Tips for Choosing the Perfect Name for Your Company
What’s in a business name? A lot, according to most experts. Some claim you should start with a blank slate, creating a name no one has ever heard of, while others say you should stick to the basics and be straight to the point.
Whichever route you take, it is important to take your business name seriously because it can make or break you in this cutthroat world. To help you come up with a
creative business name idea, here are a few tips you may want to keep in mind:
1. Start with a Thesaurus
Every business name idea should start with a thesaurus to find that perfect related word that may seem like the best fit. Start with your business topic and type in some broad terms to see what the thesaurus throws at you. For example, if you were starting a cat grooming business, words related to “grooming” would include comb, prim, tend and nurture. With these related words, you may be able to blend a few to come up with some cool business names.
2. Know the Rules of a Good Name
Since choosing your business name could be one of the biggest decisions you make with your business, there a few rules to keep in mind:
– Avoid misspelling and being too cute. When creating a name, you’re going to want to make sure your customers are able to spell it. If a third grader can’t spell it, then you may want to rethink about it.
– Make it unique and have it stand out. Take Google, for example. This name sticks out to most and is easily remembered.
– Keep it simple. The shorter the name can be, the easier it will be to type in an address bar. It’s also best to avoid using hyphens and any special characters. Most of your good business domain names will be limited to two syllables.
– Give a clue. Your name should relate to your business in some way or another. If it’s a grooming business, then a name like “Cats and Scissors” may work, but “Cat’s Place” may not.
3. Consider Your Online Presence
Since there’s a good chance you will have an online presence, you may want to consider creating a business name with some keyword rich words to increase your chances of showing up in a search engine query. Using the cat grooming example earlier, it may be wise to have the words cat and grooming inside your domain name to help the search engines distinguish what your website is all about. While it may be hard to use certain terms since there are so many business domain names on the market, be sure to play around the free Google Keyword Planner to see what people are searching for.
4. Make Sure It Isn’t Taken
Touching on the online presence once again, make sure your potential business name is available as a domain name, on Facebook, Twitter and any other social media platform you’re interested in. The last thing you want is to think of a few cool business names and find out the domain and Facebook vanity URL is already taken. Aside from the Internet, check with your state’s incorporation website and the U.S. Patent Office to make sure someone else doesn’t have the name registered.
Choosing a creative business name can be hard and isn’t something you want to do overnight. If you’re having a hard time choosing one, even when using these tips, consider reaching out to the professionals to guide you along the way.