Coming up with a name for your online business might seem like a pretty simple task, but trust us, it isn’t always easy.
In fact, it can take days to come up with a name for your business.
That’s because most entrepreneurs have high expectations for their businesses. They want their business name to be instantly recognizable, and to leave a lasting memory on their shoppers.
Essentially, they want their business name to be perfect. And perfection is rarely simple.
But, seriously, choosing a name for your business is a lot easier when you’ve got some tips & tricks from experienced entrepreneurs who can guide you in the right direction.
And that’s exactly why we’ve created this post – we’re going to show you exactly how to come up with the perfect name for your store.
So grab your thinking hat and read through our list of the most important things to consider when you’re choosing a name for your online business.
Let’s dive in.
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What Goes Into a Great Business Name?
When it comes to naming your business, we can’t stress one thing enough; there isn’t an exact science, or formula that you can use to come up with a great name.
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It’s a creative process, so you need to give yourself some time to think.
That said, there are some pretty important points that you should take into consideration when you’re at the drawing board that’ll help you to avoid choosing a bad business name.
And believe us, you can choose a bad business name.
So, let’s take a look at how you can make sure that you’re choosing a stellar name for your business.
Keep it Simple and Straightforward
Generally speaking, when it comes to starting a business keeping things simple and straightforward is key.
And that’s true when it comes to naming your business, too.
Why?
Well, when you’re looking for a memorable name for your business, you need to make it easy for people to remember.
That’s especially true when you consider that it normally takes up to seven impressions – that’s seven times when shoppers see or interact with a brand – to actually remember your business name.
That’s quite a lot.
That’d be seven Facebook ads you’d need to run, or seven Instagram posts.
And, using a long, or complex business name in the first place is going to make it even tougher for your audience to recognize your brand in the first place.
So, it’s no surprise that the names of some of the biggest brands in the world are usually just one word long.
They keep it simple, because they want to be remembered.
Choose a Future Proof Name
When you’re starting your business, you’re probably thinking about hitting milestones like launching your store, getting your first sale, or making your first $1,000.
Now, there’s no doubt that those are pretty big, impressive milestones for somebody who is just starting their business.
But, the idea is that you’ll hopefully be hitting much bigger milestones than that eventually – think $1,000+ in sales every single month.
And that’s why you need to think big when you’re naming your business. You need to think of a business name that’ll work in the future as you grow, too.
You could opt for a name like “Dog Bowl Emporium” – that might work while you’re running a small business.
But, you could also opt for something like “Premium Pet Supplies” that’d offer you a business name that you can grow into.
You might want to add more products to your business in the future as it grows, so keep your options open when you’re choosing a name for your business.
Choose a Name That’s Available
When you’re looking for a name for your business, it’s essential that you check your ideas are available.
And when we say available, we’re talking about domain names specifically.
We always recommend trying to secure the .com domain name for your brand – especially if you’re targeting your products to an English-speaking audience.
Why? It’s simple, ‘.com’ domains are trusted so much more by the typical shopper.
It’s because the ‘.com’ domain is familiar. It’s been around since the start of the Internet, and most professional brands use this type of domain as well.
If you’re looking for a tool to check domain names, you can do it on Shopify. You can search for domain names, check how much they cost, and buy / install them to your store too.
And don’t forget to check that you can find social media handles related to your business name, too. Always try to secure a Facebook and Instagram account to go with your ‘.com’ domain too.
BONUS: We recommend checking your business name on the U.S. Patent Searcher as well, it’s another great resource that you can use to check if your business name has already been taken by another company.
Convey Meaning
Once you’ve got your creative juices flowing, we recommend trying to convey meaning with your business name.
Now, we’re not saying that you need to go super abstract with your business name, because most people probably won’t make the connection if you do that.
Seriously, think about it.
Most people don’t think about the Greek goddess of victory when they see the Nike logo, even though that’s the inspiration for the companies name.
Equally, you can bet the average person doesn’t look at Nivea skin cream and think “Oh that’s white because it’s named after the Latin word Niveus, which means ‘snow white’”.
We’re not saying you should dive down the rabbit hole of trying to find a deep meaning for your business name.
But, try not to be super generic.
Try to avoid business names like “Andrew’s Sports Store”. Instead, you could use words that are related to working out, like “Power Sports” or “Reflex Apparel”. These business names simply have more meaning – they evoke more emotion, which is going to go a long way in helping shoppers to remember your business.
5 Examples of Great Business Names
Okay, now that we’ve gone through our top tips for coming up with a name for your business, it’s time to highlight some of our favorite store names.
These are real-world examples of companies who’ve nailed their store names and hit on the points that we mentioned above.
We’ll dive into the meanings behind these store names, so you can get a better idea of how successful brands think about naming their businesses.
Bulletproof
One of the first things that you see when you land on Bulletproof ’s homepage is “Health Upgrades”.
And that copy is totally aligned with their brand message – Bulletproof sells products that are designed to make you feel bulletproof.
They blend butter into their best-selling coffee products, which are meant to work to elongate the effects of their products and help you to avoid the usual crash that comes from caffeine.
Essentially, they’re selling coffee products that are “more than your average latte.”
And we love their business name. It’s simple yet effective. Every shopper has a clear idea of what they can expect from this business from the get-go, and it’s memorable too, because most shoppers typically don’t associate the word ‘bulletproof’ with coffee.
They’ve been able to branch out from their initial offerings of coffee too and expand into other health supplements, which underlines the beauty of coming up with a future proof business name.
Colourpop
Ultra successful makeup brand, Colourpop, landed on a fantastic name for their business.
The LA-based beauty outfit are offering high-quality makeup products to shoppers who are looking to add a ‘pop of color’ to their routine at drug store prices.
They’ve got a simple, straightforward business name that is undoubtedly futureproof – under the Colourpop umbrella they could move into clothing or jewellery as well, and it’s fit perfectly into their brand.
It’s a fun, playful business name, too, which is aligned with what their audience prefers.
KITH
Lifestyle brand KITH has quite the backstory for their business name.
According to the founder of KITH, Ronnie Fieg, the business name originates from the term “Kith and Kin”, which is an old saying that means “Friends and Family”.
And, according to Ronnie, he always wanted to build products for people like his friends, so he dropped the “Kin” part and named his business “Kith”.
All in all, KITH is a unique business name with a lot of thought behind it. It’s clear, simple to remember, and works well to convey meaning.
SuitSupply
SuitSupply is a tailoring brand that prides themselves on being “straight to the point”, which is definitely evident in their business name.
This business name does a fantastic job of conveying exactly what they’re selling – suits.
We love that this brand has used alliteration in their business name. Both of the words in their name start with the same letter, and this is a clever marketing tactic that can actually help people to remember your brand.
If you can add some alliteration to your brand name, don’t hesitate – it can really work well, as shown by SuitSupply.
Gymshark
If you’re looking for inspiration when you’re naming your own fitness brand, Gymshark is a great example.
The successful clothing & apparel brand came up with their name by cleverly blending two common words together.
First off they used ‘Gym’, which is the bread and butter of their business. They exclusively create fitness apparel targeted towards gym-goers.
Then, they added ‘Shark’, which is an animal that is often associated with power, and strength.
Honestly, it’s a pretty simple name, but it’s also quite unique.
It’s simplicity is key here though – it’s super easy to remember, which is exactly what you want when you’re starting a new brand.
Still Stuck? Use a Business Name Generator
If you’re still struggling to come up with a name for your business, worry not. You can always use a business name generator to point you in the right direction.
If you’re wondering what a business name generator is, it’s pretty simple, actually.
You can enter a word, or term, that you like into a business name generator, and it’ll provide you with dozens of examples that you can use for your business.
Take a look at what happens when we enter ‘running’ into a business name generator:
Pretty neat, right?
Of course, there’s no guarantee that all of the names that the business name generator comes up with are available – you’ll need to check that yourself – but they’re great tools if you’re still struggling for ideas.
Interested in using a business name generator? We’ve got just the thing for you – Shopify's Business Name Generator. It’s free, so take advantage of it when you’re naming your business.
Now It’s Over to You
Okay, now you’ve got all the tips, tricks, and tools that you need to come up with a great name for your online business.
Now it’s time to use all the information that you’ve gleaned from this post and come up with the best name for your business
Oh, and if you’ve got any questions about naming your business, or if you want feedback on your business name, leave it in the comments section below – we read them all!
