luvkadcl

How did you come up with the name for your business? I have seen names that really let you know what they sell "Whole Foods", and others names don't give any idea "Starbucks". What do you think is better? Does it matter? How do you get people to reach you on a search if the name has nothing to do with what you sell?

Thanks!
Cindy

mamaslittlemonkeys

I think it depends on how SET you are on what you sell..often times when you start out you change gears around...for instance you may start out selling cloth diapers then change to something else so if u pick a name fluffy butt. you're stuck with it

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luvkadcl

Hmm...I never thought about that. That is something to think about. Thank you so much!!

So how did you come up with your name?

Cindy

UndrThTblNDrumng

My store name was a mixture of having an idea of what I wanted (something that reflects my faith but isn't in your face religious) and getting some opinions on options I had come up with.

as far as searches and store names, they don't have to correlate. the "art" of search engine optimization (seo) is all about how to make your web pages easily searchable with relevant words and phrases in key places (like item titles and page titles for a start). Your store name isn't the only thing search bots will log when they go through the coding of your store.

some things to keep in mind when naming your store is you want it to be memorable. If there are numbers (like, "shop 1984")or words that are long or difficult it will make it hard for people to remember your store name and to pass it on to others. Also you want to try to keep your name as unique as possible when compared to others that sell similar items. You don't want your competitors getting your business because your customer typed in 'kidsland' instead of 'kidland'. Then, along those lines, make sure the domain name you want is available (you can check it at most all domain name registering places like godaddy and 1&1). This can be the hardest part -- finding a name whose domain name is available too. And if it is available, you may want to invest in all similar domain names (forkids, 4kids, fourkids, etc) so that if a customer remembers your name but doesn't remember which way you spelled it you can redirect them to your main site.

i hope some of the babbling helped

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chelleym

This was very helpful to me as I'm just starting out with the naming of my business. One question ...Is there a good place to search and make sure the 'name' is not being used? With all the selling places some names possibly wouldn't have their own domain.

mamaslittlemonkeys

I came up with mama's little monkeys just spur of the moment, I wanted something that sort of focused on my kids bu tnot totally..ironically it worked out great bc I also ended up making sock monkeys LOL

One helpful tip is to once u find a name u like go to www.godaddy.com and see if the domain for hta tname is taken. That way if you want your own url like www.mamaslittlemonkeys.com links to my Etsy shop, you can make sure you secure it

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UndrThTblNDrumng

you could do a search on a couple of the highly used search engines (google, ask.com, yahoo, bing) and see what they come up with. then try etsy. if, after that and a godaddy search you don't find anything I'd say youre golden. the search engines are highly efficient so unless someone takes the name only a couple hours before your search you should be fine.

And, if you can't find them on the search engines and they don't take the domain name... well... you snooze you loose. Chances are they are not going to be a competitor anyway (and chances are they aren't trying to be either).

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aimeesrockworks

The first place I checked for my desired business name was my State's Licensing Department. Wanted to make sure that my business name could be on my License.

There was a great link on their site (Washington State) where I could type in any name my heart desired and see if it was still available.

After that I hit godaddy.com and the major search engines.

Best of luck!

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- Aimee

Aimee's Rock Works
www.aimeesrockworks.com - Custom Rock Cabinet Knobs & Handmade Stone Products

chelleym

Thank you both!

The first step in starting my business is happening....we are moving! We will be just renting but the house is big enough for everyone to have space. I can see us living there for 3-4 years at least. The landlord all ready warned me the gal across the street is into all kinds of crafting It would be so cool if she was a spinner.

I'll get everything checked out when we get settled in the new house.

Kymy

Great advice!

I also made sure mine was a more general name... Everything Your Mama Made & More! It is longer then I would like but I came up with it on a whimm & it stuck/caught on fast. I like it because it really covers what I do & covers nearly anything that is hand made! Whether its baby stuff, bags, women's clothes or curtains, it covers all of it!

The other thing to note is that if it is very similar to a unique name make sure that name isn't trademarked. If there is a store named 'Fluffy Bottoms' that has a trademark (similar to copy right but for a name or logo) and you pick 'Fluffy Butts' even though it is different it is similar & can cause confusion since you are likely both selling to a similar audience. In general a lot of small businesses don't have trademarked names because they are similar to many others out there. BUT if you don't pick a good unique catchy name & you have a serious business it may be worth looking into a trademark. I think they are about $350 or so with out a lawyer to get filled. But you have to protect it... if someone else pops up using it or something like the example above you have to contact them & send them a cease & desist letter. If you don't protect it, then it can become invalid.

Probably more info than you wanted, but I hope that helps!

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