How Much Does A Domain Name Cost On Shopify

Lower Costs On Renewals And Better Service

Namecheap simply has the lowest prices for domain name registration and renewals. As you cant own a domain name forever, you can only register it for a year at a time, this becomes a yearly cost that can add up if youre not using a domain name registrar.

Also get free WHOIS protection for life with your registration. WHOIS protection is not included with Shopify and to add it would add tot he cost of registering through Shopify. What WHOIS protection does is that it hides your personal information that you submitted when registering your domain name. Most web hosts charge extra for this but with Namecheap you get it for free.

The Demand For The Domain Name

One of the biggest factors in the price is demand. If the domain name is popular, the prices are going to go up! Its the same for any product or service, right? Some domain names have sold for millions of dollars! Yes, you did read that right. Here are some of the most expensive domain names ever purchased:

• VacationRentals.com went for $35 million
• Insurance.com went for $35.6 million
• CarInsurance.com sold for $49.7 million
• LasVegas.com fetched in $90 million
• Business.com was purchased for a tidy $345 million!

How Much Does A Shopify Domain Cost

Normally, the cost of a new domain in Shopify will start at $14 per year with the option to automatically renew before expiration in order to avoid interruptions. We highly recommend setting this option to safeguard your brand and assets, though you should receive warning notifications well in advance.

The following table shows the typical first-year cost for buying a domain.

If youre looking for a more specialized domain like .store, .health, or .tv, be sure to look through Shopifys list of Other Domain Names as the open search field doesnt always provide accurate results.

Also, you will see in the table that third-party domain providers typically offer a slightly better price. However, there are a few points to consider before going with them over Shopify.

• The savings are quite minimal for the extra work you need to do by using a third-party domain provider.
• If you buy through Shopify, you dont have to manually set up the domain to connect with Shopify. This can be confusing if you have little experience with domains.
• Third-party domain providers may offer the domain you want at a steep discount for the first year but then require you to pay the full retail price for each yearly renewal, which is far higher than the cost of using Shopify.

If you have already purchased a domain from a third-party provider, dont worry. Weve got you covered at the end of this article.

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Unexpected Costs In The First Year

Beyond fixed costs, business owners also noted common one-time costs that sprung up in their first year and warned of hidden expenses to look out for.

What our research shows

The most-cited unexpected costs of running a business were:

Why it matters

The more you know! Recurring expenses and fixed costs are only part of your financial planhidden costs, one-time costs, and variable costs also need to be planned for in advance. What happens if an unexpected event, like COVID-19, throws off your projections? Its always a good idea to do some contingency planning and set aside a cash reserve, just in case.

How Difficult Is WordPress

WordPress itself isnt hard to get started with. In fact, you can learn the fundamentals pretty quickly. Anyone with any skill level even just general computer skills can use WordPress to build and run their website. And because WordPress is a CMS, you dont start from scratch with a blank page.

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Does Shopify Give You A Domain

If you are soon to start an eCommerce store on the Shopify platform, then you are going to need a domain. A home on the internet, a URL, and a way to brand your new business. But is a domain given to you for free by Shopify? Or is this something you will need to factor into your expenses?

So, does Shopify give you a domain? No Shopify does not give you a custom domain name for your Shopify store. You will need to purchase this from Shopify or an external third party which you will then need to connect. However, Shopify do provide a free domain extension that you can use to run your store. Here your domain will end in .myshopify.com.

So while does not give you a custom domain in the traditional sense, you can get set up and running without purchasing a branded domain.

Whilst buying a custom domain is this is the advised option, the free extension does mean you can test the platform before you commit .

Who Is Shopify Best Suited For Buy Domain From Shopify

Shopify stands apart from other ecommerce solutions mainly due to its multipurpose nature.

Shopify is very easy to establish and get going, so it can be used by novices who have no technical knowledge in establishing or running a site.The entire tool is very budget-friendly , so its an attractive option for small businesses that are simply beginning and want to lessen expenses.Shopify uses many template designs/structures for you to benefit from, so you do not need to employ a designer, or anyone to assist you with the store. You can actually construct, design, and release your online store all on your own. Buy Domain From Shopify

Shopify likewise offers offline solutions you can use Shopify in your actual brick-and-mortar store, incorporating it with the operation that you have currently established.Finally, Shopify scales truly well, so it will be able to grow with you no matter the variety of products you have on deal, the volume of your sales, and the number of clients that have bought from you.

However, if we were to point out the absolute best user, the sort of user who will get the most out of Shopify, we d say that its somebody whos just getting into ecommerce and constructing an online store. Individuals and business owners who are just beginning in the ecommerce area and want to get the best service possible, while at the same time lessening the expenses as much as possible, will find Shopify to be the most beneficial.

Read Also: How To Transfer Wix Domain To Shopify

Do I Need To Be A Designer Or Developer To Use Shopify

No, you dont need to be a designer or developer to use Shopify.

Customize the look and feel of your store with the online store builder and themes.

Add features and functionality to your store with apps.

If you need extra help, you can contact our support team, or visit the Shopify Expert Marketplace to search for and hire a certified Shopify expert.

Start Building Your Ecommerce Site Today

As you can see, the cost of an ecommerce website isnt crazy expensive. After buying a domain name for your new ecommerce startup, youll likely just need to pay $29 per month for a standard online store with Shopify. If you want to add custom features or include paid apps, it can bring the total cost up.

Shopify is flexible and lets you choose the amount of money you want to spend upfront, so you can build a profitable and rewarding ecommerce website for your business.

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What Is A Domain Name

A domain name is the address or URL that people type into their browser to get to your website. When they enter your domain name into the address bar of their browser, it sends a request to your host web server which fetches your website and sends it back to their browser. Examples of what is a domain name include , and Oberlo.com.

How Do Shopifys Prices Compare To Other Ecommerce Platforms

Plan for plan, Shopify is pretty expensive when you compare it to the ecommerce offerings of website builders like Wix, Weebly, or Squarespace.

If value is your primary motivation, then wed recommend Wix it received the highest value for money score in our ecommerce platform ranking, offering excellent sales features at a very reasonable price. Shopifys cheapest plan is around £20 per month, while Wixs most expensive ecommerce plan is only £22 per month.

That said, youre not going to find the same depth of sales features that you get with Shopify from a non-ecommerce specific builder. And that should definitely be a factor if you have ambitions to become a large global, online selling operation. As you grow, youll really need the granular customer insights and international commerce features offered by Shopify.

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Considerations Before You Buy A Domain Through Shopify

Before you buy a domain through Shopify, review the following considerations:

• Email hosting services aren’t provided on Shopify. Instead, you can connect your Shopify-managed domain to a third-party email hosting service.
• Some domain extensions include WHOIS privacy, which is a service that keeps your personal contact information hidden from public domain registration records. If you want WHOIS privacy, then make sure that your domain extension isn’t on the WHOIS exceptions list.
• Some domain extensions have specific residency or business registration requirements. Make sure that you can meet these requirements, because you might need to verify your registration information. If you can’t meet these requirements, then your domain might be suspended.
• A new SSL certificate is created automatically when you buy a domain through Shopify. You dont need to buy SSL encryption for your domain.
• You need to pay the registration fee every year to renew your domain subscription. Domain renewals are charged separately from your monthly subscription charges. The exact pricing depends on which domain extension you choose.
• Domain hosting services are only available with a paid Shopify plan. If you want to close your store or your Shopify account, and you want to keep using your domain, then you need to transfer your domain before you close your store. You can transfer your domain to one of the following:
• another domain registrar

Tips Before Buying A Domain Name

As well as the process we thought it would be handy to give you tips before you proceed with your domain name registration,

1. Shortened URL when looking for your domain for your online presence, it’s worth it if there’s a shortened URL available as well. This is great for including in text messages and also for your social media posts. Let’s say your business is called Gardenesque, is gardesq.co available? This can help click-through rate on your marketing output

2. Renewals it’s a cost that isn’t factored in at the beginning. By default, your domain will be renewed at the end of the year at a much higher price. If you have the money to spare initially it’s worth registering a domain for a few years in advance

3. Length there is a 63 character limit with URLs, but you shouldn’t be going anywhere near that. Ensure your URL is short, includes your business name, and helps to reflect your brand

4. Web hosting a lot of domain providers also offer web hosting. As we mentioned earlier it’s best to get these from the same provider, GoDaddy offers this option but browse around. There are other great providers out there such as Bluehost

5. Website builder it’s not just web hosting but some of these companies also offer a website builder. If you are looking to build an ecommerce website though, we would suggest going with Shopify or WordPress

10. Discussions as we highlighted earlier, you can favorite domains through Google. Create a list and canvas opinions from your friends

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Ssl Certificate Free To $20+ Per Year

An SSL certificate encrypts the transfer of data from your website to visitors browsers and gets you that coveted green padlock. For an eCommerce website, its an absolute must to secure your store because of the sensitive nature of the data youre handling.

Nowadays, you can actually get SSL certificates for free, which is fine from a security perspective.

However, from a trust perspective, you might want to pay for something called an Extended Validation Certificate or Organization Validated Certificate . These certificates require verification and, as such, usually are a little more trustworthy. Many browsers also use these to display your organization name next to the green padlock:

You can find organization validated certificates for as little as $20 per year, with extended validations going for more in the $70 per year range.

Tips On Choosing The Right Domain Name

It is difficult to create an outstanding domain name. First, you need to think about long-term goals. Do not forget that it is problematic to change the domain name later as you would likely lose some of your clients. Another bit of advice is that it is better to make the domain name short, but at the same time not too brief as a customer will not understand the name and the purpose of the site and, therefore, the person wont be able to find the website next time.

Also, choose a name that is not too similar to others customers get confused. Therefore, a unique name provides you with the advantage of brand recollection among your visitors. Moreover, try not to be boring and ordinary. Researchers have found that a person will remember strange and unusual things for a longer time than ordinary things. Finally, do not use complicated words, as the domain name should be easy to type and pronounce.

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Ecommerce Software Free Or $29+ Per Month

Rather than coding something from scratch, most stores nowadays use a pre-built, off-the-rack software solution because:

• Its a lot more affordable
• You dont have to worry as much about security, because theres an entire team dedicated to maintaining the software

There are a lot of different eCommerce platforms. But, by the numbers, the two biggest are:

These two platforms help you create a store in slightly different ways:

• WooCommerce this is a free, open-source, and self-hosted platform powered by WordPress, which means youll install it on your own hosting. The core WordPress software is also open source and free.
• Shopify this is a paid, hosted platform/service, which means the Shopify team will handle hosting and maintaining your store for you.

In general, the tradeoff is that WooCommerce is more flexible and affordable, while Shopify is simpler and more convenient. You can learn more in our detailed Shopify vs WooCommerce comparison.

If you opt for WooCommerce, theres zero cost for the core functionality because its free .

Another popular free, open-source option is Magento, though its not quite as suited to non-developers.

If you opt for Shopify, or another hosted platform like Squarespace Commerce, youll pay a set monthly fee for as long as you want to run your store. Shopifys cheapest plan costs $29 per month, and plans range up to $299 per month: