How to name a business? The question comes up first when somone plans to start a new business. Identifying the perfect name for your new business can have a considerable impact on your achievement. The business name is very important because if the name is not correct, you may find it very difficult to get connected with the correct target audience. Besides, it may also result in insurmountable business and legal hurdles. Therefore, to scale up your business, choosing a correct name is vital.
We have listed 11 suggestions on “How to name a business?”; Let’s check those suggestions.
1. Ignore hard-to-spell business names. Keep it simple.
Your customers are going to search for you online. The name should be easy to find online. The client should not feel puzzled to identify you online. (I do not understand the reason why “Flickr” was named for a photo-sharing website.) You will have to avoid having to frequently correct the misspelt version of your business name. Keep it very simple.
2. Avoid choosing the name which may prevent you from scaling up.
Certain companies try to narrow their brand name to a specific product/service they are selling. This becomes a hassle in the future. Just imagine the Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos choose his business name as “Online Book Store”, will he be able to scale it to the level where Amazon right now? So, eliminate names such as “Wedding Dress Sri Lanka” or “Web Design Sri Lanka’. You do not have to limit your brand to be product-specific.
3. Perform in-depth internet research
Once you shortlist a few names, it is time to do a proper internet search about the specific name. Because sometimes you may find someone else doing similar business with a similar name. While that, it will not be a total showstopper, it should give you pause.
4. Get the .com or .lk domain name.
If your target market is global, I would recommend you get a “.com” domain name. If your target market is within Sri Lanka, it is recommended to go for “.lk” domain. It is not highly recommended to have alternatives such as .org, .net, or other available domain extensions. There is a typical mentality where the client thinks .com are more recognized business to work with. However, there could be a situation where the .com domain might be already owned by someone else. Anyhow, most of them may tend to sell those domains for a good price. So, keep looking and find the owner of the domain.
You shall check on the availability of a domain name on sites such as GoDaddy.com or NIC.LK, and if the domain name is already registered by someone else, you can often check the owner details of the domain name and see if they are looking forward to selling it by using the “Whois” tool at GoDaddy
In addition to the domain name, make sure to check if the names are available in leading social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
5. Select the name which gives a good meaning
You will want the business name to show something meaningful and also it should look positive for your new business. When you say the name, can people quickly understand what you are trying to do or sell with this new business? While worthless names like “Google,” “Yahoo,” or “Zappos” have some demand due to their catchiness. However, these types of names required good marketing allocation to create brand recognition.
Some samples of clear, simple, and fascinating domain names include Cling.com, Canny.com, and Afire.com. A domain name like “BusTickets.com” is really good because it conveys the meaning of the business. Besides, it will add more value to the search engine optimisation. Let’s check the next hack on “How to name a business”
6. Check if the business name is available to register
Using available online tools, if a similar name was registered in Sri Lanka already. If you are registering the business in Sri Lanka, follow eRoc for name reservation
7. Perform an audit to identify if the name is catchy.
You do not want a tedious name for your new business, but you also do not want to select somewhat that is too “out there.” You need your workers to be able to say where they work without unwillingness, and you want your name to reverberate with your focus audience. Let’s check the next hack on “How to name a business”
8. Get feedback on the name.
Shortlist around 5 to 10 business names and get your family members, friends and known associates to check how did they like the name. Get sufficient feedback from your target client as well. And make sure that the business name does not have any destructive meanings (such as when GM named its new car model the “Nova” without understanding that the name meant “doesn’t go” in Spanish).
9. You have to make sure the name sounds great when said aloud.
There can be a situation when the name might not sound correct when it said aloud. It might look great on the paper. However, it should say aloud to make sure the name sounds correct.
Occasionally names seem fine on paper but sound horrific when said aloud. And if it’s said aloud, make sure folks are not puzzled as to how it is spelt. Let’s check the next hack on “How to name a business”
10. Use available resources to brainstorm names.
There are considerable online websites available for your brainstorm the business names. Those are as follows;
• VisualThesaurus.com (Helps you to visual around using your keywords)
• Shopify Business Name Generator (Based on the keywords it suggests names and also it checks if the domains are available for you to purchase)
• NameMesh.com (Great tool to generate all types of names)
• Naminum.com (You shall generate the name based on the theme)
There are also name branding specialists such as Alexandra Watkins at Eat My Words. Let’s check the next hack on “How to name a business”
11. Are you happy with the name you finalised?
You as the business owner will have to alive with the name for a very long period, so you have to make sure that you are happy with it and trust it will reverberate with your customers. Take the stage to get it correct from the start.
That’s pretty much on How to name a business?
We at Tectera, the leading Web Design Sri Lanka and Digital Marketing Company in Sri Lanka wish you all the best for your new business. If you are looking forward to building a website for your business or if you would like to perform Digital Marketing for your business, do not hesitate to Contact Us.
Editorial Staff at Tectera are experts on web design, SEO, social media and other digital marketing channels.