What makes a strong ecommerce store name?
An ecommerce store name has to work in multiple places simultaneously: as a domain, as a social media handle, as a marketplace seller profile, and as the text a customer reads in a Google search result. Most names fail one of these tests before the store opens.
Trustworthiness is the first requirement. Ecommerce customers share payment details with your store. A name that sounds like an established, legitimate brand converts better than something obscure or overly clever. This is especially true in Australia, where ecommerce shoppers compare you to well-known retailers like The Iconic, Catch, and Kogan.
The .com.au domain extension builds significantly more trust with Australian shoppers than .com alone. A .com.au signals that you are an Australian business, subject to Australian Consumer Law, with a registered ABN. For stores targeting Australian customers, launching on .com.au should be your first priority - with .com secured alongside it.
For niche Australian ecommerce stores, including a category signal in your name (e.g., “homewear”, “pets”, “surf”) helps with organic search and gives customers instant context. The trade-off is flexibility if you ever expand categories. A hybrid approach works well for most stores: pair a clean, memorable word with a category modifier. SaltSurf, BushPets, GreyHomewear. You get both the brand feeling and the search signal.
Abstract, short names work well for premium DTC brands building long-term equity. Descriptive names generate faster organic traffic from day one. Know which phase your business is in before you choose a direction.
How to use the ecommerce store name generator
Building specifically on Shopify? Our shopify business name generator works the same way, tuned for that platform, or if you’re naming a single product line rather than the store, try the product name generator. Want more general options first? Try the full business name generator.
Go to name.craftr.com and enter your product type, the tone you want to convey, and any words or themes that matter to your brand. Be specific. “Sustainable activewear for women” generates better results than “clothing” or “fashion”.
NameCraftr checks .com, .com.au, and .au availability in real time as it generates each suggestion, or run any shortlisted name through the standalone domain name checker to confirm. You see the domain status for all three extensions immediately - no manual checking on a separate registrar site.
Work through this process:
- Generate 20-30 name ideas using varied descriptors. Try “minimal”, “earthy”, “bold”, “local”.
- Filter to names that have .com.au or .au available. If .com is also available, that name goes to the top of your list.
- Check handle availability on Instagram and TikTok - the two most important channels for Australian ecommerce brands.
- Check each finalist’s trademark safety with the trademark name generator, then search on ipaustralia.gov.au to confirm no existing trademark in your product class.
- Register through a AUNIC-accredited registrar. .com.au typically costs $20-30/year. .au is available directly through most Australian registrars.
You need a valid ABN to register a .com.au or .au domain. If you have not yet registered your business, do that through the Australian Business Register first - an ABN is free and takes about 10 minutes.
After the generator: launching your ecommerce brand
Once your name and domain are confirmed, work through the registration and setup steps in order.
Register your business structure. Most small ecommerce stores in Australia operate as a sole trader or register a company through ASIC. Company registration costs $597 for a new registration. Annual review fees are $44/year. A company structure gives you a separate legal entity and is standard for stores with employees or significant revenue.
Apply for a registered trademark. File through IP Australia. The standard filing fee is $330 per class. Class 35 covers retail services and online shopping. Class numbers for physical goods vary: clothing is Class 25, footwear is Class 25, household goods are Class 21. Filing early sets your priority date. Processing typically takes 7-9 months.
Integrate Afterpay and Zip Co from launch. Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) is standard in Australian ecommerce - a significant portion of customers will not complete a purchase without it. Afterpay and Zip both review your store during the merchant approval process. A professional, legitimate-looking store name improves approval rates. A brand name that sounds like a scam site or a low-quality operation will delay or block approval.
For Shopify stores, connect your .com.au as the primary domain under Settings > Domains. Your myshopify.com subdomain exists separately and is only visible in the admin.
Configure Australia Post eParcel or a third-party logistics provider before launch. Australian customers expect tracking and have high expectations for delivery speed, particularly in metro areas.
Common ecommerce naming mistakes
Not securing both .com.au and .com. Australian shoppers type .com.au by reflex for local stores. International customers default to .com. If a competitor holds the .com while you operate on .com.au, you lose traffic to them every time you run a campaign. Secure both extensions together.
Ignoring the trademark register before launching. Domain registration and trademark rights are separate. Registering a .com.au does not give you ownership of the name. Check ipaustralia.gov.au for existing marks in your category before printing packaging or running ads. Rebranding after launch is expensive.
Names that are hard to say in Australian conversation. Word-of-mouth still drives significant ecommerce growth. Say your store name out loud to a friend. If they ask you to spell it, or if it sounds awkward in a sentence like “I bought it from [name]”, it will underperform.
Choosing a name that only works in English. Australia’s population includes large communities of Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic, and Italian speakers. A name that sounds neutral in English might carry unintended meaning in another language. Do a quick check across major language communities before finalising.
Starting with a name that locks you into one product. “MelbourneSkinToners.com.au” is too narrow from day one. Leave yourself one category of room. “MelbourneGlow” or “SkinVault” covers skincare broadly and still signals the category.