How to create a great online business name should be first and foremost with any business venture. A business name or an identity is something tangible that your prospective market can call upon. A name is imperative with all types of businesses whether it is in the Internet Marketing business, or home business or street corner business.
Think of it as a book. Although the age old adage reprimands us that we should never judge a book by its cover, it is still imperative for the title to be displayed prominently on the cover. What could be more infuriating than a book without a title?
The same principle applies with any business venture. That is the reason why many entrepreneurs put a lot of time and effort in naming their business. A memorable, catchy name not only attracts potential customers, it also gives you an edge over not-so-memorably named companies in the same field. You must remember that all businesses are competitive in nature. You certainly don’t want to be drowned out by the competition in any way possible.
Look at it at different vantage points.
If say, you have a home business, which specializes in selling and trading collectors item comic books. You name your business after your favorite dog Scruffy, like Scruffy Books Limited or (an unimaginative) we Sell Scruffy Comic Books. It is an absurd example, true; but as a potential buyer / trader, would you buy anything from such a company, or would you seek the services of other booksellers? If you have an Internet Marketing business, and your client wants you to promote Scruffy Books Limited / We Sell Scruffy Comic Books, would you not advise them to seek a more appropriate name?
There is a lot of room for personal and professional creativity when choosing a name for your online business. Here are some basic tips.
1. Brainstorm. Make sure the name you want reflects your online business in all possible ways. Determine how you want your online business name to sound and how you want people to react to it when they hear it. It is good if the name has a primary meaning to you and your target customers. List down your choices, it is as easy as that.
a. Simplify. If your home business is all about rare flower delivery, you wouldnt want to name it with something like Heavens Flowers Cant Quite Compare With the Flowers Grown on Amelias Rare Flowers Greenhouse and Farm Which We Do Deliver But For a Fee. Admittedly, its unique but its just way too much. Plus, it will wreck havoc on your website should you try to post that name in any Internet domain. In other words, make your online business name easy to pronounce, memorable, and short. Names like PayPal and QuickBooks have all of these aforementioned qualities.
b. Try to avoid first names: Bobs Rare Wine, Dianas Handmade Dolls, and Martinas Antique Book Collection, etc. These are not at all bankable, considering the fact that no one knows who Bob, Diana or Martin is. Businesses with someone else first names are best done with celebrity endorsements. If you have a celebrity endorsing your company, then you dont need to read the rest of this article.
c. Avoid generic names that literally describe the product or the services that your online business offers such as: Online Training Services, Computer Sales and Services, Internet Marketing Business, etc. Not only is this quite unimaginative, but your prospective market may even mistake your entire company as equally unimaginative. Remember, a name gives a business its identity; the same way that a title gives a book its character.
2. Get feedback. Get honest feedback. If you are availing the services of an Internet Marketing business company, you may want their advice on this. Objective feedback is important, and the more feedback you get, the better the result. It will save you a lot of grief in the long run.
3. Check-out trademarks. It is important to make sure that the online business names you have short listed are not yet being used by other businesses. Again, if you are availing the services of an Internet Marketing business, they will help you weed out with similar or almost similar sounding namesakes.
4. Stake your claim. When you have finally selected the name you want, register your online business name with appropriate agencies like your chosen Internet domain, Chamber of Commerce, etc. Not only does this finally give your company a solid identity, its also a great tax write-off.
