7 common mistakes to avoid when naming applications

What does the name of the application need to contain? In the world of applications, Apple and Android users have more than 3 million choices and when attention span is on the way down to the lowest level ever, the question The answer is simple: everything. Although a non-standard name is probably a disaster if your product is accepted, a great name will make a first impression very important. Here are 7 errors that you should avoid when naming your application.

1. Easy to forget

With millions of apps on the market and thousands of apps being added daily, there's a lot of possibility no one will notice your application. If your product is great, it is also possible that people will download them. But with so many options available, it is extremely difficult to get first customers with easy-to-forget names.

Tip: Combining functionality and sophistication

Often, applications with good names use their functions and sophistication. Although there are no specific rules, applications, utilities or work-based features often rely on functionality while social applications or games can be more creative.

For example:

1. Evernote
2. Flipboard
3. Wunderlist
4. GrubHub
5. Evenbrite

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2. Too long

Briefly bring "sweetness" and simply ask the reader to pay attention. Names with 1 to 3 syllables are often the best and easiest to remember. Names longer than 11 characters may be awake when appearing on mobile platforms.

Testing application name characters will ensure that they look the most professional before launch. If the name cannot convey all the meaning, let the tagline complete the task. For example, Evernote has a tagline called "Remember Everything" that extends with the product and becomes "Your Life's Work".

Tip: Consider "breaking and matching words".

If you have a few words or phrases that describe your application perfectly, you just want to give the application a 1-word name? Try to break and merge them. Several extremely popular applications have chosen this way.

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For example:

1. InstaGram
2. SnapChat
3. Pinterest
4. Facebook
5. SoundCloud
6. Wunderlist
7. StumbleUpon
8. RadPad
9. Evernote

3. Use all capital letters

Never capitalize all characters in the application name (or any name). Instead, use only the capitalization of the first letter of each word (called a camel case or medial caps) or capitalize the first letter of the first word (sentence case). The first way is also a good choice when using interconnected words can cause incorrect pronunciation. For example, from PieDish, if you do not use capital letters "D", you may be misread as "Pied-Dish".

Tip: Although it has been quite popular, please limit using camel case (eg FaceBook, SnapChat .) unless it is necessary to avoid mispronouncement.

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4. Don't know who my users are

Knowing the "audience" that I aim to be extremely important to any business person and application developers is no exception. Make sure you put yourself in the shoes of potential customers to determine the problem they encounter and provide a solution to that problem with your application.

Please use the same method as when naming the application. Use search keywords and descriptions to help users know what your product is for.Find out what people are looking for and carefully select related words, helping to increase the likelihood of selling products.

Tip: Do research. Use sites like SensorTower to see what users are searching for and what kind of apps you are using.

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5. Copy the name of another application

A common mistake when naming an application is that choosing the same name as a popular application is easier to remember. Some slight variations may increase your chances of being accepted but above all create a trend rather than follow others. Simply explained, the best names are original names.

Tip: Be confident.

Avoid strange naming just to look weird, instead use metaphor or words that make the listener think of something. Although the name Shazam does not make you immediately think of "music discovery service", the name creates a feeling like a mantra. Don't forget that using metaphor can bring some very creative and original names. Think of names like Tinder, Squid or Periscope.

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6. Do not discuss with brand experts

When naming an application, you need to consider issues related to trademark rights . Each App Store has different internal rules and processes for using the name on its system. However, following these rules does not guarantee whether you have infringed the trademark of someone else outside the App Store.

That is why it is important to carefully study the issue of trademark rights with any name you like. You can use the electronic trademark search system (TESS - Trademark Electronic Search System) but it is better to hire a trademark copyright specialist. If you violate copyright, you may have to rename the application or be removed from the App Store.

Tip: There are many elements in copyrighted application names.

These include:

1. Names, words, phrases in the application.
2. Logo, logo, graphics used in the application.
3. Slogan or tagline.
4. Application colors.
5. Overall commercial image (Trade Dress).
6. Audio used in the application.

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7. Do not optimize names in Connect Name and Bundle Name on iTunes

This problem is often misunderstood or ignored. There are two very important positions when considering naming the application as Connect Name and Bundle Name.

1. Connect Name is the name of the display application that customers see on the App Store. The maximum number of characters is 255 characters and only 25 of them appear in the search box. So make sure to use the best descriptive words in the first 25 characters.
2. Bundle Name is the name that appears below the application icon on iPhone and iPad. Although many very popular applications have more than 11 characters, try to name 11 characters or less. If this number is exceeded, your application name may be truncated.

Tip: Many popular applications don't have short descriptions but don't leave the app name alone. Use a short description with the carefully selected keywords to increase the chances of the application being searched on the Store.

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After all, the best names are easy-to-spell names (for easy search) and easy to pronounce (making the oral process easier to understand). If your application name does not show its functionality, it should be creative enough to outperform related applications.

Author: Margaret Wolfson