only on traditional domains like .com or .biz or .net. 
Consider exploring new domain extensions and searching for desirable names on them if the name of your choice is taken on a .com or a net. 

Happily, though, new domain extensions have enabled startups and new businesses to find the domain name of their choice on a relevant extension. New domain extensions such as .store make for a relevant and memorable choice. Furthermore, the chances of finding the name of your choice are also high. 

For instance, if your fashion eCommerce brand is called ‘Zizzle’, then you should consider picking www.zizzle.store instead of www.zizzlestore.com or www.zizzlefashionstore.com. 

2. Tweak Your Domain Name

What if the name of your choice is unavailable on traditional domains as well as new domain extensions? What do you do then? The answer is simple, you make a creative adjustment and tweak your domain name. 

For instance, if the domain name www.sole.com is unavailable, consider tweaking the name, possibly making it sound even better. Why not opt for www.thesole.store? You could brand it as ‘The Sole Store’. 

A smart variation or a minor tweak can go a long way to make your brand come across as memorable. 

We advise experimenting with your name choices until you find a name that suits your business needs and one that has a nice ring to it and is acceptable to you. 

You never know, your revised choice may turn out to be better than your initial choice! 

3. Acquire The Domain Name Of Your Choice

Just because the name of your choice is taken, doesn’t mean you can’t buy it and use it for your eCommerce brand. 

There are many individuals and syndicates who buy catchy domain names only to resell it at higher prices to others. 

If the domain name of your choice is taken, but not in use, there’s a good chance that the owner is looking to sell it. 

A simple WHOIS search will give you all the details about the current owner of the domain name and you can contact the owner to acquire the domain name from them. 

If the domain name is in use by a business or an individual, then the chances of them selling it to you are bleak. 

4. Take What’s Legally Yours

The trademark law states that the first party to trademark their name is the rightful owner of that particular name. 
This means if you have trademarked your brand name and the subsequent domain name is taken by another party, you can challenge it in the court of law. 

This way, you can take what’s legally yours. You can also approach ICANN, the international nonprofit organization globally in charge of all domain name registrations, to take action and settle the dispute. 

In fact, ICANN has a dedicated dispute settling process in place to deal with name issues called the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP). With the law on your side, you can get your desired domain name. 

Why Use New Domain Extensions? 

With the advent of hundreds of new domain extensions, finding a meaningful name on a relevant domain such as .store is the way to go. 

Here’s why you should consider picking a name on a new domain extension like .store: 

1. Relevance

The word ‘store’ has always been associated as a place where people can buy things. This makes new domain extensions like .store a relevant and logical choice for businesses that are selling online. 

When potential customers see a .store domain name, they instantly know that your business’ industry is retail or ecommerce. 

For instance, the .store domain extension clearly communicates what people can expect when they land on www.juliesoutlet.store. 

2. Memorable

Since new domain extensions serve to offer a concrete definition of the nature of your business, you can get creative with your name choices and pick a memorable moniker. 

Also, your eCommerce website isn't simply competing with other players of the same niche; it’s wrestling with millions of other businesses and brands across millions of domain names. 

This is probably the reason why The Stately Shirt Co. went from www.thestatelyshirtco.com to www.stately.store. The latter is memorable and brandable. 

3. Search Friendly

The definitive and contextually rich nature of new domain extensions coupled with your ability to find a short, creative, and clutter-free name makes for a meaningful choice that will do wonders for your SEO game. 
With a keyword rich domain name, you can attract backlinks to your website that will help it to rank higher on search engines. 

For instance, www.streetfashion.store will get backlinks on the anchor text ‘Street Fashion Store’ from reputed websites. 

This will help your SEO rank as it will give search engines a positive indication about the authenticity of your website. 

4. Availability

There’s a very high probability of finding the name of your choice on a domain extension like .store since it’s a relatively new domain extension and has a large pool of available domain names. 

For example, if your eCommerce brand is called ‘The Wardrobe Store’, you can pick www.thewardrobe.store as your domain name. 

Final Thoughts

For your eCommerce business, the best way to overcome domain availability issues is to pick a name on a new domain extension like .store. 

Availability aside, a short and meaningful name on a relevant domain extension will catapult your eCommerce brand miles ahead of the herd in terms of brand building.