Branding Archives - eComChill.com

So, you are starting a new eCom business and you are all excited and enthusiastic. One of the first and probably most important decisions is the name of your business. Not only will it be your identity to the public and your customers, but it actually says a lot more about your business than you think. Any business name will immediately create a gut level reaction from your potential customers. If this is not the type of reaction you want it can put your business on the back foot from day one. When it comes to business names, especially for online store, simple and to the point is always better than smart and cute. Trying to be smart and funny or quirky can work but most often it only appeals to a small segment of your market. Trying to be too clever with a name can easily backfire and although there are some good examples, the majority fall flat and fail to be taken seriously. A lot of it also depends on the type of business. If you are starting pet toys then you can effort to inject a lot more fun into your name and branding. If you are selling a health supplement then you will probably need a more serious approach. You need to get inside the mind of your customers. Someone who is looking to buy pet toys are probably looking for something fun, funny and whimsical. Someone who is looking to buy a health supplement is looking for something serious, trustworthy and reliable. How you communicate these ideas is what branding is all about. Branding is not about your logo and the look of your brand but its all about what your brand communicates. Think of Apple. The brand communicates quality, lifestyle, technology. It communicates desirable lifestyle electronics. The important thing is that you name and your brand needs to get the message across - immediately. It needs to say what the business is, what it does and what you stands for. The sooner you can get a potential customer to see and understand that the better it will be for your bottom line. Think of the name Bath & Beauty. It immediately says what the business is, what it does and what it stands for. There is nothing funny about it. It's clear, concise and to the point. Take another example, Sparky's Electrician Services. Very different but it actually speaks to the right people. It's personal, it says exactly what it is and it does not try to be funny. The most important step you can take towards choosing the perfect business name is to sit sown and analyse your potential customers. If you know your customers, if you know who they are and what they want then it becomes a lot easier to pick a name and a message that appeals to them. You need to speak to this ideal customer regardless of what you do in your business. If your name appeals to them then half the battle is won already. Don't get sucked into the trap of picking a name that's all about 'you'. Your business is not about you, it's about your customers.