How To Connect Domain To Shopify: A Step-by-step Guide To Follow

An online presence is not an option in the modern digital age; it is a must for any business. One of the most well-known e-commerce systems, Shopify, makes it simple for company owners and entrepreneurs to launch online stores. 
However, it would be best to acknowledge how to connect your domain to Shopify to build a credible and known brand. With the help of this guide, you can quickly start selling with a unique web address. We are going to take you through this process step by step.

What Is A Shopify Domain?

A Shopify domain is the web address or URL linked to a Shopify online store. The default domain name you are assigned when you start a store on the Shopify platform is usually something like “yourstorename.myshopify.com.”. However, many companies want a unique domain name that accurately represents their brand and is simpler for customers to remember. 

A custom domain is an internet address you may link to your Shopify store after purchasing independently from a domain registrar. Customers can now easily visit your store using your brand name thanks to this custom domain, which makes it simpler to advertise and remember.

You can typically buy and administer domains directly through Shopify or from third-party domain registrars. Shopify offers the necessary tools and guidance to help you link a custom domain to your store. Setting up a professional online presence for your e-commerce business includes having a personalized domain.

Types Of Shopify Domains

Shopify gives you the choice of using a free Shopify-hosted name or your custom domain. Your decision between these two domains impacts your online presence management, professionalism, and branding.

• Custom domains: You can link your Shopify store to these domains, which you can buy individually from domain registrars like GoDaddy or Bluehost. They provide complete control over branding. Typically, they look something like “www.yourstorename.com.”

• Shopify-hosted domains: These are free domains supplied by Shopify, often in the format “yourstorename.myshopify.com.” These are convenient domains, but compared to a custom domain, they could seem less professional.

Read more: Bluehost vs. GoDaddy Comparison: Which is Better?

What Are The Benefits Of Shopify Domain?

There are various advantages that Shopify provides when you use their domain services for your e-commerce business. These advantages can improve your brand identification, internet presence, and general e-commerce experience. The following are the main benefits of using a Shopify domain:

• Professional branding: Your online store seems more reliable and professional with a personalized domain. It strengthens your brand’s identity and gives your company a more established, respectable appearance.

• Increased credibility: Compared to websites that use generic subdomains, those with their domain are more likely to be trusted by customers and generate sales. Having a personalized domain lets customers know that you are a legitimate company owner.

• Improved Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Custom domains have a favorable effect on your SEO initiatives. It is simpler for your store to rank higher in search results due to the preference that search engines have for websites with custom domains.

• Brand consistency: With a custom domain, you can keep your website, emails, and promotional materials using the same branding. This consistency strengthens the message and reputation of your company.

• Email hosting: You may generate business-like email addresses by using Shopify’s email hosting services for custom domains. This will help your communications with suppliers and customers be more effective.

• Integrated management: It’s easy to administer your domain from the Shopify dashboard. You don’t need to work with a different domain registrar to manage domain settings, renewals, and DNS setups.

• Automated SSL certificates: Shopify offers complimentary SSL certificates for custom domains, guaranteeing that client data is protected and secure during transactions. This is vital for establishing trust and adhering to security standards.

How To Connect Your Domain To Shopify

Establishing a credible online presence for your e-commerce firm requires connecting your custom domain to your Shopify store. Here is a thorough tutorial on how to connect a domain to Shopify:

Step 1: Purchase A Domain

Start by acquiring a custom domain from the domain registrar of your choice if you still need one. Common domain registrars include Shopify, Namecheap, GoDaddy, and Google Domains. Take the following actions:

1. Go to the domain registrar website of your choice.
2. Go through their database and choose a domain name (such as www.yourstorename.com) that best suits your brand.
3. Follow the registrar’s instructions to finish the domain purchasing procedure.

Step 2: Access Your Shopify Account And Log In.

To access your Shopify admin panel, you must first sign in to your account. Only then can you connect your custom domain to your Shopify store. After authenticating into your Shopify account, you may access your admin panel.

Step 3: Access the Domains Section

Once you’ve found the “Online Store” section in the Shopify admin panel’s left sidebar, select “Domains.” This is an essential first step in connecting your custom domain to your Shopify store.

Step 4: Add Your Custom Domain

You will connect your Shopify store to your custom domain at this stage. After purchasing your domain, the first important step is to add your domain. 

Go to your domain settings and access them. Navigate to the “Online Store” section in the left sidebar of the Shopify admin panel, then click “Domains.” Next, select “Add domain” or “Connect existing domain.” This starts the process of connecting your custom domain to your Shopify store.

Step 5: Enter Your Domain

Enter the custom domain you bought into the “Connect existing domain” area. Shopify will check if the domain is available and assist you with the configuration.

Step 6: Configure Your DNS Settings

You will get DNS settings from your domain registrar, which you must set up to direct your domain to Shopify’s servers. You must specify the DNS settings that your domain registrar will give you:

1. Get into the dashboard or control panel of your domain registrar.
2. Search for DNS administration or DNS settings. This may be under the “Advanced” or “DNS” section.
3. Modify the DNS configuration according to Shopify’s instructions. Two primary records must typically be configured:

• A Record: Set it up with Shopify’s IP address (usually 23.227.38.65) as the destination.
• CNAME Record: Choose yourstorename.myshopify.com as the CNAME record, and replace “yourstorename” with the name of your actual Shopify store.

Consult your domain registrar’s documentation or assistance if necessary, as precise procedures for changing DNS settings may differ based on them.

Step 7: Verify And Finalize

Return to your Shopify admin and wait for the verification procedure to be finished after updating your DNS records with your domain registrar:

Shopify will verify that the domain is linked adequately by running a verification check. It usually takes a few minutes to several hours for this verification procedure to complete, depending on DNS propagation.

Step 8: Set Your Primary Domain

Once your Shopify store and custom domain have connected successfully, you should set your custom domain as the primary domain. This is an essential step in the process because it establishes the domain visitors to your online store will see in the address bar of their web browsers.

For optimal user experience and brand consistency, make your custom domain the primary domain. You may have more than one domain linked to your Shopify store, but only one will function as the primary address for your business if you designate it as such. Other domains can reroute to the main domain, keeping your brand’s web address consistent and uniform.

Step 9: Test Your Domain

After you’ve connected and established your custom domain as the primary domain in Shopify, it’s critical to test it to confirm everything is working properly. There should be no problems loading your Shopify store. You have the option to address and eliminate any issues that come up during testing to make sure your custom domain online business runs properly.

Step 10: SSL Certificate (Optional)

You can enable an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate when configuring your custom domain in Shopify. An SSL certificate establishes a safe and secure connection between your website and visitors. 

This can increase your clients’ sense of confidence and security and is especially crucial for e-commerce businesses. Keeping your SSL certificate up to date and active is essential to maintaining the security of your online store.

Note – You should be patient: It is important to remember that DNS updates may take some time to spread over the internet. Although it frequently happens considerably faster, DNS updates can take up to 48 hours to fully take effect.

Find more information: What Is an SSL Certificate (Secure Sockets Layer)? Definition, Importance & More!

How To Choose A Relevant And Memorable Domain Name?

When selecting a relevant and memorable domain name, keep it basic and related to your content or goal, and consider aspects such as keywords, memorability, and brand consistency. Your website’s or online business’s success can be significantly influenced by choosing the appropriate domain name. Here’s the method for doing it:

• Select the appropriate domain extension: Consider the purpose and design of your website while selecting the proper domain extension. The most well-known and extensively used extension is usually “.com.”

• Relevance: Make sure the content of your website or the reason for your online presence is directly related to your domain name. A relevant domain name makes it easier for visitors to grasp the purpose of your website quickly.

• Keywords: If feasible, incorporate pertinent keywords into the domain name. Keywords can draw attention to your website and highlight its main points in search engine results.

• Simplicity: Make sure your domain name is brief, easy to spell, and simple to remember. Steer clear of complicated terms, hyphens, and odd spellings, which can cause misunderstanding.

• Memorability: Make sure your domain name is short and memorable. If your website has a catchy and unique name, visitors are far more inclined to remember it.

• Steer clear of trademarks: Make sure your domain name doesn’t violate any existing trademarks. Look for words or phrases protected by trademarks and avoid utilizing them in your domain.

• Think of your brand: In most cases, it makes sense to include your brand name in the domain if you have an established brand. This promotes consistency across the brand.

• Check availability: Before making your final decision, ensure your desired domain name is available. Many domain registrars offer search tools that you can use to find out if a domain name has previously been registered by somebody else.

• Social media compatibility: Consider how the domain name will sound and look on social media, as well as whether it is accessible as a handle on well-known websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

• Future-proofing: Consider how relevant your domain name will be in the future. Make sure it is adaptable enough to expand along with your website and company.

Read more: What Is A Domain? How To Choose The Best Domain Name For E-commerce Website?

Considerations When Connecting Domain To Shopify

One of the most essential steps in setting up your online business is learning how to connect your domain to Shopify. Although it’s a relatively straightforward process, there are a few crucial things to remember to guarantee a successful and seamless domain connection. Many important issues need to be considered:

• Domain ownership: Verify complete ownership and control of a domain before connecting it to Shopify. Access the registrar’s control panel to make the necessary changes if the domain was purchased from a different registrar.

• Compatibility with domain registrars: Verify whether Shopify is compatible with your domain registrar. Due to connections with several registrars, Shopify makes the setting procedure simpler. You must manually configure your DNS if your registrar is not included.

• Domain privacy settings: Think about temporarily deactivating domain privacy or WHOIS protection during setup if you have these options enabled. When Shopify checks your domain ownership, this can help avoid any potential problems.

• SSL certificates: Shopify offers free SSL certificates for custom domains. But, to guarantee safe connections, you should set up your domain’s SSL certificate to cooperate with Shopify.

• DNS records: Configure DNS records, such as A, CNAME, or name server modifications, following Shopify’s setup procedure by following registrar recommendations or choosing automatic setup.

• Propagation time: Be aware that it may take some time for DNS updates to spread over the internet. Although it often occurs in 24 to 48 hours, there are situations when it may take longer. Throughout this time, make appropriate plans and exercise patience.

• Backup DNS settings: Before making any changes to your DNS settings, backup your existing DNS configurations. This allows you to revert to the previous settings if needed.

• Email considerations: Update your email service provider’s settings to cooperate with Shopify’s DNS configuration to avoid email communication problems related to your domain-associated email.

• Subdomains: Ensure that the DNS settings for Shopify are configured appropriately if you utilize subdomains for particular purposes. The DNS records for each subdomain could be different.

• Primary domain selection: Determine which domain – the one that users view in their browsers – will be your principal domain. You can designate one custom domain as the primary, and other domains can be forwarded to it.

• Renewal of domain: Make sure you renew your domain on time by keeping track of its expiry date. It could be harmful to your company to lose your domain.

• Testing: Ensure all pages, links, and functionality function as intended by carefully testing your website after establishing a domain connection. See whether there are any broken links or SSL certificate difficulties.

• Customer communication: Make sure that your email signatures, social media profiles, and marketing materials reflect the domain change, especially if your website is already up and running.

• Customer service and support: Shopify provides thorough customer service and documentation to facilitate the domain connection procedure and guarantee that any problems may be resolved immediately.

Wise Decision To Hire Shopify Developers At Mageplaza

Mageplaza provides passionate Shopify developers with a wealth of experience. Their areas of expertise include customization, troubleshooting, and performance optimization, which makes them an invaluable resource for companies looking to improve their Shopify stores. 

Mageplaza’s developers offer cost-effective and continuous support along with a smooth and effective e-commerce experience. Their team of passionate Shopify developers is excellent at fixing problems, improving performance, and customizing. Mageplaza’s Shopify developers are worth hiring for the following reasons:

• Shopify expertise: The developers are Shopify professionals who understand the architecture and best practices of the platform.

• Customization: They provide custom theme creation, app integration, and personalized e-commerce solutions to meet your specific requirements.

• Problem solvers: You can rely on them to quickly diagnose and handle issues, reducing shop downtime.

• Performance optimization: For a better user experience and more conversions, they will speed up and improve the performance of your store.

• Responsive design: With their responsive design knowledge, you can ensure that your store appears and performs properly on all devices.

• Security: Mageplaza’s developers utilize robust security methods to protect your shop and consumer data.

• App integration: They smoothly connect and set up third-party apps to improve store functionality.

• Ongoing maintenance and support: To keep your store operating smoothly and without problems, they offer continuing care and support.

• Cost-effective: Compared to hiring in-house teams, hiring Mageplaza’s developers offers cost-effective solutions with lower overhead.

 

Connect Your Domain To Shopify Easily And Quickly Now!

 

Conclusion

Building a credible online presence for your company requires connecting the domain to Shopify. Customers will find it easier to seek out and remember your website, which not only increases the trustworthiness of your brand. 

The instructions and recommendations provided above will guide you through linking your domain to your Shopify store so that you can start experiencing the benefits of having a custom web address. Best wishes on your e-commerce adventure!