it’s currently 4.15pm and there are a couple of defeated looking guys sitting at the back of a cafe occupying a large table with 2 laptops, about 7 empty coffee cups, yelling what sounds like just random words to one another, the other approving but usually disapproving. They were here yesterday too.
What they are discussing is one of the hardest questions you could face at the start of creating any new venture.
What do we call ourselves?
The two guys at the cafe have moved onto Egyptian God names now. Don’t get me wrong here, there is absolutely no reason why they couldn’t call themselves something like Hathor but at the same time, there is also nothing wrong with something like Gaz or [MATT, WHAT WAS THE NAME WE ALMOST WENT WITH?]
You have unlimited and this is what makes it a difficult process. Here are some guidelines we came up with learnt from the mistakes of our lengthy name-storming sessions to help save you some time.
WHO DO YOU INTEND TO TALK TO?
Having a clear vision of your target audience and what your product or service offers will start to introduce a direction of tone, language and possible words to use that your audience could relate to.
LOUD AND CLEAR
You are going to be repeating this name for as long as you are in business in various forms of communication, from telling someone your email address on the phone to someone searching for you on Facebook. Keep it simple, your name should be easy to spell and to hear, a clear word or 2 is preferable because how much time do you really want to waste spelling out the name of your business? Not only annoying but damaging to your presence.
IT DOESN’T MATTER AS MUCH AS YOU THINK IT DOES
What did Sony mean before it became Sony? It’s up to you and your business to define how powerful the name becomes. Pick your five favourite options, put them in a hat, draw one out and define it.
NEED SOME STARTUP IDEAS? Check out this list of best startup web design ideas for inspiration.
CHECK AVAILABILITY
It’s crushing to decide on a name and find out that the domain has already been taken. A word of caution, check availability across all platforms before getting excited, here are some handy links:
