Believe it or not, the name of your business is one of the first things which can separate you from your competitors. Whether it’s online or a physical location, the name of your business can give it a presence that differs between you and the next company people might be considering before making a purchase. For that exact reason, you can easily say that your company name basically showcases what you’re offering to potential customers, either positively or negatively from their viewpoint. The foundation of your businesses endeavor will rest upon the first brick that you lay – Naming your business.
If you’ve landed on this blog post then you are likely wondering how to choose a good name that’s purposeful, catchy, and appropriate for your possible business traffic whether it be from walking into the store, typing it in online, or clicking it from a paid advertisement. I always recommend doing lots of research before deciding on a name for your new business, and in the article I’m going to discuss a few aspects that should go into the process of naming your business, whether it be online or off.
How To Come Up With A Business Name
1. Develop a list of questions which you can use in the course of the steps of the naming process of your business.
2. Is there a specific message that you want to associate with your business or website name?
3. Do you know the number one priority for the name of your business or website?
4. What type of feeling do you want your target audience to feel whenever they see your website or business name?
5. Will your business name properly reflect your companies culture?
6. Do you want your name to be distinct and associate with your products or services in a straightforward manner?
7. When thinking about your businesses framework, does the name need to use an accompanying abbreviation like LLC or Inc?
8. Do you currently have a list of the names your competitors are using?
9. Can you give an honest opinion about what you like (or don’t like) about the names of your competitors?
10. Are you at all concerned about the length of your business name or website address? If that’s the case, do you want a longer or shorter business name?
Imagine you were on vacation in a beautiful city and as you drive down the road, you notice a building named “Joe Schmoe Company” splattered on the side. Would you be able to tell what line of business that particular company represents? Probably not. What if you did a Google search and came across the website JoeSchmoeCompany.com in the results. Would you click the link or know what line of business that company is in? Now, imagine you were on that same vacation and going down that same road and saw the same building, only this time it was named “Joe Schmoe Candle Company.” Would the word “candle” help you understand the companies line of business? Hopefully, you would quickly know the company is in the candle business all because of the one word “candle.” Although “Joe Schmoe Candle Company” isn’t a great name, at least it helps potential customers know exactly what is that you sell. The main purpose behind this example is to let you know that adding words which represent your line of business is always a good idea.
Furthermore, if your company has a physical location, then your business domain name should be the same name as your company. It’s also great if your domain name contains words that will let all search engines know the niche of your site. With that in mind, the domain “JoeSchmoeCandleCompany.com” would be more suitable rather than “JoeSchmoeCompany.com” since the word “candle” in the the name. This tells search engines like Google that your site is about candles.
There are some obvious exceptions to this (think Microsoft, Google and Apple). However, the main purpose here is to help you brainstorm names and meet specific criteria with respective entities to ensure that your new business name is legally yours for the entire duration of your new business endeavor. The success of your business will really come down to a good marketing strategy in addition to many other factors.
In the end, it all boils down to whatever floats your boat and makes you happy when naming your business. You can probably come up with a catchy name that suits you and your traffic. In fact, the catchy business name might be easier to remember than a keyword-related domain. All things considered, make sure that you verify the business name is available (through your states business registry) before you proceed with registering a domain or getting signs printed up. In fact, always double and even triple check this!
