Here’s how to name your beauty salon business & treatments

Award-winning website & brand designer, Liz Rochester Shaddock of Bit2Flash, shares her top tips for naming your business and treatments to boost your brand…

First steps

Before naming your business, work on your brand strategy. This includes fully understanding your business’ values, vision, and the demographic and preferences of your ideal clients. Your name should resonate with your target clientele, accurately represent your services and reflect your values.

Conduct research on competitors, to avoid selecting a name that is similar or the same, as this could lead to legal issues and inadvertently direct potential clients to another business.

Increasing visibility

Incorporate keywords that people are searching for into your business name to increase Google visibility, and register your business with Google My Business. This free service increases your visibility in local searches and on Google Maps. If your name is unique, potential clients are more likely to find you when searching for your business online.

Ideally, your name should be the same across all platforms, so check that the website domain name and social media handles are available. It’s vital to have a domain that matches your business name, as it can significantly boost your online visibility and credibility. If the social media handles are not available, I advise adding relevant keywords.

“Keep names simple, unique, memorable and consistent for brand recognition. If unsure, ask a diverse group of people, including your target clientele, for feedback.”

Business name don’ts

• Don’t choose a name that is difficult to spell, pronounce or remember. A straightforward, concise yet impactful name will help you to be discovered online more easily and encourage word of mouth referrals. Say your business name aloud and note how it makes you feel. If you’re hesitant to say it, you might struggle to promote your business.
• Avoid generic names, as these can give the impression that you are unoriginal. Embrace creativity to distinguish yourself from the competition.
• Don’t make the name too specific about the services you offer, in case you ever change the direction of your business. Also, ensure it holds potential value if you plan to sell the brand in future.
• Avoid trending names, as they can become outdated very quickly.
• If your name is an acronym, ensure it doesn’t have any unintended meanings.

Treatment names

Avoid technical jargon that might be confusing to clients. Treatment names should be simple, cohesive across your business and communicate services’ purposes and benefits, without the need for specialist knowledge.

Go back to your brand strategy. If you’re a luxury salon, for example, your treatment names should reflect this. Consider the terms that would appeal to your ideal clients.

Find out about Liz’s services at www.bit2flash.co.uk