Business names create business identities that help consumers understand at a glance what the business is all about thereby creating an instant connection with it. Since almost all businesses have online entities, it has become a norm today that the business name becomes the domain name too. Indeed, there are exceptions to it, but perhaps only to prove the rule. Starting up a new business includes launching the business website simultaneously which makes it imperative to choose a name that you can use as the domain name also so that consumers can quickly relate between the physical and virtual business entities. Choosing a business name requires some proper research and understanding about the consumer psyche so that you can choose a name that makes it easy for consumers to connect with the business.
The name must have good recall value so that consumers can quickly figure out the business the moment they hear the name which is why there is great demand for catchy names. It means that the name must be unique and interesting so that it quickly garners attention by standing out from the crowd. Such must be its attraction that the name would keep coming back in the minds of consumers just for its phonetic appeal even if there are no physical causes to recall it. As people keep humming a line of their favorite song just being unmindful about it, in the same way, they should keep humming the business name that appears extremely attractive and cute.
Characteristics of business names
There are several traits of business names that highlight its specialty but no matter in which way you look at it, the name must possess some basic characteristics like possessing qualities that generate instant interest the moment someone comes across it. The interest should keep growing so that it makes people curious to explore more about what lies under the name. And to make all this happen, the name should first create a mental connection with the audience to trigger the interest. Being able to make the audience move is the primary requirement of business names which is why you must keep away from choosing generic or run of the mill type of names. Lastly, you must ensure that the name has the qualities to promote the brand and becomes its face meaning it must be a brandable name.
Brandable business name
Business and brand are inseparable, and no matter how attractive the business name might be, business promotion happens by highlighting brands. You must use the business name intelligently and connect it with the brand so that you can use it interchangeably. This is what we call branding, and the business prospects depend on the proper strengthening of brands. While brand creation is easy, developing the brand and generating brand equity is quite challenging that needs adequate integration of the business name with the brand to create a composite brand entity. Therefore the business name should not only correspond to the domain name but also possess brandable qualities.
Characteristics of brandable name
- Unique – The first requirement that any business name must fulfill is that it should be so much unique that it strikes at the core of the mind and elicits a positive response that generates interest and curiosity. The name must be distinctly different from others and easily distinguishable so that it appears to belong to a class of its own. There should be no chances of confusing it with any other name or brand.
- Relevant – The name must be able to connect consumers to the business immediately without taxing their brains. The connection between the name and business might even be implied and indicative, but the name should never be lengthy, descriptive or generic.
- Suitable – While the emphasis should be on connecting the name with the business it should also be relevant to the market, which means that you must strike a balance between the two.
- Brief and memorable – Since business names and domain names are same, it must be brief or short that it is easy to memorize because the more easily people remember the name faster will be its recall. This is very important for generating business opportunities as delay in recalling names can drive consumers to your competitors.
- Easy to type and pronounce – The name should be simple yet attractive so that it is easy on the tongues and people can pronounce it without any difficulty. The easier it is to pronounce more likely people would be playing with it in their minds thereby increasing the chances of recalling it promptly. Moreover, it must be easy to type and should not contain any special characters like symbol, sign or numeric.
By adhering to the above, you can ensure that the name becomes easily brandable so that it receives wide acceptance among consumers. However, be prepared to do some hard work to find out names that fulfill all criteria.