What Domain or Name Should I for Online Store?
Having a great business name is crucial to your success as an online entrepreneur. As Marty Neumeier writes in The Brand Gap, “The right name can be a brand’s most valuable asset, driving differentiation and speeding acceptance. The wrong name can cost millions... in workarounds and lost income over the lifetime of the brand.”
It's incredibly important to find the right name when setting up your online store to help it stand out from the crowd. Here are a few pointers on how to find that killer name.
Tips for choosing a catchy business name
- Keep it short and simple
- Be different
- Consider your online presence
- Get creative with your domain name
- Be original
- Find new inspiration
1. Keep it short and simple
Having a short, snappy name is great for several reasons: It's memorable, easy to pronounce, and effortlessly fits in the header of your online store's homepage.
2. Be different
Conduct market research to discover which names are taken by your direct competitors and try to come up with something completely different.
3. Consider your online presence
Once you have a list of options for your store name, find out if your chosen domain—preferably a .com—is available to be registered. This might be a bit difficult, given that .com is the most popular top-level domain (TLD) and has been for a long time.
4. Get creative with your domain name
If the .com for your chosen name isn't available, don’t fret: You still have the option of using a different TLD. The reason .com is the gold standard is that everyone recognizes it, but that doesn’t rule out other TLDs, which are becoming more commonplace as great .com options continue to dwindle. And you can always grab the .com after your business has generated some traction.
5. Be original
Make sure you're legally allowed to use the business name you've come up with. For store owners in the U.S., start by checking The United States Patent and Trademark Office. They have a free database that's a pain in the butt to search, but it's well worth the effort.
6. Find new inspiration
If you’re short on business name ideas, you might want to give yourself themes to think about. Maybe you look for a business name that has nostalgia or speaks to a trend. Other languages can provide plenty of ideas, too.
