Picking the right name for your ecommerce brand can make or break your business. Pick correctly and you can create a cult-like following. Pick the wrong name and your business can be overlooked and lose potential sales. To make sure you’re on the right path, we cover what makes a great brand name along tips on choosing your winning moniker:
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Why is choosing an eCommerce business name important?
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What makes a great business name?
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Tips for naming your online business
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How to secure a domain with your new business name
Why is choosing an eCommerce business name important?
The name of your online business is one of your first chances to make an impression on viewers. It’s a way to generate trust in your brand and to reflect your company’s products and values.
If you choose an ecommerce business name that’s inconsistent with your products, personality, target audience, or values, it creates mistrust in your potential customers. It also increases the likelihood that shoppers will bypass your site and head to one of your competitors.
What makes a great business name?
We want to help you on your path to choosing the right business name when launching your ecommerce business. Keep these attributes in mind when researching ideas:
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Memorable – Your business name should be something that not only catches the eyes of potential customers, but also sticks in their minds. You want them to remember your company and associate it with a specific solution to their problem or need.
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Consistent – It needs to be constant. Marketing, inventory, size, and sales volume may change over time, but your business name will likely stay the same. For that reason, choose a name that ages well.
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Attractive to the right audience – Different names can be appealing to different types of audiences. Be sure to choose a name that helps viewers understand what kind of product you’re selling.
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Easy to find – Make sure both the name and URL for your website isn’t complicated or confusing. Choosing an appropriate name increases the likelihood that users can find your store when they need to buy a product you sell.
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Unique – The challenge with being unique is that you want to come up with a name that indicates your business’s niche and the type of products you’re selling – without it being too similar to a competitor’s name. For example, if you sell makeup, your competitors may use the words “beauty,” “trends,” or “cosmetics” in their names. Be sure to avoid using those names. Instead, stand out by thinking differently.
Tips for naming your online business
Now that you understand the importance of picking a great business name, along with what makes one great, here are some tips to get started in finding your perfect ecommerce business name:
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Keep It Short and Simple
We’ve established that the right names are memorable and attractive to the right audience. Creating a business name with this in mind can be challenging, but keeping it short and sweet can make it easier to remember. Here are some simple ideas:
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Use words that rhyme or are alliterative. Here are some real world examples: Best Buy, Krispy Kreme, PayPal, Bed Bath & Beyond, Piggly Wiggly, 7-Eleven, and Famous Amos Cookies.
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Tweak a word or make one up. Think about brands like eBay, Skype and Google. They have very recognizable names, even though they aren’t real words. This can be a challenge to do on your own. The good news is there are name generators that can help you get creative.
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Use something personal. This might be a pet’s name, a nickname of a loved one, or something else that is personally significant to you. Keep in mind that it should still tie into your brand itself. For example, it might work to use your dog’s name if you sell pet supplies, but not if you sell kitchen utensils.
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Check for trademarks
Once you’ve come up with a name you like, make sure that you’re legally able to use it. That means checking with The United States Patent and Trademark Office. There’s a free database where you can search.
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Conduct an in-depth search
If the name is available, the next step is to do a Google search to see what comes up.
Do the search results indicate that you might be able to make it to the top of the first page with your name? If your name will rank well, then check social media next. Make sure that you can use the name on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and whatever other social media platforms in your portfolio.
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Pick a scalable name
If all goes well, your business will grow and you’ll expand. Maybe in the future you’ll sell a new line of products. So, when you name your business, keep that in mind. For example, if you start out selling custom-made hats and call your business The Mad Hatter, it might be confusing when you start selling charcoal grills. When you choose your ecommerce business name, don’t forget to consider your future growth plan.
How to secure a domain with your new business name
Securing a domain name that’s similar to your business name can be as tedious as getting a new business name. But here are ideas on how you can get that domain name to match the business name that you want:
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Play with spelling
Taking liberties with spelling is typical in the tech startup world, as these companies want unique names that will stand out in a sea of competitors. There is no reason your small business can’t change the spelling of nickel to nickl or dime to dym. A word of caution: Only go this route if funky spelling will resonate with your target market.
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Combine two words to create a “new” word
Putting two words together to create a new one is a very creative solution to finding the perfect business name, as it can really describe what your business is about. LeapFrog creates educational games for kids. Wintergreen is a ski resort in Virginia. Starburst is a line of candy. If you go this route, create columns for words that describe your business – nouns, adjectives, verbs – and start combining them.
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Make up a new name
Starbucks, Verizon, and Haagen Dazs are made-up names that don’t describe company products or services yet are completely familiar to consumers. The only problem with made up names is the level of education you might have to undertake to ensure your customers understand what you do. If you’re up for the challenge, go for it!
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Try different domain extensions
The domain extension is the dot-something that follows your website name. They include .com, .org, .co, .us., .net – and a zillion other possibilities like .be, .fit, and .golf.
Read more: A guide to domain names for small businesses
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right ecommerce business name for your brand can seem daunting and even tedious, but it’s worth the time and effort. Use these tips to help pick a name that’s relevant to your business niche – one that is unique, memorable, and descriptive of your brand, and most importantly, one that online shoppers will click on.