The default identity of your firm, whether you’re a fresh entrepreneur, freelancer, a small business owner, is its brand name. Your name and the impression it makes on customers always come first as your company’s identity.
As the founder of your own business, you can shape your professional destiny and success by picking the perfect brand name. Trust us―there are a lot of new businesses that collapsed because their founders couldn't duplicate the success they had in developing a distinctive service-based company.
This mostly happens to freelancers who’re trying to start their company, and one mistake they often make is to choose bland, generic, or tone-deaf names that end up hindering their business’s growth.
Just in case you’re thinking of starting your business, but don’t know how to come up with a business name that’d help your brand stand out positively, we’ve prepared this simple guide for you.
Eliminate These Three Major Naming Mistakes at All Costs
1) Names With Negative Foreign Translations
As a service provider, realize that people from all around the world will engage with your business, either through marketing or just by accident. Moreover, if your business’s brand name offends your clients in their native tongue, they may choose to switch to other service providers instead of you.
Customers were quick to ditch brands like Lumia, Nokia's flagship phone because it was a slang word for "prostitute" in Spanish. The same thing happened to Mazda’s Laputa, which also happened to be a Spanish word for "The Whore."
Just the same way customers from Spanish-speaking countries abandoned these products, they’d dump any product with insulting or offensive names. So, to ensure that the name you pick is not offensive to customers in other countries, be sure to put your language skills to work and conduct thorough linguistic research to verify that customers won’t find it offensive.
Therefore, whether you're a language professional or independent contractor in charge of a small firm or a large organization, think about how people in different regions of the world perceive and interact with your brand name.
2) Complicated Brand Names
Short, uncomplicated names should be the ideal choice for your brand since they are easy to remember and find on the internet. Simple, catchy, and unique company names are more likely to draw customers.
If the name of your business is too difficult, there's always a possibility that you would lose clients to rivals with clear, straightforward, and intriguing names.
Yet sadly, many companies have neglected the value of picking a catchy company name, disregarding the fact that companies like TransPerfect, Text United, Amazon, Apple, and Target have leveraged their powerful brand names to establish themselves in the minds of customers.
Take it from us: customers respond more positively to short, uncomplicated names than long, complicated ones. Because of this, be sure your goal when naming your business is to use a memorable name that people can quickly recall.
3) Names With Negative Meanings
Customers usually express strong opinions while discussing sensitive social problems. So, if your business decides to take a stand against a particular topic, even if it does so in a style that is unconnected to your brand name, you may lose clients because other people who disagree with your social and political stance will be less inclined to hire you.
Names like ‘Typo’ and ‘Yikes,’ two awful names that Colourpop chose for their darkest shade of makeup, and Lime Crime’s ‘China Doll,’ will only draw criticism because they are flawed and demeaning. Even if your goal is to give your brand an edgy tone, avoid names like ‘666 cold preparation,’ ‘Druggie,’ and ‘Pee Cola’ because they’re cringe-worthy and would alienate a good chunk of your target audience.
Likewise, if you’re thinking of creating a small translation company, don't make the mistake of choosing a name that’d polarize your target audience or leave them with an icky feeling. Also, do your best to avoid any politically sensitive issue, or at the very least handle it with the utmost caution; otherwise, your company might end up suffering backlashes like MyPillow, Harry's Razor, and Gillette.
Always Put Your Customers First
One of the most challenging elements of branding is the possibility for errors to swiftly define your whole business in the eyes of potential clients.
Keep in mind that neglecting to address the demands of both the company and its customers is usually the leading cause of terrible brand names. These names end up misrepresenting their branding, irritating customers, and affecting sales. So ensure your business has a distinct brand name that resonates with customers.
GRANT POLACHEK is the head of branding for Squadhelp.com, 3X Inc 5000 startup and disruptive naming agency. Squadhelp has reviewed more than 1 million names and curated a collection of the best available names on the web today. We are also the world's leading crowdsource naming platform, supporting clients such as Nestle, Dell, Nuskin, and AutoNation.