Strategic Naming Series 5/6: What Digital Readiness Really Means in Naming

Found, Not Just Named

A strong name isn't just a great idea. It's a functioning asset. It has to work across platforms, in search bars, and within algorithms. In the digital world, naming is about being findable, not just memorable.

This is the fifth part in the series on the conditions of a strong name. We started with strategic fit, moved to communicative clarity, then tackled linguistic confidence. Now we explore the reality check too oftened postponed: digital readiness.

Because a name that can't be found might as well not exist.

The .com Delusion

Let's get one thing out of the way: the obsession with owning the exact .com domain is for most brands, outdated mythology. Unless you're launching the next Google or Amazon — and have the budget to match — you don't need to contort your creativity around a URL.

Sure, if you're building an international company brand, the .com is a tidy asset. But for everyone else? There are smarter, leaner options.

Alternative domains like .io, .ai, .studio, and even good old country codes (.co.uk, .nl, .de) have matured. They're not second-rate — they're contextually perfect in many cases. And additions like 'get', 'try', or 'weare' aren't forced constructions. They're clever workarounds that keep good names alive.

And what about defensive acquisitions? Buy a few smart backups if you're scaling fast. But don't blow to budget locking down every vaguely similar URL variation 'just in case'. Fear-based investments are rarelt good in branding.

The Handle Hustle

Now to social. You won't always get your name. Accept it. The internet is a crowded party and someone probably gor there first. Maybe years ago. Maybe with a cat account.

The goal isn't perfection: it's coherence. You want your handles to be consistent enough to be intuitive and clean enough not to embarass you. No underscores, no cryptic numerals, and no accidental double meanings that make your brand sound like a dodgy dating app (@therapistfinder, we're looking at you).

Pro tip? Grab the handles on your shortlist as soon as you're remotely serious. You can always release them. But once they're gone, they're gone.

App Stores: SEO Meets UX

If you're building an app, you're not just naming the product. You're naming it for a searcgh-driven interface with character limits.

This is where brand naming meets UX. Think like Klarna: the brand is short and sleek, but in the app store it becomes 'Klarna — Shop now, pay layer.'. The descriptor does the heavy lifting. It's not clutter, it's clarity.

And if your publisher name is weird, off-brand, or leftover from an early experiment? Fix it. Users notice more than you think.

Searchability, Not SEO Obsession

A quick word on search: you don't need to dominate Google on day one. You just need to not disappear.

Do your homework. Check if your name lives on page one with five lookalikes in the same category. If it does, maybe rethink. But don't panic over an Italian restaurant with the same name 1,000 miles away. You're not competing with them, and Google knows it.

The Real Game: Fit, Not Fantasy

Here's the honest truth: the stricter your digital requirements — perfect .com, clean handles, app name availability — the more creative you'll need to be. That's not a problem. That's part of the craft.

But don't start dreaming up names in a vacuum. Bake your real-world constraints into the brief. If you must have an exact .com, say so. If 'pretty close is good enough', then define what that means. If it is essential to stand out on Instagram and TikTok, test those names early.

You'd be surprised how many naming projects are either too limited in the brief, or go sideways because the digital criteria only show up at the finish line. It is all about the balance.

The goal is to develop and select a name that doesn't just win the brainstorm, bit holds its ground out in the wild.

Coming next: Legal Confidence

In part six of the series, we'll look at why it is essential to look at this aspect. With every name you at least want the freedom to operate. When should you run a check? What's a real risk vs. a red herring? And when should you walk away from a great name that's just not available?

Until then — want help assessing the digital risk, or defining the digital parameters before naming even starts?

Let's connect on LinkedIn.

Joachim ter Haar

Managing Partner