Expert Tips: How to Select a Winning Name for Your Tech Startup

You can make a significant impact on your startup's success if you choose the right name. Having the wrong name can result in more than just failing to connect with customers; it can also lead to insurmountable legal and financial difficulties. As an alternative, you can rely on a clear, powerful name for marketing and branding.

The following 12 suggestions from experts that will help you come up with a winning business name:

1. Avoid hard-to-spell names

Choosing a name for your business or website that is easy to spell can make it simpler for potential customers to find you online. This can be especially important if you are relying on people typing your name into a search engine or web address bar to find you. If the name of your business or website is difficult to spell, people may make mistakes when trying to find you, and end up on a different site or not finding you at all, says Ken Adams, CEO & Founder of FullOfSports. An example of this is the photo-sharing site Flickr, which some people may find difficult to spell. To avoid this issue, it may be wise to choose a name that is easy to spell and remember for your business or website.

2. Don’t pick a name that could be limiting as your business grows

If you choose a name that's too narrow, you could run into problems later on. You don't want to limit your business to one product or one city. Think of Jeff Bezos naming his company “OnlineBooks” instead of “Amazon.” Avoid names like “Wedding Dresses of San Francisco” or “LugNuts Unlimited.” 

3. Use a name that conveys some meaning

When choosing a business name, you should ensure it conveys something positive and meaningful about your business. Can people instantly understand what your business is about? While meaningless names such as "Google," "Yahoo," or "Zappos" are catchy, they cost a lot more to brand.

An example of a clear, simple, and intriguing domain name is Canny.com, Cling.com, Administer.com, and Afire.com. A domain name like "OnlineTickets.com" conveys the meaning of the business and helps with search engine optimization, says Vaibhav Kakkar, CEO & Founder of Digital Web Solutions.

4. Conduct a thorough Internet search

Do a web search on the name you like. More often than not, you will find that someone else is using the name already, says Ivan Lovre Marusic from Game Taco. While that isn't a deal breaker, it should give you pause.

5. Get the .com domain name

My strong preference is that you secure a “.com” domain name for your business rather than alternatives such as .net, .org, .biz, or other possible extension domains. Customers tend to associate .com names with a more established business. If you want a .com, someone will likely already have one, but many domain owners are willing to sell it.

Getting the .com name you want is a business investment, says Robin Salvador, Marketing Consultant of KodeKloud then, check the availability of a domain name on sites like GoDaddy.com or NetworkSolutions.com, and if it is taken, you can often find out if the domain name owner is willing to sell it by using the "Whois" tool at GoDaddy or Network Solutions.

Don't forget to grab your desired business name on popular social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

6. Conduct a trademark search

Check USPTO.gov to see if the name can be registered as a trademark or service mark.

7. Conduct a Secretary of State search

The Secretary of State's records will help you make sure your name isn’t confusingly similar to another business name that’s already registered, since you’ll likely want to structure your business as a corporation or LLC, says Alex Federo from FTW Concrete Contractors. Your corporate lawyer can assist you in conducting such a search if your name is too similar to an existing name. The Secretary of State may not allow you to register it if it is too similar to an existing name.

8. Assess if the name is catchy.

You want your business name to be memorable, but you also don't want something too "out there." You want your employees to be able to say where they work without hesitation, and you want your name to resonate with your target audience.

9. Ask for feedback on the name

Run your names around with friends, family, and trusted colleagues. Get feedback from your target audience as well. Also, make sure the name doesn't have any negative connotations (for example, when General Motors named its new car model the "Nova" without realizing it meant "doesn't go" in Spanish) says Brooks Turner, Co-Owner of CTX Land Clearing and Forestry Mulching.

10. Make sure the name sounds good when said aloud

The name sounds fine on paper, but sounds terrible when spoken aloud. And if it is spoken aloud, make sure people don't get confused about how it is spelled.

11. Use resources available for brainstorming names

The following sites can help you brainstorm names:

• (Gives you a visual around a keyword)
• The Shopify Business Name Generator generates business name ideas and checks domain availability at the same time.
• A startup company name generator is available at NameMesh.com
• You can generate names based on a theme at Naminum.com
• At Eat My Words, there is even a name branding expert named Alexandra Watkins.

12. Make sure you are personally happy with the name

As a business owner, you will be stuck with the name for a long time, so make sure you love it and believe it will resonate with your customers.

Related reading: Mastering Brand Naming: Key Principles and Expert Tips for Using a Brand Name Generator and How To Get Your Startup Off The Ground When You're Flat Broke.