I need to buy a url for my cafepress store. The thing is....my store has a little bit of everything in it and I have no idea what to name it - Not one common theme.

Does anyone have any ideas? Is it silly to have a store with multiple themes?

You need a brand, not a descriptor. Look up brand marketing on the web and get a feel for how brands come up with their names. Brainstorm. Take some of the brands you come up with and look at them in different fonts.

Thanks - makes sense

IMO - also, don't use unusual spellings (personal experience) as most people will not pick up on them or remember them. Don't stress over the overall length (to a point) as people will 'bookmark' it if they like the stuff you have, and try not to use hyphens if at all possible. Depending on the name you choose, consider getting the plural & singular versions of a dot com name (com is still the preferred choice for a store).

DO NOT reveal that name unless you have bought it - some sleazy companies will note your interest and then buy it and hold it for you to pay them for the name. Look it up on a reputable reseller (some small ones behave just like sleazy investors).

I have to agree with Teesed & Barry. Here are some rules I follow when looking for domains ( I have about a dozen right now and have been making sites, etc since about 96).

1. Always get a .com. We have been trained to think in terms of dot com. We had the dot com bubble, dot com bust, etc.

2. do not use words that are also numbers and vice verse. For example, justFORthis dot com. Some people may hear it and put in just4this or it may go the other way. Some of your word of mouth advertising will inevitably go to someone else. (That's also the reason to follow #1 above. If you have .net, someone will hear it, go home & put in .com...what if that is an adult site & you sell children's gear?)

3. Stay simple. Let's say you want to name your shop "A Little Bit Of Everything Under The Sun." Do not take the domain ALBOEUTS.com just because it is available. Remember that we speak in words, not letters. Now, if it was "Just Under The Sun" and you could get Juts.com that would work because it is a simple word.

4. This goes with #3. Try to limit your domain to two words...three at the most. Someone will remember SallyKrinkle.com much easier than shirtsandstuffbysally.com

5. Avoid hyphens (as Barry said). They may be fine for links, but people will not remember them when they hear them or have to go from print media to a computer. sally-krinkle.com becomes sally-dash-krinkle...and if you have to say "dash" some people may type the word out.

I have a lens with this and a bit more info that might help you out. You can find it at: http://www.squidoo.com/wisedomain

Once you have a domain, I have a lens on choosing a web host and what some of the stuff in their packages are/mean. It also touches on choosing a domain name.

You can find the lens at
http://www.squidoo.com/webhosts101

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Deo Vindice,

quote:

Originally posted by Deo Vindice:
I have to agree with Teesed & Barry. Here are some rules I follow when looking for domains ( I have about a dozen right now and have been making sites, etc since about 96).

1. Always get a .com. We have been trained to think in terms of dot com. We had the dot com bubble, dot com bust, etc.

Yes, choose a .com but if it is also available buy the .net, .org, .us. If you don't, a domain warehouse company will. If you are at any point going to get serious about using your site you don't want someone accidently typing in yourname.net and ending up at a porn site. It's $5 - $10 yr per domain.

My first domain I only registered .com and within 24 hours .net was snagged by a domain warehouse. At a minimum register both the .com and .net.

Also, many registrars that you register from will register a domain that you search for but fail to register at that time. Use a site such as whois to search but once you have a name you desire, register it or it will be gone quickly.

My registering all the possible names gives me protection when I go to register a trademark.

Wow! Thanks for this info guys - I really appreciate it

And if none of these great suggestions work for ya, ask a 12 year old

When I went to buy a domain name I typed hundreds of names that I liked but they were all used.
So I got my 3 kids involved to try and help out. The first name my 12 year old came up with was available and brilliant if I say so myself
I'd of never thought about it.

Oh and I want to add that a few days later he said "ya know mom, I like that name a lot. I might want to sell t-shirts one day so I think I will trademark it now and then sue you for using it" lol

quote:

Originally posted by Deo Vindice:
I have to agree with Teesed & Barry. Here are some rules I follow when looking for domains ( I have about a dozen right now and have been making sites, etc since about 96).

Excellent advice Deo Vindice!

www.keepcalmstore.com

quote:

Originally posted by i_am_petro:

quote:

Originally posted by Deo Vindice:
I have to agree with Teesed & Barry. Here are some rules I follow when looking for domains ( I have about a dozen right now and have been making sites, etc since about 96).

Excellent advice Deo Vindice!

www.keepcalmstore.com

You_are_Petro,

thanks.