Why do you have to care about your business name? Well as a matter of fact, after all the euphoria of launching, you will be stuck with a name that you may discover is difficult to brand. Given the long term nature of business names; you’d probably have to spend quality time brainstorming and researching to get a business name that is easily remembered and brandable.
The reality is: Choosing a business name is difficult. Choosing a business name that is brandable is doubly difficult – with the proliferation of online businesses and online business presence – you find yourself hard pressed to come up with brand name that sticks and stands out from multiple of businesses. But, you can save yourself from the stress with a business name generator.
Off course we’ve seen businesses incorporating keywords into their names – that’s fine if you only plan to stick to that one niche. You may find it agonizingly difficult to brand a new product in the future. This is one huge disadvantage of keyword based business names.
The thing is when people talk of brand names – they’re usually referring to names that doesn’t have anything to do with what the company offers – think Apple – Mobile Phones, think Uber – Taxi services, think Google – Information. Do you notice something with all these names? Firstly, the names have nothing in common with the services/product being offered. Secondly, they’re pleasantly short and sweet…
These are classic examples of brandable names and as you set out starting your own business, remind of yourself the need to actually come up with a business name you can completely own and dominate. Here’s a check list you can cross-check and tick off as you set about naming your business:
Does the Name Standout and Stick?
You can reframe the question to be; is the business name memorable? Remember one of the first things you say when pitching your business to some investors is your name “We’re [your business name]” think “ We’re Jumia, a tech…” does your name stick out, does it jump out and grab the listener by the collar? A memorable business name gets half of the job of branding done.
Most often than not, your business name is the first touch point between your business and new clients; why not make it memorable for them?
Is the Name Short and Sweet?
On the heels of answering whether the name is memorable, you also must ensure it is short. Go back up to those examples above, you will notice none of those names is more than seven letters in length yet they’re among the most recognizable brands around.
Check out these brand names too: Weebly, WordPress, Wix, Shopify, Esty, etc, all of them are short with no more than eight letters. It is quite easy to see that the sweet-spot for short brandable business name is between three to eight letters.
So you have your task cut-out already – aim to do likewise with your choice of a business name.
Is it easy to Spell?
You don’t want your customers being redirected to another website due to the ubiquitous nature of your name. If there’s any chance of misspelling, don’t use it.
You may have stumbled upon some smart and fun wordplay with foreign words (think Zonoda or Xonoda?) and you think it might be great for your business – consider this third point and ensure it ticks it off before going ahead with the name.
There’s no use in a name that gets wrongly spelt every time – you could be losing tons of customers and leaving so much money on the table every time someone gets redirected from your business website.
Final Thoughts
Remember that picking a business name is a long term investment in your venture – you don’t want a name you would be changing now and then. Take your time, brainstorm and come up with a name that truly captures the essence of your business.
If you are pressed for time to coming up with the perfect business name, then consider using a business name generator, they come in quite handy with amazing suggestions you may never have thought about.
