How To Find The Perfect Startup Name: Tips For A Memorable Company Name
The perfect startup name is an essential element for a perfect startup journey. When we look at the names of successful startups, we see that they all have some common features. One of the best examples in this regard is “Google”, a multi-million dollar company operating on a global scale. Google would be a great example of a great startup name.
It was inspired by the concept of “Googol” in mathematics and associated with technology and remained in everyone’s mind as an original word. This increased the brand’s awareness. It may be difficult to find the perfect startup name for a successful startup journey. However, this is possible with some factors that I can recommend.
First of all, your startup name should be simple. Difficult and complex startup names can hurt the brand’s awareness. In addition to being simple, global words should be preferred instead of local language to determine the suitable startup name.
Since English is spoken in almost every country today, it will be recommended to choose English as a global concept when determining the perfect startup name, regardless of which country you are in. A simple and global word will remain in everyone’s mind and allow you to reach more people.
Why Is Choosing The Perfect Startup Name Important For Success?
Choosing the perfect startup name is of critical importance for success. For those who do not know your brand, the name is an important element as a first impression. I can give the “Airbnb” project, where people rent their homes through a mobile application, as an example. Airbnb is a successful startup example that has reached significant amounts of investment in recent years.
However, one of the biggest reasons for this success, especially in the early days, is choosing the perfect startup name. The Airbnb word, created from the concepts of Air Bed and Breakfast, attracted attention in this respect. One of the reasons why it has reached millions of users from different parts of the world can be said to be the attractiveness of the startup name.
For a startup to be successful, its first impression is very important. For a startup to reach more people in the initial phase, it needs to introduce the startup’s function and purpose well. The most important contribution to this introduction process is the startup’s name. The name of the startup project is very important in attracting the attention of investors as a first impression. Therefore, it is necessary to choose the perfect startup name for long-term success in the markets.
How To Brainstorm Creative Ideas For The Perfect Startup Name?
When determining the perfect startup name, some brainstorming processes should be passed and creative ideas should be produced. Especially for startups in the early stages, some elements should be considered together with creative ideas when determining a name. You should consider which sector you are in.
First of all, you can get inspiration by looking at successful startup names in the sector. You should be open to perfect startup name ideas coming from the founding staff of your startup team. It would be good advice to look at successful examples.
One of the best examples of the process of determining the startup name by the startup team as a brainstorming of creative ideas is the brand “Spotify”. The word Spotify reminds me of the word discovery in English and has a phonetic belonging to the music world. Thanks to the successful combination of these two concepts, Spotify has managed to become a remarkable brand even in its early stages.
What Are The Key Characteristics Of A Perfect Startup Name?
When we look at successful startup projects in recent years, we see that many of them have the perfect startup name. So, when we look at the names of successful startups, what are the main features that are frequently implemented?
- It should be short: In recent years, it has been seen that almost 90% of successful startup projects that have reached investment volumes of millions of dollars are short. For example, Uber can be remembered as a good startup name example with its short word and transportation sector connotation as a car rental service.
- It should be memorable: The name of your startup project being memorable compared to other brands or projects will increase your motivation in competitive markets.
- It is important to be easy to pronounce: Having a simple and global name that can be easily pronounced not only by investors but also by the end user will increase the awareness of your brand.
- It should be unique: It would not be a good option to prefer other versions of the names of successful startups in the sector you work in that have the same connotation. The perfect startup name should be unique and represent an original creative idea.
How To Use Branding Principles To Find The Perfect Startup Name?
The principles, purpose, function, mission, and principles of the product and service offered by a startup project or brand in the sector are important elements and should be taken into consideration in the process of determining the perfect startup name. Startup names determined using brand principles will provide positive results in terms of the first impression of your brand or startup in the long term.
I can give the Patagonia brand as an example in this regard. Patagonia prefers a concept that evokes a similar connotation in its name as a startup name since it is a nature and adventure-oriented brand. This summarizes which principles the brand is related to in which sector and makes them a perfect startup name example.
You should consider the brand principles when looking for a startup name. It will be a great advantage for both investors and consumers to reflect the brand principles with the startup name. For example, “YouTube”, one of the successful mobile applications of recent years, can provide the perception that everyone can create their broadcast platform with just its name. Especially in the early years when YouTube raised investments, this name provided very likable energy and became a good startup name example.
What Tools And Generators Can Help In Finding The Perfect Startup Name?
Today, many digital solutions help entrepreneurs who want to start a startup project to produce the perfect startup name thanks to the tools it offers. Shopify, one of the largest e-commerce platforms in recent years, generates names that are suitable for your sector and the principles of your brand through an algorithm with its name generator tool.
Moreover, the names produced by Shopify can be both short and memorable. You can find many generator platforms on the internet such as NameMesh and Slack to find the perfect startup name. However, as an entrepreneur, I recommend that you only get ideas from these types of generators and produce your unique brand name as an original.
Getting help from tools and generators during the process of finding the great startup name can create an idea in your mind. This idea should be combined with your own perspective and an original name should be created for your startup project.
How To Check Domain Availability For Your Perfect Startup Name?
One of the factors to consider in the search process for the perfect startup name is domain suitability. It is very important for your corporate identity that your startup project carries the same name on its website or social media platforms. Therefore, domain suitability should be checked during the name selection process.
Thanks to platforms such as Namecheap and GoDaddy, you can test whether your startup name has been taken by other entrepreneurs before. I should also remind you that Google also has such a service.
Tesla, one of the most successful brands of recent years, will be a great example of the perfect startup name. When Elon Musk chose this name, he both paid homage to the famous scientist Tesla and preserved the short, clear, global name features that a startup project should have. For this reason, the Tesla name will no longer be preferred by another entrepreneur.
Therefore, you should test by utilizing domain availability platforms whether the name of your startup project has been used by another entrepreneur before you.
What Are The Common Mistakes To Avoid When Choosing A Startup Name?
Some startup projects cannot remain strong in the long term in competitive markets. One of the reasons for this is choosing a complex name. Entrepreneurs looking for the perfect startup name should stay away from complex names. Complex names are not welcomed by investors and this prevents your project from growing.
Another common mistake is choosing a long name. If you cannot summarize the function of your startup project in a short word, you should use creative ideas and shorten the length. When we look at successful startup projects that can receive investment today, we see that many of them have short names.
The popular web browser Yahoo can be a good example in this regard. Yahoo, which preferred a short name like “Google” instead of a relatively long name like “Internet Explorer”, has continued its existence as a successful project for years due to the appropriateness of its name. It has truly become one of the examples that come to mind when it comes to the perfect startup name.
How To Test The Market Appeal Of Your Perfect Startup Name?
In the process of finding the perfect startup name, let’s say you have chosen a name. You should test the market appeal of the name of your startup project. Many online platforms offer this test.
Dropbox, the successful and popular cloud system of recent years, offered its name to the market as Dropbox, a shorter version, by taking advantage of online anklets and feedback before launching its name.
You can test the name of your startup project through surveys. You can get the opinions of groups called focus groups, which represent your future potential customer base. In addition to these, a demo process will also be useful. Entering the market with the name you have decided on will be a trial period that allows your name to be tested in meetings with investors.
How To Make Your Startup Name Memorable And Unique?
For a startup, the name being memorable and unique are essential factors for the perfect startup name. You can use some techniques in this regard. For your startup project name to be memorable, original, and unique, you can consider the following techniques:
- Alliteration
- Rhythmic structure
- Meaning Layer
- Simplicity
A startup name prepared with these elements will be both memorable and will attract the attention of investors, facilitating your commercial growth.
One of the best examples in this regard is “Coca Cola”. Coca-Cola has provided both alliteration and rhythmic structure with the letter “c”. Similarly, the successful technology company “Apple” is a good example of the simplicity element. In this way, these brands can be remembered more easily.
What Legal Steps Should You Take To Protect Your Perfect Startup Name?
Let’s say you have decided on the perfect startup name that best summarizes the mission of your startup project. You have checked the domain availability and there are no problems. You have received positive feedback through focus groups. So, do you know what legal steps you can take to protect this name that is now completely yours?
After determining the name of your startup project, you should register a trademark. After the trademark application is made, firstly the examination is carried out in terms of form. If any deficiencies or errors are detected, the applicant is given a period of 2 months to correct them. If the deficiencies are not corrected, either the application is invalidated or the requests regarding the deficiencies are ignored and the application is completed.
Then, the examination is carried out on the merits in terms of the absolute rejection reasons specified in the Industrial Property Law. If one of these reasons is present, the application is rejected in whole or in part. The decisions given by the institution are not final. These decisions can be objected to within 2 months, and the objections are reviewed by the re-examination and evaluation department.
You should reserve the domain name both legally and digitally. The “Nike” brand will be a good example in this regard. Even though “Nike” is a simple word, it legally protects its name rights to be free from other fraudulent/fake entities.
See you in the next post,
Anil UZUN