Uniqueness has always been a desirable trait in a business name. The more unique a name, the easier it is to distinguish one company from another. But in the internet era, uniqueness is much more important. The internet has made the world a much smaller place. As a result, choosing a business name that is not unique enough can make marketing extremely difficult.
Perhaps that’s why online business name generators are so popular. Tools like TRUiC’s online generator account for some of the aspects of doing business online. Automated generators aren’t perfect, but they can take some of the legwork out of researching the uniqueness of a given business name.
Just Google a Name
If you are an entrepreneur trying to choose a name for your new business, here’s a fun challenge: Google whatever name you think might be appropriate. A ton of results using that exact name is a clear indication you need choose something else. Why? Because even without employing a solid SEO strategy, your company should at least rank high for its own name.
For example, one of the more popular words utilized in American business names is ‘advanced’. You might have an HVAC company that goes by the name Advanced Heating and Cooling. Down the street might be Advanced Auto Repair and Advanced Lawn Care and Landscaping Services.
They all have that one word in their business names. That means your company will be competing with them whenever someone tries to find your business by searching its name.
Playing Well with Search Engines
One of the unfortunate realities of the internet age is that everything about a company’s brand has to play well with search engines. Business owners may not be too fond of that reality, but there is no fighting it. People now use the internet to find products, services, and companies. The Yellow Pages are gone. People don’t buy newspapers like they used to. The internet is it.
Furthermore, the internet is primarily run by two entities: search engines and social media. If your company name and brand do not play well with both, you’re going to have marketing trouble. And if you cannot satisfy both, at least make sure your company name and brand succeed in the search engine space.
Try Being Creative
Coming up with a company name and brand with some level of uniqueness isn’t extremely difficult thanks to automated business name generators that run countless online searches. In short, you can come up with something unique pretty easily. But that’s only half the battle. You also have to produce something creative.
Creativity is what turns unique business names into memorable names. For example, a Virginia company that offers online English and creative writing lessons to homeschool students was originally named So Verbose. The name itself was completely unique. However, it also gave customers a rather creative hint as to what the company offered.
They have since expanded their offerings and subsequently re-branded as Lantern English Co. The new name is still unique, but it also equates good language skills with providing light to illuminate the way. Both the old and new names are an example of how uniqueness and creativity work together in support of a company’s brand.
Coming up with a unique company name has always been an important part of starting a new company. But in the internet era, search engines and social media have only made the need for uniqueness even more important. Choosing a company name that is too generic or too similar to other companies is a good way to hamper marketing efforts before you even get started.