7 Things to Keep in Mind When Naming Your Startup
The name of your startup is very important because that’s where people will find you. You can’t leave anything to doubt because each letter of your name is very important. Even if your business is nothing more than a local brick and mortar operation, your customers will often need your phone and business hours. However, if you are an online company, then your name is a vital sales tool that could either make or break your business. Here are seven things to keep in mind when naming your startup.
Realize that your business name and domain name should be the same
By having a name that is not the same as your website, you are asking for trouble. The name of your website needs to be the exact same name as your business, if it is not available, you should run checks on all the other acceptable names that are on your list. If you are having trouble trying to locate a .com domain that is close to your name, then you may want to consider changing the name of your business until you find something that is available. Or you could consider other top-level domains like .co.
Don’t waste time buying anything that is not a dot-com
If you do not have access to the .com, then find another name. This should be an obvious thing to keep in mind, but it is hard to imagine just how much damage is done by a business getting a .org or .net domain name. The amount of money you lose will probably be rather large, so it makes sense to search for other options.
See what your online competition for your Startup name is
You also need to see what competitors are doing online, especially those who have a name that is part a keyword you are trying to target. This is a mandatory requirement because you need to know if there is someone out there whose name is very similar, and this might affect your business in some way. This type of search can also give you some great ideas about what not to do when trying to decide on a new name, and this information might make your search a bit easier.
See if your Startup name can be used as part of a high-ranking search term
First, you need to sign up for a free Adwords account so you can have access to the Google Keyword Planner. Once you have this invaluable tool that tells you which keywords have the most monthly searches, you can search for keywords that have your business name or parts of your business name in them. You can also use this tool if you haven’t yet decided on a name and need something that is SEO-friendly.
Don’t add abbreviations or numbers to your Startup name
Your business name needs to be presented as it is. If you try to get fancy, you will only confuse a certain amount of people. There are so many things out there to keep track of, you don’t need to give your customers something else they have to remember.
Remember to register as the domain owner
You need to be registered as the domain owner. This is usually done when you are signing up for a domain name at any of the major websites that perform these types of services. Just remember that if someone else owns the domain, that could mean trouble for you later.
Don’t forget to renew your registration
Remember to renew your registration every year. Most companies that help facilitate your purchase of a domain will automatically remind you to do this. However, it is something that must be done, so make sure that it is.
You have lots of choices out there, and that’s why there are services like Godaddy, Bigrock, Domainr, Nameboy, and Name Perfection that will help find you SEO friendly names that will work great on the internet. The right name can make or break your business, so do your due diligence and choose wisely.
