Forum Business

For some people, choosing a name for their new company is easy. They may have the correct name in mind since they first think of a business, or they just use their own names.

At The Mechanics Design we work with many new businesses started and have come up with the following tips for choosing a name for your new company:

1. Practical

Remember that you will have to work with your company name; it will be a tool you use every day.

2. Choose a name with the web address available

Your website should be the focal point for your marketing and one of the first things when choosing a company name is to see what domain names are available.
Short and simple domain in very short supply these days, but get a little creative means you usually can find a web address that can be used.

3. Finding people with the same name

Another important check when choosing your company name is to see if anyone else is using it. If you start a limited company established in the Companies House website and use the “Web Check” their services to see if anyone else has the same name.

4. Keeping the law

In the UK there are a number of rules on company names. For example you can not use words such as Royal, the National Authority or the UK unless you have special permission to do so.

5. Descriptive name

Descriptive company name says what they do on the tin. For example: North Bridge Design Furniture, JPS Glass Repair, Boiler Repairs Huddersfield.

6. Naming your company after yourself

A large number of companies are named after the man who founded it (WH Smiths, Dyson, Morrisons) and still one of the most popular ways for the business name. However, this can provide you with growing pains later. If the company name is your name then your client may be reluctant to deal with other people.

7. Emotive and conceptual name

Name emotive tell people more about the ethos of your company, create a feeling or image. For example: Serendipity Design, Marketing Explosion, Sunshine Day Care.

Conceptual name has nothing to do with what your company really is. This could be a made-up word, the term is unclear or even a sentence (Red or Dead).

The goal of every website is to encourage action from the reader. In many cases it is to sell something. Readers may be able to order online, call for an appointment, or come into your shop with coupons. But not every website developed to sell something. But that does not have a different purpose and should inspire the desired action from your readers.

Navigation is very important when developing and planning your site. The layout allows viewers to easily determine how to get from page to page and from product to order form. If it is difficult to navigate, it will prevent visitors from returning and it will make them frustrated. Just like in the brick and mortar store, you may never get a second chance to make a good impression on the web.

Here are the terms to help you build a website which makes navigation a customer-friendly process:

Toolbar/Menu- Usually a horizontal navigation bar at the top of a web page allows users to easily jump directly to a specific department or pages.

Icon-small drawings or sketches and links pointing to different areas on your site.

A search engine search tool that allows viewers to draw a particular document or a product based on keywords or phrases.

Pop-up/Drop-Down menu-Allows viewers to choose from several options. A list of items they would like to see or buy.

Frame-A design format which allows multiple pages (each with different URLs) to be viewed on one screen.

“Areas Most Popular” list-Indicates new visitors what is seen on the page you are on.

Offering short-term explanations of terms found on your site.

Site-Map A full list of extended features in a hierarchical order.

Map-big picture and graphic images can be clicked on, sometimes making up the entire home page, which allows users to “click and go” to certain areas of the site.