In today’s Google®-world, for small companies, the answer is… EVERYTHING.

Marketing and branding always have been important for businesses, but with many potential customers searching Google® or other search engines for local businesses, a bland, descriptive name will not likely get you any new customers, or, for that matter, any repeat customers that once knew and may have forgotten the name of your business.

Think of this: If your company name is descriptive of your business, for instance “Best Tires”, and a potential customer Googles “best tires” or “best tire companies”, the result will reveal the names of many tire companies in and outside the area. The company “Best Tires” may or may not have come up because every tire company wants to appear in the search results when you are searching “best tires”. If the company does come up, it is now competing with all of the other companies revealed in the search and will not stand out. If, on the other hand, the name of your business is distinctive, the name will stand out in any search result and repeat customers are less likely to forget the name and can find you directly. Further, descriptive names are not capable of federal trademark registration.