eBay Tips 2008: What’s in a Username?

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 across 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.

Read the comments on Tamebay

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!