Ask HN: Should I change my company name and domain to a proper spelling?
I recently launched a SaaS app called Zencastr (http://zencastr.com). At the time of launch I didn't own zencaster.com. I have since bought it but now am wondering if it is worth switching over.
It would be a significant amount of work to change everything. I'd have to go through all my copy, get new email accounts set up, change any references in the code, get another ssl certificate, try and get the corresponding social accounts, reprint promotional material/banners/cards used for events etc.
I redirect zencaster.com to zencastr.com so I don't lose any traffic that way. I guess I am wondering if it will be more professional and give more confidence to potential customers? What would you do? Is it worth it to invest the time to switch and risk confusing people in the process?
25 comments
[ 2.9 ms ] story [ 70.0 ms ] threadI know he was talking about .com tlds but it made me wonder about the cognitive effect that a misspelled domain could have.
Edit: spelling
Startups looking to seem edgy and special use them, but I don't think they are effective. I only look at them to see what sort of product is behind that mis-spelling, not to actually buy something or use their service.
Mis-spelling shows me just one more small outfit trying to be splashier and trendier than the some other small company with a splashy logo or trendy spelling.
IMHO, you're always better off using standard spelling.
If your product or service just rocks, then it just does, and you'll have word-of-mouth. Odd spelling habits won't help you if it doesn't.
That doesn't sound like the case with you though. In your case I would keep it just the way it is and redirect to your current name. With the email addresses, just set up a relay for the addresses.
Over time you could always change. For example, as your SSL certificate expires, renew for the new domain. In the meantime I wouldn't stress about over changing.
Keep in mind, they are a multi billion dollar company and did not bother.
Best of luck.
As you might guess, Callan was the name of a founder (Dave Callan). However, he was just one of three equal co-founders. Another will Bill Pohlman (probably best known as the leader of the team at Intel that developed the 8086). I don't remember who the third was.
When they were just starting the company they could not agree on a name, and this was holding up filing corporate paperwork. During this time Pohlman and the third founder went on a camping trip together without Callan.
When they got back Callan told them he'd gone ahead and filed the paperwork with a temporary name so they could move on with the important stuff, and they could change the name later when they finally agreed on a name they all liked. The temporary name was Callan Data Systems.
They never agreed on a new name.
Do it now before it gets harder.
For what it's worth, I prefer Zencastr over Zencaster.
If the priority is building the product, then changing the name is entirely a distraction. Get back to work. The critical part of a name change, acquiring the resource is done. All the bureaucracy can be JIT'd until it matters. If the priority is building the company, delegate or outsource the grunt work when the name is having an impact on growth. Right now, fry bigger fish.
Changing the name is always easier than the real work that matters.
Good luck.
http://www.paulgraham.com/name.html
As they say, " All happy companies are happy in their own way." The details matter both in Graham's essays and in the applicability of any action for any particular startup.
[1]: http://www.paulgraham.com/before.html
You: Sure just go to ZenCastr.com!
Potential Client: Is that ZenCaster.com, just like it sounds.
You: No, we're at ZenCastr.com, without an e in Caster, drop the E that would normally go before the R. But we do own ZenCaster.com so you can just put that in to get to our website.
You are ZenCaster!
Nice site btw.