Photo: Driftaway Coffee
Integrity: A name is the blueprint of the thing we call character. You ask, What’s in a name? I answer, Just about everything you do. – Morris Mandel
Looking back, I remember trying to buy my domain name for Champagne Living. I knew that I wanted this name, but unfortunately the .com was taken and I ended up a .net. Today the search is even harder, with less .coms and .nets available. The internet and my little corner of the blogosphere is crowded, so standing out from the crowd PLUS making it easy for new readers to find you is at the top of the list when starting an online business. I told my story about how I became Champagne Living a few months ago, and since then I’ve been asking my friends who’ve started business how and they named their blogs.
Since one of my passions happens to be coffee, I was immediately drawn to Driftaway Coffee‘s story. Here were two people, Suyog Mody and Anu Menon, who knew that they wanted a business that they could call their own, after hearing some TED talks on entrepreneurship. They took a HUGE risk, with both leaving corporate jobs to pursue their dream.
Photo: Driftaway Coffee
The Name
Both Mody and Menon knew that their morning coffees brought them to another place, they could sit back and easily drift away, plus they knew that coffee travels thousands of miles, from plantations to your cup (another driftaway reference).
Both wanted to to make sure that their URL was memorable. By switching their domain to a ‘dot-coffee’ (.coffee), they have found that just this simple use of a not-com has become a great conversation starter with those curious about their two-year-old coffee business. Best of all, there is no question about what they sell – COFFEE.
What about your business?
I own a second site The Review Broads, and we are in the process of considering re-branding. The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of using a not-com name. It’s unconventional (like we are) and if we choose well, it will be memorable.
Photo: Driftaway Coffee
Choosing a name
Sometimes names come easy, other times it can be a struggle. Thankfully, Name.Kitchen makes the process easy for you with their naming tools, as well as their “I am.___” video series – which shows what other businesses have done to create their brand name and URL. If you need even MORE HELP, you’ll find a full list of not-com names at Donuts, to help spark a little creativity.
Ready to choose?
Put on your apron and head to Name.Kitchen a claim YOUR name – http://name.kitchen/claim-your-domain/
I just saw that .WINE and .VIN will become available this coming January…hmmmm….
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Name.Kitchen.
