How to Choose the Perfect Name for Your Store January 27, 2020 bizadmin [abc] 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. [abc] 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. 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 [abc] 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 of 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 [abc] 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 is 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 futureproofed – under the Colourpop umbrella they could move into clothing or jewelry 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 itself 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. [abc] 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. Its 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 – Oberlo’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! Andrew Roach Andrew Roach is a Content Marketer at Oberlo. He is passionate about eCommerce and creating insightful content to help entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses. [abc]
Dates and Events to Use in Your 2020 E-commerce Ad Campaigns January 22, 2020 bizadmin With 2020 already well underway, it’s time to start thinking about all of the fantastic campaigns you can run throughout the year to get customers spending. When you think of days when consumers are willing to buy, your mind probably jumps to the big end-of-year holidays. But why wait until November to start all your big campaigns when you have so many other days you could capitalize on throughout the year. To get your 2020 marketing calendar started, we’ve put together a massive list of days and events that you could use for your store and get those sales happening. And, we’ve even included a downloadable calendar at the bottom of this article that will help you keep track of your dates. [abc] Spending Holidays We’re going to ease into things with a bunch of holidays that you should already have on your calendar – the big ones that are proven to generate sales. Although these shopping holidays are when most online stores run sales, because there’s so much money to spend during this time, there’s no reason they can’t be profitable for your store as well. Black Friday and Cyber Monday These two days bookend a massive weekend for commerce – and eCommerce in particular. In the US alone, shoppers spent over $7.4 billion online during Black Friday 2019 and went on to spend $9.4 billion on Cyber Monday. With that much cash changing hands, you’d be silly for not planning for a BFCM sale. This year Black Friday will be on November 27 and Cyber Monday on November 30. Singles’ Day Celebrated on November 11, Singles’ Day is an unofficial Chinese holiday for single people – but it has also become the most essential day for shipping in the world. In 2019 shoppers spent over $30 billion on Singles’ Day, and due to its popularity, Singles’ Day has become more internationally recognized in recent years – much like Black Friday. Because of this, it could be well worth jumping on the trend and adding Singles’ Day to your calendar. Halloween and Valentine’s Day These are two holidays that people love to spend on, so if you sell items in a complementary niche – think along the lines of decorations, costumes, supplies, and gifts – these are two days that should certainly go on your calendar. However, bear in mind that these are holidays can also be regional. While Halloween is enormous in the United States and Canada, it’s not as popular in Australia and New Zealand. Researching on local holidays will help you see where campaigns might have more impact. For example, for Commonwealth countries, December 26 – or Boxing Day – is a big shopping day. And, in Australia, June 30 is also a big shopping day, as it’s the end of the financial year. Weird Days and Months Did you know that January is Get Organized Month? Or that February 20 is Love Your Pet Day? What about International Plant Appreciation Day on April 13? If it seems like there’s a day or month for everything, it might be because there is. With so many fun, weird, and wacky dates, there are bound to be a few you could use as the basis for an excellent campaign for your products or store. [abc] For example, if you’re in the pet niche and selling products for dogs, you could run sales on March 23 for National Puppy Day. Or if you’re in the jewelry niche, Jewel Day on March 13 is for you. Although you can only use these campaigns for a short amount of time, tying your product to a relevant day will add urgency, stop potential customers in their tracks, and ideally lead to impulse purchases. Websites such as Holiday Insights and Days of the Year will help you find the perfect day or month for your campaign, and from there, you only need to write some snappy ad copy that will entice buyers to celebrate with a purchase from your store. And if you can’t find a day that suits your store or products? Well, you could always invent your own. Back in 2005, UK holiday company Sky Travel sent a press release designating the third Monday of January to be Blue Monday – a.k.a the most depressing day of the year. While they claimed academics calculated the day by taking into account Northern hemisphere weather conditions, in reality, it was all pseudoscience. Despite this, 15 years later, Blue Monday is still an annual event in the UK, so why not take a chance by creating a store-relevant day? Astrological Signs I know this might seem a little kooky or strange, but stick with me! You only need to make a quick search on Twitter or Instagram to see that astrology is enormous at the moment. Pinterest’s recent trend report even mentioned that space and astrology are going to be significant trends in 2020. With astrology so popular, it makes total sense to seize on the chance to use this in your campaigns. And with 12 different star signs, there’s the opportunity to target 12 different groups throughout the whole year. Looking at Facebook Audience Insights, the group that shows the most interest in astrology is overwhelming women, who make up 65 percent of the worldwide audience. And, diving even more in-depth, we can see that women between 25-34 (31 percent) and 35-44 (20 percent) are particularly interested. The best thing about using astrological signs as the basis for a campaign is that people who are interested in astrology love to feel as though they genuinely relate to their sign. You can use this to your advantage in the images and copy you use in your ads. For example, Scorpios are often described as brave, passionate, and loyal, while Pisces is intuitive, gentle, and wise. Incorporating these traits into your ads could be a fantastic way to appeal to potential buyers even further. And, because each astrological sign has a season of around 30 days, it gives you plenty of time to tinker with refining audiences, changing images, and copy to try and hook as many star sign enthusiasts as possible. Seasonal Changes Seasonal changes are a time of the year that businesses have been using in their sales campaigns forever, so really, you’d be silly not to use it as well. No matter what you’re selling, there’s a way that you can tie your product to a seasonal sale – even if it’s something as the classic “the temperature is dropping, and so are our prices!” You could even make it as simple as promoting free shipping for a season; this is ideal for a store selling more seasonal products like bikinis, Halloween costumes, or outdoor sportswear. Or why not add new products to that perfectly complement the season. However, seasonal sales come with a few things to think about, for example, targeting northern and southern hemisphere countries for different seasons. After all, there’s no point advertising summer sales to Australians in June or July when they’re in the middle of winter. It could also be worth researching when certain countries consider the season to have changed. For many countries, the seasons change on equinoxes and solstices – around the 20th of March, June, September, and December. However, Australia and New Zealand prefer to use meteorological seasons, so seasons begin on the 1st of March, June, September, and December. It’s a small detail, but it’s worth considering all the same. Sporting Events [abc] Everyone knows majoring sports events are big business, so why not try to grab some of that business for yourself by running campaigns during some of the notable competitions in 2020. Below we’ve named some of the bigger tournaments and games planned for 2020, but don’t limit yourself to the ones we’ve listed. Different sports are accessible in different parts of the world, so depending on the countries you’re targeting, you could find a whole different event that would be perfect to base a campaign around. Tokyo Olympics The Olympic games will captivate the world for more than two weeks this year as elite athletes descend on Tokyo to show off their skills. While the Olympics will officially run from July 24 until August 9, the hype will start weeks before the event, so it gives you plenty of time to run a campaign. Because the summer Olympics only come around every four years, this allows you to run campaigns that bounce off this idea. For example, you could create gigantic “once in four years” discounts, or promise free shipping for the duration of the games. Or, why not get super savvy and offer discounts based on the results of athletes or sports teams. Perhaps you could offer 1 percent off for each gold medal a country adds to their medal count – all it takes is some discount codes and geo-targeting to make this super-localized campaign a reality. Superbowl LIV [abc] The Superbowl has become so massive in recent years that it’s no longer just a big deal in the United States, it’s very much a worldwide event. The Superbowl is an incredibly commercial competition, with advertising airtime worth millions for mere seconds. Luckily it won’t cost you quite as much to run a Superbowl-centric ad, but you could score big. A flash sale for Superbowl day could be a fantastic way to catch the eye of potential customers, or why not target fans of the two teams playing and offer special discount codes. And depending on the products you sell, you could even start advertising well before the big game. For example, if your store has food or kitchen-related items, why not try and sell these items the month before the game, pitching them as the ideal products for a Superbowl party. Euro 2020 From one ball sport to another, the European football championship is also happening in 2020 in a tournament that will last from June 12 to July 12. With 12 countries competing in this event, it offers anyone targeting European countries the opportunity to create localized ads and woo customers. Or, if you’d prefer not to have to translate your ads into different languages, focus on advertising to the younger demographic who are more likely to speak English. Cultural Events If your store or products don’t exactly chime with sporting events, perhaps something in the cultural sphere could be more suited. This idea is a vast category, and I’ve used it to encompass things like entertainment, art, and music. But, as with sport, don’t take this list as an exhaustive one – there are thousands more big events out there. And, perhaps even more so than games, there will be cultural events that are huge news in some countries but might be relatively unheard of on an international scale. That said, as always, some things definitely have worldwide appeal, and you can very much use this to your advantage in your campaigns. Awards Season [abc] The glitz and glamor of awards season kick-off in January with the Golden Globes, Grammys, Academy Awards, and BAFTAs, to name just a few. If your store is related to entertainment, clothing, or jewelry, this could be the perfect time to target audiences already focussed on who’s attending the ceremonies and what they’re wearing. San Diego Comic-Con From July 23-26, over 130,000 people descend on the San Diego Convention Center to hear from their favorite TV and movie stars and to watch much-anticipated trailers for the first time. And aside from the thousands who gather in San Diego, millions more all over the world who follow the event on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube, waiting for exclusive SDCC footage and interviews to be released. If you sell items that are in any way related to fandoms or entertainment – projectors, wigs, costumes, accessories – comic con is the time to target these fans. TV Series, Game, and Movie Releases Piggybacking off of Comic-Con, TV, game, and movie releases are also great times for sales – especially for niche stores. If you sell products that complement TV shows – for instance, medieval-themed items work well with shows like The Witcher or Vikings – then be sure to keep track of when those series return. You can also think about when trailers are released when finales are to be scheduled, and when major plot points might send fans racing to the internet. These are all the perfect times for you to advertise your store. Music Festivals Festivals and concerts are incredibly location-dependent, but they can be smart to target if your store has items that would appeal to the festival-going crowd. Think jewelry, clothing, bags, sunglasses, and other accessories. Depending on the countries you’re targeting, you could advertise to the enormous crowds headed to mega-festivals like Coachella, Burning Man, or Glastonbury. Or maybe do some more research on festivals that are more locally known. Festivals aren’t cheap to attend, and most festival-goers will spend time planning their trip ahead of time. This idea gives you the chance to start advertising from the time of lineup announcements and early ticket sales. Wrapping Up and Things to Keep in Mind So there you have some of the most significant events and dates in 2020 that you could potentially use in your ads and campaigns. However, this is only a starting point, there is so much more happening than what is listed here, and that’s important to bear in mind when you plan your big sales in 2020. Find Your Opportunities [abc] Even though we’ve covered a lot of holidays, dates, and events, there will undoubtedly be a ton more that we could never predict, but would be great for campaigns – this is especially true for stores that sell very niche products. However, staying alert and seizing the opportunities when you see them will help. For example, if you enjoy the internet and pop culture, don’t be afraid to jump on trends or memes and use them in ads. While you can’t necessarily foresee what will become popular, if you’re willing to try new ads when you notice trends, it could yield significant returns. It could be something as simple as a word or phrase (think 2019’s “OK boomer” or the evolution of DoggoLingo) or a suitable meme format. Whatever it is, if it’s relevant to your products, why not try it out in an ad. Don’t Try and Force Something If It Doesn’t Fit Before you go off and start planning your eCommerce campaigns for 2020, staying mindful of your audience and product is critical. While it might be tempting to try and take advantage of certain days or events with sales and marketing, if it doesn’t fit with your products, then don’t try to force it. If you’re struggling to connect your items with the day, then your customers probably will too, and you’ll lose the wow factor in your campaign. Besides, with so many days out there, you’re bound to find some super relevant ones – concentrate on making those great. Design Your 2020 Calendar With all the inspiration on this list, you’re probably bursting with plenty of campaign ideas for your store. Take the opportunity to download our 2020 e-commerce calendar to help you remember some of the more significant dates as well as adding your store-relevant dates. We recommend printing it off and keeping it nearby, so you have it for reference for the whole year. What events are you planning to incorporate into your advertising, and why? Tell us in the comments below. Allanah Faherty Allanah Faherty is a content marketer at Oberlo. Allanah is passionate about empowering entrepreneurs through useful and engaging content, as well as movie trivia and cats. [abc]