What is the Best Length for a Business Name?


When it comes to business names, length has a big impact on how easy your name is to understand, pronounce, and remember. While you might think of length as just the number of letters in a business name, there is actually a lot more to it. The number of syllables, the number of words, and even the overall sound of your name can all affect how easy it is for people to remember and use your name.

Should a business name be long or short?

In general, the shorter your business name is, the easier it will be for people to remember and use. This is especially true if your name has only one or two syllables. Longer names can be more difficult to remember and pronounce, which can make them less effective as a business name. If you are looking for short names, try our business name generator.

Of course, the length of your business name is not the only factor that determines how effective it will be. The quality of your name is also important. A shorter name is not necessarily better than a longer name, and a longer name is not necessarily worse than a shorter name. The most important thing is to choose a name that is easy to remember, pronounce, and use.

How many characters should I use in my business name?

While there are some exceptions, most businesses should aim for a name that is no longer than 10-15 characters. This will give you the best chance of creating a name that is easy to remember, pronounce, and use.

The more characters your business name has, the harder it will be to read and retain. Plus, names with a ton of characters are a chore to type in, which makes them less likely to be typed in at all. That’s why you should limit the amount of characters you use in your name.

So how many characters is too many? It depends on the type of name you are using. For an invented name such as Google, as you are essentially teaching your audience a new word. Aim for a maximum 7 characters. If your name is a keyword name, you can have a longer name, as people are familiar with the words and therefore can type them faster, but keep it to 15 characters max.

newbusiness.com - Okay
startingnewbusinesses.com - Too Long

How many words should I use in my business name?

The more words you use in your business name, the harder it is going to be for your audience to understand, retain, and tell other people about.. Plus, you are going to use this name on all of your marketing materials, and having a name with too many words won’t look great. That’s why most great business names are comprised of one or two words maximum.

Take a look at this example:

FindBestSuperMarkets.com
Vs.
FindMart.com

If you want to go for three words, make sure one of those words is a short transition word, and that the transition word really adds to the catchiness of the name. (Born to Sell, Toys R Us)

How many syllables should I use in my business name?

The amount of syllables your business name has will affect how easy it is for people to pronounce your name and remember it when they hear it spoken. Just as with the number of words, less is more. Here are some general guidelines you should follow:

One word names - 4 syllables max.
Two word names - 4 syllables max for both words.
More than two words - 1 syllable per word

In addition, the actual spelled length and the perceived spoken length should be a good match. What this means is that if a name is long, it should sound long when you say it out loud. And if a name is short, it should sound short when you say it out loud. A good way to test this is to have someone read your name aloud and see how long it takes them to say it. If it takes them longer to say your name than you would like, it might be too long.

What is Visual Symmetry, and how does it affect my business name?

When someone is reading your brand name, they are also looking at it. It’s not just your logo that has to be visually appealing, your actual name does too. Having two words with visual symmetry makes it easier to read quickly and to retain.

Example:

BrandDepository.com
vs.
BrandDepot.com

Keep in mind that these are general guidelines, and there are of course exceptions to every rule. But in general, you want to adhere as closely as possible to these limits.

How can I shorten my business name?

If you have a business name that is too long, there are a few ways you can shorten it. One way is to remove any unnecessary words. Another way is to use an abbreviation. And finally, you can use a nickname or shorthand version of your name.

To remove unnecessary words, take a look at your name and see if there are any words that can be removed without changing the meaning of the name. For example, if you have a business that sells shoes, you could remove the word "shoes" from your name and just call it "Sole".

If you want to use an abbreviation, you can abbreviate your name using the first letter of each word. For example, if your business is called "Best Buy", you could abbreviate it to "BB".

Finally, you can use a nickname or shorthand version of your name. This is a good option if your name is already on the shorter side. For example, if your business is called "Mary’s Flower Shop", you could call it "MFS" or just "Mary’s".

Keep in mind that shortened versions of your name may be harder for people to remember, so try to keep the abbreviation or nickname as close to your original name as possible.


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