1. Overthinking it
Imagine a scenario (it shouldn’t be too hard as you may be in that exact same position already): You want things to be perfect and you spent hours and hours brainstorming company names for your new Personal Trainer business.
Your dad likes ’Solid Personal Training’ but cousin Nancy thinks ’Muscle Mike’ is cute. But would this be a good domain name? Would it mean the website won’t be seen because the keyword is not included? Should I ask more people what they think? So many questions!
You are confused and thinking of giving up already.
My best advice: just go for it!
Of course, the right name is very important. It should be memorable, reflect what you do and help you rank well in Google (SEO). But you need to get used to being challenged and tweaking things along the way. Business names can be changed. Logos can be updated. As long as you provide services and products people want, your name does not matter that much.
- Not very long as this could be impractical (for example it’s tricky to design a logo for a company with a long name; your company email could end up awkwardly long; the name will be difficult to memorise)
- Memorable and reflective of your company, what you stand for and what you offer
- Not limiting (for example ’Solid Personal Training Ltd’ would be more limiting then ‘Muscle Mike’ as your company will evolve and may eventually stop providing PT services but still help people get fit in other ways.
2. Confusing Company Name With Domain
3. Not having a (business) plan or failing to identify how you will make money
- USP / Unique Selling Point (this is how you are different from the competition, for example, you offer 30 Day Guarantee, you deliver services quicker than anyone else, you specialise in bespoke / made to measure solutions, etc.)
- UVP / Unique Value Proposition (this is what you offer to deliver: Fully bespoke, made to measure furniture, Diet plan tailored to client’s lifestyle, Website which ranks well in Google, etc)
- Target audience and Buyer persona (who is your ideal customer – what age, what problems, where to find them what they are looking for)
- List of services and benefits they bring your potential customers (Logo Design – which makes you stand out and resonates with your audience)
- Financials (Startup budget, Running costs list, Marketing budget)
- SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats)
- Marketing Strategy (even if this consists of posting on Facebook groups, emailing your family or attending events you should have a list of emails/ events/ links ready to go)
4. Not Doing the Homework or Asking For Help
Together with my clients we research their industries and competition to identify opportunities within the niche.
This way your website can be tailored to your target audience, helping you sell your services from day one.
The truth is that many people will be more than happy to share their knowledge with you. It is worth to talk to the experts if you know somebody who is already running a profitable website.
I encourage that you book your call with me right now, as it will help you move forward with your business and website.