A quality brand name must be unique. By that I obviously mean that it should not sound or look like any already established brands, but I also mean the name should be free of commonly used jargon and clichés. I see way too many new companies using unnecessary words in their brand names, such as: [...]

Brand names must be easily recognized and easy to remember. If your brand name is hard on the ears, and difficult to spell, you have no chance of doing well online. People must be able to spell your brand well enough to find your site in the search engines or better yet, by typing it [...]

This week I am going to focus entirely on brand names and discuss ways to create and choose an effective and catchy brand name. The difference between a great brand name and a total disaster may not always be clear from the start. Check back tomorrow for the first in a series of five great [...]

I am always talking about learning who your target audience is, what they look like, what motivates them to buy, etc., but I should also stress the other side of the coin. To be a successful marketer you must also understand the people that do not buy. Understanding why some people choose not to purchase [...]

Not sure who your target market is, what they look like, what motivates them to buy? Try looking at your top customers for a clue. Most companies get the majority of their business from 20% of their customers, so take a good long look to the top 20% of your customer base and I bet [...]

Placing an 800 number on your marketing collateral and advertisements can get you noticed by as many as 20% more people. Generally speaking, nearly twice as many people will respond to a 800 number as compared to a local number. I recommend writing your 800 number in a large font and placing it in the [...]

Only when people are buying your product is it actually a “product”. Until that time, your “product” is only a liability. In fact, you should not even consider designing a new product until your customers have (in a sense) told you what that product will be. They will tell you what products are needed, what [...]

Thinking of creating a new product to add to your list of offerings? Begin evaluating every product idea, or enhancement with a product based customer focus. Ask yourself, “Will my customers purchase this item?” I know this sounds simple, but if design a new product without understanding the fundamental purchase potential of your customers, you [...]