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We have a couple of options to name our company but we would like to find out which one is best accepted by users or which one is better associated with our product. In the past it was possible to perform a A/B tests using Adwords. However, as far as I know, Google blocked this option in early 2008. Do you know other ways to test company/domain tests?

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Added ab-testing as a useful tag. – Keith DeLong Dec 29 '09 at 19:03

5 Answers

up vote 3 down vote

Don't delegate this privilege and responsibility to others.

Do some reading about considerations for choosing company name (Google is your friend) and then take the responsibility and joy of naming it yourself. As the founder it will reflect your style, your preferences and your personality. Your company/domain name should reflect your best judgment.

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up vote 1 down vote

Hosting a poll on your blog (you do have a blog right? :P) seems to be the easiest and fastest way.

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Though I think he should name it himself, +1 to Jacob for suggesting a blog to interact with customers/prospects. It may be worthwhile to solicit input and discussion while taking leadership! – Keith DeLong Dec 29 '09 at 18:57
up vote 1 down vote

Assuming you already have both domains, then it's actually pretty easy:

  • Create a separate google analytics tracker for each domain
  • Host a 'coming soon' page for each domain (ideally with a way for people to leave email addresses)
  • Run a small advertising campaign for each domain (try to use the same text for the rest of the add - 'Got a problem with XYZ? Try mycooldomain.com
  • After the campaign, see how many people clicked through to each domain

The toughest thing is to get people to associate their problem with your domain. Don't assume that the cleverest name is the best (or that the simplest name is the best).

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up vote 0 down vote

Why not just ask your potential users to vote on your name :) offer everone who joins the product for free

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That's the way the StackOverflow name was born ;) – Olivier Lalonde Dec 29 '09 at 18:33
up vote 0 down vote

Choose your ruts carefully. You're going to be in them for a long time.

The best selection method really depends on your target market. Programmers respond to polls differently than surfers. Your company name is very much your brand. It should say something worth knowing about both you and your product. Some sort of vetting process is a good idea, though I don't think a poll is the best way.

We've gone around to some random friends and asked them informally. It prompted us to go back and come up with a more descriptive name. But, in the end, it will be our decision.

There's a lot of readily available material on naming and branding. I strongly recommend reading it.

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