How to Come up With a Winning Name for Your Business

Thinking of a name for your business is arguably one of the most important things when starting out, and it could make the difference between success and failure. There are various things to think about when it comes to deciding on a name. Some would say that it needs to reflect the industry that you’re in, while others would be more in favour of a name that is unique and has a deeper meaning. Whatever name you end up going for, it is important to secure the domain name in order to boost your online presence.

Is the Domain for Your Business Name Available?

Regardless of whether your business operates predominately offline, you will need to exist online as well. More than 83 per cent of businesses have a website now, and this figure is rising every year. Research has found that 75 per cent of consumers make a judgment about a company based on its website, so it is important to have this in order.

Even if you don’t plan to set up a website for your business in the early days, you should still buy a domain for it to secure its future online presence. When thinking of names for your company, you should brainstorm few different options. That way, if a domain is already taken for one of your choices, you can move on to the next one.

If you are indecisive but have a general idea about what you want in your business name, a business name generator can be a help. All you have to do is type in a few keywords related to your business, and it comes up with a vast number of different options for you to choose from. The handy thing about this tool is the fact that once you see a name you like, you can click on it and instantly purchase the domain as well.

Reflect Your Industry

For some industries, it can be important for the name to describe exactly what the business does. For example, tradespeople like plumbers, electricians, and plasterers would be wise to detail their profession within their name so that people know what they do. Imagine that someone types “plumber” into Google and two companies show up, one with plumber in the name and one without. The customer is more likely to click on the one that says plumber because it was the thing that they searched for. It also plays into the success of your business’s SEO strategy.

Some internet-based companies also choose to describe what they do in the name of their brand. For instance, names are often followed by words like entertainment, gaming, marketing, media, and digital in the online space. It can be good to niche down in this way when starting out, as it can help put businesses in front of the right clients. The extra word can also be dropped at a later date if the company decides to branch out or go in a different direction. Some examples of this are how Starbucks used to be called Starbucks Coffee and Dunkin’ used to be called Dunkin’ Donuts.

Of course, some businesses choose not to reflect their industry at all, and that is a viable option as well. When going down that route, the name simply has to be distinctive and memorable.

Turn to Ancient Mythology

When thinking of a unique name that people are going to remember, a good option can be to turn to ancient mythology. The tales of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome are packed full of characters that have gone on to have an impact on the popular culture of today. Often, just hearing the name of someone from those times can spark emotions in people. For example, when people hear the name Achilles, they know it is associated with great power but one glaring weakness. When they hear Trojan, most people are reminded of the Trojan horse and think of surprise invasions. Naturally, those aren’t great business names.

But numerous companies have found success by choosing names from ancient history. One of the most famous examples is Nike. The sports company is named after the Greek goddess of victory, which is appropriate for a sporting brand that is used in competition. Amazon is named after the fierce Amazon warriors that came to the aid of Troy in the war against Greece. This name could reflect the fact that the company is able to deliver to people in their time of need. Another one is Pandora, which is named after the first woman in Greek mythology. The company sells jewellery aimed at women, so this is a fitting name for it.

You don’t have to be stuck with your business name for life, but it can be difficult to change it once you are established. For this reason, it is worth putting in the time to come up with the perfect option for your brand.