Step 2

Naming and Branding

1. Figure out a name for your company and product

Your name should:

  1. Evoke the vision of your product
  2. Be 1 – 3 syllables
  3. Have a .com domain available (check at GoDaddy.com). If .com is not available, there are a few other domain suffixes that are emerging in the startup community like .co and .io. 
  4. Not be a registered trademark of another company (check at the US Patent and Trademark Office website)

 

If you need some inspiration, you can use the following tools to help you come up with a compelling name:

 

Once you’ve picked a product/company name, buy the domain name for it at GoDaddy.

2. Create a logo

Have a professional designer create your logo.

 

You should have 6 high-resolution versions of the logo. You should have both an EPS vector file (a vector file is an image that can be resized to any dimensions without loss of quality) and a PNG file (with a transparent background) in:

  1. Black and white
  2. Greyscale
  3. Color

 

The color versions of your logo will contain your brand’s primary and secondary colors so take your time and work with the designer to choose colors you really like and that complement each other.

 

Make sure to get the original source files from the designer in case you need to modify the design after the designer has delivered the artifacts.

 

If you need help finding a designer, you can find many at:

 

Note:

You can delay the design of your logo until the product development stage. Right now, it may be hard to capture the idea for your product in a logo. You most probably don’t know how exactly your product will look and what it’s features will be. You can design your logo now or wait until the product is developed. There is also a good chance that the product design will influence the look of your logo.

Click next when you are done…