Like most small businesses and online stores, Etsy shops are constantly evolving until they find their “brand.”
This is because there are many who begin an Etsy shop that will start with a single dream without much success. They create and sell a product that they have created by themselves and then try to garner a fan base to buy that product.
However, once an Etsy shop finds what works for them, they tend to use that to tailor their own personal “brand,” which usually has much more success!
For example, if you sell basic jacket and bag pins at first, but eventually create a brand of pins that focuses on a specific genre (animals, candy, food, cartoon characters, quotes, etc.), you will want your shop to properly reflect that brand better than it did when you first started out.
This sometimes comes with changing your name, logo, color palette, email, and even social media handles.
How do you change your Etsy shop name?
Changing your Etsy shop name requires using your Shop Manager settings to update your “Info and Appearance.” Next to “Shop Name,” you will click on a button that says “Change,” and change your shop.
Specific brands will then take off with word of mouth or online, as they are more recognizable in the sea of beginning entrepreneurs.
Let’s talk about how to change your Etsy shop name and what goes into it!
How to Change Your Etsy Shop Name?
To change your Etsy shop name, you need to use your Shop Manager to your advantage. Changing your shop name is incredibly easy and requires very little effort on your part.
Simply use the Shop Manager settings and click on “Info & Appearance.” Once you’ve done that, you can change your “Shop Name”!
Your shop name can be up to 20 characters long, and they cannot have spaces or punctuation. You can, however, break up words with capital letters, such as “AfterParty” or “AfterShockClothing” (both fake shop names).
If you find one that you like and that emphasizes your brand the way that you do business, you can make that your official shop name going forward.
What Exactly Happens When You Change the Name?
When you change the name of your shop, it will show up on your storefront.
While it isn’t clear if customers get notifications from your shop name change, it is important to send out mass announcements on social media to your customers and fans.
If you aren’t clear about the changes you make to your shop, you may confuse your customers – they may even think you closed down.
To prevent this, being as transparent as possible with your changes, sending out emails or updates to your shop’s social media page, and making it clear way in advance that the shop is making changes will keep your customers up to date and happy.
If you fail to be as transparent, you may lose customers by default.
How Many Times Can You Change Your Shop Name?
It is important to know what your shop name and general “vibe” are going to be before you open the shop.
Many shop owners spend months preparing for the look, feel, product, name, and aesthetic of their Etsy shop before opening. This is so that they can try to establish a brand early.
If you’re not one of those people, and you aren’t sure what you want out of your shop yet, consider changing the name several times before letting the shop go live.
Keep in mind, once the shop goes live, you can only change the shop name, information, and appearance up to five times.
Furthermore, if you have already used the shop name once, you can’t use it again later. Once you change your shop name to something else, the old name is no longer available to anyone and must be completely forgotten.
Why Can’t the Shop Name be Changed in My Shop?
Any major changes that you make to your shops are going to be done through the “Shop Manager.”
Whether you are using a different packaging company for deliveries, auto-renewing listings, or working on different ways to organize your shop, “Shop Manager” is the way to go.
Most changes can’t be made straight from your storefront, and usually have to be done in the “Shop Manager” settings.
This means that you can’t change the name or even listing information just from your shop alone. Instead, consider utilizing the tools at your disposal to make changes from the settings page.
Rules to Know Before you Change Your Shop Name:
There are a few rules that you need to know when changing your shop name are as follows:
- Shop names cannot exceed 20 Characters
- Shop names cannot have punctuation or spacing
- Shop names must be appropriate and follow Etsy guidelines
- The name of your shop becomes your shop URL
- You can only change your shop name five times once it is live
- Before your shop goes live, you can change the name as many times as you like
- Your old shop name cannot be reused again once you change it to a new one
These are all concrete Etsy rules that must be followed in the event that you decide to change your shop name.
This is why you need to know exactly what your goal is for your shop when going through the naming process. If you pick a new name and wish you could use the old one again, you won’t be able to.
Furthermore, knowing the brand that you want to present to your customers and the shop message is key in helping you pick a great shop name.
Finally, make sure to look over each of these rules multiple times before making a choice to change your shop name. You won’t want to forget a rule exists and run into complications later.
X Tips for Choosing the BEST Name for Your Etsy Shop:
The name of your shop should reflect your brand, product, and a little about you all at once.
Remember, your shop name can’t be longer than 20 characters, and you cannot have punctuation, so you want to choose your name carefully.
1. Collect Keywords & Elements of Your Shop
In order to do this, consider writing down several elements of your products, personality, branding, or style.
This can help you narrow down words or elements you want to use in your name.
For example, if you are an artist that paints watercolors of woodland animals, you may write down aesthetic words such as:
- Natural
- Fauna
- Pawprints
- Flora
- Watercolor
From this, you could consider using a play on the words to create a specific shop name, such as “PawPrintsPainter” – this is only 16 characters and meets the Etsy shop name criteria.
You could also call it the “FaunaShopStop” or something to that effect.
Using this technique, you can try to find a way to create a shop name and branding that is clear to your audience who may never have heard of you before.
2. Search Around Etsy For Shops Likened to Yours
If you look around on the Etsy site for shops that are similar to yours, you will start to see a pattern of names or styles that you can use to inspire you.
You should never copyright anyone else’s styles or names, but getting an idea of what the popular shops use as clever taglines or branding can help you get started.
For example, if you sell stationery or bookmarks, you may want to see what the major planner and stationery shops are using for their taglines.
They may include terms like “PaperTrail” or “SticksAndTones” (also fictional shop names) – anything paper or stationery related that gives your audience an idea of what you sell.
If a customer can get a good idea of what your shop is about without having to click on it, you’ve done a good job naming it.
3. Go Completely Unique or Crazy
On the flip-side of this tips and tricks list is to go completely unique and crazy with your name.
Names that are vague or unclear exactly what their shop is about can grab a customer’s attention and get them interested in the shop.
For example, ModParty – one of the more popular shops on Etsy – is a very simple name without a very clear message.
Do they sell party supplies or modified clothing?
Neither!
ModParty is actually a major seller or wedding favors, decorations, and bridesmaid gifts! They are well known throughout the community and have a very specific brand.
While the name “ModParty” isn’t totally out of this world, it is a great way to make yourself stand out from the crowd. Instead of including the terms “wedding, bridal, favors, gifts” in the name, they have created a whole new persona all their own!
4. Consider The Future
Whatever you decide to do with the name of your shop, make sure to consider the long-term implications that it may have.
Regardless of the rule that you can only change your shop name five times, you should treat every single shop name like a permanent brand that you will be connecting to yourself, your social media, and your personal brand for many years to come.
This helps discourage using juvenile names or anything that might seem unprofessional. You won’t get many customers if you use inappropriate or odd language in your shop name – unless your shop requires that sort of style.
Because of this, thinking about the future is incredibly important and a huge part of picking the destiny of your Etsy store.
When in doubt, pretend that the name will be the one that you want for the rest of your store’s life.
References:
How To Change Etsy Shop Name – Etsy Seller Help