It’s
true. Creating a good name for your business or products is crucial to long
term success. In general, names should be short, easy to say and spell and
the name should ‘stick’ in the minds of the consumer. That much we know.
(article continued below ...)
However, for many people, there are two common problems. Firstly, coming
up with a memorable and appropriate name for your business. Despite all the
good advice, many people are still making the same naming blunders. It’s
obvious to onlookers that they didn’t spend enough time on naming and
it hurts their business.
Secondly, creating a name that is available. Is it trademarked? Is it
available as a domain name? What often happens is that we settle for second best. We can’t get the names we want, so we settle for less
memorable names. That’s the first big mistake.
Linguists call this ‘semantic positioning’. Compare your name to
those of your competitors’. Does your name sound as good as, or better
than theirs? If not, improve it. You want your name to be the first name
people remember when looking for your type of service or product. Give
yourself a good start by getting the name right.
On the web in particular, your name has got to convey the right message
and it has got to stand out from the crowd. Here’s a list of top tips to
getting that perfect name:
1) Spend the necessary time in getting it right
You want to convey the correct image right from the very start. Never
settle for a second rate name it will hurt your credibility. A bit of
persistence will reap large rewards. Don’t skimp on this - take all the
time needed to get a winning name.
Before coming up with a list of alternatives, decide what qualities you
would like your name to convey. For example - quality, trust, integrity,
compassion, competence and assurance are some examples. Be sure to convey
your chosen qualities and avoid hype.
2) Do your research
Look for companies in your field of interest. Compare your name to
theirs? Whose is better? Does your name sound more solid, more memorable? If
it doesn’t change it. You want your name to sound professional and
unique, not just another ‘me too’ outfit.
3) Start your name with a plosive
A plosive is a little bit of language that pops out of your mouth and
draws attention to itself. It’s a “stopper” in language. B, C, D, K,P
and T are all plosives. Many studies have shown that names beginning with
such letters have higher recall rates. Many top brand names (knowingly or
not) start with these letters.
What does this mean? Try to start your name with a strong sounding
consonant or a plosive.
4) Do your language checks
Most huge naming blunders are due to the Spanish language. There are
dozens of examples of companies not doing their checks and consequently
ruining their campaigns. It’s easy to check, but many people tend not to
bother. If you opt to use an uncommon word, it’s best to check its meaning
in foreign languages. It could save you lots of embarrassment later on.
5) Stick to short and simple
Short simple words that have real world associations work best. People
can identify and picture words that have some sort of association. A problem
that many fanciful names have is that they need a lot of marketing to build
the brand name. Made up names have no meaning, thus need large amounts of
exposure to get remembered.
Short and simple names that are pleasant (even fun) to say are often the
best names.
6) Traditional meaning is only one part of the equation
Consider how your name looks. Does it look feminine? Does it convey trust
or reliability? Typically, words that have lots of round looking letters
such as o, m, n and so on, are softer and more feminine. Letters with hard,
rugged strokes such as k and x are more harsh and manly.
Consider Olay and Clorox, and you get the idea. Consider your target
market and what image you want to convey when creating your name.
7) Relax, and let your thoughts flow
You know it’s true. Good ideas usually flow when you’re relaxed and
not trying too hard. If you’re struggling to find a winning name that’s
available take a break. Do something else. You’ll often get lots of new
ideas and come back a whole lot fresher.
By understanding and applying the basic naming techniques, creating
dozens of great sounding names that are still available, is very possible.
Don’t fall for the myth that all the good names are gone. They’re not.
In fact they’re becoming easier to come by as people give up on the dot
com hype.
A bit of persistence combined with simple naming sense, and your next
name is likely to be a true winner.
-- Andy Routledge is the webmaster of http://www.name-genie.com, a site
dedicated to creating quality names for your business or products. For more
naming tips and tricks, visit http://www.name-genie.com
====
| 
