Catchy Online Shop Names: Get Inspired for Your Online Store

Your dream of opening an online store is about to come true. You have a killer product and a solid business plan, but you’re missing one essential element — a winning name for your online store.

Naming a business can be a rewarding exercise or a daunting task. Don’t let it stress you out. Instead, think of it as an opportunity to make your business shine.

Fortunately, naming a business doesn’t require a specialized skill or talent. Anyone can do it — including you!

There are so many ways to brainstorm catchy online store name ideas. We’re going to share valuable tips, tricks, and online tools to get your creative juices flowing.

Let’s go!

Catchy Online Shop Names You’ll Love

Think of your brand name as a first impression that can make or break your business.

If you choose a name that doesn’t resonate with your customers, it could put them off your brand, affecting online traffic and sales. At the same time, a catchy name may grab a potential customer’s attention — and their business.

One note: “Catchy” doesn’t necessarily mean “snappy” or “clever.” Catchy online shop names can range from captivating to quirky to cryptic. The key is to aim for something memorable.

Here’s a list of some online brands that got it right:

1. Boy Smells

If Boy Smells are for sale, I’m curious. Scratch that — I’m downright intrigued. This online store is impossible to ignore, even if I don’t know what it offers.

It turns out it’s an LA-based company that sells scented candles, fine fragrances, and intimate wear for the genderful (a term the founders coined as a mark of inclusion).

Fragrance companies are often geared toward women, so the juxtaposition of the words “Boy” and “Smells” is unexpected — and brilliant for a brand that defies norms.

2. Socky Sock

Simply put, Socky Sock is fun to say and hard to forget. It would be shocking if this online shop didn’t sell socks. Here’s an example of a company that didn’t overthink it. They created a feel-good name with a tagline that says, “We’ll put a smile on your feet.” Chances are, their name will put a smile on your face.

3. Bouqs

You could call a flower company “Bouquets,” but that would be boring. The Bouqs Co wanted to set itself apart from traditional online floral shops, so they abbreviated a familiar word to make their business sound modern and fresh. There are many popular ways to craft a unique online store name. You can add a number or a letter at the end or make a word that doesn’t exist.

4. Nasty Gal

If you want the most attention-grabbing name for an online boutique, Nasty Gal beat you to the punch. This online fashion retailer is the brainchild of Sophia Amoruso, who started the company at age 22, selling vintage clothing on eBay. Rumor has it that she named her company after a song by funk and soul singer Betty Davis.

Here’s an example of a risky name that paid off. Amoruso knew her target customer was a style-obsessed, 20-something woman (just like her). So, if someone found her company’s name offensive, she knew that wasn’t her customer anyway.

5. The Foggy Dog

When you’re naming your online shop, it’s OK if you’re not a risk-taker. There are plenty of ways to develop a catchy name without putting your business on the line. The Foggy Dog name is catchy, engaging, and safe.

First off, you can bet this is an online store for dog lovers. If you dive deeper into the website, you’ll learn that it’s in San Francisco. Ahh, now the fog makes sense!

You can use your store name to reveal something about you or your brand. This is a great way to add a personal touch and create a connection with your customers.

How to Come Up with Online Store Names

Choosing a name for your business may seem like a simple task, but it isn’t always easy. And it may take more time than you think.

Fortunately, you don’t have to be a poet or a pun master to create a memorable name for your store. All it takes is a little bit of preparation and patience. If you think some things through before you begin, that focus will pay off in the end.

Here are some things to consider before you start brainstorming:

Look at your competitors.

With a bit of market research, you can search your competitors’ names. If they all sound the same, avoid using those words and methods, and head in another direction. Think differently, and your business could be the one shop that stands out.

Consider your customer.

Think about who you want to reach, and create a list of online shop names that might appeal to them. If you have friends and family who fit your target customer, see which ideas resonate with them the most. Or you can introduce your ideas to a focus group to find out which online store names they like.

Choose carefully.

How do you want to be perceived? While you may come up with a list of funny, cute online store names, it may not be the right approach for your brand. Be sure to write down descriptive words that reflect your store’s image, or you may wind up choosing a name that doesn’t fit your business.

Picking a name may be one of the trickiest tasks of starting a business, but it’s crucial to your company’s success. The wrong name can damage your brand’s image and could even drive customers away. On the other hand, the right name can build affinity for your brand, likely ensuring future success.

It’s time to get creative with tools that can help you find the perfect name for your business.

Four Name Generators You Should Check Out

Whether you love to brainstorm or not, a business name generator is a great way to develop catchy online store name ideas. These online tools are free, easy to use, and take just minutes to produce results.

There are dozens of business name generators to choose from, but for the sake of simplicity, we’ll walk you through three.

To demonstrate how each one works, we’ll use a fictional company as an example. Let’s say the online store we’re going to open specializes in organic coffee beans.

Here’s how you can create an online store name using each of these business name generators.

1. Shopify

Shopify’s business name generator is the most basic of the three. It’s easy to use and is a good option if you’re looking for a little bit of inspiration to jump-start a brainstorming session.

You simply describe your business in one word, enter it into the name generator, and get your results in 10 seconds or less.

Let’s give it a go. We’ll choose coffee.

When we input the word “coffee,” a list of more than 100 available business names appears, including:

• Coffee Utopia
• GreenWorld Coffee
• We Coffee
• Honeybee Coffee

Love one of those names? Instant gratification. Shopify can help guide you in securing the name, registering the domain, and even help create an online store. Bear in mind, your search results may vary since it’s based on names that are currently available.

If you’re not wild about this list of names, you can use the results to start your own list of online business names.

Like many business name generators, Shopify allows only one keyword. One word can be limiting since you may want to explore different idea paths.

If this business name generator feels too simplistic, no worries — there are more robust options.

2. Business Name Generator

Are you interested in more functionality? Business Name Generator may be a better choice for you. With this name generator, you can enter multiple keywords.

Let’s use coffee, beans, roaster, and energy.

You also can choose industry filters, so we’ll click cafe and organic.

Next, you can specify one-word names or two-word names. And you can indicate if you’re open to rhyming (no thanks).

Once you plug in the inputs, hundreds of available business names pop up, including:

• Energy Hut
• Coffee Go
• Barista Stardust
• Coffee Neon

As you can see, the additional keywords make a difference. This generator takes your keywords, relevant industries, and filters using a matching algorithm to help you find relevant and unique names.

3. Namelix

While most business name generators combine keywords to create generic business names, Namelix uses artificial intelligence to provide you with catchy online shop names and logo design ideas.

You can start by inputting your brand description, or you can just enter a few keywords. Let’s use coffee, beans, roaster, organic, and energy.

Then you select your desired name length by letter count: short, medium, or long. Let’s choose short.

Finally, you can select a name style. Style types include brandable, misspellings, rhyming words, non-English words, and more. Let’s choose the most popular style, which is brandable.

Here’s just a few of the names that appeared, each in a square with a distinct design, color, and typeface.

• CBean
• Zinge
• Roastd
• Organa

When it comes to branding your name, Namelix delivers something unique. These names are evocative. And the logo designs bring the words to life, helping you envision what your business could look like to a customer.

If you’re looking for a trendy, modern name that may appeal to a tech-savvy customer, give Namelix a try. If you find a business name you love, you can purchase it along with the professionally designed logo.

4. Our own business name generator

If you’d like to try some names with a bit of European flair, check out what our UK colleagues have come up with on the Simply Business UK site.

Just enter your type of business or profession into the search bar and the generator serves up pun-landed ideas, one after the other.

Even if you’re not familiar with some of the British terminology, you may find some of them trigger new ideas you might never have thought of.

The 5 Tips to Help You Name Your Online Store

When you’re brainstorming names, it may feel like all the good names have been taken. Not so. There are literally millions of catchy online shop names to be discovered. Hang in there, and you’ll find a keeper soon enough.

If you haven’t found a name that excites you yet, then continue exploring ideas, asking friends and family for suggestions, and revisiting the business name generators for inspiration.

A common question: How do you know when you’ve finally found “the one”?

The feeling may be similar to falling in love or finding the perfect house — you just know! When you come up with a great idea, the feeling is electric. Seriously, if you get all jumpy and excited, that’s totally normal.

Once you find “the one,” there’s one final step: You need to be sure it’s a viable business name. The ultimate goal is to find an online store name that excites your customers, but you should feel good about the name too. So don’t give up or settle for a name that doesn’t feel right.

We’ll use these five helpful tips to put your favorite business name to the test:

1. Have backup names.

Maybe you have a list of a hundred online store names. Or perhaps you have only one or two. Ideally, you should have a list of ten, with a clear top three.

It’s always better to have multiple contenders, since you may find out that your favorite business name has been taken. If that’s the case, you need to let go and move on.

You may be thinking, “I can’t come up with any more names. I’m exhausted!”

We get it. Creativity can be draining.

Here’s a tip: Come up with some variations of your favorite names.

Say you fell in love with Roastd, and it turns out someone else has that name. Think about what you loved about it. If it was the abbreviation, revisit some other favorite words and apply that technique to them.

You may come up with names like Brewd, Buzzd, or bRista. Hey, nice save!

2. Start using your business name.

One of the best ways to test out your business name is to act like it’s official.

Make a sign.

Don’t worry; it doesn’t have to be well-designed. Write the name on a white poster board and hang it somewhere in your home or business office. If you leave it up long enough, one of two things will happen: You’ll continue to love the name, or you’ll start to see flaws in it.

Say the name out loud.

Why? Because a written word can be misleading. Let’s use bRista as an example. It looks like a cool store name, but do you like the way it sounds when you say it out loud?

Will people know how to pronounce it? You may find that the word passes the “out loud test” or it doesn’t.

Use the name in a sentence.

Once you launch your online business, your shop name is official, and there’s no going back. Write out several sentences using your business name to ensure it won’t be confusing.

For example, if you chose Buzzd as the name of your online coffee shop, the copy on your website might read “Welcome, We’re Buzzd!” Suddenly your coffee shop sounds like a brewery, and you may decide to rethink that name.

3. Search it.

There’s nothing worse than finding out that your favorite shop name is already taken. Hopefully, that won’t be the case, but you’ll need to run a thorough check to be sure. Fingers crossed, your shop name will be available.

Here’s how to check it:

Google

Search the name with the exact spelling you want to use and see what pops up on the first two or three results pages. If a similar business uses the name, you should cross it off your list.

You may notice an unrelated business using the name. For example, there may be a local honey company called Buzzd. If that’s the case, you’ll need to weigh the pros and cons of moving forward with a name that’s already being used.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Make sure you’re legally allowed to use your favorite name by checking the free USPTO database to determine if another business is already using the name. If the name is available, you are allowed to use it. When you’re ready, be sure to register your business with the SBA so no one else can use the name.

4. Shop it around.

When you think you’ve found your winning name, it’s time to seek feedback from others. Try to find a diverse group of people, including friends, family, neighbors, and business associates. If some of these people are representative of your future customers, that’s even better.

This process can be scary because you may discover that your much-loved name doesn’t resonate with others or is missing a crucial element. Try to not take the feedback personally. You’re seeking their honest opinion, which could save you from potentially making a major business mistake.

If most people like your business name as much as you do, then bravo! You’re ready to move to the next step.

5. Sleep on it.

Everyone loves your online store name. It has been tested and validated, and it appears to be the perfect fit for your business. Now it’s time to sleep on it.

With all the hard work you’ve put into naming your business, allowing yourself another 24 hours to ensure you have the best name shouldn’t be a big deal. After all, naming your online store is among the most crucial business decisions you’ll make.

Protect Your Online Store with E-commerce & Cyber Insurance

One of the other critical decisions you’ll make as a small business owner is choosing an insurance plan. Building an online business can be exciting, but it also exposes many hazards. That’s why you’ll likely want to consider E-commerce insurance protection.

E-commerce insurance

You may not be opening a brick-and-mortar shop, but you can share many of the same risks. It doesn’t matter if you’re coming face-to-face with customers or not; they interact with your products — which means you’re exposed to liability claims.

That’s where e-commerce insurance comes in.

An e-commerce policy typically includes general liability insurance and cyber insurance depending on the needs of your business.

General liability insurance

A GL policy can offer you financial protection from common claims such as:

• Third-party bodily injury to another person
• Third-party accidents
• Personal and advertising injury
• Medical expenses
• And more

When operating your online store, you never know when something may go wrong.

Say your organic coffee bean shop just had its grand opening. You start selling coffee beans, brewing tools, and branded merchandise online.

One of your customers orders a glass coffee carafe. Unfortunately, the glass shatters in his hands the first time he pours hot coffee into it. His cuts are so deep he has to go to the emergency room to get his hands stitched up.

He contacts your business and claims your defective glass caused his injuries. He may sue your business for his medical costs, and you’d likely be financially responsible for them.

If you’re protected with general liability insurance, your policy could cover the cost of the claim, plus attorney’s fees to defend you in court (up to your policy limit).

Cyber insurance

As many online store owners can attest, you always can be a target for hackers looking to steal customer information or do damage to your website. And a cyber attack can quickly become an expensive and time-consuming event.

While antivirus and cyber protection products help, they aren’t foolproof. If a hacker gets through to your personal data or your customers’ financial information, it could cost your business big time.

As an e-commerce business owner, you may be responsible for:

• Finding and fixing the breach
• Notifying your customers
• Providing credit monitoring for affected customers
• And more

Cyber insurance can help you cover those costs (up to your policy limits). You can feel confident that you’re getting the coverage you need to protect your business and your peace of mind.

Here’s what cyber insurance usually covers:

• Crisis management expense
• Forensic and legal expense
• Fraud response expense
• Extortion loss
• Public relations expense
• And more

Tell us more about your business, and we’ll get you a quote for cyber insurance in less than a minute.

If you’re setting up an online store, your e-commerce insurance can be customized to your specific risks, so you don’t have to pay for what you don’t need.

At Simply Business, we make it fast and easy to get your online store covered. And it’s easy to get a quote in under 10 minutes.

Your Shop. Your Name. Your Future.

Teasing out a winning name for your online store can take time, but it’s one effort that will pay off for years to come. The same can be said for getting the best e-commerce insurance for your small business.

Opening an online store is a big step, so you want to be sure you’re doing everything you can to protect yourself.

A new shop. A new name. And the best insurance. It sounds like you’re ready for business.