What's In A Name?

How do you pick a company name? I get asked this question frequently. It’s actually fairly simple in principal, but not so much in practice. Follow these 6 steps to help you come up with an interesting name for your business.

1. Keywords

Start with your keywords. Using Google AdWords or other SEO tool, figure out what keywords are right for your business. Rank the top 15 – 20 keywords and keep them handy whenever you are thinking about profiles, domain names, blog posts, or web content.

2. DOT Com Availability

With some general ideas in mind and your keyword list handy, use a URL registrar such as GoDaddy, to see what URLs are available in a ‘.com’ address. While there are no specific rules that say a .com is better than a .biz, the SEO experts I’ve asked about this all concur that a .com will rank higher than a .anything else.  However, finding a .com will be difficult, since most of the .com names that also follow rules 3 – 5, have been taken.

3. Easy to Pronounce

Don’t pick some name that your target customer can’t pronounce. If you’re in France or the middle of Louisiana, then picking a funky sounding Cajun word will be fine. Otherwise, pick a name that average customers, namely your target customers, can easily pronounce.

4. Easy to Spell

Akin to #3, pick a name that can easily be spelled. If people can’t spell your name, they won’t be able to find your website, nor will they find you in a phone book. Yeah, there are still a few folks around, like my father, who still depend on the yellow pages to find your business. Don’t pick a stupid and/or incorrect spelling trying to be cute. Your customers may not get the joke. Then you’re just creating a situation where you have to spend your marketing budget teaching your target audience your name instead of why your business is so cool.

5. Short

Choose a name that is as short as possible. If your business name has 68 letters, nobody will be using their smart phone to look you up. And since that’s how the majority of people will find you, make it easy on them. Of course by making it easy on your customers, you help insure that they actually find your business.

6. URL & Sign are the Same

Your business name, as it appears on your sign, should be, if at all possible, the same as your URL. Remember, it’s difficult enough to get people to remember you, if they have to remember two different names for your business you’re cutting your own throat. Just like in rule #4 above, don’t cut your own throat.

If you need some help naming your business, creating a brand or marketing strategy, give us a call.

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