How to choose the best name for online stores

Abigail Bosze

Content Writer

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Are you trying to find an original name for your online store and you can not think of anything? Do you have different options but none of them seems to be the perfect one?
Sometimes finding a name is simply or leaves a very natural way. However, there are other times when you can soon become an ordeal.
In this post we’ll not only explain the importance of finding a good name for your e-commerce, but we’ll also teach everything you need to choose the best name.
Pay attention, this is the guide you need to choose the perfect name.
¡Lets´go!

Why the choice of name is essential for your e-commerce?

The name of a store is a very important part of business because it is the main identifying element of the project. Our name defines us and gives us personality , while sets us apart from our competitors. But there are more reasons for its importance, let’s see what they are:

1. It can facilitate the memory : in a market plagued shops and information, your name is one of the few weapons that you have to get penetrate the memory of your customers. The easier it is to remember, the easier it will reach you.
2. Connection with your target audience : our name we try to convey our brand values and thus get an emotional connection with customers. We must not forget that people no longer buy “only” a product, but the entire universe around the brand.
3. Location : is most likely that the name of your e-commerce is the domain of your online store. Keep this in mind when choosing since the domain directly influences how it easy or not to find online.

You seem sufficient reason to find a good name for your online store, right?

Types of names for e-commerce: visibility vs branding

The main choice you need to make while working on your online business’s name is the type of name.
There are many options:

• A pure branding strategy.
• Your e-commerce’s name and domain include the key words for your business.
• A mix of the two options.

Each of them has their pros and cons, let’s see them:

1. Trade name

It’s a name that doesn’t seem to have any relation with the product you sell. It aims to create an identity and a brand without referring to the offered services or products.
Advantages

• It is unique.
• The domain and profiles for the different social networks will be free.
• It identifies you and just you.

Disadvantages

• From a SEO point of view, it is more difficult to position it short-term for common keywords.
• It needs more time to get stuck in people’s minds.
• It doesn’t identify what the business is about.

Examples: Doofinder, Mainada, Primor, etc.

2. Exact Match Domain (EMD)

We can talk about EDM when the name you choose is the same as the main keyword for your business.
If your sell food for cat, an EMD or Exact Match Domain will be foodforcats.com
Advantages

• SEO: although it is said that it is becoming less and less important, it is still easier to position a keyword if it appears in the domain.
• It doesn’t need an explanation: the name identifies what the business is about.

Disadvantages

• Indifferent: an EDM lacks identity. Can you imagine someone saying “I love the bran foodforcats, I always buy there”? We don’t.
• It doesn’t represent you: it is not a brand in itself, so it could refer to your e-commerce or to any other.
• Difficult to find: most domains with very common keywords are not free.

Example: buyinghats.com, foodfordogs.net
There are some niches that work better than others. For online clothes stores, for example, it is not advisable. However, for something more specific, such as accessories, it can be a possibility.
Although it is mostly used when the SEO is a priority (this is very usual when you sell without stock through affiliate marketing).
If you want to create a serious project and a real brand, don’t use this option.

3. Combination of the two

It is a very common alternative. It aims to combine the keyword with others or modify it in a way so that the root can be identified.
Examples: Bebitus, TiendaAnimal, PhoneHouse o Fitnessdigital.
It tries to solve the disadvantages of a SEO-oriented name with another similar one that is a brand in itself.
Think about the TiendaAnimal (animal shop) example; when they started, it was almost a name with an exact keyword but, after some time and a good branding strategy, they have created a winning brand identity.
These are the three most common ones, but there is another one that you’ve seen more often than you think.

4. Names that play with expressions

It is a variation from the previous one, but with a humorous and creative twist so that the name is easier to remember.
A good example of a niche where play on words or expressions work well is the one for paddle tennis e-commerces in Spain because of the different play on words.
But not only in Spain, in the USA you can find Wok&Roll selling tones of Asian food…
These creative names for online shops have an original and differentiating point, but you will need to be sharp to get them.

What TLD should I use? .com, .shop?

The letters TLD or Top Level Domain refer to what goes after the domain. In a URL there are three parts:

• Subdomain: normally the “www”.
• Name: Doofinder in our case.
• TLD: .com, .es, .net, .org, or whichever one you choose.

Up to 2015 there wasn’t a lot of variety and then many domains where freed, such as:

• .store
• .abogado
• .viajes
• .futbol
• .barcelona
• .game
• .coffee
• .green
• .social

Variety is almost unlimited, which doesn’t help when choosing. 😉
Have these considerations in mind and it will be easier to choose.

1. Types of TLD

There are two:

• Geographical: they represent a country. With a .co.uk domain it is understood that the website’s target audience is the British market so Google will take that into account for things searched from there.
• Generics: or global. They have the same positioning options in each version of the search engine in the world.

If your e-commerce is directed to the whole world, choose a generic one.
And if you already have a generic one and you want Google to take it into account for a specific market, you can do it from the Search Console, the Google tool for webmasters.

2. They all position in the same way

Even though .com domains are more popular, they don’t have priority when ranking.
If you can’t see lots of special TLD in the first positions is because they are still a minority. People keep trusting .com ones more.

3. Even if you don’t use it, buy the .com

It is normal that when choosing the name, the .com one is free. If you prefer the .store one, for example, make sure that you also buy the .com. Or, in the same way, buy both the .es and the .com if you are in Spain.
It doen’t make any sense that the .com domain of your store directs you to a different website, does it?

Where can you buy the domain with your shop name?

It is a very advisable practice to buy the domain and the hosting separately, You will save yourself problems if you decide to change the hosting provider.
The most well-known pages to buy them are:

• Namecheap.
• Gandi.
• DonDominio.
• GoDaddy.

All of them work perfectly, just choose the one you prefer.

6 Steps to devise an original name for your store

If you are blocked and you can not think of anything, do not worry. We’ll explain right now what steps to take so that you shoot creativity and you can think the best ideas of names for your online store.

1. Which values your brands conveys?

It is the first thing that you must define. If you want to convey seriousness and professionalism, your name can not be the same as a brand that wants to reflect boldness and creativity. Everything has to be related.
Also think about your ideal client and which values identify them.
If your e-commerce buyer persona has specific likes and worries, look for the words that can represent those likes and worries.
If you name recalls those values, it will be a point in your favor.

2. Research the topic and competitors

Within each sector there are specific terms or concepts that can help you create a great name. Aim tools, materials or phrases that might have something to do.
Check your competitors, what type of name do they use?
Don’t compare yourself to big players from the niche; their names are so common that they are going to sound well no matter what.
We suggest this mental game. Think about big company names, online or physical, and try to visualize just the name, without the brand behind it: Campofrío, Amazon, El Corte Inglés, Zara, Santander,…
Can you imagine the faces of those to whom the creator presented the name Campofrío?
Don’t let naming stop you. A good idea followed by hard work can do better than a name that may look weak.

3. Brainstorm

Write down everything that comes into your head. Do not select or discard anything. Whatever it is, if you see absurd, write it. The purpose of brainstorming is to make associations that take you to other best ideas .
You don’t need to analyze anything when you are brainstorming. If the domain is free or if it sounds well or badly is an issue that will be analyzed later, just focus on adding ideas. The more, the better, even if they sound stupid.

4. Friends and family

They can also participate in brainstorming, but the fundamental objective of the call is to help you filter . A word or phrase can have many more connotations than you can imagine. Never stop asking others evoking them the name.

5. Domain

When you have the name, bear in mind what we have seen about the domain.
Remember that unless some particular reason your business is focused on a specific country, you should always choose the .com extension .

6. Information architecture

Before going on, think about the structure that your URL and your e-commerce will have with the name you chose.
Are you going to use subdomains or folders?
For example, a URL with a subdomain would be www.blog.yourname.com and with a sub-folder it will be something like www.yourname.com/blog
Write down the main categories of your shop and think about the URL that they will form.
Not only is it important for SEO, it also helps users to surf the site easily.

7. Social Media

Although not as important as the domain, it is important to check that there is no problematic profile with a similar name . The last thing you want is to confuse you.
In addition, before choosing, double check that your shop’s user name is free on the main social networks.
You can choose Namecheckr to do that. Make sure that your name is free for, at least:

• Facebook.
• Instagram.
• Twitter.

If you have found the perfect name but it has been taken for some of the social networks, you can always add a suffix or prefix to identify yourself.

6+1 Name generators

If you have not anything happened to you, you can also use generators names . Not that you are going to provide a good name for your store, but it can give you ideas. With the Shopify generator will find a specific word combinations.
But if you’re looking for a word and you do not care to be invented, test Wordoid .
If you want to combine two types of words, use Dot-o-mator.
It allows you to add a column for main words and another one with prefixes or related words. It is very useful if you are looking for names that come from the main word.

General tips when searching for your store name

Before giving the “I do” definitive name, do not let to check these points:

• Pronounce the name aloud: sometimes to join 2 words associations that previously did not perceive are made. Repeat it many times while you walk or do other things. Some names don’t hit it off at the beginning but they get better with time.
• Best meaningful names : they are easier to remember. We mean names that have an easy mental association. People who hear them will not have to make an effort to retain it in their memories.
• Try it easy to write : beware combine numbers “3” to “zero” numbers written. The person will not clear how to write. Check it with 4-5 people, tell them the name and ask them to write it down. If nobody gets it right, think about changing it.
• Do not use acronyms : although we are used are complex to write and remember. URL won’t be written in capital letters so they will lose their strength.
• Opting for short names : “good, if brief, twice good”. It also helps remember it.

Although, probably the best piece of advice that we can give you is not to get obsessed with the name.
Don’t get frozen by overthinking it, think about all of the factors that we have mentioned but don’t let the election become a nightmare.

Some examples of big eCommerce stores (and their origins)

But sometimes, when you can’t find any inspiration, checking out how others have gone about it can be a big help.

So that’s what we’re about to do here.

Next, we’ll analyze the names of some of the biggest eCommerce stores worldwide, and we’ll see where they came from.

On we go.

👉 1. Amazon

There’s some wordplay involved in this eCommerce store’s name.

On the one hand, there’s a reference to the Amazon river, the largest and widest river on the planet. Jeff Bezos chose this name because it reflected his purpose of creating the biggest online store worldwide.

The second clue lies in its logo.

Specifically, you can see it on the arrow joining together the letters A and Z. It refers to the fact that you’ll find just about anything on their catalog.

👉 2. eBay

Before starting eBay, Pierre Omidayr already ran a consulting firm called Echo Bay Technology Group (named after an area in Nevada called Echo Bay, frequently visited by him).

So when he decided to start his own trade company he wanted to name it after it.

However, when he tried to register the domain name echobay.com he found out it was already taken (it had been bought by a mining company also called Echo Bay).

The simple solution he came up with was as simple as using an acronym instead.

And that’s how eBay came to light.

👉 3. Zappos

Zappos is an eCommerce store from Nevada.

The company was born in 1999 under’ShoSite.com’, but (perhaps because its hook was somewhat weak) later on that year it was changed to Zappos.

… which is merely an abbreviation of the Spanish word ‘zapatos’.

And this is not the only case of a store getting their name from another language. The example below will surely ring a bell too.

👉 4. Etsi

Etsi’s story is pretty interesting.

In an interview for Reader’s Digest in 2010, founder Robert Kailin explained he was looking for a name that didn’t mean anything because he wanted to “build the brand from scratch”.

So what did he do?

He put on 8 ½ by Fellini in its original Italian version and started jotting down all the expressions that had a ring to them.

And amongst them ‘etsi’, which translates ‘uhm yes’, caught his attention since characters repeated constantly.

Isn’t that interesting?

Do you already have a name for your online store?

Now you just need to start working on it.
Don’t worry, inspiration will come sooner than you think and you will find an unforgettable name for your brand.
The new Apple is inside you…