10 Tips for Choosing a Catchy Business Name
Let’s set this straight once and for all… There’s no such thing as a wrong business name. However, there are all kinds of business names that could be called dull, boring, unreadable, and the list goes forward.
We get it, your business is your child that you can’t figure out which name suits it best. You’re confused about all the catchy business names you may be thinking of.
But the one attribute that brings up just one name from the rest as the perfect choice is being catchy, isn’t it? Well, I hope it was that easy. I’ll narrow down how to choose a business name that you can proudly say “This is the one” in 9 precious tips. Shall we?
How to Choose a Business Name
We’ve all seen companies that started with weird and uncommon business name ideas which helped create a certain image of individuality and independence when they rose to the top.
A company name isn’t something that’s only used to refer to your business; it’s also used to help your audience identify with you through the right lens. The wrong business name can do a lot of damage. It can get you into legal troubles due to copyrights, confuse your customers, or worst of all, be a laughing stock.
Learning how to choose a brand name is the most primal and basic cornerstones of marketing that a lot of things are built upon. No one would take a business seriously if they don’t have a name that reflects their true traits and style.
? Short on ideas of how to start an online business? Check these 16 home-based business ideas to start in 2021.
Some people start to think about their new business’s name pretty early while others leave it until it’s the last thing to do. The former is usually done by people who already have all their plans in place and know exactly the course they’ll follow. The latter is convenient for those who are still deciding on the exact nature of business and how it will be conducted.
What are the characteristics of a good company name?
- Memorable
- Catchy
- Searchable
- Pronounceable
- Original and Fresh
How to choose a company name in 5 steps:
- Make a thorough company name search using words you want to appear in your company’s brand name
- Write down catchy business names you come to like
- Get through them one by one and check their domain availability
- Cross the ones that aren’t available
- Create a poll on the rest until you settle on the best
10 Tips for Choosing a Catchy Business Name
1# Prioritize Domain and User Names Availability
Online presence is the essence of any company name. So before you write down any cool company names, you need to check their availability to see if you can acquire each one of them easily once you settle.
Create a company name search and brainstorm the suggestions in a paper. You should probably start with a list of 8-5 then start narrowing it down and filtering your options down to 5-3 until you choose the one company name that suits you best. I can’t stress the priority of this step enough.
At this step, you should filter your business name variations based on domain availability and social media usernames. Check every option’s availability for domains and social media usernames and IDs so you know for sure if you settle for this one you can easily start your online presence with it.
2# Mind the Spelling
It’s not wrong to go for a sophisticated name and perhaps show off some of your linguistic capabilities, but you don’t want people to be completely unfamiliar with your business’s name.
If you want it to be catchy, you should use a word that is relatable to everyday life. Hard to spell words are problematic as your customers would misspell the name most of the time when they’re searching for you.
A simple misspelling of a customer can direct them to your competitor easily instead. Ensuring that the business name is something hard to misspell makes the job easier for your customer.
3# Think of a Future Proof Name
In the beginning, a specific name might be very compelling because it describes the business entirely, maybe even catchy. The problem arises when you’re trying to expand the scope of your service to include different ones than the original.
This can make your name become irrelevant to the services you provide without a clear connection to them. Amazon which practically sells everything online now used to sell only books at first.
? Interested to know how to grow your business through e-commerce like the big fish out there?
If it was named something along the lines of digital books it would sound quite odd after expanding to what it is now. Never limit the name to a specific location or exact service to ensure that you find a catchy name that’s flexible for future ventures.
4# Make it Simple
You’ll notice that most international brands have short and simple names that anyone can pronounce effortlessly. A lot of business names aren’t actual words but rather made-up words that deliver a quick message.
It doesn’t have to be an entirely made-up word, you can also modify existing ones to make them more relatable to people. Rhyming simple words can make your business’s name sound very catchy because they’re fun to say.
Words that sound like pets’ names, for example, are quite appealing to people for a business that provides products or services related to animals. While some may decide to name their business after their own name, it requires more marketing momentum than other names to be as catchy.
There are a lot of good company names, but only a few good companies!
Start yours now and get ahead of the competition with ExpandCart.No credit card, no hidden fees
5# Run Competition Analysis
Research and analyze what other competitors are doing. Their publishing behaviors, their name, how did they choose it? Why did they choose that name in particular? What vibe does it give? All these questions and more can give you a lot of business name ideas. However, make sure to avoid any naming patterns used by your competitors so you can stand out.
The best company names we find mostly taken. So make sure to do a thorough business name search on Google and social media and the popular domain availability online checkers like mentioned before. There is a chance that someone else is using that name or a very similar one to it.
This is why it’s very important to conduct thorough market research to make sure that you’re not taking another business’s name. Your name should reflect the nature of your business, but it should be more creative than straightforward for it to be catchy.
Get to know your competitors’ business and your own as well in-depth with this free,
ready-made competitive analysis template.
6# Hear Other Opinions
While a name may sound perfect in your head, it’s not necessarily as good as you thought it would be to other people. Try conducting a poll with the business name ideas you have finalized.
To avoid tunnel visions, pass the name around to your family, friends, and close ones and ask them about their opinion about the name. Sometimes it may need just a little tweak to work and some other times it could require a complete revamp.
7# Make a Balance
Your name doesn’t have to be something over-the-top to be catchy. You want to find a fine balance between an attention-grabbing name and a boring or redundant one.
You also need to avoid names that may send negative connotations like Sam & Ella for a restaurant serving chicken soup. A name that is immediately reminding people of Salmonella. You don’t want that.
Try to think about what would people think if someone said they work in your chosen company name. Your employees should feel that it’s cool to say your company name to anyone because it’s interesting and conversation provoking.
If the name resonates well with your employees, it will probably work great with your target audience.
? Ever wondered what customer engagement strategies your business might need right now?
8# Brainstorm with Strangers
Coming up with good company names shouldn’t be your job alone. You should brainstorm with almost anyone in your industry to suggest the best company names. People in the same or similar industry should have a good knowledge of how to pick a name for your business and should serve you well.
Think together with irrelevant people to your personal life, more relevant to your industry to come up with different business name ideas. Limiting your company name search to only yourself or friends or family will only make it harder to find the best company names. The more people are on this, the easier and more fun the whole experience would be.
Make sure that whomever you discuss this with knows the nature of your business and how it works to avoid irrelevant ideas.
9# Don’t Follow Trends
Following trends for marketing purposes is clearly crucial, but choosing your business’s name based on a trend can easily backfire. The nature of trends is to die and become less used over time, which is why they’re called trends.
If you name your business after a trend, it may do well for a while but after the trend has cooled down, you’ll find that good company names may become outdated and a relic of the past. Ensure that the name is timeless and isn’t dependent on a specific or seasonal trend.
? A businessman like yourself can’t miss these 10 tips every businessman should know.
10# Abbreviations
Sometimes a clear and obvious brand name may be too boring. In this case, you can use an abbreviation of the full name you had in mind to make it much more interesting. People are always curious about any business comprised of 3 or 4 letters.
Almost anyone would want to know what it stands for, and this makes it more memorable as your customer will remember looking your name up or trying to figure out what the abbreviation means by themselves. Abbreviations are always easier to remember and it’s virtually impossible to misspell them.
Business Name Generator Free Online
In addition to the top online slogan maker websites, here is a collection of the best business name generator options out there, and they’re free too!
1- BizNameWiz
Like we said before, some people like to leave the name to the last, and some think of it as the first step in opening their business. BizNameWiz generator will come up with cool company names that you can quickly settle on if you’re in a hurry or running out of time before the launch of your business.
Check BizNameWiz suggestions for me:
Once you click on the yellow “Generate Name” button, it’ll take you to the above page where you get to select more specifications like industry and more filters.
By selecting filters you get to choose the number of words, character count, whether or not insert the keyword first, and finally select whether you want it to rhyme or not. Now click apply and see the catchy business names it’ll generate for you!
2- Namelix
Namelix is a good name for a business name generator! I always get inspired by the names of businesses. So in your business name search, make sure to have the purpose your business is trying to fill in the world vivid or somehow clear in either the slogan, logo, or name.
As you can see in the image below, Namelix allows you to enter the main keyword or two for your name, the AI generator will try to get you some good company names to choose from. Use the filter to prioritize your preferences, and save your favorite ones.
3- Business Name Generator
Use Business Name Generator in your company name search to take advantage of its domain availability checking feature.
4- Shopify
In less than 10 seconds, Shopify name generator promises that you’d have chosen your company name by then. Given Shopify’s global reputation, I think it’s worth the try.
How to pick a business name just got easier, ha? ;)
5- Oberlo
Oberlo is one of the best business name generators that are offering their service for free and for anyone not experienced enough to know how to pick a company name and may need some help figuring out the best company names to choose from.
These AI name generators can help you a long way in how to choose a name for your business.
Final Words
Choosing a name for your business may get overwhelming if your thoughts are scattered. After all, you’re choosing the name you want the world to identify you with. The best advice for how to choose a name for your business is to give yourself enough time and avoid rushing yourself to pick a name. Even if it takes a little extra time to come up with cool company names, it will be worth it in the end as you see the final name grow along with your business.
Tired of brainstorming alone? Request the Launch my Store service
and get dedicated experts to run your store for youNo credit card, no hidden fees
