How to choose a name and a domain for your online store.
The name is the thing buyers will type into WhatsApp to recommend you, say out loud at a wedding, and search on Instagram at midnight. The domain is that name on a link. Both are cheap to get right and expensive to change once there are parcels with your name on them. Here is a 20-minute method for the name, and the plain answers on domains — which extension, what it costs, how to connect it.
The name: five tests, twenty minutes
- Say it to someone over the phone. If they ask you to spell it, it fails. "Kiara Studio" passes; "Kyaara Stoodio" doesn't.
- Type it on a phone keyboard. Double letters, hyphens and clever spellings cost you buyers every day.
- Search it on Instagram and Google. If the handle is taken by an active account or the top result is a different business, pick another — you will spend years being confused with them.
- Check the domain. The .com or .in must be available, or the name isn't available. Check before you fall in love.
- Read it in a sentence. "I ordered from ___" and "___ has a sale". Names that are only nouns ("Threads", "Bloom") are hard to search; a two-word name with a hint of what you sell ("Bloom Jewels", "Tiffin Tales") is easier to find and remember.
Same name everywhere
Instagram handle, WhatsApp Business name, store name, domain — identical. Every mismatch is a buyer wondering whether they're on the right page.
Names that work for small Indian stores
- Your name + what you make: "Anjali's Pickles", "Studio Meera". Honest, memorable, unbrandable by anyone else.
- A place + product: "Jaipur Threads", "Kochi Curry Co." — carries a story.
- Two plain words: "Little Loom", "Paper & Petal". Easy to say, easy to design a logo for.
- Avoid: numbers, hyphens, alternate spellings ("Kollektiv"), generic words alone ("The Store"), and anything with a trademark you'd recognise.
.com, .in or .store?
| Extension | Best for | Typical price / year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| .com | Everyone; the default buyers type | ₹800–1,500 | If it's available, take it |
| .in | Indian brands, clearly Indian audience | ₹500–900 | Trusted in India; occasionally typed as .com by habit |
| .co.in | Older Indian businesses | ₹500–800 | Fine, slightly dated |
| .store / .shop | When .com and .in are gone | ₹300–2,000 (first-year offers vary) | Renewal prices can jump — check year two |
| .co | Startups | ₹2,000+ | Often mistyped as .com |
Prices are indicative for September 2026 at Indian registrars; first-year offers are common and renewals are what matter.
The honest rule: .com if available, .in if not, and buy both if you can afford ₹2,000 a year to stop a copycat. Only go to .store or .shop when the good ones are gone, and check the renewal price before you buy.
Where to buy, and what to switch off
Any registrar works — GoDaddy, Namecheap, Hostinger, BigRock, Cloudflare. You are buying only the domain; you do not need hosting, an SSL certificate, an email add-on, a website builder or "domain privacy" upsells at checkout (privacy is usually free now). Turn on auto-renew so the name never lapses, and use an email you'll still read in five years.
Connecting it to your store
A domain points at a store through DNS records. On SitesPlaced, Settings → Store details → Custom domain: type the domain, and for most Indian and global registrars a one-click Domain Connect flow sets the records for you; otherwise you paste two records (a CNAME and an A record) into the registrar's DNS page. Verification takes minutes to a few hours. The store keeps working on its free address the whole time, and the custom domain is the primary link once verified.
The custom domain is on the ₹499/month Ecommerce plan (₹199 Individual for websites), because it's the first thing a growing store pays for; every new account has it free for 14 days, which is enough to connect and test. The step-by-step is in how to connect a custom domain to your ecommerce website.
Email on your domain (optional, later)
orders@yourbrand.com looks better than a Gmail address on invoices and looks more real to a gateway reviewer. It's a separate purchase — Google Workspace or Zoho Mail, from roughly ₹100–150 a month per mailbox — and it doesn't affect the store. Do it in month two.
FAQs
Should I buy .com or .in for an Indian online store?
.com if it's available; .in otherwise. Both are trusted in India. Buy both if ₹2,000 a year is affordable, to stop a copycat.
How much does a domain cost in India?
Roughly ₹500–1,500 a year for .com or .in at Indian registrars in 2026. Watch first-year offers on .store and .shop — the renewal is the real price.
Do I need hosting with the domain?
No. The store is hosted by the platform; you buy only the domain and point it at the store with two DNS records or a one-click connect.
Can I change my store name later?
The store name and handle, yes, in minutes. But parcels, reviews, saved links and Instagram followers all carry the old name — pick carefully once.
Does a custom domain help SEO?
It helps trust and click-through more than ranking. A brand on its own domain accumulates links and searches for the brand name; that compounds over years.
Your name on the link.
Connect a custom domain with one-click DNS on the Ecommerce plan — free for 14 days on every new account. The store is free to publish either way.
See the plans →
