Considerations in Naming My LLC & My Web Site

by Linda
(West Palm Beach, FL)

I am starting an Internet business which will offer products for sale on a web site. I intend to register with the state of Florida as a single-member LLC. Do my LLC's name (name LLC) and my web site's name (www.name.com) have to be the same? What are the pros and cons of having them the same and of having them different?

Answer

They do not have to be the same.

The main considerations are first that your url and LLC name are legal. That is, that you url is not infringing on a trademark and that you are not "cyber-squatting".

Second, you LLC name has to meet the requirements in Florida of not being "confusingly similar" to other Florida companies, nor can it infringe on trademarks outside of Florida.

All Legalzoom LLC formation packages include a preliminary name check.

Outside of the legal considerations, you'll want to take branding into account. It's more important with your URL, obviously. I've found many online companies with excellent URLs for branding purposes, with very "boring" legal names.