Why Is Naming My Company So Hard?

[Owen]

So I'm taking your advice and taking the thing I actually get clients in and making it bigger. Basically, at this point I need a name. I don't know what to call it, no name appeals, and every name is not available. I'm looking for a .com, .net, or .co domain, and usually it's taken. It's so frustrating. Is there a way to make this process easier?

Thanks

[Freelancier]

Not unless you want to pay someone else to do it for you. Otherwise, you have to put in the effort and time to brainstorm. If you're doing it alone, go find a friend who thinks creatively and sit with them for an hour and talk about what your business is, what you want to do, how your clients will think about you, and let the ideas flow until a good one pops out.

[Qmind]

When I'm writing headlines I usually try and write down at least 20 even if it sounds terrible for the purpose of just getting ideas down on paper. The idea behind this is sometimes a bad idea will lead to a good one. You never know! Try it, over the next week just keep a running list of all your ideas.

[krymson]

To build off of Qmind's thoughts, ask other people to look at your list. Some of those ideas can spark ideas in others.

I would sit down and think about how you want to portray your business. Sum it up in no more than 3 words. I'm thinking about rebranding my side business as it's not properly named to portray what I do. "Krymson Productions" does not say web design and digital marketing... So I'm having to go back to the drawing board.

[Harold Mansfield]

Not unless you want to pay someone else to do it for you. Otherwise, you have to put in the effort and time to brainstorm. If you're doing it alone, go find a friend who thinks creatively and sit with them for an hour and talk about what your business is, what you want to do, how your clients will think about you, and let the ideas flow until a good one pops out.

Totally agree.

You can cut down on time by using the available domain search directly. Instead of writing ideas down, search to see if they're available as .com's. If not, no sense in writing them down.

It's a painstaking process and there is no quick way to do it. You grind it out until you find something you either like, that you can live with, or you choose it because it's just good marketing. You can still find good names out there. At times it has taken me days to find something decent.

Or you can go on a domain forum and buy a decent domain to use as your name.

Personally, if I can't get a .com I don't even bother with .net or .org's anymore. I go right to the ccTLD's like .me, .it, and so one.

There are a TON of new domain extensions now. I have a few .vegas, .cards, .me, .it, .marketing, and many others in my domain folder.

I know .design just came out. At first I wasn't sold on them, but now I can see the possibilities.

Just remember it's not about you. Whether or not you personally like it is irrelevant. How it presents to the world, and future clients is all that matters.

[billbenson]

I wonder how long it took Bob to come up with Bob's Barricades for construction signs used throughout the country?