What's in a name? For a new business or brand, the right naming choice could be everything!
It is safe to assume you will be saying and reading your company’s name for the foreseeable future — which is just one key reason why it is so important to get it right. Another even more important incentive for choosing a great name from the get-go is because your business name can affect the perception potential customers have about your brand — possibly even influencing their decision whether or not to do business with it.
The fact of the matter is that people absolutely do judge books by their covers — and businesses by their titles. This means naming your new business is not just a matter of taste and preference; it’s a matter of performance. You want your company or product to be a name brand and a household name.
But naming a new business is not always easy. Here are three tips to keep in mind when you’re settling on a new moniker for your company.
Top 3 Tips To Name A New Business
1. Always Check to See If a Name Is Available
Before you get too attached to any given name, you’ll want to do your due diligence by checking to make sure it’s available in a few key locations:
- Your state’s business name filing agency
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (if it is a national trademark)
- Domain name registrars and SEO software lookup
By checking if a business name is available statewide and nationally, you will ensure you’re not infringing on any other existing company’s property — and help you avoid the confusion of accidentally duplicating someone else’s name.
Checking if a business name is available as a domain name for a web address will help you plan ahead to make sure the name you choose has strong potential as a website. If the “.com” version is taken, you may either decide to move on down the line to try a less-popular domain extension like ".net" or ".co", or you may go back to the drawing board on the domain name itself. In some cases it may be worth paying more for the domain name you desire, and in other scenarios you are better off buying the $15 domain option.
Before buying a domain name, you also want to do a quick analysis to see if it was previously owned and expired. You can use free or affordable SEO software or websites to check its backlink profile and content history to avoid a spammy purchase. And while on the topic of SEO, make sure your business name or domain name it search engine friendly in terms of keywords and accuracy.
2. Choose A Name Relevant To Your Industry And Brand
Names can come from all different sources of inspiration. Many experts generally advise against choosing business name ideas based on your own name, instead leaning more toward a name that relates to your unique brand or industry.
Business names relevant to a brand or industry tend to be more memorable and descriptive, giving customers a clue about the types of products and services your company can provide.
3. Ask The Audience: Test Out Possible Names First
Testing out possible names on multiple people before committing to a name can help you weed out any accidental bummers — like names that are difficult to say or pronounce, references that go over people’s heads, or otherwise underwhelming choices. Sometimes names that look pristine on the page end up translating poorly when being read or spoken aloud.
As one expert advises for Entrepreneur, running a small but eclectic focus group can help you get honest opinions about your shortlist of names. Try to choose people who would fall within your company’s target audience if possible, although having a wide variety of potentially shoppers can be useful to get greater perspective. Then ask participants to rate each name you present on a uniform scale, like 1-5 or 1-10. Ask them to also take notes about how the name made them feel, or what their very first thought was when they saw it.
The results may surprise you — helping you lean toward or away from a certain name choice before your company or brand launch.
Conclusion
Naming your new business is a matter of balancing creativity with logistics — making sure the name you choose resonates with customers, is available in terms of trademarks and domain name, and exudes your company’s unique brand. Taking the time to test out possible names before choosing one will maximize your chances of getting it right the first time around.
