Rumour has it that eBay will soon release millions of dormant Usernames. So it could be time to think about whether your Username is doing you justice as we go ‘Back to Basics’.
Your Username is the core of your eBay brand. It says something about the kind of operation you run and it influences your buyers. It’s also probably intensely personal to you. Which is quite right: you should be proud of it. But for many sellers, the choice of Username was not necessarily one driven by business reasoning and was in all probability done hastily, a long time ago.
You can change your Username at any time (but not more than once every 30 days) and you take all your Feedback with you. Find out whether a new name you like is available here.
What does your Username say about you?
Nicknames, pet names and humourous handles might be fun for you, but they are most likely meaningless to customers. Ask friends what your Username says to them. Of course, that’s not to say that a fun name isn’t right. Some very successful sellers have built their brands around cute names but those that do make it work ensure that their name is reflective in some way of what they sell or how they conduct business and they make sure that it’s pervasive their eBay activities.
Search Engines
Most people begin their online shopping trips with Google. eBay spends a great deal of time and money ensuring that the site is as sexy as possible to the search engines and in this context a sober, factual and descriptive Username can be beneficial. If someone is searching Google for ‘discount clothing’ an About Me page, My World page or Shop* (don’t forget the same ideas apply to your Shop name!) from a user with the words ‘discount’ and ‘clothing’ in their Username stand a much better chance of showing up than ‘wobbly-buttocks’ and ‘fredisflatulent’.
Get the URL
If you decide on a superior Username, run out and grab the domain. If your eBay sales are going well, or perhaps if they’re not, then you might well want to start your own website in due course. It’s only going to set you back a few pounds to squat the domain and ensure you can carry your brand and customers off-eBay.
Tommorrow: End Times.
* Don’t forget that if you want to change your Shop name too, change your Username first and then your Shop name, otherwise you might get in to a pickle!
11 Responses
easier said than done,
I would think many user names are aquired out of frustration more than intent, you can spend a lifetime entering user names to find their taken
North has a point: I have a customer called “arrrrghhh”. 😀
People often ask me how I got our eBay name, since our own name is Clark… now how many Clark’s do you know in the world, and how many Sordoni’s? I thank my mother in law for her maiden name all the time, it is short enough to be memorable, and different enough that I don’t have to go searching for unused names on forums and other places….
“Rumour has it that eBay will soon release millions of dormant Usernames.”
Would love to know when as my 1st choice of username belongs to a USA buyer who bought 1 thing in June 2001
wish I had squatted on a few user names,
just about anything was available when I first registered
I regularly search for “wobbly buttocks”
I have a pair right here, Mark 😉
is there anymore news about the dormant user ID’s being released on ebay?
Not yet, Jade: I think that the mention of it a few months back was a bit premature, sadly.
shame I just found an ace one, the .com & the .co.uk was available and it was a keyword dream! The user registered in 2000 and has not bought or sold anything with it since! Grr Grr 🙂
Ooh, oohh, what was it? 😀
The one I want’s been NARU for 8 years now. 🙄