Opening an e-commerce company requires some crucial effort at the beginning, including deciding what it will be called to make an impact and attract the attention of your audience.
It is very common to have questions at this point, which you can solve by evaluating the name of the online store that best fits your profile.
To do this, you must assess how it sounds, the target audience, and what your domain will look like, among other factors. A crucial choice that needs to be well-thought-out to find the most appropriate name.
In this article, we provide some tips on how to choose the most commercial name for your business. Check it out below.
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How to choose a name for your online store?
First, don’t choose a name for your online store that restricts the expansion of your product mix, or that determines your business geographically.
This could harm the company’s expansion. Therefore, invest in words that allow you to grow. See other important guidelines.
Check the competition
Do some research into competitors’ names, how they are structured, and how they impact customers. Avoid similar names, as they can bring back memories of other brands and become a problem when registering the brand.
This research is relevant for you to understand what has worked to attract the customers’ attention and why.
Think about your target audience
Knowing who your ideal client is is essential to finding a name that reaches the people who matter to your business. One that aligns with their interests, knowledge, and buying habits.
For example, if it is a pet supplies store, the name needs to be involved with the world of pets so that it touches the hearts of its owners.
Find a name that is short and direct
Another essential requirement is to find a short name so that it can be easily pronounced and remembered — and to make it easier to register a website domain for your company.
There are rules on the number of letters, but common sense must be exercised — as it is not ideal to change it afterward.
Be careful with the use of foreign words. They have to be very well known within your target audience and easy to pronounce. But it can also be a differentiating factor.
Talking about different, try to avoid very unusual names, or using characters that can’t be in your domain’s URL, such as accents, #, @, etc.
Check its online availability
With a preliminary list of the possible words you want to use, check if they are available as web domains by googling them or using websites like name.com.
Here, it’s nice to do some combination and rearranging testing to see if similar options have already been registered. Also, take the opportunity to analyze social networks before creating your pages.
Use a relevant keyword
Try to include a relevant keyword in the name of your business, or use it in a slogan. For example, using the word “pet” for a pet shop. This will help position the site when someone searches for this specific topic.
Associate the name with e-commerce jargon
Another advice is to use known prefixes to quickly identify that you are an online store, such as e-, shop, virtual, or web.
For our example, one possibility would be to adopt e-pet. It has been a strategy widely used in successful companies.
Do a brainstorming
Write down all the words that have to do with your market, use nouns and adjectives, etc. Then, separate those that are used by competitors and those that are limiting.
With what’s left, make combinations until you find the ones that best represent your business and have the potential to be a stand-out.
Avoid typos and double entendre
If you choose to use a name in another language, check the spelling, grammar, and what it means. Don’t do this through free translators, but look for professionals who speak the language and can clarify correctly.
Even if it is in English, check the correct spelling and that there is no double entendre: a double meaning that can stigmatize your brand from the start.
Be original
The name you choose needs to be original for your store to stand out. So play with words a little bit and look for inspiration even in other countries.
Remember to study your audience well to achieve their interest in purchasing products in your online store.
What to take into account when choosing a name for an online store?
To get to know your consumers, you can benchmark the competition and research your ideal customer’s traits. Another important point is to define your niche, even if your store has a mix of different products.
This segmentation can be a driver for boosting your sales. Additionally, check other requirements.
Go for a timeless name
Look for timeless names and avoid fads, so that they can resist the test of time. Things about brands that lasted for a long time: Coca-Cola, Nike, Antarctica, Louis Vuitton, among others. None of them has dated words or expressions.
Answer the right questions
Ask yourself important questions about points that will guide your choice:
- What is your target audience? (stating: demographic profile, where they live, age, gender, marital status, education, profession, etc.)
- What is your buyer persona’s psychological profile? (tastes, values, how you have fun, idols, causes you defend, etc.)
- What are your products, services, and solutions?
- What place do you want to occupy in the hearts and minds of this audience?
- What do you offer your audience that is different? What can lead to them choosing your brand when purchasing a product or service?
- What is your mission, vision, and values?
What are the steps to register the company name?
In the United States, it is obligatory to have a legal name that can be registered along with the business. Fortunately, it is an easy process to follow. See the overall steps you have to take:
- Check the availability of the name in the state you are opening the online store
- Form the business following your state’s procedures and type of company (like LLC)
- If you want to use different names for registration and branding, you can register for a DBA (Doing Business As), a legal nickname that you can legally use in the market.
When you register your business name, you are the only company that can use it for commercial purposes in that area. So it is a step to take only when you are certain that you found the right option to thrive in the market.
What are 21 examples of names for online stores?
To inspire your initial brainstorming, check out 21 names for your online store in different segments: women’s, men’s, and children’s clothing, accessories, perfumes, crafts, and varieties.
Note that they take into account the market niche and target audience:
- Bella Fit Fashion
- Vestiti
- The Fashion Lab
- L’Uomo Fashion
- Tiger Men’s Wear
- Mr. Handsome
- Kings Fashion
- Rock for Men
- Watercolor Store
- Enchanted World
- Little Fashion
- Meeny Miny Mo Kids Wear
- Glow up Accessories
- Presence Bijou
- Mademoiselle Accessories and Handbags
- Chic & Cheap Accessories
- Brotherhood Perfumery
- Fine Flower Cosmetics
- Roots Atelier
- Stitch to Stitch Handcraft
- Handmade Gifts
In this guide, you discovered several tips, so you don’t make mistakes when creating the name for your online store.
Follow all the tips you learned today so that your e-commerce starts with a differentiated and valuable brand to attract target consumers. Also, don’t forget to register your business so you don’t have any future problems.
Want to use your new business name to start strong in the market? Take a look at our guide on the Social SEO Revolution!