How to Nail the Right Name for Your Online Store

What’s in a name? As it turns out, just about everything that matters. In fact, if you get the name of your online store right, you’ll reap very real business benefits.

The right name gives your online store a targeted market focus right out of the gate, while providing a solid foundation for a strong brand identity. To be sure, this built-in marketing advantage will save you lots of time and money in the long run.

Be Different

The right name can set any business apart from its competition. Especially in the faceless land of online selling where it is much more difficult to add a personal touch.

What message do you want your name to convey? Think action words. Get out a piece of paper and write down different words that describe your online store. Now, mix and match until you come up with a catchy combination that stands out, or even forms a new word.

But don’t be too abstract or you’ll lose the built-in marketing advantage.

As Shopify blogger Mark Hayes notes, “It’s incredibly important to find the right name when setting up your online store to help it stand out from the crowd – both from a branding perspective, and from an SEO perspective.”

Reflect Your Niche

Consider the types of products you sell and who you sell them to. The trick is to choose a name that’s focused, but not too narrow.

For example, if I sell jewelry I might be tempted to name my online store, “Valerie’s Jewelry.” That’s great and somewhat descriptive of my niche, but what happens if I decide down the road that I also want to sell pocketbooks? A better name might be “Chic Accessories,” which leaves me room for growth but still reflects my niche.

Think like a Customer

That’s what e-commerce companies like BigCommerce and Shopify did. Not only are their business names easy to remember, but they also reflect what they do for their customers.

There are numerous methods for coming up with the right name. Take the time and do the research and it will pay off. By making your online store name memorable, it automatically becomes marketable.