4 Tips for Choosing a Memorable Startup Name
When it comes to first impressions, it only takes 7 seconds for someone to make up their mind. In this time you have show the audience what you’re all about and prove that they should pay attention to your company.
That’s why choosing a memorable startup name is so important. You don’t get a second chance at a first impression and you don’t want people to forget about you either. Giving yourself a catchy, interesting and unique name is one of the best things you can do to get your startup off the ground. Here are some tips on how to create one.
1. Drop ‘-ify’
Spotify is one of the single most successful startups in the world. The company is now valued at over $8 billion and even Apple is trying to follow in its footsteps with Apple Music.
Spotify is also reason for the trend of startups with ‘ify’ in their names. But did you know that it is the only startup with ‘ify’ in its name that has ever had much success? And did you know that the name Spotify was created accidentally, and now because it would be popular?
In Business Insider’s list of top private tech companies, Spotify is the only ‘ify’ startup to ever make the list. In an answer on Quora, Spotify co-founder Daniel Ek revealed that they came up with it when Ek misheard a name yelled by other co-founder Martin Lorentzon. So although it’s tempting, don’t add ‘ify’ to your startup’s name because you think it’s cool. It doesn’t guarantee success and may sound odd.
2. Don’t Worry About the Domain
Something that can also factor into your creation of a startup name is the domain of your website. No matter what sort of product or service you’re offering, your website is where most people will go to first if they want to find out more about what you do. You will want a startup name that can easily be turned into a URL.
But getting the domain name that you want might be hard work. You shouldn’t rule out a startup name just because the domain name is already taken or is too expensive.
For example, if you are offering an app or some sort of downloadable product then adding ‘get’, ‘use’, or ‘app’ to the domain name is a good solution. The recently introduced .co domain may also be helpful. You may want to choose something local such as .tv which is the domain of Tuvalu.
3. Make Your Startup Name Familiar
The yeti may be a mythical creature but everybody has heard of it. According to the myth, the yeti are smart hunters and can navigate freezing cold temperatures even when the snow is heavy and thick on the ground. So it makes sense then, that YetiData’s services can help companies navigate the confusing and complicated world of social media.
Then there are also brands like Snapchat and SoundCloud. Not only are these memorable brands names but it’s easy to figure out what sort of product they are just by hearing the name.
By making your startup name familiar, you can let that name do all the work for you. As we mentioned, it doesn’t take long to make a first impression and a startup name that instantly makes an impact can be priceless. Not only that but it makes logo creation a lot easier too.
4. Two Syllable Names
Another route you may want to go for your startup name is to make it two syllables. Some of the best known companies in history have names like that. Google, eBay, PayPal, Facebook, Reddit, Twitter and so on and so forth. The reason why these names are so effective is because they are short and sweet.
