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For an online business, it is more effective to have an informative name or a catchy name (that doesn`t necessary make sense)?
Take Yahoo for example, it very well could`ve been called lookforstuffonline.com, but instead, they went with Yahoo. Why has that been more successful for them?
I want to think of something creative, but I also want my customers to know what my service is when they see my URL.
What are your thoughts?
Calvin,
I don`t think that when yahoo decided to name their company yahoo, they knew it was going to be around this long and be successful. Let`s take another example "NIKE" do you think they thought they where going to be that successful, Of course everyone wants to be successful "The Yahoo" was just their way of branding their theme. Now as far as your online business is concerned, it just comes down to your domain name. The second step is, make it informative so it could become catchy and people will know who you are, the truth of the fact is there is no such a thing as an informative name or a catchy name, catchy name online just means it`s a short domain name like hp.com, that is not only catchy but easy to remember <-- that is your catchy part, the content is what`s going to define whether people come back or now. Do you have a specific name? worry on the "branding" of your web site, basically your Logo. that`s another way to be catchy. In simple words it all comes down to your Domain name. do you have one yet? if you don`t make a list of what you want your business to be called and search on the WHOIS database to see if the domain name is taken.
I do have an available domain name in mind, but I`m just trying to figure out if this is the best way to go.
The tricky part of the name is that if most people just hear XXXXX.com, they won`t able able to associate it with my business. I`m sure in time with the right type of marketing, associating between the name and biz can be achieved. But in the initial phase, the association will be tough with such a limited marketing budget.
That`s why I`m just trying to figure out if a more informative name i.e. sellyourstuffonline.com or cleanyourhouse.com (examples) are a better way to go. With an informative name, you hear name, you know what it is. it`s not confusing. You don`t get all the people who accidentally go to your site for the wrong reasons. It may not be as catchy and memorable as a "yahoo," but from a starting off point, it might make more sense.
What do you guys think?
I guess I named this thread incorrectly. I guess I should`ve called it Online Business Name, instead of Website Name.
My biz will living in the online world only so my domain name is going to be extremely important for identifying what my biz is. I understand that marketing will be needed to appropriately generate awareness for my biz, but I naming my online biz is the tricky part.
For example, if I were selling cars, naming my online biz carsalesonline.com makes sense. The name says it all... I sell cars online. If I named my online biz wakawakawaka.com... who the heck is going to know that I was selling cars online without the appropriate marketing?
I ultimately want to create a name that is both catchy, yet informational. In the initial stages of my biz, it would be extremely helpful if people were able to associate my biz name to the type of service I am providing.
Hope that makes sense :) Thanks for all your insight!
On the contrary Chuck, I think StartupNation is both catchy and informative. People can pretty much figure out StartupNation is about without prior knowledge. Who came up with the name anyways?
Calvin, I`m trying to make the same decision. I posted somewhere below on a similar topic. Do I go with the fun, catchy name that says absolutely nothing about my business, but maybe gives a hint (More Than The Drawl Y`all), or do I go with something practical and commonplace (The Southern Gift)? After a few days of bouncing ideas around on here and with family and friends, I think I`ve come up with something in the middle, where I can easily think of branding to coordinate and reinforce the name, but it`s still catchy. Since you haven`t told us your industry, I can`t offer specific ideas, but I wish you luck!
Diana
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