Business Names

This is marketing 101, but I’ll spell it out, as it also applies to picking a domain name:

1. Keep your name short, easy to spell and remember
2. Do not use kewl-spellingz.com, they are hard to remember and guess
3. If it will be listed in directories like the yellow pages, use an early letter or number
4. Try to convey your identity in your name: Jiffy Lube
5. Ask how the name sounds on the phone, will they confuse it with something else?
6. Do not use a trendy name, when the trend dies, so will your business
7. Do not limit your business by the name: John’s Tractors vs John’s Farm Supply, unless that is ALL you will ever do
8. Make sure the name is positive, not negative. Subconsciously people judge your business based off of the words you choose
9. It is always safe to use your own name, both for copyright reasons and brandability.

Sites that help choosing domain names:

nameboy.com
makewords.com

It’s not cheapest to buy the domain names from these sites, but they have great tools that help you find names. I use wsmdomains.com, again not the cheapest, but I like their service.