Business Name – When I first started my projects, I recall how stressful the naming process was for me. For the first couple of names, it would be fun and casual, but I’d quickly become imprisoned in a mind-numbing list of gibberish.
I could feel my standards slipping after a few hours, and I gradually lost faith in my ability to even judge the names I was coming up with. That was generally when I would post a desperate message on a forum like this (or the ones listed above) –
And, while I think asking someone other than yourself is a nice idea, it isn’t the best approach to come up with a good name. By a long shot, no.
I always came up with names that I was satisfied with. My ideas were doomed before they ever got started because of terrible names.
That isn’t what I want for you…
So here’s a way I’ve created over the years for avoiding the naming maze and selecting the ideal name for your company.
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Step 1: Understand the Characteristics of a Good Name
Most people intuitively understand what makes a good business name, so I won’t go into too much detail here in the interest of brevity.
Check out this article for a great analysis of what makes a good name if you’re overthinking things and need some guidance.
Then return here, because this guide continues where that one leaves off…
Step 2: Make a list of possible names.
You’ll need to come up with a few keywords to get started once you’re convinced you’d recognize a decent name if you saw one.
You’ve probably already thought of a few. If not, you should probably return to the previous step.
If you’re still stuck, search for successful competitors and fast-growing organizations to learn from.
Bust-A-Name is a huge time saving.
Start by entering your initial keyword ideas into Bust-A-Name (the greatest tool for brainstorming domain names). I’ll use StartupBros as an example in this post because we used this strategy to come up with that name (StartupBros was originally going to be IncomeLabs).
As you can see, Bust-A-Name examines all conceivable combinations of the keywords you provide and returns the domains that contain those phrases.
Despite the fact that we have only just begun the naming process, there are a few good names on the board that I would preserve. SmartIncomeLabs, StartupIncome, and IncomeBros are just a few of the good names on the list (and of course StartupBros would have been on this board if it were available).
To the first keyword list, add
You’ll want to expand on those concepts to come up with synonyms/similar phrases once you’ve got some first keywords on the board.
Those are the only two sources I utilise to generate keyword ideas. I also use Thesaurus on occasion, but only on rare occasions.
You should have a good number of name combinations to choose from at this time.
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Step 3: Narrow It Down to a Couple of Good Names
Now comes the mind-numbing part: sifting through the list of names.
Avoid getting caught up in this stage if at all possible. To varied degrees, any startup name will have advantages and disadvantages.
By only displaying you name combinations with available domain names, Bust-A-Name will save you a lot of time. All you have to do now is scroll through and select your favourites.
Normally, I have a list of over 500 names to sort through. You’ll most likely end up there.
90% of the names Bust-A-Name generates will be flops, but you’re looking for the gold…
At this point, there is no clear method to selecting names; simply save the ones that seem okay.
Try to pick out 25 of them that you believe are good, then narrow it down to 15…
Then 10.
Then 5
After that, proceed to the next step.
Step 4: Determine which one is ideal.
Now comes my favourite part: we put our names to the test to see which one is the best!
This is where everyone makes a mistake…
Everyone appears to think that getting name suggestions from friends, family, and Facebook friends is a good idea – I suspect out of desperation.
step 5-Dominance
You’ll wind up with something like this in Unbounce after a few days and $50-100.
As you can see, the StartupBros name outperformed our first name suggestion, IncomeLabs, by 13%.
I’m utterly perplexed by what that 13 percent signifies, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.
Is this to say that everything we do at StartupBros will grow and perform 13 percent faster and better than if we did it under IncomeLabs?
There’s no way to tell for sure, I suppose…
But what I do know is that the StartupBros name resonated with our target demographic more than any other name we considered – which is why we chose it.
And there’s no way I’d have it any other way.
6. Maintain your focus.
It’s nearly impossible not to draw conclusions about a name’s meaning and suitability based on your own personal experiences and prejudices.
The most difficult aspect of naming is remaining objective.
If it takes you months to come up with a name or if you’re having trouble finding anything that you’re completely content with, it’s most likely because you’re not being objective.
You’re all over the place, saying things like, “Hey, maybe this, or maybe that.”
It’s not enough to say “maybe”; you must first specify criteria.
If your gut tells you something is bad, it probably is.
One of the most important, fundamental ideas is to decide what you want your new name to do for you right from the start, rather than later.
These ten questions will assist you in defining objectives:
1.So, what’s the deal?
2.What will be the outcome?
3.Who is it intended for?
4.What makes you stand out?
5.What kind of personality does it have?
6.What should people think of it?
7.What should they be forced to do as a result of it?
8.Is there a company that owns the brand?
9.What is the background?
10.What is the situation?
