If you are ready to start an Etsy business today – naming your shop correctly is the first in a list of tasks which might leave you stumped. I’m here to help you get brainstorming with ideas for how to create your Etsy shop name.
Why it’s so important to correctly name your Etsy shop.
You need customers to remember it consistently because research suggests that most buyers need to view something or be visually stimulated to see something seven times before they actually make a purchase.
If they purchase something from your shop, for example, a phone case and their friends comment on it. Oh – that’s nice, where did you buy it? Oh – I bought on Etsy. What’s the shop called? Oh, – dunno.
Not a great start. Your Etsy shop name must be memorable.
You want your buyer to feel something when they come to your shop. If your shop name is a bit tacky, or just doesn’t make sense, they will feel it.
*This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission. It will not cost you a penny more) Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
What makes a good shop name?
One of my favorite shops is Lush cosmetics – I consistently buy impulse purchases because of the way the whole shop makes me feel. I love the name, I remember the name, it’s simple and specific. I love how the shop has consistent branding, simple and new. It has a smell of course, but the whole shop marketing makes the customer feel a certain way and thus ensuring you think it’s a self-gift and you’ve to go to have it.
Characteristics of a great shop name
- Easy to remember
- Simple to spell
- Is not similar to my competitors
- Is spelled correctly
- Contains my Etsy shop
key words - You must love it
- Is available on external websites
- Not too long
You can check out the Etsy forums for ideas but first, start with their helpful article. Top tips for choosing a shop name.
If you have already started your Etsy shop – you can read the article 60 Etsy shop mistakes to avoid.
If you are just starting and want to open an Etsy shop – begin with this post to create your first listing and start your shop.
Where to find ideas for your Etsy shop name
Do a brainstorming session
Let’s say I’m selling hand made pots for succulents.
The colour of my items are soft pastels, they look bright and clear and include summer colours.
Summer words might include Elegant, dreamy, romantic.
Look at your items and now write down at least 30 words associated with them
pots, pottery, planter, flora, funda, planting, bright, summer, handmade, homely, living, etc.
It might be helpful for some to close their eyes and describe your product to someone who can’t see. Describe it – cold, round, smooth, heavy, pot. The idea is to just to get you thinking about words, even if you think it is silly, just write it anyway.
Look at your competitors Etsy shop names
You can find these either by searching in Etsy for your keywords, in this example, it would be – planter, clay pot, handmade decor. What names do you like? Why do you like them?. Often there is a theme, such as printables, art, – do you want to stick strictly to this or move away entirely?
Ask your friends
This might involve you and a friend over a notebook and just see what they can think of. A fresh set of eyes can work wonders.
Look for names in magazines
Grab your favourite magazine or even better a magazine in your niche and write all the words which jump out at you.
Take a look at the titles they use for the article, see if there are any words that might resonate easily with your audience. Editors are paid a lot of money to come up with original, eye-catching, thought-provoking titles. Can you incorporate any into your Etsy shop
If you don’t have any pretty magazines, then jump right in with my best recommendation of Branding books.
Use your own name or rhyming name
Adding your
Pinterest board names
If you are going to be on Etsy, you will already know the importance of Pinterest as a traffic driver to your shop. Go to Pinterest now and see if there are any board names you like in your target.
Need help driving traffic to your Etsy shop? Pinterest is perfect for improving your views on Etsy
Finally, pull your list of words together and use them to link up and create a shop name. If you are lucky enough to find a single word that sums up your shop – perfect, but for the most part, 2-3 words work well too.
A shortlist of Etsy shop names
- Bright summer pots
- Pots of bright
- The planter pot
- Clay berry pot
- Pottersue
- Pamerlypot
Now that you are ready to brainstorm your Etsy shop name you can pull all your ideas together with this printable.
A super helpful PDF with even more helpful tips. It’s yours free from the Resource Library. The password and link show immediately.
Simply click on the image below to access.
What to avoid when deciding your Etsy shop name
Silly names don’t work well. Anything that just sounds a bit blah. Or boring. Use words like planetarium rather than a greenhouse.
Names with added bits – shop, handmade, sale, business, sustainable. The worst thing you can do here is – if you find your perfect name and add Shop to the front or back.
Forgetful names – your overall brand should be able to stand out in the crowd, and this includes your name.
Avoid non-words – I know it’s easy to ‘add a twist’ or make it look different, but if you change the spelling of flowers to flowors, it just doesn’t seem right, and no one will be able to spell it in search.
Avoid very long shop names – avoid any names which are too long. Stick to short, sharp, snappy names.
Those who are very close to your competitors. Finding your main competitor and adding a basic word at the end or even a letter doesn’t look good either.
Include your keys words in your Etsy shop name
Ok – this one is pretty hard work. If you are selling clay pots for plants, can you include the word clay in your name? Maybe pot. This is nice and isn’t always possible. Don’t dwell on it too much.
I did look on Etsy for shop names with printables and there are over 1000 of them.
Don’t rush it
Try to have 5 or 6 possibles written down and leave them. Give yourself a bit of brain room and come back in a few days and see if they still sound sensible and reasonable to you.
How to check the availability of your Etsy shop name
In Etsy, it is possible to change your shop name only once yourself. You can change it again – but you need to apply to Etsy and give them a good reason to do so. So it’s important to get it right the first time.
Each shop name that has been used can never be used by you or anyone else again. I’ve thought of several names I love, but they are not available because they are already in use or most tragic, not being used, but you don’t have access to them.
So do check this before going any further.
To do this you must first select open shop from the Etsy menu – a Screen will look something similar to this. Type in your preferred Etsy shop name and see if it’s available.
You might search for the shop on Etsy and find no other shops with this name, but when it comes to choosing your name, it might still be documented in the background and therefore not available for use.
Check it is available on other platforms too
*This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission. It will not cost you a penny more) Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
You should also check that the domain if free. You can do this by using a name search or even just Bluehost.
check Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest
When choosing a shop name, you must love it
Your Etsy shop name is going to be front and centre of your weekly or daily activities. It really does need to be something you can stand to say and look at all day. If you are aiming to make Etsy your full-time job – you must love it wholeheartedly.
Don’t procrastinate too long
If you have found this process hard and challenging, it’s ok, because you are putting the effort in now will pay off later and you will be glad you took the time to do a good job. However, don’t get hung up on this task, set yourself a deadline of a couple of days or even a month, while you work on other things to complete this. Just don’t wait forever – you must leap off at some point.
To summerise – thinking of a shop name can be exciting as well as daunting, for some this will be easy, for others a bit of a milestone.
Keep it simple and don’t let the task run away with you. Keep all of those lists as you will need to them for when it comes to branding your shop later.
- Do your research first
- Find lots of ideas from different resources before thinking you are done
- Brainstorm ideas
- ensure your name is available on other platforms
- Ensure you love it
- Don’t take too long
If you haven’t yet opened your Etsy shop you can find a before you open your Etsy shop list here.
Have you found a great way to name your Etsy shop? – Let me know in the comments.
Don’t forget to grab the free downloadable printable and lots of other goodies by joining the resource library. Brainstorm your Etsy shop name today.
If you enjoyed this post about how to choose an Etsy shop name or would like to share and save for later – please pin to your favourite Etsy shop board. Simply click on the image below.
Please leave any comments or questions below.
If you would like to read more helpful posts for Etsy shop owners – see these below.
What is Flodesk and why everyone loves it
Why you should use Pinterest for your Etsy shop
Wendy
I accidentally ended up ‘accepting’ a shop name when I was checking availability on my mobile because I have sausage fingers. BUT I DON’T LIKE IT. How do I change it? Do I need to go through the whole process of opening the shop properly before I can change it? Grateful for all and any advice! Thank you.
Trina
Hello Wendy
If it’s not allowing you to go back and change it. You could start again with a new email and get a new shop name – or write down the name you want and change it once you are open. Which would be simpler. Don’t be tempted to procrastinate over your shop name. Trust me – just keep going with your plan. You can’t search for shop names now so they are becoming less relevant.
Worry about this later – 😊