How to name your online store

A good store name is short, easy to say out loud and easy to spell after hearing it once. It does not have to explain everything you sell. Choose how you want the shop to feel, write thirty ideas, cut them with a few simple tests, then check that the name is free before you commit.

Why does the name matter?

Your name appears on your web address, your packaging, your social profiles and your receipts. Customers use it to find you again and to tell friends. A name that is hard to say or spell costs you small amounts of attention every time someone tries.

It also has to last. Changing a name later means updating everything you have already printed and posted. A little time now saves a lot of work later.

How do I start with how it feels?

Decide how the shop should feel before you think of a single word. Warm and homemade, sharp and modern, playful, calm.

1. Write three words that describe the feeling you want.
2. Write one sentence about who your customer is.
3. Keep both in front of you. Every name you consider should fit them.

This stops you choosing a name you like for a reason that has nothing to do with your shop.

How do I come up with ideas?

Spend ten minutes writing every idea you can, good or bad. Aim for thirty. Do not judge while you write.

Some places to look for ideas:

• What you make: materials, techniques, tools.
• Where you are: a street, a hill, a local word.
• How it feels: words that match your three feeling words.
• Your story: a family name, a nickname, a place you grew up.
• Made-up words: a short invented word can be easy to own.

Avoid stuffing a product word into the name just to be searchable. You can describe what you sell on the home page.

How do I cut the list?

Cut hard. Remove anything that fails one of these tests:

Test	The question
Say it	Can you say it on the phone without spelling it?
Spell it	Would a friend type it correctly the first time?
Stretch it	Would it still work if you added a second product line?
Read it	Does it look fine in lower case on a small screen?
Mean it	Does it mean something unfortunate in another language you sell in?

Aim to keep three to five names. Say each one out loud a few times. Ask two or three people which they remember a day later.

How do I check that the name is free?

Do these checks before you fall in love with one name.

1. Search the name and look for shops that sell similar things. If your name is nearly the same as theirs, move on.
2. Check whether a matching web address is available. Shorter is better, and avoid hyphens and numbers.
3. Check the social handles you plan to use.
4. Check your country’s trademark register in the category you will sell in. This is not legal advice, so ask a professional if the stakes are high.

Write down your findings for each name, so you can compare them side by side.

What about the web address?

The web address matters because customers type it. Keep it close to your store name. A name with unusual spelling needs a short, clear address and a mention on your packaging.

You can start on the morebasket address that comes with your store, then connect your own domain when you are ready. The plan list on the pricing page puts your own domain on the Pro plan. See Online store.

How do I choose the final name?

Look at your last three and decide with a checklist:

1. Does it fit the three feeling words?
2. Does it pass the say, spell and stretch tests?
3. Is the name, address and handle available?
4. Will you still like it in five years?

If two names tie, choose the one you would be happiest to say hello with on the phone.

What if I cannot decide?

Being stuck usually means the list is too long or the feeling words are too vague. Try this:

1. Put each remaining name in a simple sentence: “I bought it from …”.
2. Imagine it on a parcel label and on a small shop sign.
3. Say it to a friend without context and watch their face.
4. Drop the name that makes you explain it.

A name does not need to be perfect. It needs to be clear, yours and available. The shop’s quality will do the rest over time.

What mistakes should I avoid?

• Choosing too fast. Sleep on it before you buy anything with the name on it.
• Being too literal. A name that only describes today’s product limits tomorrow’s range.
• Copying a big name. Close lookalikes cause trouble for you and confusion for customers.
• Skipping the checks. Finding out later that the name is taken is expensive.
• Asking everyone. Ask a few people you trust and then decide yourself.

Then get building

Once you have a name, describe your shop to morebasket and have a store ready to edit in minutes. Your store stays private until you publish it, so treat the first version as a working draft, and keep your own domain decision for when the name is final. If you want a full plan for the first day, read launch your store in a day, and create your first store shows the setup steps.

Next step

Write your three feeling words and thirty names today. Cut to three, run the checks on each, and sleep on it. Tomorrow, pick one and start building your store.