Published on November 7th, 2021 | by Sunit Nandi

How to Choose a Winning, Brandable Name for the Success of Your Startup

Do you want your startup be remembered for a long time?

Do you desire people recognize your brand among tons of others?

A distinguishable business name is the necessary first step towards creating a powerful branding strategy. You have to give your startup a name that everyone likes and remembers. The one that transpires your idea into a flourishing business. A name that establishes you as a leader in your niche. A name transforming into an active, breathing, and recognizable brand.

Today, with the proliferation of cutting-edge technology trends in the form of internet, e-commerce, social media, mobile apps, etc, naming a business is no longer a short brainstorming session. You choose a wrong name and your prospects have no idea what your business stands for, and what it does. On the other hand, a right name instils trust, supports advertising, builds financial value, and generates a loyal customer base.

Image Credit: fintechname.com

But the question is can you quantify what a right or wrong name is?

I believe you can! The thing is, a name doesn’t exist in vacuum. It is also associated with a distinct logo, unique colors, type of fonts, and a relevant imagery. All of these elements when blended together give rise to a new style of communication that is consistent, convincing, and creative. This is where the making of a brandable name starts.

Here is what you should consider to choose a perfect name for your startup:

1. The anatomy of being easy

What is common in Nike, Apple, Pepsi, and Sony? All of these are highly successful and easy to spell, say, hear. So easy looking names don’t mean they are ordinary, or people won’t take them seriously. In fact, being easy is virtue when it comes to naming your venture as people tend to retain them more likely. But don’t try to make it too generic or flat-sounding that it doesn’t elicit any emotion or excitement. Thus, your business’s name should be unique enough that stays with people. For best outcomes, your name should:

Easy to spell: Spelling is very important in order to put your brand out for everyone to interact. Don’t use a spelling that people find challenging, rather it should be easy. Although there are many popular brands that have really difficult spelling like Louis Vuitton, lecoqsportif, Comme des Garcons, etc., but you don’t need to go overboard with this. This poses a problem when it comes to customers searching for products online.
Easy to pronounce: Again, easy to pronounce means easy to interact, simple! If you choose a name that sounds too difficult or too technical to take, people wouldn’t like to engage. Or at best, they will forget your brand.
Easy to remember: Choose a name that forces people to think of something (in their own ways) so that they can remember it forever.

2. Originality evokes confidence

You should not launch a startup that sounds somewhat similar to already known businesses. Try to come up with your own unique original name that reflects your personality and passion. The more original it will sound, the more confident your brand will sound. Also don’t try to copy another brand, else you will find yourself in a legal battle, even before you have made your foray into the market. It’s a cheap gimmick that can negatively affect your business. In view of this, a case of international trademark infringement involved a lesser known South Korean restaurant and a famous fashion designer Louis Vuitton. The restaurant was sued over the name “Louis Vuiton Dak” and the similarity of their logo with the fashion brand.

3. A domain name that adds value

You also need to perfect your domain name also. Gandi offers a catalog of over 800 extensions available. Many business owners mistakenly think of a domain name as just an address for their website, but it much more than that. Just like the name of the building of a physical company, your domain name is the face of your business in the form of a URL. For that you need to create a brandable domain name. In simple terms, a brandable domain is one that has enough distinctiveness, catchiness and imagination to front a brand. Since the majority of your website traffic will come from search engines and navigational search, your domain name should be such people can easily find you. Just by seeing your name or URL, your target audience should be able to figure out what your site is about. For example, iCustomLabel.com design custom label and stickers and the main business is custom label designing, here you can see the targeted keywords for business has been added in the domain name so user can easily understand what is the website about. Therefore, you need to consider some essential things before buying a domain name. Make sure it sounds like a credible business name.

4. Create your brand archetype

A brand name is your imperative identity, but you also have to find the target audience with which your brand should resonate, straightaway. If you don’t know who you’re creating your brand for, then you will never find a compelling name. After defining your audience to which you want to cater, you need to make sure your brand name clicks with everyone readily. In other words, the goal of creating your brand archetype is to understand as clearly as possible what your brand will mean or represent. It can be greatly helpful for you for deciding upon the best brand name to attract potential customers. Furthermore, what values do you want to communicate through your brand? Knowing it will ensure the different elements of your branding are consistent, cohesive and effective.

5. A reflection of philosophy

Symbolism has a special place while communicating something exceptional through your brand name. If customers feel your brand is good fit in their psyche, they’ll remember it better and even like it more. Plus, your brand gets an advantage of word of mouth marketing. Moreover, brand names that reflect philosophy may not immediately communicate what they sell, but many consumers get intuitively engaged with them.

Final Words

When it comes to starting a business, brand name plays significant role in terms of interacting with customers and establishing a bonding of trust with them. So you need to wear a creative hat and brand your business with a name that traps in the memory of your customers for a long time to come.

Tags: brandable name, startup, success, winning

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.