Starting a new business is an exciting venture, but one of the most important and often overlooked steps is choosing a business name. Your business name is the first impression that potential customers have of your brand and can impact how they perceive your business. In order to choose a winning business name, there are several key factors to consider.
Step 1: Identify Your Brand Values
Before you start brainstorming names, it’s important to understand what your brand represents and what values it embodies. Consider the products or services you offer, your target audience, and the overall tone you want to convey with your brand. Once you have a clear understanding of your brand values, you can start to narrow down names that align with your vision.
Step 2: Conduct Keyword Research
Once you have a list of potential names, it’s time to start researching keywords. Keywords are essential for search engine optimization (SEO) and can impact how easily your website is found online. Utilize tools such as Google’s Keyword Planner or Moz’s Keyword Explorer to research keywords related to your industry and target audience. This will help you choose a name that not only aligns with your brand values, but also has strong potential for search engine visibility.
Step 3: Check Business Name Availability
Before you settle on a name, it’s crucial to check its availability. Check if the domain name is available. You can use GoDaddy website for this. In the search bar, simply enter the domain you want to check, including the extension (e.g. “co.uk”). The results will tell you if the domain is available or taken. If it is available the website will show you the price and you can also buy the domain. To check if the business name has been registered with the Companies House you can use the Gov website by following this link: Get information about a company – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). You don’t want to choose a name only to find out later that it’s already in use or protected by law.
A third thig we recommend you do is to run a search in Google to see how many businesses have similar names. If there are too many, we suggest you choose another name. Why? Because those business with a similar name become your direct competitor. Chances are that the clients will land on their website, not on yours.
Step 4: Consider Branding Potential
When choosing a business name, it’s important to consider how it will look and sound when paired with your brand’s visual identity. Will the name look good on your business cards and website? Is it easy to pronounce and remember? These factors will impact how easily customers can identify and recall your brand, so it’s important to choose a name that has strong branding potential.
We found that all the good business names are taken. Over the last 50 years hundreds of thousands of businesses have been registered and operating even today. How can you overcome this? A simple trick is to use unique words, or even better words that don’t have a meaning (made up words) but sound good. You can use this website to generate unique, random words: Fake Words — Find pseudo words and made up words (randomwordgenerator.com). This way you can make sure that your business name is 100% unique with extremely small competition in Google search results.
Step 5: Get Feedback
Finally, it’s always a good idea to get feedback from friends, family, and potential customers. Ask for their thoughts on the names you’re considering and see which ones resonate with them. This can help you make a final decision and choose a business name that resonates with your target audience.
In conclusion, choosing a business name is a critical step in creating a successful brand. By following these five simple steps, you can choose a name that aligns with your brand values, has strong SEO potential, is legally available, and has strong branding potential. Don’t rush the process, take your time and choose a name that accurately represents your brand and sets the tone for your business’s future success.
At Massive Startup we help you find the perfect name for your brand and do all the background checks. We also offer Business Starter Packs that further increase your chances of business success. We provide everything you need, from a professional website to mentoring through our Initial Consultancy service.
Find out more about our Business Starter Packs, or email us today to discuss how to start a business from scratch: start@massivestartup.co.uk
