How To Choose A Name For Your New Business

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How To Choose A Name For Your New Business
How To Choose A Name For Your New Business

The name you choose says a lot about your brand or agency. It can tell potential customers who you are. It should be simple, yet intriguing. And your name needs to allow continuous growth, expansion and evolution. What’s in a name? Far more than you think.

Because words have meaning and names have power, your name should be memorable and impactful. It should draw people in and make them want to learn more about your brand. It should tell a story that creates an instant emotional response in people – so make sure it’s a positive one.

A great name is a blend of strategy, linguistic analysis, research and creativity all mixed together to deliver a clear message of who you are and why you’re different.

Here some tips on choosing a name for your business.

  1. Check for domain availability

So, you’ve made a list of names that sound good and look great but when you’re searching to see if the URL is available, you realize it’s already taken. It could already be in use by a different company, or someone else could simply own it – people buy domains all the time, especially ones with short names, just so they can resell them.

When you’re looking for a domain, you should try to find one with a .com instead of a lesser-known extension. A dotcom is more trustworthy.

  1. Think of how the URL will sound

Once you find a URL that’s available (or have the budget to buy an existing one), make sure it sounds good, is easy to spell and is easy to read. In most cases, there shouldn’t be any problems – unless you realize that the URL might actually have a bad connotation.

  1. Take a multilingual approach

After investing so much time into finding the right name, the last thing you need is to fall in love with a name that has inappropriate or offensive connotations for some of your target market. Before you completely settle on a name, consider whether it’s appropriate for your brand mission and the cultures you’ll be connecting with.

  1. Consider how others will pronounce and spell it

You should feel free to get as creative as possible when you’re brainstorming name ideas for your business…after all, you want it to stand out and to attract your audience. So, before settling on a name, ask around to see how people pronounce it.

  1. Try to avoid using acronyms

Many big companies use acronyms of their name, like IBM and KFC. But at the start of your business, when your goal is to establish your brand, acronyms will only confuse your potential customers. Also, there’s a great possibility that your business acronym will match with someone else, making it very difficult for you to rank in search engines.

  1. Avoid using your own name

Unless you are an established brand, avoid using your own name. Your name doesn’t communicate anything about your business and won’t mean much to potential customers. This may even cause problems if you ever want to sell your business in future or even if you wish to expand.

  1. Be Creative

Creativity is hard to quantify, but it matters when it comes to naming your business or product. The most effective names are often unexpected, catchy, or buzzworthy.

Even when making subjective judgments about a name, it’s useful to ask; “Is it creative, memorable and looks good?”

  1. Be scalable and don’t box yourself in

How to choose a name for your new business or PR agency

Avoid picking names that don’t allow your business to move around or add to its product line. This means avoiding geographic locations or product categories to your business name. With these specifics, customers will be confused if you expand your business to different locations or add on to your business line.

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Remember, your name matters. But what matters more, is what you put behind the name.