Opinions vary regarding the importance of a name. Since it's something we're going to live with for the long-term future, I think it's very important. Sometimes they come easy, but usually they don't, so be patient and don't decide on anything unless you live with it for a couple of days or more.
I think naming a web app should require a whole different set of rules compared to naming something that exists predominantly offline. Here are the things we consider when creating a name, in order of priority:
- Make it short and sweet. One or two syllables is ideal.
- Consider how easy it is to spell. We made this mistake with naming Brightwurks and I would take it back if I could. Don't name an app based on a misspelling. Also, try to cover your bases with any common misspellings of the name you come up with.'
- Is it SEO friendly? This varies in importance, but for us it's very important. The "help desk" market is very competitive, so ideally it would be great if the name included "help" or "desk" somehow.
- Get the Dot Com. In my opinion this is becoming less of an issue on the web. As long as someone types in the name of your app in a search engine and you are #1, I'm not against a dot net or variation of the dot com. Don't ditch the perfect name just because of a stupid squatter on the dot com. Chances are you will have an opportunity to get it at some point.
- Does the name adequately describe the service? I think this could go either way. There are great examples of both, but it's a nice bonus if your name does describe the app in some way.
I've heard people say you should spend anywhere from 20-40 hours naming your app. I disagree. You'll know the right name when you find it. It may be in hour 2 or hour 38. Just exhaust every possibility until you find the one, no matter how long it takes.
Another big thing when creating a name is to know when to start and when to stop. Only work on it when you feel inspired, and stop when you hit a wall. Banging your head against the wall for hours typically doesn't produce results; it's a waste of time. I find that all my best work is done in the first half hour, then I have to move on and come back another time if nothing materializes.
What You Need
- Pen and paper ... don't let one thought or idea go through your head without it being written down. Keep it all.
- Dictionary and Thesaurus
- Domai.nr for quick domain research
- Co-founders- our most productive "namestorming" takes place collectively rather than individually, although we still do both.
Initial Ideas
For this app, the big idea we want to convey is teamwork. This is the best application for people to collaborate on email and work together to communicate with others. If we can find a way to say that in two syllables it would be awesome.
Right off the bat I thought we had a winner in the name "Huddle". In my opinion it was a great visual for what the app does and I was willing to go without the dot com name. However, many of you may already know about Huddle.net, a project management app based in the UK. They have a good thing going and we weren't about to create any confusion or legal battles there.
Several more brainstorming sessions went by, both individually and with our team, without anything really popping. Here's a list of some of the words we had on the board so far:
- Herd
- Flock (taken by the browser)
- Tribe
- Chief
- Army
- Colony
- Swarm
- Tribe
- Pack
- Hive
- Team
- Peep
- Clutch
- Cartload
- Rake
- Band
- Sedge
- Leash
- Kennel
- Pod
- Gang
- Mob
- Cast
- Knot
- Gaggle
- Charm
- Glint
- Group
- Array
- Nest
- Stable
- Troop
- Scout
- Clan
- Lounge
- Zeal
- Unit
- Force
- Clique
- Social
- Convoy
- Fleet
- Crowd
- Mass
- Crew
- Jumble
- Bunch
- Bundle
- Medley
- Cluster
- Marvel
- Enhance
- Shepherd
- General
- Chorus
- Tandem
- Choir
- Harmony
- Harmos
- Sync
- Collaborate/Collab
- Hub
- Pilot / Co-pilot
So we had a big list of words, ideas and terms, but nothing really solid for a name. A couple more weeks went by before we finally came up with the name in a group chat at the office. Stay tuned to the next post for what we chose and why.
More References on Naming an App or Company
- Carsonified: How to Name Your Company
- Guy Kawasaki: The Name Game
- The Name Inspector: 10 tips for naming your company, product or service
This post is part of our B Combinator series. We're building a new web app with our own time and money, blogging about every detail from concept to launch along the way. Read our first post in the series to learn more about the project, or visit the B Combinator category page to see all of the articles up to this point.
