How to name a business: Google, zazzle, groupon, bing, squidoo, yahoo, flickr… what’s in a name?
If you’ve been pondering how to name a business or blog for awhile, you’re not alone.
When it comes time to set up a web site for yourself, the unlimited combination of letters can be overwhelming. You want to have a web site name that people can remember, and that also somehow explains what your business or blog is about.
There are several ways to go about it: the made up word, the straight-up definition, or something more personal like your name.
1. Make something up (aka how to name a business in the tech field)
Made up words are great if you’re creating a brand, or a business where you plan on having many people on board. Most examples of these tend to be tech-related, and all the examples above fit into this category.
You can play around with some wacky name generator tools. Or you could throw some letters into a hat and pull them out randomly to form your new company name!
2. Choose a descriptive keyword (aka how to name a blog for seo)
You can also choose to describe your site exactly: HowToEatRawFood.com or PlantAGardenGrowYourOwnFood.com – This tells people who land on your site exactly what they’re getting.
This is also good because it helps search engines understand what your site is about. The downside is you can’t start writing about your sock monkey business if you decide to change business directions.
3. You are your business: YourName.com
This one brings up a lot of “stuff” and I know exactly how you feel. Being in the spotlight or putting yourself in your business can feel like an ego thing, but in the end it’s the one thing that’s unlikely to change over the lifetime of your business.
You’ll always be there, and even if you change business directions you won’t need to start your web site over from scratch.
I like to think of Walt Disney on this one. Although Walt is no longer with us, his name and vision lives on through his business.
Whether or not you would want your company to live on beyond you, the benefits of using your name definitely outnumber the cons.
One of the biggest drawbacks of using your name is that names can be tricky to spell. Very few people have straightforward names, but that might work to your advantage when it comes time to buying your domain name.
What’s in a name?
So what name should you pick when you’re putting together your web site and business? I recommend having one main web site “hub”, and if YourName.com is available I’d snag it before it’s gone! Otherwise feel free to choose something else for your business and domain name.
I’ve got a lot to say about blog naming basics, so if you want more check out my post on ProBlogger.
Why did you choose your domain or business name? I’m curious to find out your thought process on the topic.
Be sure to grab your free weekly tech tidbits for more advice on how to name a business or start a blog.
Great post Nathalie! This is something I've been struggling with for a while! Although I have my name purchased, I still feel compelled to have an official "company name". I've come up with so many great domain names that are taken...so now I'm gearing towards sticking to my name!
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