Tips On How to Choose An Etsy Shop Name

One of the things that can hold an Etsy seller back from opening a shop is the process of choosing a shop name.

When I first started out, I wasn’t quite sure who my audience was or what my niche should be. I thought at the time I wanted something clever or even a play on a word or phrase as my shop name.

I spent WAY too much time on business name generator websites and creating lists of potential names. Some of them of course had already been taken or were unavailable or trademarked.

Little did I know that your Etsy store name kinda matters, but it also kinda doesn’t.

I quickly learned that when you sell relevant, on-trend but unique stuff, customers don’t really care as much as you do about what your shop name is.

That being said, having a good name can help influence some buyers to make a purchase. You are trying to build trust in your brand, and that kitschy, misspelled name doesn’t really instill a huge amount of it. It also makes sense if you ever want to expand beyond Etsy to build a brand, and that starts with an awesome name.

Here are some things to think about when choosing your shop name.

Keep It Simple

Pick something out of the ordinary, and people can be confused about how to spell it or won’t even remember you. Also, stay away from underscores, periods, or special characters. Most social media platforms won’t accept them anyway.

Ditch the Variations

I get it, your favorite name is already taken. That doesn’t mean you should just add a letter or number on the end and call it a day. You may even be tempted to try an alternate spelling — but that’s not recommended. Spelling counts and people might not be able to find you if they can’t remember the unusual spelling of your name.

Another recommendation I have seen is to add “creations”, or “boutique” onto the end of a name already in use. For example, there are more than 29,000 Etsy shops with the word “designs” in them, more than 15,000 with the word “creations”, and over 73,000 with “boutique”. That doesn’t mean you can’t use them, but it might be a good idea to think of something more original.
Think about adding your location or niche to your name if your chosen name isn’t available.

Ways to Come Up With A Good Shop Name

To come up with a good Etsy shop name that’s unique and telling, try this exercise:

• Make a list of words that relate to your audience, products, or brand image.
• Next, do a word association with each word. Write down 3 more words for each.
• Combine the words to make a descriptive name.

There are also some awesome websites that will generate names based on your keywords. One of my favs is Namelix. This powerful AI based tool will come up with thousands of unique names and variations of names you may never have thought of! Just enter your brand keywords or words that you want to include, and BAM – tons of names generated tailored to you.

Connect Your Story To Your Audience

Another naming option is to look at the things that are important to you, your audience or the brand itself. For example, if you make custom dog collars or leashes, consider naming the shop after a beloved family dog or cat and folding that into the story of the brand.

Make sure that the business name you choose represents you. The more your name represents you or the brand you are trying to build, the more likely you will love and keep it for the long term.

Check Trademarks & Social Media

Make sure you do all of your research BEFORE falling in love with your business name. Nothing can be more crushing than coming up with a shop name only to discover that it has already been taken.

Once you have settled on the name, though, be sure to purchase your website domain and check across all social media platforms. You don’t have to build the website or start posting to Instagram or Facebook yet. It’s okay to wait until your business has some traction before focusing on your social media game or website.

But you don’t want anyone else grabbing your business name!

Now the Most Important Step: Search for Your Name on Etsy and Google!

You of course want to make sure your name is available on Etsy – duh! But this also gives you a chance to see similar names or it can even give you ideas for names or variations you may not have thought of.

Next up – Google! When you Google search your potential name, you will see who your competition is in Google Search results. If a HUGE company also has a name close to yours, they will get all the traffic and leave you in their dust.

In case you skimmed over everything, here is a handy list of DO’s and DON’Ts:

DO:

• Keep Your Name Simple
• Connect To Your Audience
• Check Etsy and All Social Media Platforms for Availability
• Google Your Potential Name To Check the Competition

DON’T:

• Include Words or Phrases That Are Trademarked
• Include Words With More Than One Spelling or Miss-Spell on Purpose
• Use The Same Name As Another Company Not Selling on Etsy

Now that you have your shop name figured out, take a look at our other articles here on setting up your store for success!