How to choose the right business name
- Wonuola Okoye
- Sep 12, 2017
- 2 min read
What’s in a name you say?
The name of a business is as important as its function!! Yes…I said it!!We all know how frustrating and tedious the naming process can be when you try to use arbitrary naming methods. you’ll very likely end up throwing in the towel saying “Well I can always change it later” and picking the least imaginative name.This is the wrong route to take on so many levels and there are tonnes of anecdotes online on names-gone-wrong – Google is your G!
Having the right kind of brand name is half the battle in creating the right kind of brand recall, market exposure and building trust with your target audience.A good name is extremely important to your businesses success for many reasons, including:
1 – Its the very first thing your customers see/ Hear so you need to make a good first impression
2 – It gives an insight into your brand identity
3. You need to be web ready – So, the right domain name is everything in this new age. It’s probably the first contact your customers will have with your business.
Therefore having a domain name that is easy to find and easy to remember is imperative.Creating the right brand name is not just about a name that sounds great but rather depends on the answers to the following questions:
a) What does the word/name mean?
b) How does the word/name relate to and align with the brand vision?
c) How easy is it to pronounce, spell and recall?
d) Are there any trademarks on that word/name?
e) Is there a direct top level domain address available for registration for the word/name?
f) Are there available social media handles for the word/name that do not conflict or confuse with another similar word/name?
Researching, brainstorming and coming up with great brand names that answer all the above questions is not an easy task. It is much more difficult now that almost all the words in the English language and in fact almost all combination of letters of the alphabet have been taken as domain names. With the advent of new technology, web and social media, a whole new set of factors need to be considered before deciding on a name.
A good name is self explanatory, clever, creative, amenable to your expansion and attractive to potential investors. When a name isn’t immediately apparent, I always recommend a more systematic approach towards naming your business – Using a name generator app. Some of my favorite ones are www.bustaname.com , www.namemesh.com , www.naming.net and www.rhymer.com
These web tools are practical and efficient in not only finding you a unique name, but also showing the domain availability.So whats your business name? We’d love to hear how you came up with it!!
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