Descriptive

Example: Match.com

Advice: Great as it immediately conveys what it is/does – only if you will never expand your product offerings – but limiting and hard to find a sound domain name

Metaphor

Example: Puma

Advice: Not a top choice as existing connotations, domain name difficulties and Search Engine results can quickly come in the way for a new company

Founder

Example: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Advice: Great if you are the brand, you already have a legacy and if you are Bill, and not Lance

Fabricated

Example: FINIEN

Advice: It’s genius, of course! In all seriousness, it is a great path, if easy to pronounce and recall, and backed by a great story

Acronym

Example: AOL (America On-Line, Remember?)

Advice: A solid option to sound like a larger company from the start; only if your customers can recall your letters and if you can get hold of a reasonable domain name (sorry, three- or four-letter combos are all sold out)

Fabricated x Acronym

Example: Wanelo (Want, Need, Love)

Advice: Great option if tied to a tag line – otherwise the same criteria applies as with Fabricated names

Creative Spelling

Example: Lyft

Advice: Don’t do it, it’s pure laziness – unless word of mouth is not important to you (Wait, you spell it just like Supply but with a v instead of the u?) and you cater solely to ages 18-28

Numeric

Example: 7-Eleven

Advice: Don’t do it out of laziness (I picked our street number, easy does it) as no one will recall it – do it only if you can create shared meaning (7-Eleven: open 7 – 11, 7 days a week) or showcase value (Social 123 – easy as 1-2-3). See my post on numeric names for details.

There you go – no more excuses. Just do it, or dig deeper via our white paper, or if all fails (or you have better things to do, like starting a business) call me for help, or call us for hands-on naming magic.

The post Rapid-Fire Brand Name Advice first appeared on FINIEN.