The start of an online business begins with selecting a domain. Once you decide on a domain, which is the starting point for One Site SEO, a field of SEO, it is not easy to change it due to the nature of online marketing, so you must choose it carefully. A useful domain is already in use? Then, try modifying the top-level domain or create a domain with a compound word or brand name. You will be able to select a satisfactory domain through repeated associations.

GoDaddy, an absolute powerhouse in domain services

If you are planning to build an overseas shopping mall, we recommend purchasing a domain through GoDaddy . This is because, in addition to the lower purchase cost compared to domestic domain service providers, it is very easy to link with overseas hosting or EMP (Email Marketing Provider) services. Telephone customer support is also provided in Korean.

At GoDaddy, in addition to top-level domains such as .com and co.kr, you can also purchase domains such as .info, .social, .shop, .store, .me, and .co. During the purchase process, you will be prompted to sign up for various additional services in addition to the domain. These are additional services that have nothing to do with running a shopping mall, so please ignore them all and purchase only the domain.

• Business email to use for this domain: Google G Suite recommended
• SSL settings: Set by the shopping mall hosting company. Shopify offers free SSL
• Privacy feature added: Paid add-on used when you do not want to expose domain purchase information

domain structure

If you are purchasing a domain for the first time, you may have many questions about the domain. We've summarized the terms and content you're most curious about.

▲ Common domain components

• Prefix: https setting is required as IP Address Prefix
• Subdomain: blog.mysite.com, uk.mysite.com, etc. Used to separate content or target within the site
• Name: domain name
• Top-level domain (extension): Indicates the nature of the site, such as .com, .edu, .gov, etc.
• The name and top-level domain combined are called the domain name.

For shopping malls, it is common to use the .com domain, and if the name you want is already in use, you can also consider choosing a top-level domain such as .co .shop .store. What Uber, Google, Amazon, eBay, and PayPal have in common is that they are composed of between 2 and 4 syllables in pronunciation, making them easy to remember. It's very important to keep your domain simple and easy for customers to remember, so once you've created your domain, call people around you and tell them about it. It's not a bad domain if you understand it at once.

Domain-related terms that online shopping mall operators need to know

When shopping overseas, you will use several external marketing tools. When linking the tool, settings will appear in the domain management panel. We have summarized the most commonly used menus.

IP Address
An IP address is a unique number or string that locates a computer or device on the Internet and distinguishes it from other computers. This IP address is distinguished by country, and local delivery-related messages that appear when accessing large overseas shopping malls are identified by checking this IP address.

▲ Korean delivery pop-up message from American department store Neiman Marcus

DNS
What we commonly call a domain, which stands for Domain Name System, is actually an IP address composed of numbers such as 23.227.38.32, converted into letters, and used. DNS converts IPs composed of these numbers into letters to communicate with each other. We do the mechanics that allow us to do this. When building a shopping mall using Shopify or Big Commerce, you can simply connect the domain by entering the name server value provided by the hosting in the place where you purchased the domain.

▲ Name server settings when connecting a domain in Big Commerce

In the case of Shopify, enter the purchased domain at Log in> Online Store> Domains> Connect existing domain> and then edit the DNS value at the site where you purchased the domain. The domain will then be connected to hosting (Shopify). If you change hosting, you must also change the name server value.

Domain Provider
This refers to domain providers such as GoDaddy, and you can also purchase domains from Shopify and Big Commerce, which provide shopping cart services. Google also provides domain services, and in Korea, Asadal, Cafe24, and Sandomain (Makeshop) provide services.

​CNAME Record
A DNS setting that specifies a subdomain as a different domain name. Same as blog.myshop.com Cafe24's English, Chinese, and Japanese services are used in the form of en.myshop.com (English) and ch.myshop.com (Chinese). If classification by region and language is essential for programming, it is inevitably used, but in general, the URL format that is more helpful for search engine optimization is https://www.myshop.com/blog. In the case of Shopify, in addition to the official domain, it provides the address "shop name.myshopify.com" and can also be managed with that URL. (Lifetime domain provided by Shopify)

Email Forwarding
When operating a shopping mall, it is essential to use a company (work) email address using the domain. If the domain is www.myshop.com, the email address should be used for business purposes such as admin@myshop.com, help@myshop.com, wholesale@myshop.com, etc. In particular, when sending bulk emails using emails such as naver.com, which is used in Korea, some email servers used by overseas customers may recognize it as spam and must be avoided.

Preference settings set in Google Search Console (formerly Webmaster Tools)
If all products and content are registered in the shopping mall, you must register the shopping mall URL in Google Search Console . Of course, Google crawler indexes sites that are not registered in Search Console, but it must be checked by Google for purposes such as Google indexing scope, 404 page check, internal-external link check, search word check (what search term did the customer enter to access the site), etc. You must register for Search Console. When registering for Google Search Console, Google recognizes the www version and the non-www version of the domain as the same, so it doesn't matter which one you choose. Google recommends that you register both versions when registering for Search Console. Most sites use the (https://www.myshop.com) format.

▲ Information email sent from Google after setting up Google Search Console

Online shopping mall SSL settings

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) can be understood as a method of encrypting and transmitting information that users (shopping mall customers) enter into the site (shopping mall). SSL is a web standard recommendation, and sites where SSL is not set up may be exposed to the risk of hacking because the encryption protocol is not used. Accordingly, SSL settings have been recommended in Korea for several years, and when accessing a site that does not have SSL set up, Google Chrome and Firefox display an i and indicate that the site is not secure.

▲ Screen displayed when SSL is not set on a domestic site


▲ Warning message that appears when SSL is not set on a domestic site (Google Chrome browser)

For overseas sites, SSL settings are fundamentally reflected in search engine optimization, and SSL settings are required to use services such as Google Shopping. It is also essential for linking with overseas PGs and opening a store on a price comparison site. Representative shopping carts Shopify and Big Commerce support SSL settings for free when opening a site. When accessing overseas sites, you may have seen security rooms like the one below. These seals can only be displayed on the site if you set up a paid SSL.

▲ Seal of a representative overseas SSL service provider - Usually displayed in the site footer and payment page

▲ SSL services provided by Big Commerce

Shopify does not require SSL setup like Big Commerce, just register your domain with Shopify and free SSL will be set up automatically. MacAfee is widely used as an additional security program and can be easily installed through the App Store.

▲ McCafee Secure App

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Most overseas shopping carts provided in Korea do not support SSL settings or require a paid service. However, do not forget that SSL must be installed.