When you start a company or a new brand, coming up with a unique name is critical first step. A unique yet amazing name can define your company, brand and even its future. Coming up with unique name for new company could be challenging and it is lots of work as you have to check for trademark and other information about the name, like whether it has been taken or available. On the other hand, there are tons of online services and tools available that allow users to create company name by providing relevant information.
BUSINESS NAME GENERATOR
Business Name Generator by Shopify by Shopify is a popular online tool available all over the globe that not only suggests multiple business names but also check the availability of relevant domain name. This particular tool simply combines your provided keyword with some other generic words to come up with a suitable yet interesting name.
LEAN DOMAIN SEARCH
Lean Domain Search is another online website that is quite similar to Business Name Generator but it is more advanced in terms of name suggestion. This particular tool recommends company name based on the keyword you provide and users can sort results according to popularity as well as the length of name. Users can also choose whether they want that keyword at the end of suggested name or in the beginning.
NAMESTATION
Name Station does not suggest business names but it does suggest relevant domain name pretty effectively. Users can specify keywords, ideas and variations and Name Station shows several names based on that input. Users can not only provide keywords but they can also select the relevant industry to narrow down the search. Unlike some other similar services, Name Station needs you to login to work.
Name Station does not suggest business names but it does suggest relevant domain name pretty effectively. Users can specify keywords, ideas and variations and Name Station shows several names based on that input. Users can not only provide keywords but they can also select the relevant industry to narrow down the search. Unlike some other similar services, Name Station needs you to login to work.
Quick Checklist for a Catchy Business Name
- Make sure it is legally available.
- Make sure the relevant domain name is available today.
- If your business is going to rely on social media then check social media availability on Facebook, Google Plus, LinkedIn and Twitter before finalizing the name.
- Make sure the name you select has pleasant meanings in native language of your target customers.
- If the name is consist of made-up words then make sure it does not have inappropriate meanings or even resemblance with other words with unpleasant meanings.
- Choose short and sweet name if you need a brandable business name. Short names make it easier for customers to remember the name and recommend it to other people.
- In case of internet based business, you might go with SEO-friendly name. Make sure the name has primary keyword in it because that would help you in advertising and marketing.
- Do your research beforehand and make sure no other business is using the exact same name or even a matching name. Also check for registered trademarks in order to avoid legal complications later.
Should I also get the domain name?
Yes, obtaining the relevant domain name is as important as the business name itself. Even if you don’t have plans to develop a website for your business in the near future, get the domain name anyway. This is a small investment that you should make to reserve that name for the future. On the other hand, shorter domain names have higher price tags but their prices always go up that means you can sell that domain later for a much higher price.
Three and four letter domain names are now selling for few hundreds to multi thousand dollars and this trend is not going to stop ever because of the decreasing supply and increasing demand.
What is the main difference between a brandable and SEO-friendly business name and which one should I prefer?
The difference between a brandable and SEO-friendly business name is quite straightforward. SEO-friendly names refer to business names or domain names which help their company or website in SEO and internet advertising. Most of the time, SEO-friendly names consist of primary keyword and important search terms. For example, a pizza business having the word “pizza” in its name makes the business name SEO-friendly.
However, SEO-friendly names are mostly preferred by internet based companies because the majority of their customers come from the internet and search engine queries. SEO-friendly names tend to be generic, lengthier and uninteresting. This is not a general rule but using the primary keyword makes the name boring yet self explanatory.
A keyword could define the nature of business and/or its geographical location. On the other hand, brandable business names refer to shorter and catchier names which attract their target customers instantly. Brandable business nameslast longer but they also need more advertisement and marketing budget to yield results. Some examples of catchy and brandable business names are Google, Virgin and Haagen Dazs.
Virgin is one of the most popular and technologically advanced companies in the world. Virgin has been working on space tourism technologies and this could be the first company to start space tourism in the world. Richard Branson, the founder of this company started this without any prior experience or knowledge of the industry. His friend asked him about his plans regarding his new company by saying, “you are a virgin in this industry”. That’s how Virgin got its name.
The founders of Google wanted a brilliant name and they selected Googol as it reflects the vision and scale they want to show. However, due to a mistake or misunderstanding they ended up with Google which has no meaning whatsoever in any language. Fortunately they domain name, Google.com was available at that moment so they settled at that happily.
Haagen Dazs, despite its exotic name it was founded in New York and this company has nothing to do with Italy, Switzerland, Germany or any other country for that matter. The founder wanted an exotic name and after some research they founded Haagen Dazs.
Some business names are only suitable for a particular industry and not for others because of different target audience. Some factors that could affect the target audience perception are age, gender, geographical location, social status and others.
There are plenty of name generation tools for businesses but coming up with a nice name and actually securing it are two different matters. Thats where BoostNames comes in.