10 rules for picking a niche name

bynoulawi

216 followers

9 years ago

1. Unique and unforgettable.

In the trade, this is called “stickiness.” But the issue of stickiness turns out to be kind of, well, sticky. A catchy handle that will remain fresh and memorable over time.

2. Avoid unusual spellings.

When creating a name, stay with words that can easily be spelled by customers.

3. Easy to pronounce and remember

Forget made-up words and nonsense phrases. Make your business niche name one that customers can pronounce and remember easily. Skip the acronyms, which mean nothing to most people.

4. Keep it simple.

The shorter in length, the better. Limit it to two syllables. Avoid using hyphens and other special characters. Since certain algorithms and directory listings work alphabetically, pick a Niche name closer to A than Z.

5. Make some sense.

Occasionally, business owners will choose names that are nonsense words. Quirky words (Yahoo, Google, Fogdog) or trademark-proof names concocted from scratch (Novartis, Aventis, Lycos) are a big risk. Always check the international implications.

6. Give a clue.

Try to adopt a business Niche name that provides some information about what your business does.

7. Make sure the name is available.

This may sound obvious, but a miss here will cost you dearly. Your company name and Internet domain name should probably be the same.

8. Favor common suffixes.

“.com” or the standard suffix for your country. If these suffixes are not available for the name you prefer, pick a new name rather than settling for an alternate suffix like “.net” or “.info.” Get all three suffixes if you can.

9. Don't box yourself in.

Avoid picking niche names that don't allow your business to move around or add to its product line. This means avoiding geographic locations or product categories to your business name.

10. Sample potential customers.

Come up with a few different name choices and try them out on potential customers, investors, and co-workers. Skip your family and friends who know too much.