Is .Shop Domain Good (.Shop vs .Com) ?

You are exploring possible domain names for your new e-commerce site. You realize that .com domains are usually taken or very expensive. So you see a domain extension such as .shop as an alternative.

So, should you use a .shop domain vs a .com? In short, .com is always the best option vs any other extension (tld) especially new ones such as .shop. People trust .com domains and they don’t really know much about .shop domains.

Here is a table that compares .com and .shop in short

Keep reading to find more about the history, cost, and examples of successful .shop websites.

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What Is A .Shop Domain?

.shop is a really new domain that was launched in September 2016. The usual top-level domains (.com, .net, .org) appeared in 1985! GMO Registry is responsible for running .shop since they won this auction against big companies like Google and Amazon.

The sustainable growth of e-commerce, the increasing number of websites, and the lack of options in .com domains contributed to the decision of launching new TLDs such as .shop.

Statista.com has a very interesting chart (you can find the link after the table) for the e-commerce share of total global retail sales.

statista.com/statistics

.Shop vs .Com

New business owners get frustrated when they are trying to register a new domain name for their website. They usually try different combinations alongside .com but they see that the domain is taken or they need to pay a big amount for the desired domain.

Top-level domains such as .shop solve this issue as many more domains are available or at least good keyword domains are less expensive. By choosing .shop your site’s intention is really clear too.

One of the downsides for new extensions is that the average user is not familiar with them. .com is around for years and a lot of successful websites use them. People are trained to see .com as a natural suffix of a website (at least for global firms). Even for extensions with the possible potential, it will take years to take some traction (if they ever manage to take off).

Another disadvantage for .shop is the possible traffic loss to the .com equivalent. If you buy clothes.shop then people that find out about your brand can misunderstand the url in 2 ways. They can type on their browser clothes.com or clothesshop.com and they will visit a site that you don’t own.

Most people visit websites through search engines these days but there is still a percentage that visits websites directly. This is what we call “type-in traffic” and .com is always the winner in that sense.

The same issue happens with emails too. If the email that you receive inquiries is info@clothes.shop then people can misunderstand and use info@clothes.com or info@clothesshop.com.

Does a .Shop Domain Rank Well On Google?

There are misconceptions if google treats the same every top-level domain but it is clear that they don’t have a preference (at least this is what they say).

Back in 2015, they clearly answered that they treat all generic top-level domains the same:

Q: How will new gTLDs affect search? Is Google changing the search algorithm to favor these TLDs? How important are they really in search? 

A: Overall, our systems treat new gTLDs like other gTLDs (like .com & .org). Keywords in a TLD do not give any advantage or disadvantage in search.

googleblog.com

Saying that one of the main factors that google ranks websites is based on user behavior and user experience. If the user searches for the term “I want to buy clothes” and he sees clothes.shop and clothes.com on the google results probably he would click on clothes.com. It seems more legit in his eyes compared to the .shop version.

The amount of clicks a site gets compared with the times was appeared on search results is called click-through rate. This is a significant factor for google rankings.

So even if Google treats the 2 extensions the same, in my opinion, .com has an indirect advantage due to trust (at least compared to new extensions).

Something similar happens when you run an advertising campaign on social media or search engines. People are already avoiding to click on ads so they will be even more unwilled to click an ad that leads to a new extension such as .shop.

Should I Use a .Shop Domain?

A site that uses a .shop domain has serious disadvantages compared to a .com. Saying that, the most important factors of a site’s success are the content, the user experience and the overall brand marketing. A domain extension (tld) affects a site’s progress in a lesser degree.

As i said already, the ideal scenario is to use a .com domain even if it is slightly longer and more expensive than a .shop one.

Successful .Shop Domains

Based on 2 different resources, there are over 600 thousand registered .shop domains. research.domaintools.com , Domain Name Stats . Here are some of the most successful ones:

tellin.shop is a successful clothing brand based in France, facebook.com/tellinclothing/.

returntosender.shop offers Medical ID Bracelets for men and women in silver, bronze, and gold. Here is the brand’s FB page: facebook.com/rtsids/ .

espressoh.shop is a make-up brand from Italy. Instagram Profile: instagram.com/espressoh_/.

lauranelson.shop is selling handmade contemporary jewelry from the product designer Laura Nelson. Instagram Profile: instagram.com/lauranelsondesign/.

omnia.shop is an online boutique with clothing and accessories. Instagram Profile: instagram.com/omnia_clothing/ .

envite.shop is an e-commerce extension that brings chat in your site. Linkedin Profile: linkedin.com/company/envite-shop/.

obodo.shop helps you to create a free online local shop. FB Profile: facebook.com/obodoshopuk

vargasandlagola.shop Vargas & Lagola is a band and they use a .shop domain for their online store. FB Profile: facebook.com/vargasandlagola/

tshepo.shop Tshepo Jeans is a clothing and accessories brand based in South Africa. FB Profile: facebook.com/tshepothejeanmaker/

liftoff.shop is a cloud platform that helps you create a proper e-commerce website. Twitter Profile: https://twitter.com/LiftoffEcomm

zaftig.shop Zaftig Boutique is an online stop with clothes and accessories for more curvy women.

backtobasics.shop is a site that offers beauty and wellness products and the founder claims that everything is natural. FB Profile: facebook.com/backtobasicsshop/

brockmannchocolate.shop Brockmann’s Chocolates are made in BC with natural ingredients. FB Profile: facebook.com/BrockmannsChoc/

Where Can I Buy A .Shop Domain

*Please check also the links for any updates in prices: Namecheap Pricing (I suggest it), Dynadot Pricing (I suggest it too), Namesilo Pricing, Godaddy Pricing. In addition to the previous prices, you need to pay a small fee ($0.18) for ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) and maybe a sales tax (or VAT for Europe) based on your location. The Domain registrars always offer coupons and discounts for the first year registration or for a domain transfer. They always increase the prices after the initial term.

Final Words

I hope the post helped you to decide if it is wise to register a .shop domain or not.Don’t forget to share the post on social media if you really like it!

**The post contains affiliate links but all the conclusions are unbiased.