Your brand name is a crucial component to the success of your business. Without an effective name, your brand will fail to be remembered by those who matter most: your consumers. Here are 5 things we think will help you choose the best name for your brand:
You want your name to be easily recognizable
When choosing a name for your business, you want it to stand out among the competition , but you also want it to be recognizable on its own. You want a name that is easy to remember, short, simple. and unique. You want a name that sounds great but also looks great, you want one word or one phrase that perfectly sums up who you are and what you do as a company. This sounds impossible, but think of Amazon, think of Apple, Coca-Cola, Netflix, and Zappos. Before any of these companies existed, Amazon was just the name of a river, Apple was just a fruit you ate to keep the doctor away, and Netflix was just a made up word. Today, not only are these companies the first thought when these words pop up, but they are also able to fully capture who the business is in one simple word. To find your perfect brand name, you need to think outside the box. You need to be creative and aware of what is important to your target market. You need to be able to show your potential customers why you are different than everyone else (check out this post on further ways to rank above your competitors)
You want your name to be relatable
Your name needs to resonate with your consumers. You want them to be able to understand why you chose the name you did and why it reflects your brand’s values. One way to do this is by incorporating your brand name into the story of your business. This will make your brand more memorable to consumers. People are much more likely to remember a compelling story than one word that means nothing to them. One great example is Apple. Apple was called Apple because it was short and fun. Steve Jobs was a fruitarian at the time and had recently visited an apple farm. While the name itself has nothing to do with computers, it perfectly reflected who they wanted to be in the tech world. Having a name that is easy to digest and easy to relate to will help you bolster your brand’s identity, raise awareness and eventually build brand loyalty. If consumers don’t understand who you are and don’t see how your name reflects your brand’s values, you won’t be able to connect with them.
Make sure your chosen name has room to grow
You don’t want to limit your brand’s potential by choosing a name that will keep you tied to a specific product or location if you see your business expanding at any point in the future. This takes some future planning but it gives you options in the future that you may not have thought you wanted in the past. For example, Amazon was named after the Amazon river, which is the largest river in the world. Amazon’s founder thought this was fitting because he wanted his company to become the largest bookstore in the world. Imagine if instead he had included the word “bookstore” in the company name. If he hadn’t had the growth of his company in mind, Amazon may not be what it is today.
You cannot skip the brainstorm, review, and test step
This step is very important. If you are stuck, or even just need a second opinion, brainstorming with other people is a great way to get new ideas flowing. There are several ways to come up with a name for you brand. You could try word recognition, name generators, writing down your brand’s characteristics, etc. Whichever way you choose to go about picking a name, you have to remember to think outside the box, keep it simple, and do not forget to check to see if the name is available before you get attached. One way to do this is by Googling it or you checking to see if the domain is taken on sites like GoDaddy.com. Check your domain blacklist status using the ZeroBounce email blacklist checker to avoid disruptions in communication.
You should also visit the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) website, which will tell you if the name you have picked has already been trademarked. You can also see what organic results show up and check online services that will test the SEO of the name you like to see how well it would do.
Make sure you are happy with the name!
While this isn’t a “step” per-say, it is still important to consider. If you are pouring your heart and soul into your business, you want to love its name. You want to be proud to shout it from the rooftops and tell it to everyone you meet. If you are unsure, or not completely in love with the name of your business, it will show. You love your brand, so why not give it a name you love too?
