Getting Your Name Right

Getting Your Name Right
By Andy Routledge

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.

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.

About the Author

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