Where do you turn for company name suggestions?
Doing Business 2019 report says that India jumped 23 positions in the ease of doing business from a year ago. As it is becoming easier to do business in India, many people are joining the bandwagon. If you are also planning to launch your startup or small business soon, then this article is important for you as we are going to discuss where to find company name suggestions.
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
Do you remember this popular saying from Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet? Well, there is a lot in a name when it’s your business’ name. Many people make the mistake of taking this step for granted and later suffer the consequences. In fact, this is the first and most important decision you will make for your business.
Your business’s name is important due to the following reasons:
First impression
Our subconscious mind is way smarter than our conscious mind. The moment we see something, we start forming opinions about it. In short, we are judgmental.
Your business name is one of the first points of contact with your customers. It is the first impression of your company. Hence, make it impressive.
Domain name availability
Your business does not exist if you are not online. Sorry to burst your bubble, but it’s important for you to know.
We are living in a digital world where companies are competing to grab customers’ attention online.
For this reason, you will not want to select a company name for which the domain name is not available.
Just as an example, let us say you would like to name your business Flipkart. You decide you will register a .com domain name because it has global appeal. Type Flipkart.com into the box below to see if it is available to you.
As you can see, the popular internet retailer has already registered Flipkart.com. Since only one person or entity may use a particular domain name at a time, you will need to find a different name for your business website. You’ll want a business name for which the matching domain name is available to you.
No going back
Let’s say you’ve already begun trading under the business name of Flipkart when you realize this name is already being used. Setting aside the legal issues of using a trademarked business name, there are other concerns to changing your business name after startup.
- It is like starting your business all over again.
- Your SEO efforts will go in vain, and all your existing links will break down.
- You will have to rebrand your business, with all of the costs that go with it.
I know you don’t want to do that. You want to make the best choice on the first go. Let’s see how you can do that.
3 good places to get help naming your business
Naming a business is an important task, one that many businesses spend fortunes on. Here are three websites that can help you find a strong business name.
- NameMesh.
- Business Name Generator.
- Names4Brands.
In these digital times, it’s not enough to choose a catchy business name — you also need a domain name that matches it. Keep reading to learn about this.
Company name suggestions websites
After brainstorming with your friends, co-founders and family for ideas, you can also use the following websites to get company name suggestions.
1. NameMesh
NameMesh helps you choose a business name by showing domain names that are related to what you do and available for registration. It gives a long list of ideas categorised under the following heads:
Common — Domain names containing related words, including hyphenated phrases (not recommended).
Short — Here the Top Level Domain (TLD) is a part of the domain name, making the whole thing shorter. For example, TextileManufacturi.ng.
New — Suggests names that end in new TLDs such as .club, .shop and .global.
Similar — Includes available domain names containing similar words.
SEO — Name suggestions with suffixes and prefixes added to the root keyword.
Fun — This includes breaking, joining and jumbling words to create new funny words.
2. Business Name Generator
If you have a specific word in your mind around which you want to name your business, then I would recommend this naming tool.
Business Name Generator gives you many abstract and keyword-specific company name suggestions. It also tells you whether the name has been registered so far or not. Just make sure to cross-check what the suffix/prefix means in isolation and in combination with your keyword.
3. Names4Brands
Names4Brands is another free naming tool. In addition to offering the basic options, it also gives you a choice of languages (including Tamil and Hindi) as well as a numerology calculator.
How to zero in on the final choice
Once you have shortlisted some of the most appropriate names, put them to the following lime-tests to get the final business name that you will actually use.
Easy to remember
Keep it simple! You don’t want to lose business just because people can’t remember your company name.
A good business name should always be easy to pronounce and remember. Remove all the senseless acronyms, difficult or jumbled-up words that make no sense.
Keep it short
I love the names Ola, Oyo and Etsy because they are cute and easy. No, I don’t mean you should have a three-letter domain name, but keep it as short as you can. Shorter is easier to remember.
Don’t rule out abstract names
Abstract names are in trend. These are random names, with or without any meaning. They give you the flexibility to sell anything under them.
An abstract name can be catchy and easy to remember for your customers. If, for some reason, your business doesn’t turn out the way you wanted, you can use an abstract name for some other business.
The only downside is that it will take time (and marketing dollars) to fix your business name in consumers’ minds.
Avoid confusions
Try and avoid the following confusions in the domain name you choose:
Unusual spelling
Your business name is no place to play with spellings. Imagine Yummytumyyyyy.com for your business website address. It would be a herculean task for your users to remember the number of extra ‘y’s’ that you have added to make the name more impactful.
Numbers
Imagine how you’ll introduce your business BestCleaners4U.com to a potential client while meeting him for the first time. If you forget to mention that in between the name there’s a number, you may end up losing business. Even if you do, you are at the mercy of your client’s memory.
Hyphens
Hyphens behave in a similar fashion as numbers. They are difficult to remember and their improper placement in URL by your customer might take them to your competitor’s website.
Company name suggestions are everywhere
Finalising a good name is just the beginning. Register it and buy the corresponding domain name.
All the other elements of your brand — your logo, colours, photography, voice and tone — should speak the same language.
Choosing a name should be a thoughtful decision, and it is natural for this process to even take months. So, go ahead, finalise a good name because there’s is a lot in a business name.
Editor’s note: Once you have chosen your business name, put your business online in less than 5 minutes with Online Starter Bundle.
Image by: Thomas Drouault on Unsplash