Opening a shop - What's in a Name?
Having a strong, memorable name is very important when opening your shop. This will be your brand and will stay with you for the entire time you have your business. So, don't sell this step short.
Follow my logic: The name Etsy is in itself is quite odd --- not unlike Ebay when it first started. We all know what Ebay stands for now, but can you imagine the first time someone explained what Ebay was? More importantly, what if he or she had never explained it and made the person hearing it for the first time guess what the site was for? I would be willing to bet a great deal of money that few if any said it would be an auction site.
Now, think about the name Etsy. The reason for the name is fluid and has changed over time, so you, as you market your site (i.e. tell everyone you know about your new business (ad)venture) you will most likely have to introduce Etsy (and how to spell it) to your potential buyers.
Then you must decide what your shop name will be. This is the very first thing you must do when you begin selling. It will be your identity, your login, and how buyers find you and return to you again and again. Here are some helpful hints to guide your selection:
1. If you have been a buyer before you decided to sell, don't think you are "stuck" with your buying name. You can keep that as a buying account and open a selling only account. The downside to this is that you must have a second email address, but truthfully, it might be a great way to start fresh and there are so many free email options, this should not be a deterrent.
2. Try to make your name short. Too many letters can lead to misspelling and mis-typing and thus an easy way to keep buyers out of your shop.
3. As Etsy grows, the more obvious names will most likely be taken, so have a list ready. Go into search and type in a name then through the drop down menu, select "sellers: user's name" to see if it has been taken. Or, type in a partial word and all shops that have that it the title will appear and give you a sense of what combinations are and are not available.
4. Choosing your real first and last name may not be the way to go. I think it generates privacy and security issues which is always a consideration when using the internet. There are no hard and fast rules, but this is definitely a consideration.
5. Don't get too "kute" with a name. We all accept Froot Loops as a brand name for a great sugar cereal but changing up the letters of a basic word can lead once again to misspellings and one more way buyers can't find your shop. There is a fine line between memorable and too complicated.
6. And last but definitely not least, try to choose a name that implies what you are selling. Like the original example of Ebay (and even Etsy) -- these names were an initial henderence in the selling and marketing process because it was not initially clear what was on the site.
But - wait - your site is "3bagsfull" and you sell scrabble pendant jewelry. You broke your own rule. EXACTLY!! - use my site as an example and a word to the wise. I initially started selling wool felted handbags and 3bagsfull was a "not too shabby if I say so myself" name for this product. But, the product wasn't a good seller on the site. My product line had to evolve if I wanted to stay on the site. The name was memorable, so I chose to keep it. Because of this I will add a #7 to the list:
7. Don't get too specific because the market will change or you will change or your supplies will dry up, etc. etc. etc. -- but hopefully by then you will have established a BRAND so selling outside your core products will not create confusion for your current and future customers. They will know the name regardless of your product line because of your established quality, creativity and customer service.
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Follow my logic: The name Etsy is in itself is quite odd --- not unlike Ebay when it first started. We all know what Ebay stands for now, but can you imagine the first time someone explained what Ebay was? More importantly, what if he or she had never explained it and made the person hearing it for the first time guess what the site was for? I would be willing to bet a great deal of money that few if any said it would be an auction site.
Now, think about the name Etsy. The reason for the name is fluid and has changed over time, so you, as you market your site (i.e. tell everyone you know about your new business (ad)venture) you will most likely have to introduce Etsy (and how to spell it) to your potential buyers.
Then you must decide what your shop name will be. This is the very first thing you must do when you begin selling. It will be your identity, your login, and how buyers find you and return to you again and again. Here are some helpful hints to guide your selection:
1. If you have been a buyer before you decided to sell, don't think you are "stuck" with your buying name. You can keep that as a buying account and open a selling only account. The downside to this is that you must have a second email address, but truthfully, it might be a great way to start fresh and there are so many free email options, this should not be a deterrent.
2. Try to make your name short. Too many letters can lead to misspelling and mis-typing and thus an easy way to keep buyers out of your shop.
3. As Etsy grows, the more obvious names will most likely be taken, so have a list ready. Go into search and type in a name then through the drop down menu, select "sellers: user's name" to see if it has been taken. Or, type in a partial word and all shops that have that it the title will appear and give you a sense of what combinations are and are not available.
4. Choosing your real first and last name may not be the way to go. I think it generates privacy and security issues which is always a consideration when using the internet. There are no hard and fast rules, but this is definitely a consideration.
5. Don't get too "kute" with a name. We all accept Froot Loops as a brand name for a great sugar cereal but changing up the letters of a basic word can lead once again to misspellings and one more way buyers can't find your shop. There is a fine line between memorable and too complicated.
6. And last but definitely not least, try to choose a name that implies what you are selling. Like the original example of Ebay (and even Etsy) -- these names were an initial henderence in the selling and marketing process because it was not initially clear what was on the site.
But - wait - your site is "3bagsfull" and you sell scrabble pendant jewelry. You broke your own rule. EXACTLY!! - use my site as an example and a word to the wise. I initially started selling wool felted handbags and 3bagsfull was a "not too shabby if I say so myself" name for this product. But, the product wasn't a good seller on the site. My product line had to evolve if I wanted to stay on the site. The name was memorable, so I chose to keep it. Because of this I will add a #7 to the list:
7. Don't get too specific because the market will change or you will change or your supplies will dry up, etc. etc. etc. -- but hopefully by then you will have established a BRAND so selling outside your core products will not create confusion for your current and future customers. They will know the name regardless of your product line because of your established quality, creativity and customer service.
Labels: etsy newbies
posted by 3bagsfull at
Monday, April 07, 2008
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