7 Steps for Choosing a Name for Your Website
Coming up with a name is hard. Just look at all the millions of pages of advice that expectant parents are bombarded with. And that’s when it doesn’t matter if your child has the same name as someone else’s. But when you’re trying to think of a brandable name for your new business or website, you can’t just copy another company’s homework. Because then potential customers looking for you will just go to them!
When you create a name, it should be easy to remember, easy to type and say, catchy, and, ideally, let people know what they’re in for, before your share anything else about what you do. Which is a lot of pressure to put on a couple of words.
This blog will share different brainstorming technique names to help you come up with better names for your new website. What this isn’t, though, is an article for people who already know their brand name, and now need help finding the right domain name or domain extension for it. We’ve covered that here. And here. And here.
Do Your Research
The first thing you need to do is know what a good name for your business or website would be. And while you could just say “I’ll know it when I see it,” we think it’s better if that knowledge is backed up with some actual thinking.
First, check on both your competition and your market. For competition, you want to ask:
- What is their company name?
- How big are they?
- What are they good at?
- How are you different?
Yes, this is marketing 101. But coming up with a website or business name is marketing. And those fundamentals matter. You don’t want to come up with an awesome name like King of Burgers, and find the perfect domain name, KingOfBurgers.yum, just to discover that Burger King exists, and no one will ever find your website on google.
That’s without going into all the legal trouble you could get into by infringing on an established business’s brand. And no, we don’t think clever misspellings or typos will get you around this. Because some who mistype a web address and end up on your site are probably not going to stick around. They’re going to fix their typo and go where they wanted to go in the first place.
Then for the market, you want to just keep an eye out for any local ways people think about your product. If everyone in your city calls hamburgers ‘beef coasters’, then you’re going to want to know that when choosing a name. Of course, if you live where your website or small business is going to cover, then this is going to be pretty obvious for you. But if you’re trying to create a site for somewhere you don’t know intimately, you should do some learning.
Write Everything Down
It doesn’t matter if it’s pure gold or the worst idea you’ve ever had, write it down. This gets the idea out of your head and on paper (or, let’s be honest, in the document) leaving space for you to come up with the next name.
More importantly, if you write it down, you’re not going to forget it. That’s why we suggest you use some sort of syncing notes program to do this sort of work. Your smartphone has one. Notes if you’re an Apple user or apps like Evernote or OneNote for Office365. You can even just use a google doc that you can access from anywhere.
Whatever you use, if you come up with a silly idea while doing the groceries, take out your phone and jot it down. There’s nothing worse than trying to remember the genius idea you’ve forgotten.
Word Association
Get a lot of names down fast by using the tried and tested method of word association. Or as I like to think of it: word vomit. What you do is write down a keyword for your business. Like “burger”. Then ask yourself: “What word does that word make me think of?” Write that new word down. Continue asking: “What word does that new word make me think of?” Write down the next word and repeat until you fill up a page. Don’t think too hard about it. Don’t question what your associations are, just write them down.
So, you might go: burger, cheese, bacon, delicious, hyped, bass drop, DJ, decks, chairs, sunshine, deserts, oasis, camel, pyramids, and on and on.
Then, once you’ve got that long list of words, you look for the ones that jump out at you. The ones that could connect. In the above case, we’re immediately drawn to Sunshine Burger, which is a great name for a place that is famous for cheeseburgers.
Start Your Search
Mix and Match
Once you have a list of words from your research and word association, it’s time to get creative by slamming them together. Smash different words or parts of words into each other to create unique and memorable names. You can also try to use keywords from your core product or service into the mix with locations, or even your own name to create a distinctive brand.
For example, if your website is about eco-friendly products, you can try combinations like GreenLiving, EcoMaven, or SustainableCity. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different combinations until you find the one that resonates with you and the people you want to talk to. But remember, if you’re going to use this online, and want it to be a good domain name, avoid using hyphens when ramming words together. They just don’t work as well as you wish they would.
Use a Thesaurus
Yeah, we know. If you’ve gotten this far, surely, you’ve looked at a thesaurus. But we reckon it’s better to be safe than sorry and remind you that if you’re struggling to find the right words, a thesaurus can be a valuable tool. Look for synonyms or related terms for your key concepts. This can help you find more options and alternatives, while also offering inspiration for new name ideas.
For instance, if you’re set on the word “innovative” but find it’s too common or overused, a thesaurus might suggest alternatives like “pioneering,” “cutting-edge,” or “revolutionary.” Each of these words could lead you down a new path for your website’s name.
The internet has a ton of thesauruses for you to use (thesauri, thesaurapodes?) but our writer’s ones are wordnik.com, which gives so much information about the words you’re looking for, and powerthesaurus.org, which will let you go down an endless rabbit hole of similar words.
Ask for Help
Sometimes, you need a second opinion. Share your list of potential names with friends, family, or co-workers, and ask them what they think. They might see connections or possibilities that you haven’t considered, or they could come up with a brilliant name on their own.
This is also a great way, to see how easy your new name is to remember or pronounce. If people struggle to say XDvv3DC.net, it’s probably not the best choice for your website.
Sleep on it
Choosing a name for your website and business is an important decision, so don’t rush it. So don’t be afraid to give your ideas the overnight test aka sleeping on it. This isn’t just about giving yourself some distance from the brainstorming process. You see, your brain is always working. It doesn’t matter if you’re running, sleeping, or arguing over which is the best Dungeons & Dragons movie, your subconscious is doing its thing in the background. So, if you sleep on your ideas and come back to them the next day with fresh eyes, you might find that a name you weren’t keen on has grown on you, or that you have new ideas to explore.
In Conclusion
Coming up with a great name for your website can be hard. It takes time, effort, and a sprinkling of creativity. But it’s important. So, try some of the methods we’ve spoken about – some may work for you, some may not – and you’ll be well on your way to finding the perfect name for your new website. The one that’s not only on brand but will also make it easy for your audience to remember and find you online, whether through search engine results or social media.
And once you’ve got it, it’s time to go get your new domain name!
