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Archive 2014 · Using "Foto" in photography business name in the US?

  
 
dysenterygary
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Using "Foto" in photography business name in the US?


I would like to name my business something that is fairly easy to remember. But every possible version of "mynamephoto/photography/photo's" etc are all long gone. Right when I was about to throw in the towel, I tried "mynamefoto" and its open! The .com is open fb pages, everything. As an american would that be a bad move?


Sep 02, 2014 at 02:18 AM
Paul Mo
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Using "Foto" in photography business name in the US?


Foto? Hard to say. I vacillate on it. Sometimes it doesn't bother me, sometimes it is too cute.


Sep 02, 2014 at 03:29 AM
sjms
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Using "Foto" in photography business name in the US?


what does "As an American" have to do with it?


Sep 02, 2014 at 08:24 AM
henryp
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Using "Foto" in photography business name in the US?


I think "Foto" is like "Xmas." People use it but no one embraces it. YMMV.

Henry Posner
[email protected]
B&H Photo-Video



Sep 02, 2014 at 03:05 PM
markd61
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Using "Foto" in photography business name in the US?


The use of "Foto" is seen as "foreign" by some Americans and thus would be seen as less desirable. Stupid, but bigotry is extant everywhere.


Sep 03, 2014 at 11:37 AM
sjms
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Using "Foto" in photography business name in the US?


i guess i missed that i the past 38 years of shooting. never seemed foreign to me wherever i've gone and i have seen it a lot. like you said stupid but i don't see it as bigoted just stupid. i thought we were the great melting pot?


Sep 03, 2014 at 12:10 PM
mcorona
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Using "Foto" in photography business name in the US?


It's not a good idea from a marketing perspective.

You'll end up having to tell people how to spell your website address every single time, because if i say 'whateverphoto.com' people will assume it's photo with ph and go to the whateverphoto.com first.

You'll have to tell everyone it's photo with an F, and hope they'll remember, and should they ever try to pass on your website address to someone else, hopefully they'll remember it's the whatever photo with an f, not the ph. etc etc etc.

Are you doing, FirstLastPhotography.com ?




Sep 08, 2014 at 12:32 PM
glort
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Using "Foto" in photography business name in the US?



I believe people get too caught up in their name and secondly try to be too clever with it.
I try to keep names simple and straight forwarad to what they relate to. Getting creativeand cute and clever does not work well for search engines for instance. If you aren't going to rely on a site to bring in much business, then it probably dosen't matter.

If you are hoping for it to bring in the majority of your business, apart from being an unwise strategy a creative name that no one actualy enters into a search may make things very difficult for you.

I understand that Cyber squatter mongerals have taken the majority of useful names but there are still things you can get that are relevent and would be effective.



Sep 08, 2014 at 09:14 PM
BenV
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Using "Foto" in photography business name in the US?


I'm actually in favor of changing photo to foto. The English language likes to make things harder for no reason.


Sep 09, 2014 at 08:19 AM
Gochugogi
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Using "Foto" in photography business name in the US?


BenV wrote:
I'm actually in favor of changing photo to foto. The English language likes to make things harder for no reason.


We'd have to respell 75% of our words since most of our words originated in French, Latin, Japanese, Native American, etc. For example, change the native American word "tomato" to tomader or toemahtoe so it's spelled the way we say it...



Sep 09, 2014 at 05:17 PM
runamuck
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Using "Foto" in photography business name in the US?


The local telephone company also had a listing under "fone co." This way back in the 1960's.

Lieutenant used to be spelled "Leftenant" way back when.



Sep 10, 2014 at 10:12 PM
Mark Rigsby
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Using "Foto" in photography business name in the US?


My company is MDR Foto and I've never had a problem. People find my website easily, while yes I shave to tell them how to spell it. I've actually found that having to spell it for them reinforces my company name in their memories. Hope this helps


Sep 13, 2014 at 05:10 PM
EB-1
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Using "Foto" in photography business name in the US?


Well unless Foto is part of your name it's not an English abbreviation related to photography. I saw a lot of Foto this and that when stationed in Europe in the 80s-90s. I'm not sure, but maybe sounding foreign is cool these days. However, Fotomat was a popular name and that worked for some decades. Anything has to be a better name than your handle here though.

EBH



Sep 13, 2014 at 09:20 PM
henryp
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Using "Foto" in photography business name in the US?


runamuck wrote:
Lieutenant used to be spelled "Leftenant" way back when.


Apparently it's pronounced that way but according to never-reliable Wikipedia it's derived from the French and was never spelled that way.

- Henry



Sep 15, 2014 at 12:04 PM
Savas K
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Using "Foto" in photography business name in the US?


There's a long standing retail camera store in New York City called Foto Care.


Sep 17, 2014 at 01:53 AM
nolaguy
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Using "Foto" in photography business name in the US?


henryp wrote:
Apparently it's pronounced that way but according to never-reliable Wikipedia it's derived from the French and was never spelled that way.

- Henry


My impression as well (accurate or not) and mostly, I just get a kick out of it when you chime in (period) and non-BH related matters. Naturally I enjoy your BH related replies as well.

All the best,

Chuck




Sep 25, 2014 at 12:02 AM
nolaguy
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Using "Foto" in photography business name in the US?


Mark Rigsby wrote:
My company is MDR Foto and I've never had a problem. People find my website easily, while yes I shave to tell them how to spell it. I've actually found that having to spell it for them reinforces my company name in their memories. Hope this helps


That's an unexpected and thought provoking response.

Thanks, Mark.

Chuck



Sep 25, 2014 at 12:05 AM
sb in ak
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Using "Foto" in photography business name in the US?


It's stupid, I think. Photo literally requires typing one more letter. Are you really that lazy?


Oct 20, 2014 at 11:27 AM
Sid Ceaser
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Using "Foto" in photography business name in the US?


I associate the usage of "foto" in a business just as I do if someone calls themselves "twinkly toes photography" or some other cutesy name. It just feels less professional. Less serious.

If they call themselves "Twinkly Toes Foto", I burst a blood vessel.

I also have small rages when people have shirts made that say things like "I WILL SHOOT YOU" or some variant like that.

Fun? Possibly. But still kinda dumb.


Cheers,
Sid



Oct 22, 2014 at 09:20 AM
Steve Wylie
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Using "Foto" in photography business name in the US?


Why not just your name.com?


Oct 22, 2014 at 10:35 PM





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