Why Choosing the Right Business Name is Important

Your business needs a lot of different things in order to succeed. Smart leadership, good marketing, and a sound business strategy are obviously high on that list. But another thing that is often overlooked is the name you give your business. That applies not only for your business itself, but for your domain name as well. While it sounds like something that isn’t that big of a deal, the fact is that your business name and domain name could be a make or break issue.

There are a few areas where your name will have a big influence. The first is simply description. While it may sound cute to name your business after your kids or your favourite pet, the fact is that a catering company name ‘Fido’s Foods’ doesn’t exactly scream ‘good food’.

Another thing that will matter is brand identity. You already know some popular brands and popular businesses, and just their name conjures up a very specific idea of what they do. You need your business name to do the same thing, only on a smaller scale. While a lot of this will have to do with your reputation and how you build it over the life of your business, your name will still matter. Be sure to make something catchy, easy to remember, and unique.

In terms of online presence, your name is even more important. There are a few reasons for this, and the first lies in how easy it is to remember your domain name. The easier your business name is to remember, the easier it will be for your potential customers to type it into an address bar or search engine. Switching up spellings or dropping letters is a bad idea. For example, which one seems easier for you to remember – BobsCakes.com or BbsCaks99.com? Even worse is a totally different domain name. If your business name is “Strings and Keys Music Lessons” why would you build a website and host it at LearnMusicInYourHomeForLess.com? It sounds like a good call, but you need to build brand identity, so stick with your business name.

Additionally, your domain name will have an impact on your placement in search engine results. If your domain name is totally unrelated to what you offer, chances are that your customers will have a hard time finding you. And the old adage “Keep It Simple, Stupid”, or KISS, really applies here. The shorter your business name, the easier it will be to use in Twitter messages and the easier it will be for customers to remember.

Simply put, you can’t afford to ignore the importance of your business name or your domain name. Take a few minutes, hours, or even days to make sure you give your business the kind of name it deserves. It really can make all the difference in the world.