What Can Be Done If You Want To Change Your Company Name?

6 replies
If I discover that the very name of my company is limiting me (I chose it before learning anything about SEO, IM, etc.), what are some recommended ways to deal with a change?

I've done a lot of work in the past 2 months trying to get the current name OUT THERE for marketing reasons. Luckily that isn't too long, plus I don't have many customers and only about 40 leads. So it's still early days.

But here are the drawbacks I see:

- My chosen area of expertise, home audio recording, is very competitive, and it seems most of the "good" urls have been taken.
- I've created a fair amount of content, as well as social media pages with the current name.

Since I am so new to the IM game, I was hoping that this was something that had happened to others, and there might be some sort of common set of solutions?

Thanks!

Ken
#change #company
  • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
    What precisely does your company do? Are you actually providing recording services, or promoting audio products as an affiliate?
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    "The Golden Town is the Golden Town no longer. They have sold their pillars for brass and their temples for money, they have made coins out of their golden doors. It is become a dark town full of trouble, there is no ease in its streets, beauty has left it and the old songs are gone." - Lord Dunsany, The Messengers
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  • Profile picture of the author ozduc
    While the domain name is important I think you are putting too much weight on it. Although it does have an impact on SEO you only have to look at some sites that have names that have nothing to do with the market they are in.

    Home audio recording is a pretty broad term. You could narrow that down into more specific areas of home recording. Are you offering a service or selling equipment related to DIY recording? Is is for voice over or a home recording studio for music? etc
    The main thing is to optimize your site with posts related to the different things you are offering. So each article would focus on just one part of what you offer.
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    • Profile picture of the author KenTheriot
      Thanks guys! Good points I hadn't considered.

      Our company (all 4 or 5 of us) provides knowledge on how to create high-quality audio from a home recording studio. That "knowledge" is in the form of video tutorials, articles and e-books/reports (just 1 of those so far). The video tutorials (and soon...e-books) are what we sell. Customers will also be able to purchase audio recording equipment and other audio products (royalty-free music, sound FX, loops, etc.) through affiliate links on our site.

      I suppose we'd better do better at making that clear "right on the label" somehow.

      Thanks again!

      Ken
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      • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
        Originally Posted by KenTheriot View Post

        Our company (all 4 or 5 of us) provides knowledge on how to create high-quality audio from a home recording studio.
        1. Start your new company. Provide audio products through affiliate links there.

        2. Continue operating the current company with the knowledge products and whatnot. When you want to sell people an affiliate product, point them at the new company. Do not in any way pretend the companies belong to different people or otherwise conceal the relationship between the companies. You have two companies. This one has videos, that one sells gear.

        3. Eventually, start releasing your new video products at the new company, and then gradually move the old ones over. Over time, you will have one company that sells things, and one company that just posts free stuff.

        4. Once everything you sell is at the new company, start migrating your knowledge features to the new company, one by one. It's good to do this along human lines: when Bob does three columns or blogs or podcasts or whatever at the old company, have him announce that HE is moving to the new company. Move all three of his projects over at once.

        5. Eventually, everyone and everything will be at the new company. Leave the old company site up as an archive so links still work, but just let it sit there.

        This is a long-term strategy, but you'll keep as many of your customers and as much of your audience as possible. Which is probably your biggest concern.
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        "The Golden Town is the Golden Town no longer. They have sold their pillars for brass and their temples for money, they have made coins out of their golden doors. It is become a dark town full of trouble, there is no ease in its streets, beauty has left it and the old songs are gone." - Lord Dunsany, The Messengers
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  • Profile picture of the author HorseStall
    If you have an established brand think long and hard before changing your company name. You can always purchase additional URLs and create niche directories and promote your company. But it is hard to create a recognized brand, don't throw it away if its gaining traction.
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