Etsy's Handmade Blog
Shop Makeover Series: What's in a Name?
Story by contrary, EtsyStore
Published on January 17, 2008 in How-To 		Photo by

ohmycavalier.etsy.com


We are making our way through the Shop Makeover series this month, and we hope everyone is working hard! But wait — stop and take a deep breath...Some of our readers requested a post about something that is a bit of a tricky subject on Etsy: shop names.

Many folks, when they first register for Etsy, don't realize that their usernames will also be their shop names. Some folks start off as buyers and then decide to list an item or two and then — before they know it — they're stuck with generic, silly or otherwise weirdo shop names.  Here's the rub: Etsy's Customer Support cannot switch your username for you. You would need to open another account (making sure to disclose both shops) and migrate items to it or start a new line in the fresh shop. Some of you may feel like you're beyond the point of no return: you've given out hundreds of business cards with your not-so-great shop name, or you've done advertising with it, collected tons of hearts and built a reputation. It may not be worth it to you to start a new shop with that "grass is always greener" name.  But since this is a new year and sellers are putting a lot of thought into their brands, we will offer up our advice, below, on the best way to do it if you're going to take the plunge.

Are you considering opening a shop on Etsy?  Are you thinking about opening a new shop for your new line of products or are just plain unsatisfied with your current Etsy shop name?  The following article was written to help you in your quest to find and brand the perfect shop name for you, your style, and shop.

Your shop name is one of the most important steps you can take in creating a successful business.  It will give you immediate recognition, style, and searchability.  When choosing a name, it is vital to weigh and take advantage of  all the factors that go into choosing the perfect name for your shop.

Things to consider when choosing a shop name:

  • Choose a name that is easy to remember and spell.  You want potential buyers to be able to recognize, remember, and be able to find you again, even if they have briefly visited your shop.
  • Try to limit your shop name to one or two words that flow well together.  For example, “JessicasDesigns” works a thousand times better than something like “beaddesignsbyjessica.” Make sense?  
  • Take inspiration from others.  Sit down with a piece of paper and writing utensil and ask yourself: “What sellers do I know the name of on Etsy?”  It doesn’t have to be your favorite seller or any reason other than the fact you remembered their name. This is key.  After you have your list of remembered names, take a look at them.  Why are they so memorable?  After asking yourself these questions, take inspiration from what these sellers have done to create your own memorable name.
  • Think about legalities. Some words and names are trademarked, so do your homework first to avoid a possible conflict later. Consider consulting an attorney if you need specialized advice in this area.
  • Once you have decided on a name for your shop, take advantage of capital letters to make the appearance of your shop name more cohesive.  If you have two words in your shop name, create a visual separation by making the first letters of each word capital letters instead of lowercase.  For example, “BoyfriendLetters” reads so much better than “boyfriendletters.”  Plus, capitalization doesn’t make a difference when people type your shop name in their browser, it won’t be harder for them to find you.
  • If you are selling a very specific product or certain type of supply, it wouldn’t hurt to actually put the basic name of what you are selling in your shop name; this way your shop will show up in most relevant search engines whenever someone does a basic search for “X item” that you are selling. But be careful: if you're thinking about branching out to other types of items, you may not want to follow this tip.
  • Last but not least, your shop name should reflect your style in one way or another.  If you choose a really elegant name, it would make sense to have elegant items in your shop. If you choose a quirky or clever name, it would make sense that your products reflect that style.
  • Hot tip: Your username should be your shop name (it is how people find you on the site and in search engines), so if you choose to put your shop name in your banner, it is a good idea to keep it the same.  Two different names can confuse a buyer, cause them to search for you under the wrong name, and potentially cost you sales.


Think you might be in the danger zone?  Here are a few things to consider before opening a new shop:

  • Sales records, feedback, item and shop hearts, favorites, conversations, and purchases cannot be transferred over to your new shop.  It’s just a risk you will have to take when going for a better shop name.
  • There isn’t an easy way to transfer items from one shop to another (you just have to start over).
  • You will be charged an additional .20 cents per listing when transferring listings from one shop to another (but you can time this strategically as your listings expire).
  • This is definitely NOT something to do on a whim.


The best way to change your shop name:

  1. Think about the best new shop name to fit your products, style, and brand using the above criteria and register a new account on Etsy.  You may want to set up a new email account with Yahoo or Gmail with your new name to keep things cohesive, plus you will have to have a new email account to register your new name (you will still be able to use the same paypal account).
  2. Put up a new shop announcement in your current Etsy shop and profile stating that you will be moving all of your current products to the new shop name and provide the URL for them to copy and paste into their browser.
  3. Move all of your current listings over to your new shop by cutting and pasting your current information into new listings (you will be charged an additional .20 cents per listing when doing this, sorry guys).
  4. Once your old shop is empty, keep up your shop announcement letting users know where you have moved.
  5. Put an announcement in your new shop letting people know your old username and reference them to your sales and feedback there while you are building up your new history.
  6. After 2-3 months, close down your old shop by sending an email to support@etsy.com requesting to close shop.
  7. Alternatively,if you have separate lines of items or two distinct styles, you can operate both shops (but you still need to disclose both in your shop announcement and profile). 

Best of luck with your shop names!  Feel free to add any other tips and advice you might have for choosing the perfect shop name in the comments below!  If you decide to choose a name or change your current shop name based on any tips in this article, please document your process and share your experience with us. 

Tags Etsy Labs, How-To, HOW-TO, naming, Seller Handbook, selling, Shop Makeover Series, shop name, two shops, username, Your Shop 101
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154 comments     Login to add your own!

Jan. 17, 2008 at 2:26 p.m. CreativeCrafterUK

What a great informative article. I could have done with this a week or so ago, when I changed my shop (from Jep12) as I wanted a more appropriate shop name.

This article explains things perfectly and I can honestly say that it wasn't difficult to change to a new username, but beneficial that I didn't have too many items listed in my old shop, as re-listing the items a second time (once the old account was closed) can be time consuming.

This just reiterates the importance of choosing usernames wisely when you open your shop here on Etsy.
Lovin' these informative articles - thanks Etsy!

Jan. 17, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. krotondo

thanks for this info! i have been on the fence about changing names, and really appreciate your thorough coverage.

Jan. 17, 2008 at 2:43 p.m. MetalheartDesign

great article! i find it confusing when people have user names that are different from their shop names. fortunately i signed up with etsy as a seller so i got the user name i wanted...though reading this article makes me wish i would have thrown some capitals into it. great advice for new folks tho!

Jan. 17, 2008 at 3:08 p.m. Quintessentially

Great article! I took the plunge and changed my shop/user name from MalibuBarbie112 to Quintessentially and have had lots of positive feedback so far!

I had put an announcement in my old shop, and you mentioned this also, so I feel like ive done it all correctly and I have made a good choice! Thanks!

Jan. 17, 2008 at 3:15 p.m. alaynacreations

Thank you for this great article! I just opened a new shop last week - Zadyball - and I'm in the process of moving everything out of this shop.

Great tips and wonderful advice! I'm loving this whole "shop makeover" series. I've taken something from each of them!

Jan. 17, 2008 at 3:45 p.m. Vanessa

Quintessentially, i noticed that you have also put your old shop name in your banner. This is a good idea to have during the "transitional period". Lovely new name, BTW!

Jan. 17, 2008 at 4:33 p.m. MayaBella

Here is one part of my before and after. Just some small tweaks. :)

Jan. 17, 2008 at 4:35 p.m. MayaBella

Before
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mayabell...
After
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mayabell...

Jan. 17, 2008 at 4:45 p.m. PollyPainting

Thanks for running this series! I'm feeling better about my name now.

Jan. 17, 2008 at 4:55 p.m. CorkandCotton

I did all this last week! I had wanted to change my shop name for awhile, but knew I would loose my feedback rating, hearts, etc. My other name was to long, and had no capitals to make it stand out better. I wanted to be easily recognizable for the raw materials I use as well.
I got a new banner and avatar, same as my old shop, but in a different color, so there's some recognition.
I've done pretty much everything that the article states, and am really happy I did this.


Jan. 17, 2008 at 7:59 p.m. marymary

Wow, corkandcotton I have to say I really love your new name...it just has a really nice ring to it!

Jan. 17, 2008 at 11:13 p.m. TheBrassHussy

I did start up a new shop and think this is a memorable name.

I do need to focus on some branding next. I have an exlectic mix of that going on.

Thanks for all the info!

Jan. 20, 2008 at 2:08 a.m. Lumineaux

Thanks for the article, very informative. I went with my instinct when chosing the name for my line of jewelry, but I do ponder whether something easier to pronounce and spell would help customers more easily find me...Cest la vie(sp?)

Jan. 20, 2008 at 10:11 a.m. muxoriginals

Aw, now I wish I'd have called it MuxOriginals! Oh well.

Feb. 21, 2008 at 3:51 p.m. GreenManG0

Thank you for running this feature.
Our name come not from the products we make but from a weekend in London when we decided we wanted to start selling our jewellery. Waiting for the green man to tell us to cross the road!

April 4, 2008 at 9:13 p.m. barbf

Please help!
I'm just in the process of setting up my shop and starting to list items. I hate my user name. Didn't know it was going to be my shop name. Do I have to go to all the trouble of starting a new shop and moving what I have already done. Is there an easier way?

April 9, 2008 at 10:29 a.m. juneblue

Well my question would be after reading this: Is it possible to change my username from juneblue to JuneBlue? Same name...but taking the advice of the capitalizing the first letter of each word. ???

June 12, 2008 at 2:45 p.m. angelito313

I did a no-no, I used two different names, one for my shop and a usernames, I didn't want to lose my positive feedback, I don't know if I should change it, I just opened up in May and haven't sold anything yet.

July 19, 2008 at 12:11 a.m. comfits

i'm one of the ones who feels too far in it to change now.

i signed up to etsy a way long time ago back when everything i did on the net was w/ a common username. i always went by "comfits". so...i picked "comfits" for my name here as well.

the big problem...my website name is & always has been "turtlekisses". i feel it's a bit silly now, but it's super easy to remember. much better than "comfits". now i want all the same name. it's too confusing. i'm two different people & i don't like it one bit!

and i do NOT want to lose everything my current shop has (all the items i've sold, all of my feedback, re-listing everything). i'm super upset over this. more than upset actually.

i don't know what to do :[

July 21, 2008 at 8:18 a.m. Kemara

I'm thinking about starting a shop. My user name is Kemara, and I wanted my shop name to be Kemara's Kreations or something like that. But it sounds like I can't use that name, not even in my banner. I'm confused. :)

Aug. 19, 2008 at 12:47 a.m. artsizzles

I took the plunge and open up a new shop with a different name. I plan to keep both stores....one for all Art Glass items and the other store for misc. supplies and mixed media.

Art Glass is my primary store.

Thank you for the informative article.

Aug. 20, 2008 at 4:07 p.m. ALIFANTAUZZI

I want to change name of my store, what can I do?

Aug. 20, 2008 at 11:07 p.m. mpaperarts

Great article, I am in the midst of opening an additional store, but don't want to lose all those customers and people that hearted me!
I still don't understand why you can't change your username, at least once. Can anyone explain?

Aug. 25, 2008 at 3:58 p.m. pentecost

I want to change my store name, add a banner and add an avatar.
It is my opinion that Etsy painted itself into a corner by making the hide-bound policy that store-owners may not change their ID or store name, and they carried the store owners along. My ID smacks of religion, and I want to change it to my given name, JuliaMae, rather than my family last name--pentecost, which gives no hint of the contents of my store. I have asked politely to get it changed, but I have been refused--twice. It's not a big deal, but why should Etsy care what my store name or ID name is?
Etsy should have made that point clear in the first place, before I joined. My own opinion.
Does anyone agree?

Sept. 2, 2008 at 4:07 p.m. vintagekeepers

Dear Pentecost......I agree, ETSY should say something up front;

MAYBE ETSY SHOULD POST SOMETHING NOW FOR THE NEW PEOPLE COMING IN TO SELL!!!!

But I checked your Shop..........
I think since you don't seem to have too much items listed this is the time to change your name.
I am starting a second shop!
It is only 20 cents an item so I will delete the items I do not want/need.
GOOD LUCK......

Sept. 12, 2008 at 11:09 a.m. hairymarys

I just don't understand why the work has to be done all over again just to change the name. It doesn't make sense to me and it is very frustrating to have it so inflexible.

Sept. 22, 2008 at 12:25 a.m. ctrygirl80

I was confused when I first joined too. But this article sheds some light.

Sept. 24, 2008 at 5:32 a.m. bazardesamaya

hi everybody. agreed 100% with the above article.
just registered. my username reflects my future-online-etsy shop. but, the problem is, its in my mothers tounge. (it means "online country/vilage bazaar")hope that it'll somehow inject a sense of mystery to drive more traffic in (or will it be left mysteriously unvisited? lol)

Sept. 24, 2008 at 8:24 p.m. mtnchild60

As soon as people hit the sign up page, you should let them know about the name issue. I signed up to purchase an item only, but if I had known about the name issue, I would have been more careful about my sign-up name.

I'm considering opening another email account just so I can have a memorable shop name when I open one in a month or two.

The article is full of great information and lots of food for thought.

Sept. 27, 2008 at 1:36 a.m. fjorlief

I signed up last year to buy something here. I'd never heard of etsy before then. Now I want to open my own storefront, I've no feedback or anything to "save". Can I just open a storefront with another email address and another name? Can I get Etsy central to just close down my former account, since I've not used it for much of anything?

Oct. 2, 2008 at 6:34 a.m. ModPoduleVintage

Hmm... I have to say I'm rather confused. I opened a shop last night ( nothing for sale as yet but I'm really excited! ) I wanted my username to be the name I eventually want to call my REAL shop but with the restrictions of space I had to call myself something else.
Thing is, I'm confused because there's an option to change the shop TITLE. Isn't that the same as the name? I guess it's just an elaboration ( I put mine as 'Mod Podule Vintage emporium', for example ). Point is, I'd love to call my shop what I originally wanted to in my title, but would that be confusing/wrong? Should I stick to my podule?

Oct. 3, 2008 at 1:06 a.m. evelynyee

I just signed up. Sigh, it looks like I'd better redo the whole thing.

Oct. 6, 2008 at 10:41 p.m. Jhanwyn

Is it a Etsy "no no" to have one account for buying things and one for your shop? If I was setting up a shop here, I think I would like to keep the two separate.

Oct. 6, 2008 at 11:32 p.m. Vanessa

Hey there,
You can have more than one account and many members do have one for buying and one for selling, if you prefer to have it organized that way. However, we ask that you disclose both your accounts in both profiles. Mix-ups do occur by accident and this will help. Also thems the rules for folks who would get up to no good with a secret account!

Oct. 9, 2008 at 4:58 p.m. craftaddict08

I am a shopper for now, but am considering becoming a seller. I welcome any advice from those who have been selling for a while. Thanks

Oct. 11, 2008 at 10:47 p.m. MadEarth

Great Advice! All the Best tips - laid out perfectly!
I am new to etsy, so I also just learned that I should breeze through a few more "tips" pages before I proceed.
THANKS for taking the time to help us out.

Oct. 14, 2008 at 9:32 a.m. SoapCreekDesigns

I found this article to be helpful. I started with a name that I thought I might use to try selling. I may consider opening another account for buying.

Thanks!

Oct. 15, 2008 at 6:58 p.m. thebeadgypsy

I am considering an Etsy shop, but have only purchased items so far. I do have my own business and the name is registered as The Bead Gypsy so that is how I would set it up on Etsy. It's confusing to me...would the spacing and capitalization of the name actually constitute the creation of a different account?

Oct. 16, 2008 at 3:05 p.m. ireneplummerart

Well, my name's a bit of a mouthful and I wish, I wish I had more carefully thought it out. I thought I was lucky to just get the thing up and running! There's a lot of information to sift through initially, so I think it would be great to emphasize the name point to new Etsy people. Everything else is easily changed, but this isn't. So how about a red-alert to new folks?

Oct. 17, 2008 at 10:23 a.m. scmo123

Well, well, well, this user name doesn't reflect what I am creating. So I will close this account and subscribe under BIJOUX MIO

Oct. 17, 2008 at 2:05 p.m. TinTE

I've been a buyer for the past year, but now I'm considering opening a shop. I like my username as a shop name (even thought it isn't too descriptive of my product), but I already have an LLC under a different name. I paid quite a bit of money for the LLC and I'm not using it for the original business idea. Can I somehow link "TinTE" to the LLC name? If not, I can open a new one, but I like the simplicity of my current name.

Oct. 21, 2008 at 1:44 p.m. catana

I want to change my name instead of catana I want to put naab joyeria how can i do this?
I cant enter the information about my card???

help!!!!!! mariajose

Oct. 26, 2008 at 1:06 p.m. julyfirefly

I'm not sure if I will be buying or sell at this point. I think I will just look for awhile. I do photography so if anyone knows if photos sell well please let me know! Thanks

Oct. 30, 2008 at 6:22 p.m. workspace59

just starting... so glad.

Nov. 8, 2008 at 5:13 p.m. smalltownartist

Back when (Feb '08) I decided to open my Etsy Shop, much thought was put into the user name "smalltownartist"

Working exclusively in miniatures (ACEO's ~ Art Card Editions & Originals) and living in a small town, the name seemed a perfect description of who I am & what I do.

My only regret is that I failed to capitalize the letters S, T and A for better visual separation!

Thanks for an informative article & please keep 'em coming.

Nov. 12, 2008 at 10:44 p.m. joycakes

I am so glad I read this before signing up or I would not have known that your username would also be your shop name.

Nov. 13, 2008 at 8:35 p.m. jimni

I just found this site. I better rethink a shop name. before signing up for selling.

Nov. 16, 2008 at 11:14 p.m. kdpcharm

Just beginning-- I love this!

Nov. 17, 2008 at 11:15 p.m. sjm0826

I was just going to SHOP and then it hit me that my husband paints! How fun to try and sell some of his beautiful paintings...so now, I will check this out too. LOVE some of the user names and wish I would have been more creative!!! This looks sooooo fun!

Nov. 19, 2008 at 11:24 a.m. HawaiianEye

Wow, I'm glad I started with the correct user name. It has saved me a workload!

Mahalo,
Eileen

Nov. 24, 2008 at 12:11 a.m. cutiebaby

just started ! I regret capitalizing the letter C and B. Darn ! but that's ok.

Nov. 25, 2008 at 2:54 a.m. carolforsyth

makes sense. I guess I have to change my banner to my user name. Thanks for the info.

Nov. 28, 2008 at 1:03 p.m. fusin4fun

I just signed up as a seller, but haven't posted anything yet. How hard is it to add some capital letters to the name? Fusin4Fun is what I would like. Thanks for the great information.

Nov. 29, 2008 at 5:53 a.m. TheCreativeNative

Thank you for this article. I had no idea we had to get into copyrights, ect. but I guess it's something I have to look into now!

Nov. 30, 2008 at 6:12 p.m. BitofWhymzy

Hi-- I just started to set up shop today. Looks like alot of fun!

Talk to you all soon!!

Nov. 30, 2008 at 6:14 p.m. BitofWhymzy

Hello,

Question? How do I post a picture to the left of this comment.
Thanks!

Nov. 30, 2008 at 10:36 p.m. greenhotmama

Well I have not even set up my shop yet, but I hope to by the end of the week. I did know that my username would be my shop name, but I do wish I'd thought to use more caps. Good advice!

Dec. 2, 2008 at 11:22 p.m. siswoo

Why would it be so hard to so that if someone wanted to change their name, they could? It seems like with all the sophistication this site offers, that changing a name would be easy!

Dec. 3, 2008 at 12:29 p.m. zakj

Hi BitofWhymzy; you can upload an "avatar" image on your Public Profile page:

http://www.etsy.com/public_profile.php

It will appear in your shop profile and next to comments you post in the forums and here in the Storque.

Dec. 8, 2008 at 10:42 a.m. justahappyquilter

Hi, I am new to Etsy and haven't opened my store yet. The user name I have to get Etsy is the name I have to use for my store. Do I have this right. If so its Oops on my part. It would be nice if they put a note when you register that this will also be your store name if selling. If it is on there already, its my fault I guess. I'm hoping selling and buying on Etsy will be a good experience and hope to meet a lot of great people.

Dec. 20, 2008 at 9:50 p.m. bobgen

I didn't realize about the user name being the shop name and have not opened yet do I just reregister with the shop name I want as my user name?

Dec. 25, 2008 at 5:55 p.m. ViolaGrace

New to Etsy, really keen, and super enthused. I tend to vary my crafts, so using my name makes more sense than something more specific. I think this way 'I' can be the brand and not the item specifically. I hope. Only time will tell. Anyhow, the first items will be posted this weekend.

Dec. 27, 2008 at 2:05 p.m. bhdonovan

oh, darn. I didn't read this until I registered! I guess I'll get a new gmail address and username! I'm so glad I had not yet uploaded anything yet! LOL!

Dec. 30, 2008 at 6:35 p.m. Lindal

I have just registered and NOW I learn that the stupid thing I used will be my shop name! And I will have to have a new email just to deal with this! This information should have been told upon registering! Yikes!

Dec. 30, 2008 at 6:36 p.m. Lindal

I have just registered and NOW I learn that the stupid thing I used will be my shop name! And I will have to have a new email just to deal with this! This information should have been told upon registering! Yikes!

Dec. 30, 2008 at 11:49 p.m. vintagedar

I agree with Lindal.

Jan. 3, 2009 at 5:29 a.m. jaguarangel

I have to agree with many others. I didn't know my sign-in would be my shop name and was rather surprised when I found out. I now need to set up another email account if it won't let me re-register with the same one. This is a bit of a hassle since I have an established account already that I use all the time.

Is there a way that you can let users know right up front about this rule?

Thank you.

Jan. 6, 2009 at 2:43 p.m. vtw1hotmail

wow..theres alot to read and of course I wish I kept on reading when it came to my shop name....glad I haven't set things up yet. Time to re-register. Thanks will see u all soon!

Jan. 7, 2009 at 9:48 p.m. DoneByLunn

I am grateful I read all of your instructions about selling before I chose my name. However, I feel sorry for those who may have purchased something from Etsy prior to opening a shop to sell. I am just getting all my material together to open my shop. I look forward to working with Etsy.

Jan. 8, 2009 at 10:06 a.m. SpeciesDesigns

Thank you for this useful information. Let’s do our homework!

Jan. 9, 2009 at 6:37 a.m. tullyf

oops.... just discovered this problem to, i agree that this 'enter username' should come with a warning. i was a buyer and now ive opened my shop and its my daughters name!!!!..... hmmm, my friend said its all self explanitary and i just follow the prompts! hmmmmmm i had trouble doing my banner too, got the sizing all wrong. Surely it cant be this hard! what do i do next?

Jan. 12, 2009 at 12:33 p.m. funnyfuser

Thanks for all the info ETSY....you're great

funnyfuser is the glassgirl in real life

Jan. 17, 2009 at 10:40 p.m. bellamiabeads

This was a great article. I originally opened up a shop under the name "cmcampos39" not knowing this would later be my shop name. I then opened up "bellamiabeads" although I wish I would've capitalized some letters now. I'm still waiting to close the first shop, and am even considering changing my second shop name. We'll see... got lots to think about! Thanks, Etsy!

Jan. 18, 2009 at 4:17 p.m. holyokearts

I didn't heed the warning because i thought I could change my username if I wanted to. I live in Holyoke, Massachusetts but my username sounds more like "holyokey" arts, and I don't think that's very good. Isn't there any way to change it short of closing the store and starting over again?
Thanks, DN

Feb. 1, 2009 at 10:14 p.m. ivycfrancis

I had been planning to open an Etsy store for a long time but couldn't decide on a name. Today my daughter wanted a squid hat from "Obey My Brain"--the very last one. I hadn't decided on a shop name but I wanted to make sure I got that squid hat! I don't understand why Etsy didn't make the shop/user name issue very clear since they are so inflexible about it. THEY NEED TO PRINT THIS INFORMATION IN CAPS. How very irritating, but I went ahead and ordered the squid hat thinking, surely I could just close my account after I get my squid hat and start over. I just feel bad for those with established shops and undesirable names.

Feb. 4, 2009 at 3:31 p.m. thebuttonshop

Yes, but you can only use one email account for each shop, no? I am having trouble with this, as I already have two email accounts in use and don't want another one. Why can't you use the same email account with two shops??

Feb. 7, 2009 at 7:24 p.m. Blackmix

My stuff probably won't be related to my name because I was thinking of random names for an account on something else. Since then, I've just been using the same thing over and again, so it'll be easier to remember. Now when I think of Blackmix, I think of black camo, so maybe I should include a pattern related to that.

Feb. 8, 2009 at 8:18 p.m. SaliC

I agree with Jhanwyn about having one shop for buying and one for selling. Only really, because I had not intended to open a shop when I joined up, I was SOOOOOO excited to have discovered Etsy I just used my usual username without thinking!
Now I want to have my own shop, but with a better name, how do I describe my other "shop" / username on the new shop?? Maybe I just need to sell something on there too?

Anyoe got /had the same dilema?

Feb. 8, 2009 at 8:20 p.m. SaliC

P.s. to ViolaGrace - it is a lovely shopname.

Feb. 18, 2009 at 3:25 p.m. windshine

ive been with etsy since the beta days (remember those?) .. and my shop name has always been different than my username. i think its true that it probably does confuse some people, but i think its just in what they call me, i dont think it has affected sales very much.. i use both names on my cards and all my correspondence, and adding them into the "tags" helps too.

Feb. 24, 2009 at 7:46 p.m. mandeerae

My shop name and user name are different and I've been considering changing it but I recently purchased showcase space for March...I'm wondering if my showcase purchase will work for my new shop if I do change. Anybody have any info on this one?

Windshine! Such a good idea mentioning the shop name in the tags!

Feb. 27, 2009 at 7:55 p.m. kathreenart4u

It was fun and interesting to read some of the posts.

And I am upset over my username also.

I thought that I was getting, KathreenArt4u.
But it is does not look like that at this time.
My name is hard enough for people to say
and remember, but it would be easier with the capital letters in place.

I have not opened a store front yet,
and do not feel comfortable doing so now.
Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks for any suggestions or help!!!

March 11, 2009 at 9:37 a.m. chubbycheeksweaters

Hello,
Thank you for the good information. I am getting ready to open a store and I am very excited that this site provides useful information that we can reference.

March 15, 2009 at 4:13 p.m. gmberry

Lots of info to read here and get ideas...Now for my store, hopefully I've learned a few tips to get it right from the start. I have to start taking some pictures now. :o)

March 16, 2009 at 11:40 p.m. dreamitloveit

I just learned so much! Going to do some fixing up right now, didn't realize I had to mention my other stores in my profiles, but makes so much more sense and hopefully more sales..... Glad I read this article.

March 17, 2009 at 1:30 a.m. chinarosy

nice article, thanks

I didn't "cap" my C & R but I'm a tad quirky sometimes (at least creative) and it didn't say that bitt'o important info on sign-up.

At least if it did say it, I didn't see it and I thought I read everything. I did see the warning about choose thy name carefully, or else - thank you.

Luckily for me chinarosy looks good in small caps, it flows nice and simple I hope.

March 24, 2009 at 2:16 p.m. doreme123

I am in the same boat as some of you...signed up to look at this "new" site over a year ago, then went back some months later to try to start selling and found out I was "stuck" with my user name. Don't want to have to get a new email address, but I don't want that user name! I think Etsy has done the public a disservice by not posting warnings on the home page that the user name will be your future name if you start selling. I am still frozen as to what to do with this all...so have done nothing!In addition,why do they say you can cancel a store, but you can't cancel the user name and start over if you haven't posted anything yet?! ETSY- PAY ATTENTION!

March 24, 2009 at 5:59 p.m. mpaperarts

Unfortunately, I didn't read this great article when I started over a year ago. I am one of those that chose a name to accomodate items I thought i would be selling and now am selling a different product. I sooooooo WANT TO CHANGE MY USER NAME! But for some reason, you are no allowed to do this. Does anyone know why? I'd pay a hefty sum at this point, as I know customers have a hard time finding my jewelry under my name. Wah!

March 24, 2009 at 7:24 p.m. bunnyboutique

Fantstic article, I'm just in the process of doing the whole multiple store outlay. I have too many styles in one store at the moment and I think it really confuses my customers.
Thanks etsy for the great advise, I will be using it!!!
:)

March 24, 2009 at 8:06 p.m. pocketcarnival

Wow, great article! I also could have done with this advice a year or so ago when I changed my shop name - but very helpful aricle.

March 24, 2009 at 9:10 p.m. redyellowandblueink

All helpful info but wish some of it was there when I started my shop. I remember it being very clear that once you picked a name then you were stuck with it... but....it wasn't clear at all how many letters I could use in my shop name or that it would be case sensitive. I would have loved this basic and important information-my shop name is long and would have benefited so much with a couple capitol letters. It is sooo weird that we can't change our shop name within the same shop, must be technical glitch I guess. I think in the future I am going to open another shop because I am thinking of carrying different style items. It can be a challenge to keep things consistent in one's shop. And I think it is important.

March 24, 2009 at 9:17 p.m. hothats

Could I just change to a capital letter with the same user name? hothats to HotHats?

March 24, 2009 at 9:39 p.m. sunbound1

Just trying to get started opening my shop. I was already registered as a buyer before i decided to start selling so i will just reveal that user name and start my new store, with another name, right. Then i just won't use that site any longer. I am having trouble figuring out how to do the banner. Where do you get the design?

March 24, 2009 at 11:16 p.m. pamelatang

This is so helpful. Thank you Etsy!

March 25, 2009 at 3:55 a.m. bijouxboutique

when I first set up shop I was a jewellery seller, but soon started added knitted accessories, which sort of took over, now I'm at the point where I'm thinking about this a great deal, so thanks for all the advice, I'm still deciding whether or not to change my shop name?????

March 25, 2009 at 11:35 a.m. plenox

These are good tips, but I still don't understand why we can't change our names through your system. I would pay for the right to keep my history and hearts and just change my username to my shop name.

March 25, 2009 at 3:27 p.m. PapercutPlace

This piece really helped me. I totally obsessed over my name, and then ended up choosing something pretty simple. But the article gave me alot to consider.

March 28, 2009 at 11:06 p.m. suzie007

It said that you had to put alpabetical/numerical in your user name? I see that not everyone else has done this. Did I miss something? And can I change it or is this now my buying and selling name?

March 29, 2009 at 3:57 p.m. jaelru

i was thinking of changing my shop name, but the name i wanted was already taken,
although the shop hasn't listed any items for a couple years is there a limit to how long a shop can stay listed without have any items in their shop?

March 31, 2009 at 12:15 p.m. huntforgourds

Thanks for explaining everything so well. I was considering changing my user name but, now will keep it as it is. After all..I sell handpainted gourds from my garden.

March 31, 2009 at 2:21 p.m. CrownArtist

I just joined and have set it up the proper way, I think. Thanks for the article!

March 31, 2009 at 3:08 p.m. MoxieKids

Very helpful. Thanks for the advice. I definately made a different choice of user name because of this article.

April 2, 2009 at 2:58 a.m. rubyjo

It would be good if we could add capitals to our existing names. I would love to be RubyJo

April 3, 2009 at 5:02 p.m. Twinklett

Even eBay lets members change their names. It just cannot be changed but for every 30 days, which is a good idea to limit the time for that. I say the limit should be 60 days. I say Etsy needs a change of policy.

April 3, 2009 at 7:11 p.m. skatcut

I am so glad I read this. I just registered on a whim and definatly didn't put enough though into it. I want to open another account but when I try it says my e-mail is already in use. What am I doing wrong. Someone please help! Thanks.

April 4, 2009 at 1:40 p.m. squidthink

I found the article and all the feedback very helpful. This is what I dig about Etsy - there's so many ways to communicate!
I'm working towards opening a shop, which I knew my current 'squidthink' wouldn't be. I do wish I could just change my shop name, as I have a nice little rating as a buyer, but at least I can link to squidthink when I open my shop.
It would take a lot of crazy progamming to switch a store name - it would affect every aspect of the account, and I can understand why Etsy doesn't allow it. Also, it can cause conflict for sellers/buyers if the shop name changed every few months.

April 6, 2009 at 4:31 p.m. BridalBling

I hope there's a way to change a name...someone just stole my store name, just added "jewelry" to the end. sigh....I searched for a unique etsy name, then this.

April 14, 2009 at 4:06 a.m. AnneKirstin

I'm totally new here just registered, and I also wasn't aware of the username being your shop name. I always use my name as a username, so AnneKirstin is also my username on flickr, deviantart and my website.
But this article has made me question if i shouldn't maybe add something more specific about the goods i want to buy, I'm also wondering if AnneKirstin is easy to spell for foreigners?

April 16, 2009 at 9:40 p.m. Sugan56

Haven't sold anything or bought anything yet. But will take the advise and open another account to sell.
Thanks

May 4, 2009 at 3:24 p.m. vintagesherry

Wow...lots of information! I"ve been a buyer on Etsy for the past year or two and have been thinking about opening up a shop. I too had no idea that my username would end up being my shop name. I guess I will have to open another email account for the shop...bummer. I'm still working on the shop name and this has made me realize not to just go with something, but really think it out. Names I'm thinking about....Punky Bright or Something Punky. Does anyone have any thoughts or feelings about either that they can share?
THANKS TO EVERYONE! :)

May 9, 2009 at 8:17 a.m. EdanaElemental

I think your tips on actually choosing a name are great and having written on a similar topic on my blog I also linked to this page. Post can be seen here:
http://www.sailmakersdaughter.blogspo...
I do already have a buying account with Etsy and hadn't been aware that I couldn't change it when I joined however I'm quite happy to set up a separate account for selling as I have a separate business e-mail. All the comments are very illuminating, I guess it should be more obvious when people sign up.

May 14, 2009 at 4:04 a.m. stephaniecassidy

Excellent advice, although I wish I had read an article like this when I was setting up, I will be creating a new shop using the business name now and shut down the old one.
This article has reconfirmed it's the right decision and worth the effort, thank you.

May 17, 2009 at 3:28 a.m. nremington

Informative article but Etsy policy surrounding this issue is basically unfair. For buyers who have been loyal Etsy customers and are now opening a shop, they are stuck with some username they came up with years ago to try to do business with? Is this the way Etsy wants to reward loyalty from buyers or positive business dealings from sellers who want to change their names?

May 21, 2009 at 6:46 p.m. PopcycleSticks

I've just signed up and am wondering if my name is going to work...

May 22, 2009 at 6:18 p.m. princessashley2

I wish I would had read this article first, and used capital letters to set my shop name in better light.

May 25, 2009 at 9:49 a.m. vicente401

Just joined this site to sell. Heard from a friend and checked it out. I'm looking forward to seeing how things turn out. The site seems like it has a better class of people than some of the others. Good luck to all of us.

May 31, 2009 at 5:24 p.m. draken8

I have been thinking about setting up a storefront myself and reviewed what it took and the cost and so forth. I also originally set up this account for shopping. I had intended to keep this account separate for shopping just like I wouldn't shop out of a physical business's account. In the agreement and rules it does tell you you can have more than one account as long as your shop lists your other accounts( so no one gives themselves hearts and so forth- i.e. cheating). It also states that your username will be your store name for listings. Granted its like 3 different pages you have to go to read everything but then signing up is the same as signing a contract. Who would sign a contract without reading it?

June 4, 2009 at 3:34 a.m. missybucket

Just signed up and am like the rest of you, didn't know my store would be the same name. Oh well, hope it doesn't hurt sales too much. Just didn't read it all so my fault.

June 6, 2009 at 12:44 p.m. SkylarkEmporuim

I find this rather annoying. I understand that they don't want people to change it on a whim, but I nearly put my head through my desk when I realized I'd made a typo in "Emporium".

At the very least, Etsy should do two things:
1. Make it clear on the registration page that your store name is the same as your username.
2. Ask you to confirm your username so that you have a chance to notice any typos, like they do for passwords.

June 10, 2009 at 2:55 a.m. sineminugur

Thank you for this information.

June 10, 2009 at 6:35 p.m. Betanzos

I hope after all the complaints Etsy will change it's policy on changing of user names. I mean, what kind of customer service that? I also did not know about this policy and registered to buy an item. Thank God I use my name as my business name. The only difference is my cards say Betanzos Designs.
I agree that you should have a big warning on the registration page that makes all of the above issues VERY CLEAR for first time register.

June 10, 2009 at 10:30 p.m. EricSuch

Info was great help. I'm glad I just started :) and don't have to remake my name.

June 12, 2009 at 9:22 p.m. NewKate

I just registered, and I DID notice the warning on the registration page. I considered a couple of names, being impatient with the process like everyone else, then used one I had come up with for a business I didn't get around to starting.

It would, however, have been helpful to have had this link made obvious - maybe even mandatory! - before going to the next field on the registration page.

I hope I get around to doing the stuff I'd like to sell here!

June 14, 2009 at 1:09 a.m. minilib

Hmm ...I'm frustrated too! I registered as a buyer about a year ago ..then forgot that I had registered so when I came to set up shop I had to use name I came up with ages ago! I want to use TheFigTree which is the name of my retail store and not minilib which is my current name.

June 21, 2009 at 4:23 a.m. spiralsun65

Great article, thanks! Your opening lines could have been written especially for me - I hadn't realised that my user name would also be my shop name; I chose it because I already had a blog and auction-site account with the same name. I thought it made sense to have the same online persona in each place, but with hindsight I think it wasn't such a great idea. So now I'm thinking (very carefully!) about my new shop name, which I hope to launch in the autumn. I guess it's so much the better if you can find a shop name that also has an available website domain, should you wish to branch out later to having your own website.

June 21, 2009 at 4:30 a.m. JaySpangles

I have just registered as I want to buy something. I may well want to set up my own shop in the future.
I only found this article AFTER I had registered a name.
It would be helpful to have a "read this article before you select a name" tag clearly positioned on the Register page so I could have read it before I signed up.

June 21, 2009 at 8:01 p.m. MargaretLS

I can just say that I am so very glad I accidentally used my long form of my username, because I did not notice that you cannot change your name and that your shop is the same!

I signed up because I wanted to buy something about half a year ago. I'm just adding a nice banner because I am just getting a business' owner's license and it'll say Wonderworks by Margaret anyway. And that is just too long for etsy.

Everyone knows me by this anyway!

June 27, 2009 at 5:43 p.m. 4jan

Etsy should really tell people that their user name will be their shop name....I wish I could re-do my name without starting a new shop, too! Oh well..

June 27, 2009 at 5:44 p.m. 4jan

Oh and dont forget to check out Bags and Bows the name i wish i could have used...

June 27, 2009 at 6:41 p.m. luxandlove

I have to say, before i set up shop i read and re-read the entire how to , shop makeovers and everything else Etsy has provided, and I think it was made abundantly clear. I was well aware of the username / shop name issue. I'm very impressed at the lengths Etsy goes to to give sellers all the information they need.
a big thanks
Lux x

July 3, 2009 at 8:02 p.m. USASweetCountryGal

I'm just getting into Etsy and figuring things out. Any suggestions or advice will be welcomed!

July 4, 2009 at 3:33 p.m. cristinailuvai

Does anyone if 'and' or '&' affect the chances of someone trying to find your shop name? I hope that makes sense!

July 7, 2009 at 2:31 p.m. tevagirl0516

I am glad that I found and read this article before I worked on opening a shop! I've been considering opening one for a couple of months now and have been thinking about a shop name. This is great advice for choosing a shop name. Thanks for your helpful article!

July 13, 2009 at 10:07 a.m. englishsparkle

I realise the user name can't be changed but didn't know about the use of capital letters which would have been very useful? Any chance you can allow us to change that? For example I would have much preferred 'EnglishSparkle' which is far more readable.

Cheers

July 14, 2009 at 11:05 p.m. juicylu

And a new email address, that's even more annoying!

July 16, 2009 at 12:56 p.m. tes86

I'm new here to etsy and created an account so I could contact a seller. Now it seems I'm stuck with 'tes86' as my store name if I decide to ask for one!

I wish etsy would inform people about the basic name thing when we first land here, as I'm certain this is very discouraging to lots of folks.

Changing a name should be a simple thing rather than a big hurdle that it is.

Does anyone have any advise for me? I'd greatly appriciate any and all comment. This is so discouraging : (

Blessings,
tes

July 28, 2009 at 4:49 p.m. 10eisha

Le Sigh... I liked my original name because I use it everywhere outside of etsy...but then I can up with a way better name that I love. I am in too deep for sure. I have been using my new better name basically as a catch phrase "Hair Accessories for the Brave".

July 31, 2009 at 10:49 a.m. Tina669

THANKS for taking the time to help us out.

Aug. 1, 2009 at 1:10 p.m. Serenitty

Thanks so much for this info. As a buyer considering a shop, my name, Serenitty, would not do shop justice. Will have to re=register under name I want. Thanks for saving me the conflicting name hassle.

Aug. 2, 2009 at 3:01 p.m. grabr12

hello
jast now i opened my shop. but i registered before severl time.
i think that the name is not good.
can i chang it?
sorry about my english
thanks
giora

Aug. 10, 2009 at 2:05 p.m. Cherryblossomlady

Ugh I just signed up as a seller if I would have know that I couldnt change my username which I dont see why you shouldnt be able to I would have also picked more wisely now I am stuck with my username that has nothing to do with what I am selling UGH ETSY COME ON!! I love this site but dont want to have to get another email account just to redo it so I am going to stick with it and just mention to people my username is different then my shop name! Good luck everyone hopefully my shop will be open soon GOURMENT SWEETS COMIN YOUR WAY!! ;op

Aug. 10, 2009 at 2:06 p.m. Cherryblossomlady

sorry fast typing and my 4 year old and spelled GOURMET wrong SORRY ETSY LOVERS!! LOL

Aug. 17, 2009 at 6:54 p.m. gibsongirl71

I know. I had no idea that my shop and user name were going to be the same. I love Etsy but I am now faced with opening a new shop and moving all my stuff over. What a pain! They really need to STRESS this point when you are creating an account! For me, as I get more involved in Etsy I don't want to get in trouble with any Gibson copyright infringement.

Sept. 7, 2009 at 1:23 a.m. CallMeMegz

I had actually wanted to change my username, but after reading this, I realize the one I have is better than the one I wanted. Neither one of the names really has anything to do with what I sell, but "CallMeMegz" is catchier. It rolls off the tongue nicely, me thinks.

Sept. 7, 2009 at 1:27 a.m. CallMeMegz

Also, maybe they could support username changes the same way ebay does, where it makes the username a different color for a short period of time with the note "formally known as..." or something such as that.

Sept. 14, 2009 at 10:58 a.m. PatAdamsArt

I am so happy to read all of this. I knew there were 'issues' but I didn't realize how many things I needed to consider. I am getting ready to open up a second Etsy shop for my photographs, because I didn't want them to be confused with the paintings in my original shop. This information has been so helpful to me as I decide on the name for my new shop - which I now realize will be my new ID. Thanks so much for all this discussion. I didn't even realize until now that I would need an additional email account.

Sept. 29, 2009 at 10:18 p.m. JEWELERS

Thank you! Noboy knows what a "Hullender" is, but most people know what "JEWELERS" are. We are moving from a word that only gets 1900 searches per month to one that gets 2.7 million per month! :) The article was very helpful and the comments have a wealth of information as well. :)

Oct. 16, 2009 at 4:39 p.m. katieedid

I need HELP!! I am going to start an etsy account selling bread dough ornaments. Like for hanging on your Christmas Trees for Christmas. I would really like to use KatieDid, but it is already taken. Anybody have any great ideas!?

-Kate

Oct. 20, 2009 at 7:05 a.m. sylvie5555

hy my name sylvie 1 want to make shure that 1 understand everything 1 thought that you would send me things to sell example> jewellery candles watches > but now if 1 really understand its me who have to sell <example again if 1 have line of jewellery or others items 1 just put it their like the others one please could you please let me no if am correct see my english is good but sometime have problem when 1 read 1 dont understand everyything so please could you send me e-mail thank-you sylvie have a great day.

Oct. 22, 2009 at 9:41 p.m. laglace

Although I thought to begin a shop on Etsy right away and do have a site for shopping until I begin to sell my handcrafts, I am so relieved that I decided to read, watch and listen, first, to the great blogs and videos, before setting~up to sell. Im having a great time scheduling the how~to videos in my appointment book for future viewing and am so enjoying the blogs ! I can see, though, that I will have to open a different shop with the perfect name, when I do begin to sell my work. Thank~you so much for the work that goes into Etsy ! I Love it !

Oct. 22, 2009 at 11:02 p.m. LondonParticulars

Great points, especially using CAPS to make you name easier to read in the user name formatting!

Nov. 4, 2009 at 4:46 p.m. GotitaDeAmor

Very useful article! Definitely should be linked from the registration page.

Possible addendum to the article: Some people here are fretting that they need a second email to change shops. But many services have automatic forwarding - all your mail from the new account will go to your main account, so you do not have to check both every day. This might be something to mention under step #1.

- Ali @ GotitaDeAmor

Nov. 4, 2009 at 7:02 p.m. Anotherdoor38

Very helpful information which I am going to use. I know for me, there was a lot to learn in setting up my shop and still a lot more to learn as time went on. It is still a remarkable site and a great opportunity.

Nov. 5, 2009 at 7:29 p.m. tanya2030

I too, have just been an etsy shopper for maybe a year,..and now want to open a shop,but would never use my user name as a shop name ! so i sappose i open another shop for selling,(and change my email) or just keep my user name ,..and make my banner say the shop name ? Bit of a quagmire i say. I agree that judging by the amount of people that have ended up in the same predicament,..Etsy really should clarify this in BOLD print , the second you enter that user/shop name.

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