How Important Is The Right Business Name In 2021?By Angelica Malin
If you look at some of the biggest businesses in 2021, their names may seem arbitrary. Amazon has nothing to do with the rainforest, Apple has nothing to do with fruit, and Facebook has very little to do with reading. Based on these examples, you might consider naming your business something sentimental or catchy, rather than practical.
But web builders now offer services like the business or blog name generator. This tool chooses a name for your business that is supposed to be more effective than if you chose one yourself. The reality is that in 2021, new companies need to be very particular in choosing their business name. The right business name now makes all the difference.
Let’s take a look at why this is and if you can find a balance between utility and sentimentality.
Human Behaviour
Throughout history, businesses have had to choose names based on human behaviour. And while human nature has not changed all that much, our behaviour has changed tremendously. This is simply due to the changes going on around us. We can see this when it comes to business names.
In the past, you might choose a restaurant by walking down a street in the middle of town. Restaurants therefore had to have appealing names. However, they did not need to worry too much about including the type of cuisine in the name because you could simply look at a menu. Today, however, we look for restaurants online based on what we feel like eating and will gravitate towards those with names which seem to fit the bill.
The same is true of other types of businesses. You might find a car mechanic in the past by looking out for car mechanics in your area. Today, you will search online first, so as to find information and reviews. The first options you click on are likely those which sound like what you need.
What about Apple, Amazon, and Facebook? The difference with companies like these is that they were game changers. They were introducing new concepts, and their names just needed to sound catchy. A competitor in 2021 cannot rely on a catchy name.
Search Supreme
We find businesses in 2021 by searching online. This is all the more true since the start of the pandemic. Even the most technophobic people now find the products and services they need online. While traffic does come from other sources like referrals and affiliate links, a lot of traffic comes from simple Google searches.
In other words, if you are looking for a new sound system for your home, you will search online. Search engines are more likely to show you the businesses with names related to sound systems or home technology. Even if you do see a business with an unrelated but catchy name, you are more likely to click on a boring name like “Quality Sound Systems.”
You may not want to name your dream business by using a business name generator. But if you instead go for a combination of your childrens’ names or your surname, you give that business less chance of getting off the ground.
Good Business Names
So what does a business name in 2021 need to be effective? It should be clear what type of business it is. It should be as short and snappy as possible. It should be memorable. And it definitely should have the .com domain name. This means that if there is another business with the same name that is using one of the main domain name suffixes, even if it is in a totally different country, choose a different name.
That last may seem obvious, but if you are choosing a business name based on personal preference rather than utility, it will not be. One example I have experienced is a company with a name similar to X Solutions. The domain name for X Solutions was not available so they chose the X Solution domain name instead. It is impossible to say just how much business this decision has cost them, but it is fair to say that the amount is not insignificant.
A Saturated Market
Because of the decentralisation of many markets due to the globalised internet experience, there is a fair amount of saturation. You are operating in a world where standing out is difficult. As such, you need to give yourself the highest chance of success.
Do not sacrifice searchability on the basis of using the great business name you dreamed up. Go for something effective. If it is a name you love, that is all the better, but ultimately, it is just a name. When you have had success and built up a client base, you can then consider changing it.
