What To Consider When Selecting a Name for Your Business

At first glance, choosing a business name seems like a fundamental task primarily related to the branding of your business. However, experience has shown us that the name of your business can have a number of implications in other areas. This blog aims to highlight these topics, giving our readers an overview of some of the most important elements - hopefully saving some headaches in the long run!

Your Business Name Is Powerful

The name of your business is often the first point of contact with potential clients and it needs to work on a number of fronts.

It needs to represent what your business means to you. Your name will be in your logo, on your website, in your email signature, on all your marketing materials and across your digital channels. Not only do you have to be happy with it, it needs to give potential clients an insight into what your business does.
It needs to appeal to your target audience. You need to know who your ideal client is and select a name that appeals. If you are an interior designer with an elite clientele who expect the highest level of finishes (and are willing to spend a lot of money to achieve this!), a name like Barb's Budget Interiors is unlikely to attract your ideal client.
You will use your business name across almost every aspect of conducting business. Experiment with how it looks in a logo and across your marketing materials.

It needs to be available!

Depending on where you are based in the world, you need to register your business name with the appropriate authority. In Australia this is the Australian Government Business Registration Service.

Their website has a number of resources that can be of assistance when selecting a business name. It also allows you to check if the name you have chosen is available. Check Your Business Name

Whilst you do not have to use your business name as your domain name, if that is your preference you should check that the domain you wish to purchase is also available. (See more on this topic below)

Consider the Length!

Selecting a name for your business is an individual preference however many businesses do not consider the negative implications of having a long business name.

Domain Name

For those that prefer to have their business name in their domain, a long business name is going to mean a long website URL. This is an important consideration, particularly if you are in an industry where you will be likely to hand out printed materials such as business cards, flyers etc. and clients will have to manually type in your website URL.

Email Address

As your domain name is also used for your email address this has further implications when you think about adding an admin or info in front of it...consider typing this or having it on your marketing materials: info@edwardhopperhousemuseumandstudycentre.com If this were your business name it would certainly be worth looking into buying a second domain where at least part of the name is represented by the corresponding initials.

Logo

A long business name can be a challenge when designing a logo. A good logo should be easily read and able to be absorbed at a glance. A long business name can look busy and cluttered in a logo.

Some more on domains names!

Should your business name be your domain name?

In the past exact match domain names were popular as they had a positive impact on your SEO. However this is no longer the case - so should your domain name match your business name? If this is important to you, then yes but not for the direct purpose of improving SEO. In some instances, particularly if you are purely an online business, you may wish to register a domain name that is product based, rather than business name based.

Using Keywords in your domain name

Using keywords in your domain name quickly tells a site visitor that you specialise in a particular location, service or product. This needs to be evaluated carefully as it can potentially work as both a positive and a negative. Using a location may make you more inclined to gain local custom but also less inclined to attract it out of area. The same can be said for keywords related to just one of your services if you have a multi service based business. Let's say for example someone has searched for local dog grooming services and the top two results are Couture Canine and PetBarn Supplies. While both businesses may have great dog grooming services many people may be more inclined to choose Couture Canine as their business name reflects the service they require. On the other hand if they were searching for dog accessories PetBarn Supplies may be the winner.

Whilst on the surface choosing a name for your business seems a fairly fundamental and simple task, as you can see there are many considerations involved in this important task.

We hope this blog has given you some insight - if it has raised questions relevant to your business, please don't hesitate to reach out to our team.

If you would like to learn more about a variety of digital solutions, or need guidance in creating and setting up your own business, you may be interested in our Business Digital Solutions Kickstart, our online program where you will learn everything you need to create, manage and promote your business, including how to:
• Mind Map your business.
• Prepare your branding and content management strategy.
• Build your integrated solutions to support automated sales, customer service and support.
• Get your eCommerce or courseware systems up and running.
• Learn the best practices and strategies for utilising social media for your business.