Your business name needs to be better

2018 was a record year for start-ups and this has led to businesses being more inventive than ever, to be more unique in an ever-increasing market.

By George Letheren Smith

Over 660,000 new start-up companies registered as a business in the UK in 2018 - a 5.7% rise and a new record.

This has made it tougher for owners to be unique, as the market is now even more competitive than a year ago.

Many are now putting their time into promoting their business digitally as the revenue it can create is highly beneficial.

Anna Middleton, the owner of London Hygienist, said: “The business has done very well due to the name. I rank number one on Google when you search for hygiene services. I gain anywhere between one to three new patients per day and this is growing.”

Ms Middleton added: “46% of my traffic is organic and 28% social.”

This was an opinion further backed up by Lisa Forde, owner of card company Dotty About Paper, that last year rebranded from The Card Gallery.

48% of clients for businesses are more likely to become loyal to the brand after the first purchase (Wix)

Ms Forde also emphasised her belief that your internet performance is vital to improving your business. “Analysis of search trends helped us to develop a fitting new name that would also let us grow as a company, and we spent a lot of time considering how this new name would affect our marketing.”

Ms Forde added that it’s advisable to prepare for a minor fluctuation of sales before a bigger rise. “Consider how the name will rank, how it may affect marketing strategies, and any legal ramifications it might involve. Also be prepared for a dip in sales, planning the change for an off-peak period will minimise the financial impact.”

The business market is becoming increasingly saturated and Google has an important role at this.

If your Business doesn't rank on Google you are potentially missing out on 7 out of 10 new clients (Stats from the Business Promoter, image courtesy of Wix)

Analytics trends on the world’s biggest search-engine are vital as 93% of all the buyers’ decisions on a product start with a search.

Ms Middleton used this technique when coming up with her business name. “I thought if I was looking for a hygienist what would I search in Google. 'London Hygienist' is what I searched and it was available so I went with it,” she said.

Google also allows for searches to not just be local, but to allow an international audience as well, which has contributed to start-ups growing UK success.

If you're after the perfect name for your next start-up, why not watch this excellent Ted Talk from brand consultancy expert Jonathon Bell?