Score the customer experience
Rate pronunciation, spelling, recall, emotional tone, and category clarity. Weight the criteria based on how customers will actually discover the company.
Score strategic flexibility
Ask whether the name still works if the product line expands, the company enters new markets, or the brand becomes less tied to its original technology.
Score the domain path
Compare the exact domain, realistic alternatives, extension quality, acquisition cost, and the risk of confusion with the matching .com.
Use the scorecard to expose trade-offs
A numeric total should not make the decision for you. Its value is showing why one candidate is stronger and where a seemingly exciting name carries hidden friction.