Eight steps to the perfect startup name

Congrats! You have designed a cool product with friends and the basic funding is already there. But “Community App for Online Entrepreneurs” may still work as a working title, but not as your future domain name. Finding a name for a new company or a startup is usually not easy, but it is an essential part of branding.

You should really take your time for creating a name for a startup because it is very important. In fact, it can influence your subsequent success, as it will often be the first thing that potential users and buyers, as well as investors, hear about.

You should strategize to get the right name for your startup. We suggest you eight steps for making this process succeed.

Step 1: Find out who you are

Find out what makes your startup or your new company.

Answer the questions:

What is your unique selling proposition? What distinguishes you from competitors?

What is the very specific customer benefit?

What do you want to radiate? What emotions do you want to create?

What is the vision of your company?

Write down all of this.

Step 2: Make a conceptual and naming brainstorming

Find words that describe your startup or company. Let your creativity run wild and write down terms that describe the customer value and your unique selling proposition. Of course, it works better in the team. Otherwise, you can also ask friends and family to send you some associations and ideas about your planned business. Even if there is not yet the final name, it can give you at least good impulses.

Step 3: Combine and create

Try the various word combinations. Use the naming methods:

Let us take the examples:

Combination of words

Example: WordPress

Here are two words (mostly nouns) composed, with the emphasis often on the first word. As a rule, the combinations symbolize the product (YouTube, WordPress). Nevertheless, there are also very free composite examples (Firefox).

Base name

Example: “Apple”

The classic example of using a real, simple word as a company name. Companies that have already positioned themselves well before or during the Internet’s breakthrough stand out with such names (Amazon, Fox). These days, however, this strategy will probably make you desperate for domain searches, and you will need to invest a lot in search engine ranking.

Shortening

Example “eBay”:

Come out if you catch a word and play with the letters. One way or another.

Word creation

Example “Tesa”

Hardly any name sticks to the memory even better, although it does not convey any meaning in itself.

Real names

Example: Ford

The factory founded by Henry Ford in Detroit in 1903 is one of the largest automakers worldwide. Choosing the surname may seem a little unimaginative, but nowadays it makes sense to set up a personal brand and focus on your own person as a brand.

There are also some good name-finding tools to help you with this:

NameQL: Platform uses a basic idea that you enter in a text box and then there appends some imaginative or grammatically correct endings.

Panabee: A page plays with your words. Here you can brainstorm with some keywords, and Panabee dices letters, changes endings and creatively plays with a basic idea. This simple creative method lets you find different startup names. Available domains will be displayed immediately, as well as the app stores are searched.

Naminum: Based on a buzzword that should be the basis for your future business name, Naminum makes a colorful selection of proposals, all of which sound like approachable fantasy words.

Nameboy: By entering a first and second word, several word combinations are ejected, which are also checked for their availability as a domain.

NameRobot: Founders and project starters can find various ideas for company names and business names quickly and cheaply. Subsequently, these can also be checked directly for their availability.

Wordoid: The platform supplements online terms used to their translations in other languages ​​and provides additional input for naming.

Step 4: Are your favorite names still available?

Choose the four to eight names you like best. Now find out if your favorite is still available as a domain or not already registered as a brand. Nowadays you should be able to secure the right domain for your name. So check to see if it is still available or if you can buy it from the current owner. Moreover, before you decide on a startup name, you should definitely inform yourself about the legal framework. Is your name already being used and is it legally protected or are there similar names that could cause problems?

Step 5: Think long-term goals when developing your company name

In addition, you should think again at the latest now, where you want to go in perspective with your startup or your company:

Do you want to build your own brand?

Then a fantasy name, which you can live with over time, and which can also grow flexibly with the growth of your project is suitable.

Or is it more of a manageable or even temporary project?

Then it may be more useful if keywords already appear in the name and your target group knows immediately what it is about.

Is your product or service only designed for the English-speaking market? Or would you like to approach non-English-speaking customers in the future?

This consideration should be taken into account when deciding whether to choose a universal, simpler name for your startup and check it for translating in other languages.

Step 6: Check the favorite names thoroughly

Now examine your top name ideas under the following aspects:

Uniqueness: Is the name sufficiently demarcated or does it resemble the name of a competitor?

Expressive: Is it exciting for the target group and makes you curious?

Understandable: Is it understandable for a person without specialized knowledge?

Memorable: Is not it too long and easy to remember?

Simple: Does it sound very good too?

Step 7: Get feedback for naming

Even after a name has been shortlisted, ask friends and acquaintances for feedback:

What do you associate with these top name ideas?

What associations do they awaken?

Is one of the terms distinguish from the others in a good or a bad way?

If you are unsure, you can also start an online survey.

Step 8: Give yourself a little time with the naming

Do not rush things. Good ideas take time and are often changed several times. Even if you are sure that you have found your perfect name by one hundred percent, it is essential to sleep one or more nights over it. Anyway, you always have the best ideas when you least expect them: under the shower, while washing dishes, or when carrying out refuse incineration. Therefore, there is no point in trying to perfect the name now. Many companies and startups have changed their name once or even several times. So do not worry too much and get started!

Anyway, remember, that your name should summarize your business idea and work out the unique selling proposition of your startup. In addition, it should be authentic and genuine. It should not harm the project but merely to help in the successful branding and sales.