Question

Topic: Branding

Logo & Tagline Ideas

Posted by saratogahiker on 5/13/2016 at 4:25 PM ET 250 Points
I'm a website developer looking to start a side freelance business under the name "InfoGorp". The target audience would be small, rural businesses, including farms and homesteads. My main focus would be website development and UX/usability.

FYI, "InfoGorp" comes from "Information" and "Gorp" (trail-mix or, more generically, a yummy combination of things). A website is a combination of things; individually they may not mean much, but together they create something interesting.

I understand the business name as it currently stands doesn't clearly indicate what I do, so I'm open to adding to it in some way. Either something like "InfoGorp web services" or with a tagline, like "InfoGorp: helping your business grow into something beautiful". My marketing materials will list the individual services I provide.

I'm also looking for logo suggestions; any ideas?

Thank you!
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by fiona on 5/13/2016 at 8:30 PM Accepted
    I get how you got to the name, in your shoes I would change it. Basically, sites that work best are simple nouns, amazon, google - or even something that is fun, gorpisgood, etc. I think if you did that, you name would be more memorable and you can use that to establish a brand from it.

    Think about what a website does for a small business of any kind. Little to Big. Little market to big market. Its a scalable, global medium, so I think the benefit has to be inherent in the tagline.

    I wrote a piece in my blog about taglines if its useful.

  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 5/13/2016 at 8:35 PM Accepted
    A logo can be anything: a shape, a type lock-up, a symbol, so don't worry too much about that at the moment. What is your value proposition? What do you do, or what can you offer that no one else does or offers? Your tag line lies trapped in that cluster of explanations. Dig it out.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 5/14/2016 at 8:05 AM Accepted
    My biggest worry for you is that people will mistake the "G" for a "C", and call you InfoCorp or InfoGroup, and you'll immediately be confused with your (likely) competition. As a hiker, you're familiar with Gorp, but the average person isn't.

    Another concern: is your target market (small, rural businesses, including farms and homesteads) savvy enough to look for your skills as you've listed them (website development and UX/usability)? Through your prospective client's eyes, why would they choose to work with you? How would they find you?

    As you know, the tagline needs to come out of this discussion, rather than something generic or non-targeted to your audience.
  • Posted by mgoodman on 5/15/2016 at 5:23 PM Accepted
    As indicated by others, you need to view your business not from the perspective of what you do, but from the perspective of the core benefit your target audience can expect when they hire you. What unique and compelling benefit do you offer? Why should they hire YOU?

    If someone in your target audience hears about InfoGorp, they're likely to move on to the next task (or hit the back button) because they don't recognize InfoGorp as something they need/want right now. I'd scrap the InfoGorp name for now and see if you can come up with some other name that begins to suggest the BENEFIT you offer. Adding a word or two after InfoGorp is an imperfect solution because it still includes a word that does nothing to help -- and requires explanation.
  • Posted by cookmarketing@gmail. on 5/16/2016 at 7:56 AM Member
    Backcountry
    Updated
  • Posted by saratogahiker on 5/16/2016 at 9:14 AM Author
    I appreciate the feedback and understand it; however, I currently want to continue moving forward with "InfoGorp". However I end up displaying the name, I will be making sure the "G" or "g" doesn't look like a "C" or "c".

    Can someone find another person online whom develops websites? Sure, not a problem. But I know that many small farms, homesteads, and businesses don't know where to begin looking; so many of my potential clients will most likely come from local papers, fliers, and word-of-mouth. And if someone happens to inquire about the name, it can be a good ice breaker.

    People in small communities tend to want to work with locals; helps build community and support. My local region is where I want to begin reaching out, but I don't want to limit myself to it, either.

    As far as my specialty... probably UX; that has been my main concentration in recent years. This would help get clients whom already have sites, as I can help them improve their users' experience.

    I look forward to your questions and suggestions; thanks!
  • Posted by mgoodman on 5/16/2016 at 10:46 AM Moderator
    What unique and compelling benefit do you offer for your target audience? How will their lives be better after they've hired you? What is the success metric they should use to evaluate your service?
  • Posted by saratogahiker on 5/16/2016 at 11:19 AM Author
    What unique and compelling benefit do you offer for your target audience?
    For part of my target audience, a benefit will be that I'm "local". Otherwise, I'm just offering good service at a fair price.

    How will their lives be better after they've hired you?
    The main goal is to increase and/or improve their online presence, which should in turn increase the reach of their offerings.

    What is the success metric they should use to evaluate your service?
    Improved usability reports, increased visitors, increased conversions (sales, newsletter signups, etc.).

    Thanks!
  • Posted by saul.dobney on 5/17/2016 at 6:17 AM Accepted
    The G is for Great Local Help with the Internet

    Websites & services for Outdoor People

    Farm-Friendly Technology
  • Posted by saratogahiker on 5/19/2016 at 9:58 AM Author
    Thanks for the suggestions, saul.dobney! I just don't want to back myself too much into a corner by having a tagline that's too limiting, such as suggesting I only work with farmers or outdoors brands.
  • Posted by mgoodman on 5/19/2016 at 12:45 PM Moderator
    Having a focused target audience can be a competitive advantage. Don't blow it by trying to include too many segments. Farmers and outdoor brands is plenty ... enough for two different company identities. Many entrepreneurs make the mistake in Positioning of thinking the broader their target audience the better chances they have to gain business. In fact, the reverse is true.

    I'd suggest going after a very narrow audience -- independent corn/soybean farmers in Central Nebraska, for example -- and see if you can capture 100% of that market. Why scatter-shoot all farmers in the U.S. when you can't serve them all, and it will cost a lot more to get awareness among the broader market? Besides, when you have a narrow target audience you can craft your copy/story to be a really compelling reason for them to hire you. Not so when you're trying to be all things to everybody.
  • Posted by saratogahiker on 5/26/2016 at 4:01 PM Author
    mgoodman - I've been thinking about what you've said regarding a narrow audience. What would happen after you've exhausted that audience?
  • Posted by mgoodman on 5/26/2016 at 5:53 PM Moderator
    After you capture 90% of the target audience you take a long vacation to enjoy your remarkable success.

    Then you interview your clients (and the remaining 10% who never became clients) to find out what they think you did right and what could be improved. Then if you still want more business, you can expand to other niche audiences, using what you learned in the initial market -- maybe corn/soybean farmers in Iowa/Illinois (or Eastern Nebraska, or livestock farmers, or feed/seed stores, or local banks that finance farmers, etc.). If you are really successful, you might even want to start a new company for each. Maybe some niche segments can actually fit under the original company.

    The big advantage of this approach is that you get to test the concept before you devote a lot of resources trying to serve a broad audience. Company names (and LLCs, corporations, d/b/a, etc.) are a lot less expensive than trying to market to a too-broad audience that you probably can't serve right away. And if you can't get 90% of a small highly-focused market, what makes you think you can get 1% of a huge and disparate market?

    OK. Scale it back to 75% if you must.
  • Posted by mgoodman on 5/26/2016 at 6:11 PM Accepted
    P.S. Dorking around with a name that needs explanation is not the best use of your/our time. It's worrying about the ants while the elephants tromp through the garden. Better to spend the time crafting your Positioning Statement and story, and then making sales calls.

    The business probably won't succeed or fail because of the name. It WILL succeed or fail if you don't get the marketing plan right. (Technically the name IS part of the marketing plan, I know.) How about a corporate name of InfoGorp, but don't tell anyone except the IRS? Then come up with d/b/a names for every niche -- like "Grand Island Digital Farm" or "Hastings Farms Online" or "Kearney eCrops." (Yes, I spent a lot of time in Nebraska -- especially North Platte and Broken Bow!)
  • Posted by saratogahiker on 6/14/2016 at 3:45 PM Author
    I've been thinking a lot about all the above comments. I live in the Helderberg Hilltowns region of Albany County in NYS. So, perhaps a business name and logo could be "HelderWeb: website creation and improvement services for the hilltowns region". Seems a bit wordy, though..? Is it too limiting in case I wanted to work with a business outside the hilltowns region? I appreciate feedback and alternative ideas.
  • Posted by mgoodman on 6/14/2016 at 4:21 PM Moderator
    Albany Web Services
    Online Presence for New York Farms

    Keep it simple. "Helderweb" forces people to decode too much.
  • Posted by saratogahiker on 6/21/2016 at 6:47 PM Author
    Thanks for the suggestion, mgoodman, but "Albany" is the capital of NYS, which would not properly represent my core audience of small businesses, including small farms, in the rural hilltowns of Albany county.
  • Posted by Shelley Ryan on 7/12/2016 at 6:56 PM Moderator
    Hi Everyone,

    I am closing this question since there hasn't been much recent activity.

    Thanks for participating!

    Shelley
    MarketingProfs
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