7 tips how to name your company or internet start-up
As an entrepreneur, when you establish a company or a new product you will likely be looking for a suitable name as well. Decisions concerning the name are crucial for success. This applies particularly to new businesses that offer Internet-based services. The domain name is therefore important as well. The following seven tips can help to find the ideal name for your business. 12designer, the portal for competitive creative projects, has compiled these tips. At 12designer.com, the search for a name can be successful with the help of over 18900 members.
Tip 1- How to prioritise correctly
When you look for a name, you have to consider a bunch full of things: the name should be easy to remember, easy to pronounce or spell, as well as compact and unique at the same time. It should relay the purpose of the company or product, search engines should love it and the domains (.com and the one from your country) should still be available. This list can be extended even further. A name, preferably one short word, can hardly live up to every one of these expectations.
Therefore: prioritise! Otherwise, the search for a name can turn into an ordeal. Is a .com domain really necessary? Does this one word really have to be part of the name? A list containing the most important requirements of the name helps to prioritise. Are some aspects a “must” or a “can”? This provides a good base for the decision-making. With the help of this list of requirements, you should also check the names of your competitors so as to distinguish yourself clearly from them.
Tip 2- Determining lexical and semantic fields
You find a gorgeous name, but what if it is already taken? Then it is time to apply unusual methods in the search for a name. Systematically determine terms that can be associated directly or indirectly with your company. Take for example the name search for a portal, through which used boats are sold. “Boat” and “boat dealer” are of course already taken. However, the semantic fields “water sports” and “market place” have more potential. Where required, consider related topics, such as ocean, beach, water, and wind; they will provide more stimulation. Are there connections to mythology, such as “Neptune” or already existing concepts that you can use? Often, you can find suggestions online, for example at synonyms.com. You can draw from this portfolio in order to develop naming ideas with the help of new word combinations, neologisms, or imitations: oboato, shipshop, luvit, neptoon, dealswithboats, secondboat, etc.
Tip 3- Many eyes see better than two
Assess an idea or ask your colleagues, business partners, or LinkedIn friends for second opinions. Here, too, you should apply the sentiment: many eyes see better than two. Set a fixed time frame, in which your name-finding team should develop name suggestions for your new business or product. You provide the important keywords and the creative thinking can begin. It is important to take notes, as even the most absurd suggestion can lead the others to the all-important idea. With the help of online surveys you can test, if the name is generally well received.
Tip 4 – Use creative techniques
Do you know the children’s drawing game where everyone draws a head first, and then the piece of paper is handed to the person next to you, who draws the body, while the next draws the feet? The results are creatures, with which no one could come up on their own. A creative technique for brainstorming works similarly. Everyone on the team writes down ideas in a first round and passes them on to the next person in the following rounds. With the help of the different approaches and experiences of all, the first drafts of names can be developed.
Tip 5 – Descriptive name or creative name?
It’s not easy to find a descriptive name, which can be typed easily and quickly into the address bar of the Internet browser. If they are not already taken, they are usually very long. However, one should attempt to find a descriptive name, as it offers some advantages for the Google ranking and users will know instantly what to make of it. An example for this is the name “dealswithboats”. The advantages are obvious: creative names are shorter, easier to remember and more likely to be available. In the end it is the catchy sound that counts, as well as an easy and memorable diction and the premise that the name is suitable for the company and its target group. Examples for this are “neptoon” and “oboato”.
Tip 6 – Name and Claim
A bad name cannot be compensated with a good claim or company slogan. However, a melodious creative name in combination with an adequate claim can easily convey what kind of company and product is behind. Vice versa, a descriptive name can improve in allure pared with an emotional claim and contribute to the successful conveyance of the values of a company. Examples here are: “neptoon – boats and more” or “dealswithboats – welcome on board”.
Tip 7 – Domain and brand check as well as domain alternatives
Some technical questions always appear at this stage. Is the domain still available? Are there any conflicts with already registered brands? This is of course the last instance before the final decision. Tools for checking domains can be found online and almost all providers offer alternatives, should the requested name already be taken. Domains with add-ons like –online, - company, or -24 can provide a solution in some cases. Most of the time, however, you have to search again. No one wants to bestow more website-visitors on the competition because potential customers forgot to attach the add -on when entering the address.
Finding a name at 12designer.com
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