What's in a name? Tips for naming your new business
Deciding on your business name is one of the most important tasks - get it right and you’ll be at the forefront of your customers minds.
Get it wrong, and it can be a costly exercise to go through once established.
We work with businesses that are either starting out or those rebranding (with a new name) and love workshopping ideas for new names. Here are our top tips when researching your new business name:
Make sure it’s available
Check across all of your platforms that the name is available:
is the name already registered through ASIC
is it registered as a domain name (.com.au is preferable)
is it available on all social profiles - make it consistent across all channels
has someone trademarked the name
Make it unique
Make it unique - a generic name will be difficult for Google to rank or search eg The Treehouse. If your name is already being used, or it’s too similar to someone else in your industry – then don’t use it.
Can the name be misunderstood, especially in other languages, if you’re planning on using it in other countries?
Could the name offend people?
Create a name with “feeling”
Adding emotion to a name can help resonate with your customer more.
Alliteration can work well (Coca-Cola, Dunkin’ Donuts, Krispy Kreme, Range Rover, and more)
Rhymes can be annoying but used well are very effective (7 Eleven)
Imagery is the most powerful poetic device - research shows that people experience sound in the same way we experience taste or colour eg. “Wet and Wild, water park”.
Metaphor - make sure you select something that doesn’t go over the customers head (eg. “Amazon” is a metaphoric name meant to evoke the idea of a large, exotic place. At the same time, it’s easy to spell, say, and remember – which makes it a fantastic name.)
Easy to spell / remember
Don’t confuse your customer with tricky spelling! Also make sure the name you choose is how you say it “Tom & Jerry, not Tom n’ Jerry”
Keep it timeless
Don’t restrict your name too much (Tess’s Bath Bombs, if you plan on making more products in the future) - if you plan on expanding and growing or moving into different areas / new customer base. Also think about not being specific about location (don’t include towns or postcodes).
Who is your target market?
Are they tech savvy? How will they find you? What will they search for? Are you targeting multiple audiences?
Personality
If your business was a personality - what would they look like / think / say? What are your brand pillars?
Positive vibes
Choose words that evoke the positive associations you want customers to have with your brand. What emotions and values do you want your business to convey in the public domain?
Things to avoid
Rushing the decision - you have to work with this for a long time!
Being too clever - it might just go over your customers head and lose their interest.
Forgetting to research - check no one else in the same industry has a similar name or that the name is already taken.
Choosing a name that is too long.
Letting your emotions decide.
Important links
Use the Australian Government Business Registration Service to check about registering a business name
Learn about protecting your business name from being used by others by registering it as a trade mark
Godaddy is our preferred domain service provider
For more information
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