What's the first step for a standalone website?
It's not the server, not WordPress.
It's the domain name.

Many cross-border sellers stumble right from this step:
buying a "premium" looking suffix, buying an overly long brand name, or even registering on a random platform that makes transfer difficult.

This article will guide you from 0 to 1, thoroughly understanding how to choose a domain, where to register most reliably, and what hidden pitfalls to avoid.

📌 1. Domain = Your "Address," Keep It Simple and Memorable

A domain name isn't about being cool or long.
A truly great domain has 4 characteristics:

① Keep it as short as possible

2–10 characters is the most comfortable length.

For example:

• goodpet.com (Good)

• petplus.com (Good)

• supercutepetstore.com (Bad: too long)

Shorter domains are better for:

• Easy typing

• Easy memorization

• Brand recognition

② Avoid symbols and numbers

For example:

• best-toy.com (Not recommended, hyphens are easily mistyped)

• pet123shop.com (Not recommended, numbers hinder branding)

Avoid hyphens (-) if possible.
Avoid numbers if possible.

③ Don't infringe on other brands

For example, if you sell pet supplies and try to register petco-shop.com, this is clearly a potential infringement.

If your site grows later and the brand owner files a complaint, your entire domain could be revoked, posing a high risk.

④ Avoid direct pinyin translations (for cross-border standalone sites)

For example:

• zhengpinzhijia.com

• dagougoubaojian.com

• aihuamaomi.com

These problems are common:

• Foreign users can't understand it at all

• Pinyin lacks brand feel and has high memorization cost

• The URL looks "unprofessional and non-international"

• At a significant disadvantage in cross-border ad campaigns

A domain should be a brand, not a translation of Chinese pinyin.

If your brand is "Anke Pets,"
using ankepets.com is much more professional than ankechongwu.com.

📌 2. The domain must be in your own hands (crucial)

⚠️ The domain is the most core asset of a standalone site. It absolutely must be registered under your own account.

Many cross-border sellers let website building companies or agencies help register domains, but this carries huge risks:

❌ Risk 1: You don't actually own the domain

The "registrant" of a domain is the account holder.
If a service provider registers it for you, they are the actual holder, not you.

This means:

• If your site grows, you have no legal right to fully control the domain

• If the other party goes bankrupt, shuts down, raises prices, or disappears, you can't retrieve the domain

• They can even shut down, sell, or not renew your domain at any time

Your standalone site would essentially lose its "ID card."

❌ Risk 2: Renewal prices are monopolized

Service providers often offer low initial registration prices but high renewal fees, locking you in.

For example:

• First year: ¥90

• Second year renewal: ¥300-600

Since the domain isn't in your hands, you can't transfer it elsewhere to renew.

❌ Risk 3: Difficult transfer or even refusal to cooperate

Domain transfer requires:

• AuthCode (transfer code)

• Unlocking the domain

• Disabling privacy protection, etc.

If it's in someone else's account, you can't perform these actions, and they may not be willing to help.

✅ Correct approach: Register all domains under your own account

Regardless of your choice:

• Alibaba Cloud

• Namesilo

• Namecheap

• Cloudflare

You must ensure:

✔ The domain account is yours
✔ The email is yours
✔ The identity verification is yours
✔ The WHOIS information is yours

❓ What if a website building company registered the domain for you?

Do these 2 things immediately:

① Request the domain AuthCode (transfer code) from them

Used to transfer to your own registrar account.

② Transfer the domain to your own Alibaba Cloud/Namesilo account

The process is simple and usually takes 5–7 days.

Only when the domain is successfully transferred to your account does it truly belong to you.

🔐 Summary

A domain is not just part of a website; it's a core asset of your business.
Never let it be controlled by someone else.

Especially for cross-border sellers, the domain is not only the brand entry point but also the foundation for ad accounts, payment accounts, email systems, and Shopify/WooCommerce. If the domain isn't in your hands, it's as if the entire standalone site isn't in your hands.

📌 3. What's the best TLD? .com is always the first choice

Most cross-border sellers eventually choose the .com TLD, for a simple reason:

✔ Most familiar to global users
✔ Easiest to build trust
✔ Highest recognition in e-commerce scenarios

Recommended TLDs (Cross-border E-commerce)

If you're building a brand or a long-term project, always prioritize .com.

If .com is taken, then consider .store or .shop.

📌 4. Where is the most reliable place to register a domain?

Many beginners buy domains from obscure "cheap registrars" and end up with:

• Soaring renewal fees (e.g., first year ¥19, second year ¥120+)

• Difficult domain transfers (intentional delays, slow customer service)

• Poor security (theft, hijacking)

A good registrar should at least be: stable, transparent in pricing, and allow you to manage all DNS settings yourself.

🚀 Recommendation 1: Alibaba Cloud (Top choice for domestic sellers)

Advantages:

• Affordable price, first year 85 yuan, subsequent renewal 95 yuan/year

• Chinese interface, fast after-sales support

• Stable DNS resolution

• High data security for domestic sellers

Only downside:

• Requires identity verification

Misconception: Many people think that registering a domain domestically requires ICP filing. This is a misconception. Whether a domain needs ICP filing is unrelated to the registration platform (domestic/foreign) but depends on the server's location. If you don't want ICP filing, choose a server outside of China.

🚀 Recommendation 2: Namecheap (Best value for money)

Advantages:

• No identity verification required

• First year $10.18 (75 yuan), subsequent renewal $15.18 (105 yuan)/year

• Privacy protection

Disadvantages:

• Only supports Visa and PayPal, no domestic payment methods

Suitable for people who frequently buy domains and work on multiple projects.

🚀 Recommendation 3: Namesilo

Advantages:

• No identity verification required

• Supports domestic payment methods

• First year and renewal are both $17.29 (123 yuan)/year

• Privacy protection

Disadvantages:

• Does not support domestic payment methods

Suitable for people who frequently buy domains and work on multiple projects.

🚀 Not recommended: GoDaddy

Reasons:

• Very expensive renewals

• Often adds items to your cart by default

• Slow DNS resolution

• Complex UI

Suitable for foreigners, but not for domestic beginner sellers.

📌 5. How to register a domain? (Using Alibaba Cloud as an example)

Here is the most concise guide; beginners can complete it in 2 minutes.

1) Log in to Alibaba Cloud → Domain Registration: Alibaba Cloud Official Site

Search for the domain you want.

2) Check if it's available for registration

If it shows "Available," proceed to order.

If it shows "Already registered," you can try:

• Switching to .store/.shop

• Choosing a shorter brand word

3) Submit identity verification (mandatory)

Domestic users must complete domain identity verification, otherwise the domain will be suspended from resolution.

4) Enable domain transfer lock (crucial)

Purpose:

• Prevent others from maliciously transferring your domain

• Protect your own assets

Many beginners overlook this step, which is extremely risky.

📌 6. 3 things you must do after buying a domain

This is the part 99% of beginners overlook.

① Enable DNS resolution (Cloudflare recommended)

Cloudflare DNS:

• Global acceleration

• DDoS protection

• Free SSL

• Super fast resolution speed

After connecting to Cloudflare, your website speed typically improves by 20–30%.

② Enable privacy protection (WHOIS Privacy)

Alibaba Cloud hides most information by default, but it's still recommended to check if it's enabled.

Purpose:

• Hide your phone number, email, and company information

• Avoid spam and scam emails

③ Set up a domain email or business email

Why is it important?

• For cross-border ads, a branded email is more professional than Gmail/QQ

• Increases customer trust

• Beneficial for after-sales/marketing automation

• Can integrate with WooCommerce, forms, and ticketing systems for automatic email sending

• support@yourdomain.com

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