Naming a business is in many ways like choosing a name for you baby. It needs to be one that rolls off the tongue, denoting meaning and special significance. Because, well, you business is your baby.
The name of your business helps create an image in the consumers mind and establishes your identity in the marketplace. Here are some tips for naming your business and/or your company's blog.
What Do You Want Your Name to Convey?
Consider your business's sector. For example, a creative company may work well with a quirky name, but for a financial firm you should probably have a more serious moniker that summons up the feeling of trust.
Naming your business is one of the most important steps you'll take to start your brand and it's not any easy thing to do. It's hard to come up with a word or phrase that will tell people what you do that will stick in their minds and stand out from all the competition.
Does it differentiate you from your competition? Does it convey your core values? Trustworthy? Innovative? Creative? Customer Service? So take you time and ask lot of people what they think the name means. Find out what it tells people about you.
Blogs have also become a priceless piece of marketing and also need a name that creates curiosity and draws people in. There are a couple of categories that blog names usually fall into: Literal or Provocative.
A literal name tells people the purpose or focus or your blog. Blog names like Business Insider, Athletics Nation, TechCrunch or Politically Incorrect quick the reader know exactly what type of material they would be reading about.
A provocative name is all about capturing your imagination. Blog names like The Daily Beast, 3 Quarks Daily, The Sneeze or Patribotics don't really tell you what you would be reading about, but are compelling enough to get you to take a look.
Your business or blog's name is your calling card, their first impression of your work. It sets the tone for your content and should be easy to remember.
Try Brainstorming for Possible Names
Brainstorming can take hours or even days - unless you want some help from a business name generator such as namelix.com.
So set aside some time to brainstorm and consider words that :
- Pertain to your products, services or industry
- Describe the competitors in your field
- Name the benefits of your products or services
And remember that you don't have to always use your native language. Try looking up Greek, Latin or even Swahili translations of your words to give you more ideas. You can also go to thesaurus.com and search for related words to add to your list.
Begin by taking a blank sheet of paper and for ten minutes, write down as many names as you can think of. Don't worry about how bizarre they may be or correct spelling. You may start by listing names you've already thought of, or names that are already being used. Try to fill the entire sheet of paper. Remember: No idea is a bad idea!
Another tool to use is a domain search tool, such as the one available at GoDaddy.com. Not only will you find out which domains are already taken, but it also makes suggestions for variations of what you are searching for.
Keep it Easy to Remember or Write
You will notice that most of the largest corporations - that you recognize - have short, easy to remember names. I'm sure most of you have heard of Tesla, Virgin, Apple, or Zoom. Obscure names like 'TNC Consulting' may be hard to remember if someone is trying to remember how to find you later.
Since most businesses now also have a website, it is even more important that they can remember your name to find your site. Here are a few other things to consider:
- Is there a domain available for your new business name?
- Will you need to trademark it? You may want to check to see if someone has already protected it.
- It it easy to spell? If not, buy the misspelled domains and set them to redirect to your primary domain.
- Will your logo be created out of your logo? If so, then carefully consider the shapes of your letters - such as Facebook or Coca-Cola.
Most important, it has to be memorable enough to stick in people's minds.
A Name Should Be Able to Grow With Your Business
If you have dreams of creating the next great business, be care about getting too specific with your business name. If you use a name like Green's Landscaping, Tampa's Best Bed & Breakfast or Roger's Computer Training, it defines what you do, but limits your growth into other areas without rebranding - which is costly.
Consider the story of Amazon. When Jeff Bezos first started the online site, its purpose was to sell books. He named it after the Amazon river, of course, because it is the largest river in the world and he used the tagline, "Earth's biggest bookstore". But his ambitions were large and he eventually developed and eCommerce giant that the name still fits.
You need to not only consider this stage of your business, but where you see yourself in five or ten years. Will your name still work if your expand your products or services?
The same is true in naming a blog. Your goal should be to come up with three or four strong options. Then send this shortlist to your most internet-savvy, blog-reading friends and get their opinions. Keep refining your list until you have a consensus.
Geographic Names May Limit You
Some people will use their city or state as part of their company name. If you only want to work in that area, it may work out great. But, if you someday may want to expand your product offering and reach beyond your local area, this could be a problem. Remember, re-branding is expensive and something you want to avoid.
For instance, Minnesota Manufacturing and Mining's name worked because the business initially only did business in Minnesota. When the company grew beyond their industry and nationally, they had to rebrand to 3M.
Stay Away From Trends
Some people believe that naming their business on the latest trend will get them noticed a lot. But betting your future on the latest craze is a recipe for failure. Whether you call them trends, crazes or fads - they will all fizzle out.
You want your business to thrive for years, so your company name needs to evolve as trends evolve. Stay true to your long-term vision instead of short-term gain.
Be Careful How You Test Your Name
We all have different ways of viewing the world depending on how we were brought up. What may be funny or tongue-in-cheek to one person can be offensive to someone else.
When testing out your new name, select a small group of people who understand you and your business plans (a mix of right-brain and left-brain types). What is even better is if you choose a group that could be potential customers or at least pretend that would be prospective buyers of your products or services.
And when asking them which name you like best, also find out why they like that name over the others. Your want to know what feeling do they evoke, are they easily recognizable or easy to remember, or what is the first thing they thought of when they saw it. If they didn't like a name, find out why.
After You Choose Your Name
Once you have chosen your name, there are a few things you should do right away:
- Make sure you research the name. Make sure that someone else had not already registered or copyrighted the name or you could end up in a legal battle. There's no single place to look for conflicting names. You may start with the the US Patent and Trademark Office's (USPTO) free online search tool, try your secretary of state's list of existing corporations and LLC, your local county clerk's office fictitious names list, or do some internet searches.
- Go grab your domain name at a registrar such as GoDaddy.com. You may not get the first one you want because someone had the same idea, so have some backup ideas ready. While .com domains are still the most preferred, you may also consider buying the .net and .org domains to keep someone else from purchasing them and confusing your business with theirs. For instance, I have seagulltechnologies.net forwarding to my main seagulltechnologies.com website.
- Once you these are taken care of, you will want to register your new name. There are a couple of ways to do this. If you are incorporating your business or forming an LLC, this will automatically register it. If you are not ready to make that step, then you will need to file a DBA (Doing Business As) or Fictitious Business name with the state. If you want to protect your name in all 50 states, then you need to file for a trademark with the USPTO.
Finally, take your time. Sometimes you have to just walk away for awhile and let your brain work on it, while you are working out the other details of your business. Don't try to force the process and the right name will present itself.