Will sales suffer if I change my user ID to something less personal and more business-like?

[momcqueen]

I'm contemplating changing my user ID --- and maybe also store name -- to something respectively more business-like and also generic.

When I picked my user ID in 2006, I was a buyer only with no thought to selling in the future.

When I chose the store name four years ago, I sold only Disney Cars whereas now I offer other items. (More than half are still Cars.)

Or is this just a make-work project with no benefit whatsoever?

Can anyone tell me how the change went for them if they did it mid-stream?

[fashionoutletdeal]

What is the percent of your repeat customers ?

[momcqueen]

Fairly low. 

[musicyouneed]

Hi Mj, I changed mine I think late 2014 or early 2015 to reflect more of what I sell.  For me, it was a good change.  I am not sure if sales were affected as it was so long ago, but my name now is so much easier to remember.  So I would go for it, change both to the same name and something easy for buyers to remember and relate to what you sell.  I would do it soon too as you want to get your name out there for the Xmas rush. 

[mr.elmwood]

mjwl2006 is very difficult to read, subsequently no memory retention.

I would change it to something that is easy to read, but generic. Or? If all you do is toys, mj-toys.

[rose-dee]

---

@mr.elmwood wrote:

mjwl2006 is very difficult to read, subsequently no memory retention.

I would change it to something that is easy to read, but generic. Or? If all you do is toys, mj-toys.

---

I agree, for what it's worth.  To be truthful, I also always found "McQueen & Mo Mater" rather a mouthful.  It might also be hard for buyers to understand and retain (few people "get" Latin anymore). 

Branding is a whole critical field of marketing that involves psychology as well.  There is research that shows customers will remember a very simple, straightforward, short, and easy-to-read name (even an acronym or foreign name) more easily than a string of awkward words, but on the other hand will make the mental effort to remember an odd, unique, or unusual name that is "catchy" and that they can relate to specific products or a specific manufacturer/retailer.  

Sometimes the easiest brand is one that joins a surname or first name to a simple product descriptive: "McQueen's Toys" for example.  Alliteration can be good too if you can manage it.  

The bottom line: think about your new store name as it relates to your customers as well as reflecting what you sell (and intend to sell).  Don't box yourself in for the future.  As you've said, that can be a problem.  Mind you, major companies have shifted brands and managed it, but it took them time to turn the ship around.  

One small piece of advice from a marketing perspective: once you've chosen a new name, slip in into your store gradually, over a couple of weeks, so new customers and returning buyers can get used to the idea.  

For example, put up a notice on your storefront page, such as: "We're changing our store name soon!  Look for us here after [date] under "__________________ [store name]", same great products, same great service."  or words to that effect.  You can also include a similar flyer in each sold parcel. 

[momcqueen]

Are followers and past purchases still fundamentally linked to the ID regardless of its displayed text name? I assume that is the case.  

I'll push this into the New Year, I think. I'll have more time to do a proper job of it then. And I'll have used up my current printed material by then too. 

[fashionoutletdeal]

For me was easy to choose the name we just translated from french and here we are 🙂

[rose-dee]

---

@mjwl2006 wrote:

Are followers and past purchases still fundamentally linked to the ID regardless of its displayed text name? I assume that is the case.   

---

I would think past purchases would remain, but I'm not so sure about followers.  This is something worth checking with Raphael before you make a change.  (That's the sort of simple, technical question he prefers to answer).   

This is a small point, but remember too that the ID change will be perpetually recorded next to your new ID on your profile page -- not displayed, but available under "ID History" or whatever eBay calls it.  This in itself could be a minor deterrent for new, savvy buyers who are checking your eBay history.  

A switch in ID can be a signal of previous trouble, i.e. a seller who has changed to a "clean" ID in order to hide a former bad reputation, something that happens frequently on eBay.  This is another good reason for advertising the change on your storefront and elsewhere, to avoid the impression of a surreptitious switch. 

BTW, yes, leaving this major shift until the New Year is a very good idea.  Do you know what percentage of your buyers return?  I flag mine, and am always surprised to see how many repeat buyers I have in a year.

If you haven't got a system to flag them, you can peruse your Paypal history of payments received to spot repeat buyer names and/or email addresses. 

[i.am.vivian]

Followers, feedback, and absolutely everything else stays the same. Only the user ID changes.

[ricarmic]

I have the same problem.

Wayyyyyyy back in 1999 I had no idea how important my userid name would become, so I picked an old username they gave me in university (my initials and first 6 characters of my last name because in those days (early 80s) 8 characters was all one had for a userid!)

Since then, that id has spread everywhere, I use the same ID on all the various sites I live on, its the name of the website (which only hosts pictures) etc.

It has been around long enough that I've built up a name around it (you should maybe google "mjwl2006" and see what all pops up). My ebay id is mentioned in collector user groups etc. That will be lost if you change your id. (I did a quick look and I don't see much if anything from various chat groups etc mentioning your id so you might be ok).

The good news is that when a new site comes up, nobody (other than maybe a Russian who later contacts me and wants to sell me the id for $50 - it did happen!!!) else picks ricarmic as their userid.

I've decided to leave mine alone....

[fashionoutletdeal]

You are popular on Google https://www.google.ca/search?q=handbagsvogue&espv=2&biw=1242&bih=602&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X...

[silverpinups]

I'm contemplating changing my user ID --- and maybe also store name -- to something respectively more business-like and also generic.

Pick a user ID that doesn't have any numbers and reflects what you sell. A name that people can identify with and remember.

Keep it simple but colorful.

If you notice a lot of older eBay sellers have solid names with just letters and no numbers because there was less eBay users back then and a greater choice of names to pick from. 

[esclyons]

odds are if they are not following you, or going through their past purchases, and clicking on see seller's other items, then it really shouldn't matter.. i don't think a whole lot of people narrow their searches to a specific seller name, i have been her for many years, and have never done a search by sellers name, but that may just be me..

[silverpinups]

odds are if they are not following you, or going through their past purchases, and clicking on see seller's other items, then it really shouldn't matter.. i don't think a whole lot of people narrow their searches to a specific seller name, i have been her for many years, and have never done a search by sellers name, but that may just be me..

Yes, your right, but it has to do with keeping things simple and more professional. Your selling ID should reflect that and separate yourself from the plethora of sellers who's names have no meaning to the average buyer visiting your site. 

You want a name that people will remember....

What looks better, Pepsi or Pepsi1910. Toys-R-Us or Toys-R-Us1001.

A selling name defines you and your business. It's better to establish yourself earlier on then later.....

There was an eBay success story many years ago, I can't remember where I read it but they started out working in a tiny New York apartment to building a multi-million dollar business on eBay.

The one thing she regretted was the seller ID, but she was so established at that point that it was too late to change..... 

You can have success with whatever name you choose, but a simple easy to remember and creative name is just better to have in the long run.   

[momcqueen]

I wonder what's left for sensible user names on ebay now. 

[silverpinups]

THAT'S THE TOUGH PART!

Maybe start a "new' thread with suggestions.....

[momcqueen]

Ha ha, I'd be scared to do that. All the suggestions would be culled directly from the prank phone calls that Bart made to Moe's Tavern in The Simpsons: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/List_of_The_Simpsons_prank_calls

[silverpinups]

LOL... I think it would be a good creative thread to start....choosing a name that isn't taken is very tough!!

and maybe everyone can share a few laughs along the way.......

[momcqueen]

I just laughed my guts out reading that list. Ah, good times. I used to love The Simpsons so much. When my life flashes before my eyes, it's going to be 50 per cent Simpsons episodes.