Names are powerful. They’re one of the first things a person will know about you, or a business, or an item—names help determine a person’s first impression of something or someone. That’s why, when naming your business, you can’t name it something random. When you’re naming your business, you need to make sure it’s distinct, sends your message, and is something you want branding your company. If you’re struggling with figuring out a name for your business, here are a few tips on making the name a good one.
It should sound good.
A name might look good on paper, but if it sounds awkward or is hard to say when spoken aloud, you should reconsider the name in question. This is something that will be branding your company—if your customer base can’t pronounce the name, you’re losing valuable word-of-mouth marketing and creating more difficulty than is necessary.
It should have meaning.
Words have meanings to them, and these meanings will convey to potential customers what your business is about. If your product is mattresses, you’ll want to address that product in your name so that everyone knows what they’re getting when they enter your store. Being too general with your company’s name will only confuse customers, just like how using obscure words will throw your customers off.
Avoid using initials.
Initials might make sense in some cases, but they don’t exactly make you stand out among your competitors. Initials will get lost in the crowd of other startups in your market trying to make a name for themselves, and if they have a more interesting name, chances are the customer base will flock to them rather than you. The point of your business’ name is to attract attention; initials won’t do that.
Consider trademarking the name.
Do you plan on going big with your business? If so, you should consider trademarking your company’s name. Doing so will protect your sales from customer confusion; if a customer buys from a company with a similar name, they may believe they bought from you instead. Trademarking will help protect you from that confusion.
Take advantage of Google AdWords.
When in doubt, the internet—specifically Google—is your best friend. Google AdWords has a feature called “find keywords” that will list similar search phrases and how often these searches are appearing globally. Using AdWords with the business name you’re considering will help you determine if there’s a similarly named business out there that’ll get more attention on the internet than yours.