Naming

Created 12 years ago in Sales & Marketing / Branding

A great name advances your cause. It saves you money too. And the opposite does the opposite.

Most people feel so comfortable naming a business or product that they've never stopped to think whether they can even make a mistake. The worst thing is not knowing what you don't know, wouldn't you say?

Because names are small, entrepreneurs -- who know they need professional help with programming, legal agreements, SEO, graphic design, content writing, etc. -- assume that they can dispense with professional advice when it comes to their brand name. Yet the name has serious consequences for audience perception and online performance.

A name is like a novel compressed into a word or two. Even if you feel that you can write that "novel" (i.e. come up with the right name) yourself, it's still a good idea to seek advice from someone who works in the field professionally. Politicians and CEOs have their ghost writers. Writers have their editors. And entrepreneurs with a project in need of the perfect brand name ... have me.

Naming in a digital age requires a diverse skill set. Some people are artistic and appreciate a good name. Others are analytical and can crunch the numbers for SEM / SEO. A third group can navigate the domain industry in professional fashion. But I do all three. I've studied poetry in three languages; have technical experience in electrical / nuclear engineering; and work full time as an independent analyst, writer, consultant, buyer's broker, and investor within the domain industry. So I understand what goes into naming, in a practical way, from 3 very different angles.

If you're going to spend a portion of your LIFE being known by 1 naming decision you make today, then you may as well spend little bit of time talking through your naming options with someone who knows his way around.