Posts Tagged ‘naming your business’
Settling on the Perfect Brand Name for Your Business
Monday, March 3rd, 2008
To customers, a brand name represents what a business does and how it does it. A brand name can convey cheapness (Dollar Store), luxury (Ritz Carlton), trendy fashion (Urban Outfitters), etc. Since a brand name encapsulates your business’ image, a great deal of care should go into trying to find the perfect name. Here are some ways to hone in on the best name for your business:
The image - Before you begin thinking of names, you’ll need to decide on the image that you want your business to have. Are you trying to convey that you have luxury products, that you are experts in a particular industry, or maybe that you’re all about fun and excitement? Once you’ve figured out the type of image you want your business to have, you can then move on to thinking of a brand name that will evoke that image.
Brainstorm - This will take the most time in your name search and should be done in several sessions and with as many people as possible - either together or separately. Write down as many name ideas as you can that you feel adequately convey the business image you are after. Keep a thesaurus, dictionary, encyclopedia, magazines, synonym finders and word-association books nearby to help keep the ideas flowing. However, don’t confine brainstorming to just a specific sit-down session, as inspiration can come anytime, anywhere. Keep a notepad and pen with you at all times and keep an open mind while at the museum, the park or even the grocery store!
Get creative - For the names you came up with, start using language translators in Greek, Latin, Japanese, German, whatever, to come up with another list of interesting brand names. Many brand names have been born this way, and you never know, your perfect name could be waiting for you in another language - you just have to take the time to find it.
Tips on creating a memorable brand name:
Avoid generic names - Names like Bob’s Tools or Amy’s Hair Supplies are hard to remember, totally uncreative and are nearly impossible to trademark.
Avoid overly-descriptive names - Descriptive names (like Home Depot, Travelocity and Playschool) are great but overly-descriptive names (like Bar Stool Retailers or Computer Repair Service) are overused and unmemorable.
Avoid geographical names - Names like Westside appliances and Springfield Party Supplies are not only unmemorable and image lacking, but they can be limiting if your goal is to expand or try to reach a national audience through a website.
Keep it short - A name that is too long is easy to forget and easy to confuse with another business. Two words are good, but one word is better.
Make it easy to pronounce - Being creative is great, but getting overly creative with the spelling isn’t. Top Dawg may be a cute name for a pet store, but Phido’s Phancy Phootwear is just ridiculous.
Once you have come up with a list of your top five name choices, show your list to as many friends and family as possible and get their honest opinions about the names. Ask what they feel each brand name represents, what kind of image it evokes, etc. You might find that one is a standout winner, or you might find that none of them are representing your business in the way you hoped. The most important thing to remember is, don’t compromise or settle on a brand name, as it will be around for the life of your business!
Tags: advice, branding, Carrie Hinkel, Marketing, Marketing Your Business, naming your business, tips
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What’s in a Name: Why Branding is Important
Thursday, February 28th, 2008
You have the perfect name for your new company. But will it draw customers to your business? Branding is loosely defined as a name, term, or other symbol to identify a good or service available, and which distinguishes that seller from others in the same market. Based on this rough definition of branding, you can answer the question why and how a name will draw a customer to a business.
One important element of branding is marketing your business. Brand marketing is researching the market to identify your brand identity within the marketplace. Once this has been identified then a marketing plan can be developed to get your company’s identity out there and recognizable to potential customers. Brand marketing will encompass developing search engine keyword lists that will ensure your company pops up when potential customers are searching for a service or product that you provide-in essence, capturing your target audience.
A successful brand campaign will let your customers and potential customers know that you have what they need and want. A brand campaign will convince your target audience you are the only one who can solve their problem or fulfill their needs, and keep them coming back to you. Implementing attention-grabbing content, without being gaudy, will keep these customers and potential customers at your site longer. This, together with your branding strategies, will help the customer or potential customer remember your site; thus becoming familiar to them.
When a strong brand is developed, it will prove to be invaluable in today’s highly competitive market for customers and repeat customers. This does come at a price-your time, money and energy to determining what your company’s brand will be and marketing it to get your brand recognizable and familiar. For example, when you go to a restaurant and order a “Coke”, The server may tell you that they only serve “Pepsi”. In most instances, that is ok because you are familiar with Pepsi. It is crucial to create a brand that will be top of mind when a customer needs or wants what your company offers, whether it is a product or service.
There are a couple of things to remember when you are trying to develop your brand. First, if your name does not effectively deliver the message of what you offer clearly, you will have missed the target. Your brand should not be vague-you cannot rely on people’s memory, you have to create a brand that will be recognizable to them.
Next, having a good brand will lend credibility to your company. If your name does not match your service or product, then how will the customer know that your company truly performs the services or provides the products you claim? Again, your name should match what you do.
By connecting with the buyer through your brand, you will motivate them to want to do business with you. This is through an emotional connection that leads the customer to believe that you are the only business where they can get what they need or want. Your brand marketing will help to establish ways in which to do this. This will also create a customer loyalty-repeat business is good for business. You receive repeat customers and they will spread the word of this great product or service to their network.
In essence, creating an effective brand with complete brand marketing will help your business to be successful. Through effective target market research, clearly communicating what you will be providing to your customers, how it is presented to them, and by creating a fun and memorable experience is all part of brand marketing. Once you have established a foundation to start from, remember to continue to research the market to ensure that you are providing what your customers need and want, helping to provide your company a long and fruitful business life.
Tags: advertising, advice, branding, larry Slusser, Marketing, Marketing Your Business, naming your business, tips
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Effective Strategies for Naming Your Business
Wednesday, September 26th, 2007
The word or words you choose for the name of your business can sometimes make or break a company. Many times, when choosing a store, business or product a customer only has a company name to help them decide which one to pick. Most likely, you’ve been in that situation yourself. It’s doubtful you would choose Candy’s Law Services or Grampa Joe’s Spa, if given other choices.
Ideally, your name should be simple, distinctive and reflect your business image. For instance, if you are a high-end clothing store your name should be able to convey that upscale image. Your business name is what potential customers will be basing their first impression on. If the name turns them off, they may decide to take their business elsewhere.
Should you do the naming yourself?
If you’re on a tight budget, then yes. Just be sure to 1) get feedback from potential customers and 2) check to make sure you are not infringing on an existing trademark name. Now, if you have some extra money for business start-up costs, then hiring a professional naming company is typically money well spent. Naming consultants use time-tested, proven strategies for coming up with the perfect name for your company. However, naming companies don’t come cheap so be prepared to spend upwards of $1,000. The upside is you’ll come away knowing your name was thoroughly researched, tested and developed - giving you piece of mind.
Tips for choosing the best name for your business
Reinforce your company’s impression - Whether that’s upscale, bargain, friendly, intelligent, funny or comforting, your name should convey that image to the customer.
Make your name memorable - A distinctive name will not only allow for high-level trademark protection, but it will also help stand out to customers. Typical (and forgettable) names are those with person’s names (Janet’s Hair Supply or Mackenzie’s Auto Parts), geographic terms (Eastend Pet Supply) and overly descriptive names (Leather Shoe Repair). Remember, the goal is to separate yourself from the competition.
Keep your name simple - Creative is good, crazy is bad. Too many words, combinations of letters and numbers and words that are hard to spell or pronounce are all common mistakes made when naming a business. Your name should be easy to remember and pleasing to both the ear and the eye; something customers can easily remember and repeat.
Avoid silly or trendy names - Unless your business is a joke, then your name shouldn’t be. What’s funny today will inevitably become annoying and stale a year from now. Anything cutesy like Wreck-O-Mend or trendy like Records Palooza might seem clever at the time, but they will eventually turn run their course, leaving customers to question the quality of your business.
How to check if your name is already taken
Search engines - By entering your proposed business name on Google, you can quickly do a search for the business name you want to use and see if anyone is using it. However, it’s important not to end your search there if you come up empty, you’ll need to do a more thorough search-see below.
State trademark registers - A great place to look if you are a local business. By checking your state’s trademark registers, you can see if a business in your state is using a particular trademarked name. Just go to the secretary of state website and you should find a link to the trademark registers there.
Federal government website - Here you can check the corporate, LLC, or partnership name or service or trademark for the business name you want to use and to see if it’s already in use by any other company. The United States Patent and Trademark Office has a free online service called TESS (Trademark Electronic Search System).
Professional trademark search - If you would prefer to hand the trademark search over to a professional, there are a plenty of companies that will do a thorough search for you, such as Legalzoom.com and Name Protect .
Choosing a business name may not be rocket science, but it takes a lot of thought, research, brainstorming and outsider feedback to come up with the right name. It shouldn’t be taken lightly or decided in just a couple of hours. Your company name is the first thing your potential customers will see or hear and, therefore, it is an important way to distinguish your company from the rest.
Tags: Carrie Hinkel, legalzoom.com, name protect, naming your business, Starting a Business, Trademark Electronic Search System
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Naming and Branding Your eBay Business
Monday, August 6th, 2007
If you don’t already have a name for your eBay business, you may want to take some time and care in coming up with one.
If you are serious about your eBay business, you’ll be putting that name on letterhead, business cards, and your business license, which are all necessary elements to running a successful business. Of course, you can run an eBay business without these things, but you may never break through to PowerSeller levels.
Choosing a Business Name
If you are in one line of business only, then a specific name gives you credibility as a specialist. Some examples might be: Janie’s Children’s Apparel, Jason’s Collectible Cards, Westwood Jewelry Sales, Nautical Antiques & Collectibles, Books and More, Import Motors Marketing, and so on.
If you are a general merchandiser or will be buying and selling different categories of products, you would do better with a more general business name. Some examples might be Southwest Marketing, Alley Trading, Auction Deals, Williams Associates, Northwest Marketing & Sales, and Summerdale House, Inc. These names could apply to almost any type of business and give you the freedom to describe your business as virtually anything you want.
Be careful of using the words "Inc.," "Incorporated," "Partners," "Limited," and "Ltd.", as these terms all have specific legal meanings. For instance, it is illegal to call yourself a corporation if you are not incorporated. If you are going to become an eBay Trading Assistant (TA) or consignment seller, you might want a name such as Consign-On-line or SellForYou.
Besides a business name, you will have to choose a memorable eBay username. Whatever business name you choose, make sure that it can be easily worked into your username.
There are some great examples of successful sellers on eBay with specialized business names that have corresponding eBay usernames. The most famous is Jay Senese. His eBay user ID and his business name were the same: OneCentCDs. Jay became the largest seller on eBay offering used and closeout CDs by starting all his auctions at 1�. So many people copied his success and cloned slight variations of his name that he finally gave up and changed it to JayAndMarie. (His wife Marie works in the business with him.) By that time Jay and Marie had become so famous, that they essentially branded their own names.
Having a clever and memorable name will pay dividends as you try to grow your business. It will enable you to brand your business across several platforms (eBay, eBay Store, Web Store, and offline store).
Branding Your Business
A brand consists of more than a name. It is, or can be, a combination of your business name, your eBay username, a logo and the design look-and-feel of your auctions and web site. The purpose of a brand is first to build credibility in the customer’s mind and second to create a memorable impression that people will recognize when they return to your auctions, your eBay store or your web site. A brand will help you gain recognition on eBay and the Web and it will help people remember you.
The whole point of having a logo and a memorable name is so that satisfied customers can find you again and recommend you to others. If people remember your business name, website, and/or eBay username they can go directly to your sales portal, thereby avoiding possible exposure to your competitors.
Creating an eBay Store Name
An eBay store is a place on eBay where you can sell merchandise at a fixed price and you can list items indefinitely as opposed to the one to ten-day auction format. The listing fees are much lower than for auctions although the final value fees are higher.
eBay gives you the freedom to create a name and a logo for your eBay store. You can create a banner at the top of your store or even design your whole store with your own unique look. As you are choosing a business name, think about how it will fit into a banner design.
Several web designers specialize in designing eBay store logos and banners. I use Anthony McMurray at Proimpulse Design. He can design an eBay store, About Me Page and Auction Templates that all work together with the same look and feel.
Web Store and URL Selection
Virtually all large eBay sellers also have a web store or their own website where they also sell the same or similar merchandise they sell on eBay. As well as your eBay username you will also want a memorable website name and URL. Long URLs are cumbersome, so think of something that is catchy and short. It might contain all or part of your business name or describe what you sell.
Skip McGrath, has been an eBay power seller since 1998. He has written several books about selling on eBay and writes a monthly newsletter for professional eBay sellers. You can subscribe to Skip’s newsletter and read about his best selling manuals at auction-sellers-resource.com .
Tags: auction-sellers-resource.com, branding, E-Commerce and E-Business, ebay, expert advice, Marketing Your Business, naming your business, online auctions, Skip McGrath, tips
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