Whether you’re about to launch a new product or are considering renaming an existing one, deciding what to call it often proves to surprisingly difficult.
One approach is to name according to what the product does.
For instance some of our clients have products like System Mechanic, PDF Annotator and Advanced Outlook Repair.
Another approach is to make the name fit the product. So the name doesn’t say what the product does, but when you see the product the correlation is obvious.
For example some of our clients have product names such as WinZip, 3D Issue Professional and PRTG Network Monitor.
Then there’s a third option – make the product fit the name.
We’re currently working with Balsamiq. There’s a good chance you’ve heard of their product – Basamiq Mockups, but if you haven’t, the name will give away nothing.
Use it for a while, try the trial or just visit the website, and the name will stick.
The sticky name approach is a good one. If you choose the right name, one that wraps itself around the product perfectly, it just works.
Imagine meeting someone who had never heard of FaceBook. You describe the product, and when they ask why it has that name, you’ll pause. It seems obvious and it just seems to fit.
DreamWeaver doesn’t actually weave dreams – it creates web pages. But the name just fits.
Twitter, QuickBooks, Excel, Evernote, MindManager, RoboForm, FeedDemon – all are great names for great products. But before they were chosen they were far from blindingly obvious product names.
Make the product fit the name. Make the name memorable. Oh and make it easy to spell and pronounce if you can too.
