How to choose a name for your startup

Choosing a name for your startup can be really difficult and confusing and can impact the success of your brand and how your audience will connect to your brand. A clear, powerful easy to get name can really help your branding and marketing efforts.

1. It should be easy to spell and remember, something people will remember instinctively without effort and will be able to recognise fast the next time they see it. An easy name will also make it easier for people to connect with your brand

2. It should represent the values of your company and what your company (For example your the name “Nike” it’s the Greek goodness of victory)

3. Make sure your name is not limiting your business to grow only in 1 niche. For example if you are a shoes company and your name is “Sam Shoes” you limit your business for only shoes and will make it much harder if not impossible for your brand to expand to new niches and markets in the future. From the other side if you choose a name that is not identified with some niche like “Apple” or “Nike” it’s not will be weird or at least much less marketing challenge for you to expand to new markets.

4. Make sure it’s not generic, generic names (and i put aside the fact that most generic names have a trademark problem) are just not catch people attention and make them think. Like think about it, the first time someone is coming across a computer company named “Apple” one of the thoughts he think about it’s “Apple? Apple Computers? It’s weird” non-generic names catch people attention and as a result they remember you because you made them think.

5. Do some research on the internet and make sure there’s no other brands with the name you want to give to your company, preferably in general but least in your niche and style. Having a website with the same name as you have can make people confuse and hurt your Google rate. If there’s a domain name you can buy that end with “.com” it’s also better. You should also make a trademark search at http://uspto.gov/

6. Go get a feedback and make sure it looks and sounds good. Make sure it sounds good and clear when you say it loud and also Think that you want your employees (and maybe even audience) to feel comfortable walking with branded clothes with the name and logo of the startup in the street and being able to answer people easily we’re they’re working.

7. Get help and ideas, from your friends from the people around you, from google. Tell them what elements you want your name to have (Represent some values, easy to spell. Etc….) and ask them for ideas, it’s not only about the ideas they will give you. It also will open your mind for new directions and will help you be more creative and think easily about more ideas for a name. As a result it will shorten the proccess and there are good chances you”ll find a better name than what you would find without asking for help.

8. Last tip, search for brands you like and some startups you like their name and think they have a good name and do some research and understand how and why they choose their name and whats stand behind it and it will give you inspiration (You can ask it by just Sending people direct messages on LinkedIn, most of the people will answer and will be happy to talk to you from my experience.

Choosing a name for your startup can be a difficult task, however, choosing a good name can really help you market your product. Working with a blueprint how to choose a name and what are the main factors are can really make the choice easier and less confusing.

And remember, that with all the respect for the name of your startup, the core is your product, don’t give the process of choosing a name for your startup more attention than what it deserves, remember that the product it’s the core.

If you choose a bad name, remember you can change it, you can pivot, at the end of the day that’s what successful, don’t they?