How to name your startup for optimum long-term results? The success of your startup may very much depend on choosing the appropriate name. Even worse than failing to connect with consumers, the wrong name might create insurmountable commercial and legal obstacles. The opposite is also true: your marketing and branding activities may benefit greatly from a powerful, memorable name.
How to name your startup properly?
Entrepreneurs focus heavily on raising funds for their startups, yet some fail to recognize the significance of the startup’s name. Although giving your startup a name may seem insignificant, it’s really one of the most crucial and underrated aspects of your business. This name will be the identifier of the brand’s reputation for years to come. It would be best if you started off on the right foot.
If not, future attempts to replace your name may present some difficulties. You won’t want to have to cope with that headache. In light of this, we wanted to demonstrate to you how you might make this procedure simpler. These are the main suggestions to keep in mind when naming your startup.
Winning tips on how to name your startup
There are many things to consider when determining “how to name your startup.” Below, we have a quick explanation of them.
Never use names that are difficult to spell
Finding your company online will be even more cumbersome if the name you give is harder to spell. You probably don’t want to be the one who always has to set the record straight on how to spell your name properly. Ensure simplicity.
Choose a name that won’t restrict your company as it expands
Selecting a name that is too specific might lead to future issues. Consider what might have happened had Jeff Bezos chosen “OnlineBooks” rather than “Amazon.” You shouldn’t restrict your company to a certain product or location.
Run a comprehensive Internet search
In this guide on how to name your startup, this step is considered to be one of the most significant tasks. Do a web search for the name after you’ve chosen the one you like. You will most likely discover that another person is already using that company name somehow. That won’t completely steal the show. However, it should make you think twice.
Obtain the.com domain
It is strongly recommended that you use a “.com” domain name for your company instead of a domain extension like.net,.org,.biz, or any other option. However, there are instances where other extensions are preferred over the.com extension. For example, a cinematography studio might prefer.studio extensions over the.com ones.
A .com names often conjure up images of established firms in customers’ minds. Your .com name will undoubtedly already be registered to someone. However, many domain holders are open to selling their names for a fair price.
Consider purchasing the desired .com domain as an investment in your company. On websites like GoDaddy.com or NetworkSolutions.com, you may check whether a domain name is available. Using the “Whois” service at GoDaddy, Network Solutions, or ICANN, you may often find the domain name’s owner if the name is already taken and inquire about their willingness to sell it. An alternative that would work in some cases is using prefixes or suffixes for the domain name chosen, which might be available at the moment.
Don’t forget to establish your preferred company name on well-known social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Choose a name with some significance
The perfect company name should suggest something significant and uplifting about your business. Can consumers quickly understand what your company does? While catchy but meaningless names like “Google,” “Yahoo,” or “Zappos” may attract some attention, it can go the other way too.
Conduct a trademark search and a Secretary of State search
To see whether you can register a trademark or service mark for the name, search for it at USPTO.gov. You should check the Secretary of State’s records to be sure your name won’t be confusingly similar to a business name that has already been registered since you’ll probably want to organize your company as a corporation or LLC.
The Secretary of State may refuse to let you register it if it is too similar to an already-registered name. You may carry out this sort of search with the aid of your business attorney.
Evaluate the name’s catchiness
Choosing a name for your company shouldn’t be too “out there,” but you also don’t want it to be dull. Without hesitation, your workers should be able to identify their place of employment. Also, you want your brand to be recognized by your intended market.
Ask for opinions on the name
Without this advice, this tutorial on how to name your startup won’t be as helpful as it might be. Ask friends, relatives, and reliable coworkers for feedback after coming up with five or ten names. Ask your targeted audience for their opinions as well, which can be very helpful. Additionally, check to see whether the name has any negative connotations.
Ensure that the name sounds nice when spoken aloud
When spoken aloud, names may sound terrible while looking OK on paper. Also, if it’s said out loud, watch out that it’s not pronounced incorrectly.
Utilize the available tools at your disposal to come up with startup names
Many websites may aid with name generation, such as:
Make sure you like the name personally
You must have read several articles on how to name your startup, and each one gave you valuable advice on how to do it correctly. Regardless of what the experts suggest, you must also be pleased with the startup name. Why? You must love the name and think it will connect with clients since you’ll be stuck with it for a long time as the company owner. Please give it some thought and start off correctly.
Wrapping up
Why is it so crucial to emphasize how to name your startup, and how should you go about doing so? Just what does that name mean? Your new identity will be the name of the new business you’re starting. Don’t go about this work carelessly.
Use this guide to help you make a selection, whether you’re having trouble coming up with a name or already have one in mind but aren’t sure how to continue. It is preferable to take your time and be certain of your decision now instead of changing or modifying your name later.