Business Naming Services
A good business name should work as hard as you do. But coming up with a magical combination of wordsmithery, memorability, and relevance is tricky, to say the least.
At NameStormers, we’ve been guiding businesses through the process of choosing that perfect name for over 30 years. Not only can we distill your company’s essence into just one or two words, but we can also help you get clear about just what you’re hoping to accomplish and ensure that your business name clears every naming hurdle.
Here are some questions and issues you’ll get help with when you engage our business naming service.
What Does a Good Business Name Do?
We help clients create names that get them noticed — and get customers. Specifically, we’ll help you choose a name that does the following:
- Embodies your brand. Give people a sense of what you’re all about in just a few words.
- Makes you memorable. A good name punches through the noise and sticks in potential customers’ minds.
- Sets you apart from the crowd. It’s not always a bad thing to stand out from your competitors.
- Says something about your business. Steer away from word salad. Your name should have a point of view — and communicate something meaningful.
Questions to Ask Before You Begin
Choosing a new name often involves a little bit of corporate soul searching. Before you jump in and start throwing out some candidates, it’s a good idea to get crystal clear about who you are and where you’re going.
Start by asking yourself the following:
- Who is your target audience? Demographics are great, but you also want to know what motivates potential customers and what they’re looking for. If you haven’t already done so, a customer persona exercise can be a great tool here.
- What qualities does your brand represent? Think about your business as if it were a person. Is it trustworthy and dependable? Bold and edgy? What would your brand be like if you met it on the street?
- What are you really bringing to the table? It may sound obvious, but it’s important to name exactly what your business does and what services, products, or offerings you provide.
- Who are your top competitors? You don’t want to be another face in the crowd. Understand your competitors and pay attention to their names — then do something different.
- What sets you apart from other businesses? Whether it’s your research-backed process or your excellent customer service, there’s something you do better than anyone else.
- What are you hoping to accomplish with your business name? Increase earnings? Make room for business growth? Disrupt an existing industry? Names can do a lot, so don’t be afraid to dream big.
Your answers to these questions can not only help you narrow down your options, but also be a springboard for business name candidates.
Other Things to Consider
Every company is unique, and sometimes your specific circumstances present distinct challenges and questions that will factor into your name, such as:
- If you’re renaming your business, will your company’s past play a part? Whether you’re hoping to capitalize on the reputation you’ve built or distance yourself from your past, your company history will play a part in the naming process.
- Are there subsidiaries, product or service families, or other components in your business architecture that need to be addressed? The right business name can create a naming architecture for products and services. Or it can fit in a family of companies of which you are one subsidiary.
- Are there any challenges specific to your business or industry? Some products or services may be harder to sell or present specific challenges that you’ll need to be sensitive to when you’re choosing a new name.
There’s More to a Name Than Just Words
Your name needs to capture your company’s intangible essence and pique customer’s interest, but it also needs to be flexible and screened for possible issues like the ones described below.
- Domain availability. Your customers need to be able to reach you online, period. Considering early on whether or not there’s a good domain available for your business name will save you a lot of heartache down the line.
- Linguistic and cultural compatibility. If you’re looking to tap global markets or target multilingual audiences, understanding how well your name works in other languages and cultures is key.
- Trademark screening and registration. If your company name is too similar to a competitor in your space, you could be in danger of trademark infringement issues. Whatever name you choose should be able to clear the trademark hurdle. And you might even want to consider registering your trademark nationally, internationally, or locally as well.
- Naming architectures. In some cases, it’s wise to create a name that’s flexible enough that it can be used to create product, service, or subsidiary names that reference the parent company.
- Tagline and logo creation. A memorable, unique tagline and eye-catching logo are also a part of your brand and will help make your name a success.
Why You Might Want to Call in the Experts
As you can see, there’s a lot riding on your new business name — and a lot that goes into the process of selecting that ideal moniker. At NameStormers, we use a time-tested seven-step process to ensure that you’re getting a list of tested, screened, and perfectly matched name candidates.
We take the time to understand your brand, background, challenges, and goals. Once we have a list of viable name candidates, we put them through an intense audience testing process and ensure that you won’t run into any trademark or domain availability issues. We also make sure that nothing will be lost in translation if you need to reach global or multilingual audiences.
Last but not least, we go back to the drawing board as many times as you need us to, with unlimited revisions for a flat fee. You will always know exactly what you’re paying. These are the differences an experienced naming agency can make.
And after you have just the right candidate, we can offer additional logo and tagline creation services to help you send your new name out into the world.
Our Record Speaks for Itself
In our decades of experience, we’ve been able to work with some truly amazing businesses and help them solve unique challenges and make waves with a great name. Here are just a few of our happy clients:
Check out our full portfolio here.
Still have questions? Contact us today to learn more about our business naming services and what we can do for your company.