Shop or Store?

[Name Trader]

If I'm selling domains should I use shop or store in the domain name. ie DomainShop.com or DomainStore.com (not my domains).

 

[mhdoc]

In my mind shop implies a smaller specialty business. Store would be a larger, less focused business. From a domaining standpoint I'm not sure it makes any difference.

I just looked at the ones I have and I have five with shop and one with store. I suspect that is because they were available, not because of a conscious choice of one over the other.

 

[alien51]

In my experience as an end-user, they are interchangeable. I own several shop and store -ending websites, and they are doing fine traffic/business wise. Branding-wise, i think there is hardly any difference in perception. Which is why, if you own the shop version, your competitor might grab the store version (if it's available) and compete against you.

Add to your dilemma, i think there is a new TLD for .shop or .store also ?? Which is why, to protect your business, it might be prudent to seek trademark registration.

 

[Chris Wright]

I like shop a little more, for 2 reasons:
1. It's shorter.
2. Shop is also a call to action.
Subtle, I know. They are pretty much interchangeable.

 

[carob]

About equal I'd say but depends a bit on the sound, and we don't know what word you want in front of shop/store.

Superstore sounds better than supershop to me and shipshop sounds better than shipstore to me.

I agree that shop is a call to action word. Store could imply a large warehouse full of goods.

 

[Faithfull]

Shop all the way...

Store is less classy, customers of a store are less likely to spend too much.

Which translates into the value of the domain name connected to it.

Think of buying a cup of coffee at the Walmart or at Starbucks.

 

[AEProgram]

Google is your friend, go by what people mostly use and sometimes one or the other makes no sense

GroceryStore is more common than GroceryShop

In the USA there use to be a huge company called "TheMoneyStore" I think you'll agree "TheMoneyShop" would make less sense

CarRepairShop is way more common than CarRepairStore

DryGoodsStore way more common than DryGoodsShops

Use google and search the terms in quotes AND go thru the pages and look how far out google takes you. Don't simply look at the "search results number". I am sure you know this but just stating this for others that might not know.

Sometimes it's interchangeable and many use both terms

PizzaStore PizzaShop
BagelStore BagelShop

 

[Keral_Patel]

I would vote for "Shop"

 

[hookbox]

Depending on what country you are from it could be Shop or Shoppe. Store makes more sense. Most brick and mortar stores would use the term Shop in their name. Most online stores would use the word Store. If you are from another country and don't understand language well then it may get confusing seeing ClothingShop.com because they may think it should be ShopClothing.com or ShopforClothing.com. ClothingStore.com can only be one way. There are no misinterpretation of it.

If you want it to be more brandable then I would use Shop. JeanShop, HatShop, BodyShop etc.....sound good. JeanStore, HatStore, BodyStore sound very generic.

 

[RU]

I like "Store"
e.g. : "Office Store" (Microsoft), "Chrome Web Store" (Google), "Apple Store"

 

[alien51]

In summary, most humans will probably look at your domain and process it in their brains within 1.8 seconds.

Then they click on it and spend the next couple of minutes browsing your content, and then they will forget about your domain.

After a few minutes processing your content, depending on how impressive your content is, that's the only time that they will try to "remember" your domain, mostly by bookmarking it.

 

[dnrevolution]

In my opinion, the term "shop" has a slight advantage, even 'though "store" may very well imply a larger selection. The other point to consider, with "store", is that it is a little more ambiguous than "shop", as some may think that domain name relates to some kind of parking service, i.e. domain storage/parking.

 

[McDuke]

Shop!

Mainly because people relate to "shop" more because they go shopping, they don't go storing.

 

[alien51]

Mainly because people relate to "shop" more because they go shopping, they don't go storing.

In common English language usage, the word "store" as a noun is clearly understood to be a retail business place where you buy a merchandise. Americans (or Westerners) will never mistake a "store", to be nothing but a place of storage.

 

[Akhil K Aniyan]

Go with "Shop"

 

[carob]

Shop!

Mainly because people relate to "shop" more because they go shopping, they don't go storing.

Aren't squirrels famous for storing?

 

[leonidas]

Shop sounds small and mini
Store sounds big and more professional
IMHO, So Store is better

 

[Chris Wright]

Shop sounds small and mini
Store sounds big and more professional
IMHO, So Store is better

I like small shops.
The service is personal and product knowledge is better.
At most big stores, you cannot find anyone to help you.

If you want to sell premium domains, shop has better connotations. IMO.

 

[yogiDomain]

I will go with store. Its not that shop is a bad choice but store is much more online than shop.
AppStore
WebStore
TheMobileStore
etc
etc
Just MO

 

[Name Trader]

Well advice is about equally divided between Shop and Store for selling Domains. Perhaps they are 100% interchangeable. I've been going too and fro with each new post. I wonder how many of the Shop suggestions are coming from English, Canadians, Indians etc, and how many of the Store suggestions are from Americans.

I would say Store has a very small edge because most domain buyers are probably predominately Americans. And as alien51 is saying, after browsing the content, they will forget the domain and bookmark the website if they like the content. With Store/Shop being mostly synonymous, the processing of the domain name in their heads is actually very easy before they click on the domain.

I now need to go thru my inventory of domains for the best name to use. I have one nice Shoppe domain, but I don't think it is very appropriate to sell domains from a Shoppe (Shoppe being old world or fancy language for a Shop).