Tech Business Name: Finding the right name for your startup can impact your success considerably. The incorrect name can do worse than failing to connect with customers; it can also lead to insurmountable business and legal obstacles. A clear, powerful name, by contrast, can be extremely helpful in your marketing and branding efforts.
Following are the suggestions for how to name your tech business smartly:
1. Avoid hard-to-spell names – Tech Business Name
You don’t want potential customers to get confused about how to find an online business. For instance, I never understood why “Flickr” has been pushed as the name for the photo-sharing site. You want to avoid having to correct the misspelled version of your name continuously. Keep it easy.
2. Don’t pick a name that might be restrictive as your business grows.
Choosing a name too narrow could cause you trouble down the road. Imagine if Jeff Bezos had chosen the name “OnlineBooks” instead of “Amazon.” So, avoid names like “San Francisco Wedding Dresses” or “LugNuts Unlimited.” You don’t want to limit your business to a specific product or city.
3. Conduct a thorough Internet search – Tech Business Name
Once a name you like is determined, do a web search on the name. You’ll find more often than not that someone else already uses that business name. Although that isn’t going to be a total showstopper, it should give you a break.
4. Get the .com domain name.
My strong preference is to secure the.com domain name for your business as opposed to alternatives like.net, .org, .biz or other possible domain extensions. Customers tend to associate a.com name with a business that has established itself more. Certainly, somebody will own your desired.com name already, but many domain owners are willing to sell their name at the right price.
Just think of acquiring the .com name you want as an investment in the business. You can check the availability of a domain name on websites such as GoDaddy.com or NetworkSolutions.com, and if the domain name is taken, you can often track the domain name’s owner and see if they are willing to sell it using GoDaddy or Network Solutions’ “Whois” tool.
Make sure to capture your desired business name on popular social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, too.
5. Use a name that conveys some meaning.
Ideally, you want the company name to convey something meaningful and positive about your company. Can people get what your business is about straight away? While meaningless names like “Google,” “Yahoo,” or “Zappos” have some appeal because of their catchiness, it will cost you a lot more to brand these kinds of names.
Canny.com, Cling.com, Afire.com, and Admin.com are some examples of clear, simple, and intriguing domain names. A domain name such as “OnlineTickets.com” is genius because it conveys the business’ meaning and is useful for optimizing the search engine.
6. Conduct a trademark search.
Do a search at USPTO.gov to get an idea of whether a trademark or service mark can be obtained for the name.
7. Conduct a Secretary of State search.
Since you are likely to want to structure your business as a corporation or LLC, you should search the records of the Secretary of State to ensure that your name is not confusingly similar to an already registered business name. If it resembles an existing name too much, the Secretary of State may not allow you to register it. Your corporate lawyer can help you perform this sort of search.
8. Assess if the name is catchy.
You obviously don’t want a boring name for your business, but you also don’t want to choose something that’s too “out there.” You want your employees to be able to say where they’re working without hesitation, and you want your name to resonate with your target audience.
9. Get feedback on the name.
Come up with five or ten names and run them through friends, family members, and trusted colleagues. Get your target audience feedback, as well. And make sure the name has no negative connotations (like when GM named its new car model the “Nova” without realizing that the name meant “doesn’t go” in Spanish).
10. Make sure the name sounds good when said aloud.
On paper, names sometimes seem perfect, but when spoken aloud, they sound terrible. And when it’s said aloud, make sure people don’t get confused about how it’s spelled.
11. Use resources available for brainstorming names.
There are a variety of places that can help you call your brainstorm, among them:
- VisualThesaurus.com (gives you a visual preview of a keyword)
- Shop Business Name Generator (generates ideas for the company name and tests the availability of domains at the same time)
- NameMesh.com (provides name generator for startup companies)
- Naminum.com (enables names to be generated based on a theme)
At Eat My Words, there are even name branding experts like Alexandra Watkins.
12. Make sure you are personally happy with the name.
You will have to live with the name for a long time as the business owner, so be sure to be happy with it and believe it will resonate with your customers. Take your time from the start to get it right.
