If you have a great business idea and are looking to get in the process of making it a reality, one of the most crucial things for that is to come up with a good name. 

Naming the company or your brand is extremely crucial because of the fact that it is something that will represent you in the future. You have to be mindful of various things while choosing a name, as even the smallest of things matter.

You should look for a neat and powerful name that makes it sound easily accessible to everyone and yet unique. The wrong name can cause innumerable problems like not creating a connection with your customers, legal battles and so on. To avoid all such scenarios, here is a list of pointers you need to keep in mind while selecting a name for your company. 

Pick a simple or a catchy name

It is the most basic thing you can do and you should stick to it no matter what. You should always think of names that are easy to pronounce and spell. The harder the name will be, the harder it would be for the audience to remember. However, if you have a really catchy name then it is fine. 

Google it first

Whenever you pick a name for your company or brand, it is highly likely that it already exists somewhere in the world. To check it, just Google the name you are thinking of and look for the companies that already exist by that name. Remember, you need to pick a name that is unique and has an identity on its own. 

Do not pick a name that limits your growth

This is an important point to keep in mind. You need to make sure that the name you choose does not limit your growth. Imagine if Jeff Bezos had not named his company Amazon and instead had named something like BooksOnline. He would have not been able to make his business grow and get on to selling other things on an online platform, other than the books.

Try to get a name that has some meaning to it

You should try to get a name that has some meaning in it. It is important that it represents you and your company’s ideologies. There would be a ton of times when someone, possibly a potential investor, would ask you about the meaning of the name of the company. So, you should be able to explain it. However, if you think about names like Google or Yahoo, they are completely meaningless and yet are two of the biggest companies in the world. Such names are catchy and moreover, such cases happen rarely. 

Get the .com/.in domain name if possible

In this digital world, not having a website for your company would be ill advised. Therefore, when you choose a name for your company, make sure that a .com/.in domain name is available for it. Other domain names like .net, .org, .biz and more like them are at times easily available for you but they do not add credibility to your company. A .com or .in domain name will help the customers identify you as an established company. 

Do not use names that sound similar to established brands

It is very important that you do not use a name that sounds too similar to an already established brand. It can land you in a lot of legal troubles. To talk about an example, recently, a local restaurant chain from Delhi took the name of SardarBuksh, which sounded too similar to the popular restaurant chain Starbucks. The local brand had to go through a lot of legal troubles when Starbucks filed a case against them and then finally had to change their name to Sardar Ji Baksh.

Ensure that it sounds good when said aloud

A common mistake is that people only think about the name and do not say it out loud. If you want to grow, word of mouth is the best publicity. Therefore, when people talk about your brand and speak up the name, it should sound good. It should not sound weird or should not be something that is really hard to pronounce. 

Use websites to help you with a name

If you are not getting a name by yourself, you can always look into various websites that are available online to get a better idea with names. They may help you get a name for your company and also help you check for the availability of a domain name. A few websites that can help you out in this regard are:

  • VisualThesaurus.com
  • Shopify Business Name Generator
  • NameMesh.com
  • Naminum.com

Above all, you should be happy with the name

Last but not the least, you should be happy with the name you have. If you are not then it can lead to an unhappy mind and that will not allow you to brainstorm on other important things. 

Now that you know all the important points to keep in mind while selecting a name for your company, you should be able to pick a simple yet catchy name that forms a connection with your customers.

Also read: How to Set Up an Efficient Online Store

Author

Saurin heads Content at Razorpay. He's a fintech enthusiast who enjoys long walks in the Bangalore weather. He says he's a "cool dad" (those are his words, his son has refused to comment). He writes primarily on personal and business finance, and a little bit on marketing.

1 Comment

  1. Everything is very open with a very clear explanation of the issues. It was truly informative. Your website is very helpful. Thank you for sharing!

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