By Owen Fay . Posted on November 11, 2022When you’re starting a business, one of the first things you need to do is choose a name. But picking the right name isn’t always easy. You want a name that will be memorable, but not too difficult to pronounce or spell. You also want a name that reflects the image you want to project for your business.
That’s where brand name testing comes in. By testing out different names with potential customers, you can get feedback on which ones they like best and which ones they think are most appropriate for your business.
Business name testing is an important step in choosing the right name for your business. But if you don’t know how to go about testing your business names or the different types of tests, you should stick to this guide.
You can even employ professional services like Poll the People to help you with your business name testing.
The Importance Of Business Name Testing
It is one of the first things that potential customers will notice about your company. It is important to choose a name that will have a positive impact and leave a good impression.
Unfortunately, not all business names are created equal. Some names can actually turn potential customers away before they even have a chance to learn more about your company. This is why it is so important to test your business name before you commit to it.
There are a few different ways to test a business name. One way is to ask people what they think of when they hear the name, in a focus group or interview. But, the best way to test your name is with remote, unmoderated user testing. This method allows you to quickly and easily identify the best name with feedback from your target audience, without spending hundreds or thousands of dollars.
The most important thing to remember is that your business name is an important part of your brand. It should be something that you are proud of and that will help you attract the right kind of customer.
The Benefits Of Business Name Testing
There are a number of benefits that can come from testing your business name. Here are some of the benefits of business name testing:
- You can ensure that your business name is unique and not already in use by another company.
- Learn if the business name is available as a domain name and can be easily found online.
- Understand if the name is easy to pronounce and remember.
- Know if the name conveys the right message about your company.
- Ensure the name is a good fit for your industry.
- It allows you to get feedback on first impressions and opinions of the target market.
- You will understand if the name fits with the rest of your brand material.
What to Test Your Name For
There are several things you can test your business name for and each has a different benefit for the company. Each of these factors can be tested together or separately and can be used at different stages of naming your business.
Association
This test is designed to see if your business name is associated with the right things. For instance, if you are selling health products, you want to make sure that your business name is not associated with unhealthy habits or products.
Meaning
This test is designed to see if your business name means what you want it to mean. If you are selling products that are environmentally friendly, you want to make sure that your business name does not reflect something that is harmful to the environment.
Recall
This test is designed to see if your business name is easy to remember. A name that can easily be recalled is much more effective than one that users easily forget.
Pronunciation
This test is designed to see if your business name is easy to pronounce. For example, if you are selling products that are unique, you want to make sure that your business name is not something that is difficult to pronounce.
Spelling
A brand name that is easy to search for or write down is great for recall, pronunciation, and impact. Testing your name for ease of spelling is a great way to understand if your users will remember your brand.
How to Test your Business Name
Now that you know the value of testing brand names you’re ready to start testing yours. If you want to see how the test your brand or other resources head over to our examples page. In this blog we’ll cover Poll the people’s testing process, it follows these four simple steps:
1. Choose what you want to test
The first stage in brand name testing is to create a list of potential choices or to identify the name that you want to get feedback on. If you are comparing or testing multiple options, these should be the various brand names that you are comfortable with and think could be a great name for the business. Creating and choosing the brand name or names that you will test is an important step in creating a great brand.
Alternatively, if you have a brand name that you think is great but you want feedback on before you go live, you can test it in an open-ended or monadic test. This is where you test one brand name to understand initial opinions, impressions, and identify potential issues.
2. Ask The Right Questions
Depending on your test objectives, the questions you ask in the brand name test can be as generic or as detailed as you want. You might ask about appeal and uniqueness in particular if you want to know if a certain name will capture people’s attention or not.
A few things you should consider in your brand name test:
- Is the brand name unique enough to stand out among competitors, or is it easily confused with other brands?
- Will people be able to easily pronounce the name or do they frequently mispronounce it?
- Is your target audience attracted to the brand name?
- Does the brand name entice customers to buy the company’s goods or services?
3. Gain A Statistically Significant Number Of Respondents
Statistical significance lets you know if the results are accurate and supported or if it is simply by chance.
When testing a brand name, you need to ask enough users what name they prefer to understand if it will work for the entire audience. Typically, about 100 users can give you statistical significance, and Poll the People gives you access to hundreds of dedicated users that answer your questions in about an hour.
The only way to know if a potential brand name is truly liked is to have your target audience vote on it.
4. Analyze The Results And Select A Brand Name
The final stage is to evaluate each brand name by analyzing the feedback received. This might just be the most important part of name testing, it’s where you make your final decision based on all of the feedback you got.
If your survey contained open-ended questions, make sure to look at the answers to those as well. Poll the People gives you an easy-to-understand results dashboard to help understand the winning name and use the feedback to choose your new brand name.
The Process Of Business Name Testing
The process of business name testing is simple. You just need to follow these steps:
- Â Make a list of potential names.
- Test each name with a target audience.
- Evaluate the results of the tests.
- Select the best name based on the results.
- Register the name and launch your business.
The Business Name Testing Methodology
The business name testing methodology is a system for testing the effectiveness of a potential business name. It is important to test a name before committing to it, as a bad name can be costly and difficult to change.
There are four main steps in the business name testing methodology:
Identify your target market
Who will be your customers? Who is your target market? These are important questions to answer before you start testing names. You need to know who you’re talking to in order to develop a list of names that will resonate with them.
Develop a list of potential names
Once you know who your target market is, you can start brainstorming names. Write down as many potential names as you can think of. Don’t worry about whether they’re good names at this stage, just get them all down.
Test the names with your target market
Now it’s time to start testing the names. There are a few different ways to do this, but one of the most effective is to simply ask people in your target market what they think of the names on your list.
Select the best name
After testing the names with your target market, it’s time to select the best one. The name that gets the best response from your target market is the one you should use for your business.
The Results Of Business Name Testing
We know a good brand name can help you attract customers and make your business more memorable. But how do you know if a name is good? One way to find out is to test it. Testing can help you see how potential customers react to your name and what they think of your business.
It is also important because it can help you choose a name that will have the most impact on your business. It’s a good idea to test a few different names before you make a final decision.
So what are the results of business name testing? Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- People’s reactions to a name can be different than you expect. Make sure to test a few different names to see how people react to them.
- How easily people can remember a name is important. If people can’t remember your name, they’re not likely to use your business.
- Different names can have different effects on different marketing materials. Try using different names in different places to see which one gets the best response.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why is it important to test your business name before launching?
Testing your business name ensures that it resonates with your target audience, is memorable, and aligns with your brand identity. It helps avoid potential legal issues, domain conflicts, and negative associations that could affect your brand’s success.
2. What are the best methods for testing a business name?
Effective methods include remote unmoderated user testing, online surveys, focus groups, A/B testing, and social media polls. These approaches provide valuable feedback on recall, pronunciation, and market appeal.
3. How can I check if my business name is unique and available?
You can check business name availability by searching trademark databases, verifying domain name availability, and conducting a social media handle search. Tools like USPTO’s trademark search and domain registrars like Namecheap can help.
4. What factors should I consider when choosing a business name?
Key factors include brand relevance, uniqueness, domain availability, ease of pronunciation and spelling, emotional appeal, and cultural sensitivity. A well-tested name strengthens brand identity and customer recall.
5. How can AI and online tools help in business name testing?
AI-driven platforms like Poll the People and Namechk provide instant feedback on name perception, uniqueness, and domain/social media availability. These tools streamline the testing process and enhance decision-making.
Conclusion
Your business name is one of the most important aspects of your business. It’s important to choose a name that will have the maximum impact on your customers and clients. By following the tips in this guide, you can be sure that you’re choosing a business name that will have the maximum impact on your target market. Once you are ready to find the perfect name for your business sign up for Poll the People and launch your first test in minutes.
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