How To Name Your Business

5 tips for creating the perfect name for your startup.
While starting out in business is certainly exciting, it also comes with a whole range of important decisions. One of the most important decisions you’ll make during those early stages of launching your startup is just what to name your company. With so many businesses worldwide both online and offline, it can be hard to truly stand out. And once you have achieved that, what do you do if you discover your company name means something totally different and – dare we say it? – offensive in another culture? It’s an entrepreneurial disaster.
Here are our five top tips for standing out in a crowded marketplace and choosing the perfect name for your business:
Keep things short and sweet
Some of the most successful global companies have pretty simple, short company names: think Google, Apple and Twitter. These mega-companies have favored a short, sharp, memorable company name to ensure customers aren’t quick to forget what they’re called. Lengthy company names can be easily misspelled, which could prove disastrous for your business’s online presence as both your company name and your corresponding domain name are at risk of being misleading for your customers, who could find themselves on a competitor site with a similar name.
Make sure the domain name is available
Speaking of domain names, when you’re deciding on your company name, make sure the corresponding .com is available for purchase. .com is the most popular and recognized web address ending, and as such many businesses aim to snap up their .com early on. There is a range of alternative domain names available to your business if the .com isn’t available, but best practice is to opt for a name that has .com availability, otherwise you’ll risk potential customers visiting the wrong domain.
Check its background
Doing some research into your proposed company name is vital, as a word that means one thing in the U.S. could have an entirely different meaning elsewhere on the planet. Remember that business is global, and now we are in the digital age many businesses are transacting with customers around the world. Be sure not to offend anyone by digging deeper into the meaning of your company name; it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Be professional (when appropriate)
If your business provides professional services to corporate clients, keep this in mind when choosing a business name as something witty or relaxed would be inappropriate. Likewise, if your target audience are Millennials, be careful not to come across as too corporate, as this audience aren’t likely to connect well with a more sophisticated tone.
Ask opinions!
While you might think you’ve landed on a killer business name, there may well be those who think it’s complete rubbish. Sorry! Taking some constructive criticism in your stride is good business practice, and where better to start with than your company name? Ask as many people as possible what they think to your name, and be open to suggestions they may make. After all, it’s your customers that you want to please, so any potential customer opinions are invaluable to your business.
Find out if your chosen domain name is available and snap it up over on our domain name registration page!