Name your softwareHi! Autumn is here, kids are in school and the house is suddenly very empty and silent. Perhaps time to get some work done 😉

So how do you choose an excellent name for your software?

I found an outstanding and free report on how to name your product and company and I know this is a question that is often discussed by Micro ISVs so I felt I must share it with you…

It’s created by Igor, Naming and Branding agency and covers a wide variety of naming issues such as:

  • The Six Steps of the Igor Process
  • Step 1: Competitive Analysis
  • Step 2: Positioning
  • Step 3: Name / Brand Development
  • Step 4: Trademark Prescreening
  • Step 5: Creative / Testing
  • Step 6: Name and Tagline
  • Naming Tools
  • A. Naming Process Filters – Evocative Names
  • B. Name Evaluation
  • Blank Name Evaluation Chart
  • C. Name Taxonomy Charts
  • Studies in Naming
  • Studies in Branding
  • Case Studies of Igor Naming/Branding Projects

I especially enjoyed reading the studies in naming where Igor looks at “Chrysler Crossfire and IBM T-Rex among others. A couple of things that the report doesn’t cover and it is especially important when naming software – you will need to do research on how common searches are for the name, how easy it is to get listings for your name and if perhaps the name is already taken from some website.

You can download the report here (it’s in .pdf format).

If you have any comments about naming, please share your thoughts in the comments area below.

Best of luck with your cool new names 😉

Peter – Your Software Marketing Secrets Guide


Other Software Naming Resources

Igor Naming/Branding Agency

Definitions behind business name jargon

WordLab

Brand name development