Too many entrepreneurs starting out spend money where it doesn’t need to be spent. Choosing a name for your business is a personal choice. You don’t need to drop money with a marketing agency. Professionals aren’t the only ones to help you to figure out what a good name for your business will be.
When it comes to choosing a name for your business free of charge, you just need to know where to access the tools and the advice.
Generate a List of Ideas
You need ideas – and you don’t need professionals to come up with them. After all, it’s your business. Do you want your name incorporated into it? Do you want a service or product incorporated into it?
You can create a list of ideas that focus on such things as:
- Keywords
- Alliteration
- Versions of your name (first, last, initials)
- Ways to describe your industry
- Adjectives that describe your business
There’s no limit to the number of ideas that you can create. As you add to the list, it can be used in some of the other steps. When you decide that a particular idea isn’t good for one reason or another, just cross it off.
Look Up Website Availability
Searching for a website is an important part of the process. You need to know if domains are available or not. Otherwise, you run the risk of falling in love with a name only to find that it’s already been taken. The domain extension is important, too. If you limit yourself to the .com extension, you may find that the name you want is taken. Further, you may end up spending a fortune on the .com.
The .ONLINE extension has been gaining a lot of popularity – and there’s more availability. The reality is that the number of domains is increasing rapidly. With 100 million websites using .com, it’s time to think outside of the box.
Use a Random Generator
A random generator can be a great way to get the creative juices flowing. These generators can help you to get an idea for website availability, keywords that go together, and more. You may want to put in the name of your competition to see what they will come back with. You may also want to put in some of the keywords from your list of ideas.
Don’t be afraid to throw in any ideas through a generator to see what it comes up with. Remember, these are just ideas – you’re not required to use any combination that the generator comes up with.
Make Some Polls Online
There’s no reason why you can’t ask for some help when it comes to determining what the name of your business should be. Once you have a few ideas, post them to your friends online. Ask them whether they like one or the other – and ask for feedback.
You can tap into the expertise of your friends without having to spend the money on a professional marketing team. Someone may have a few keywords to consider within your name. Someone else may warn you against a particular name because the competition is using it or it’s too hard to pronounce.
Compare with the Competition
Research of the competition is always important. Not only do you want to make sure you have a unique value proposition, but you also want to look at what kind of names are found across your industry. If everyone is using their name, maybe you want to stand out by keeping your name out of it. If everyone seems to be using one particular keyword, break out your thesaurus.
You also want to avoid copying any kind of name that is unique. If they use a number or a color, for example, you don’t want to just change to a different number or color and call it done. They may have a story behind their name – and when you try to copy them, there’s no way to have a story to back up your name.
Your name is your brand – and that’s your key to successful marketing. Choosing a name for your business free may take some work, but it’s worth it in the end. Make it personal, make it unique, and have some fun with it. When you love your name and it resonates with people, it will be easier for you to have a successful business – online and off.
When you’ve decided on a name, you’ll want to move forward with establishing your business. Grab a website that allows you to connect your name with your domain. This way, you have a presence online and off. You’ll be able to focus on marketing materials, logo design, and more. You’ll be spending plenty of money to launch your business, so there’s no need to pay someone to come up with the name of your business for you, too.
Your all tips are easy and practical. Keep it up.