Posts Tagged ‘web site names’

Startup Name Generator

Try the free Startup Name Generator today!

It may only be one word, but the right domain name can be a huge asset to your business. It is the signature by which potential customers all over the Web will come to know and recognize your enterprise. A good domain name can bring in customers and a bad name can drive them away, so choosing the right name is crucial. Here are five easy steps for doing just that.

Five Easy Steps to Finding a Great Business Domain Name

First, define your company. What do you offer? Who are your target customers, and where are they? How do you stand out from your competitors? Do you occupy a unique niche within your industry? Thinking about these things will help you come up with a name that fits.

Second, write down your ideas. Make a list of keywords. Jot down some images that you would like your name to bring to mind, and some thoughts that you would like it to convey. Remember that you’ll have to be creative, because millions of domain names have already been taken and thousands more are added to the Internet each day. But there are still myriad possibilities out there for names that are distinctive and easy to recall, names that won’t be drowned out by a sea of ordinary names when your potential customers are browsing the web.

Third, put your ideas together and come up with some candidates for your domain name. Sometimes two or three words that are ho-hum on their own can be combined or melded into one another to make something that sounds just right. A simple phrase might do the trick. If your business is selling widgets, why not call it WorldOfWidgets.com? If you’re stumped, or even if you’d just like some other ideas to add to the mix, a domain name generator like http://www.namestation.com can be very helpful. It can generate random, memorable and pronounceable names, or names based around your chosen keywords. It can blend words in all sorts of ways and add alliteration. And it can check to see if your chosen name is in fact available, and suggest alternatives if it is not.

Fourth, brainstorm. Take your short list of potential names and run it by your friends, family and colleagues. They will bring fresh perspectives to bear on your choices, and may come up with good ideas you hadn’t thought of. It will be easier to make a confident final choice after weighing their ratings and opinions of the potential names you’ve settled upon.

Finally, select the best domain name from your list of candidates and get it registered. It may be a good idea to buy multiple extensions of your domain name, like .net and .org, to help protect your brand, and to make sure that anyone who comes across your chosen domain name will be drawn to your company alone. It’s also smart to check that your chosen domain name and any associated logo don’t infringe on any copyrights or trademarks.

By NameStation Startup Name Generator

How To Avoid A Business Naming Disaster

An entrepreneur of my acquaintance, in a rush to get his new company up and running, launched his new online publishing venture with a press release and great industry fanfare. Not three days later, he received the kind of letter business owners dread: a cease-and-desist request from the lawyer for a company that said the name of the new venture infringed on their trademark. Ouch!

My colleague held emergency brainstorming sessions with his cronies, registered a new domain, announced the name change, only to receive a barrage of criticism from British and Australian colleagues that for them, the new name had negative and even somewhat obscene connotations. He changed the company name and corresponding URL again.

The moral of the story: Names matter. In your inventor’s zeal for getting the technical stuff right, don’t leave a blank for the company name and then pick one at the last minute. Take the time to choose a business name that has these characteristics:

  • Suggests the content or subject area of your business
  • Has pizzazz
  • Makes a positive impression on your target market
  • Can be easily spelled and pronounced
  • If the company will mainly do business online, corresponds to an available domain
  • Is legally available for use

Tips for Brainstorming Names

A comprehensive, free guide to brainstorming a winning company name can be found at http://www.yudkin.com/generate.htm. Another series of steps to follow are these:

1. Find 8-10 company names that you like – not necessarily in your own industry.

2. Analyze the type or formation of these names. For instance:

  • Google, Yahoo – short, sounds humorous
  • Dr. Pepper, Green Giant – based on a fictitious character
  • Done Yesterday, Call Caren! – describes a result or says what to do
  • Speedy Muffler, One Stop Frame Shop – states the competitive advantage
  • A Quiet Touch, Tranquility Day Spa – emphasizes a feeling
  • Queen of Clean, A Hire Authority – catchy, uses a meaningful rhyme or pun
  • Riviera Diamonds, Niagara Well Services – evocative geographical reference

3. Use the patterns of the names you like to think up new names that fit your line of work, target audience, competitive strengths and personal preferences. Always brainstorm dozens of possibilities, not just a few.

4. Run your candidates through the criteria listed above. Get feedback from trusted friends, clients and colleagues. Select your top choice from those remaining.

Domain Names

To find available domain names go to the domain name search tool at NameStation.com