Choosing the right name for a startup is one of the first and maybe the most difficult steps you need to take in order to start walking down the road to building a successful business. A good name will attract attention and help you stand out among the competitors. It should also allude to the nature of your business and be easy to remember. So the question is: how to get there?
Define your startup's identity
Start by clarifying your business mission, target audience, and value. The name should be different if it's tech-driven than if it were art-related. Similarly, if your audience is finance professionals or everyday consumers, the name should reflect it. Are you selling luxury services or budget solutions? Defining all these points will help you to clarify the strategic points your business's name should reflect. It should hint at who you want to serve and how you will serve them, so the potential customers will immediately connect. It's essential to make it one of the first steps of your startup journey, so that you can buy domains with your desired name before it's snatched by somebody else. You can easily register your domain, get hosting, and even access a great, intuitive website builder on websites like one.com, which is a one-stop shop for creating your website.
Brainstorm and shortlist
Generate a broad list of potential names. Really go for it. It can be words, whole phrases, or maybe even invented terms, anything that aligns with your brand's identity. Ask your friends and colleagues for help - the more ideas the better! Don't censor, don't edit, don't think too much at this point. Get your creative juices flowing and really experiment with the sounds, meaning, and spelling. Then shortlist your favorite ideas - aim for five to ten - based on the clarity of their message, memorability, ease of pronunciation, and emotional appeal. Eliminate the rest without looking back.
Check the availability
Once you have your list, check whether these names are available on the platforms or domains that you desire. Some handles might be taken on social media, and adding punctuation signs like "_" might not work to your advantage, making your business look less professional and trustworthy. Avoid using names that are already associated with other companies, especially if they are somehow similar to what you offer, to reduce confusion and legal risks. This will limit your list even further, leaving you with a few possible names to choose from.
Test it with real people
Use your friends and family as guinea pigs. Say it aloud, spell it over the phone, ask what they think when they hear that name first, without knowing what the company is all about, and ask them if it's easy to remember. Choose the shorter names and simply roll off the tongue. Avoid unusual spelling, unless they offer some unique benefit in your startup's case. Also, consider the names that could work internationally, that is, they will work regardless of the country. A name that works great in your country might be very awkward or carry an unintended meaning somewhere else. This is important if your aim is to advertise your company internationally, of course. If you're aiming strictly at the local market, it might help to choose a name that rings closer to home.
Make the final choice
With all the information you collected, you are ready to choose the winner and commit, knowing that you've done all the work necessary to make the best possible choice. Update all your branding material, social profiles, and legal documents to reflect the name and, of course, register it, so that your company starts legally existing under your carefully chosen name. Announce your decision clearly and advertise boldly. You may even include a story behind the name-choosing process on your social media or your website.
