Know-How Exchange : Taglines/Names

Dear Cherylmarie,

You're moving? Splendid. Where to? Perth? Dundee? Pitlochry?

Somewhere else? I have no clue. But before then, and before you think about a name, you have some work to do.

Let's not too bent out of shape about a name just yet, "catchy" or otherwise, because alas, there is other, more important work to be done.

I'd like you to read a response I wrote to a similar question a few days ago. You'll find the full context here:

https://www.marketingprofs.com/ea/qst_question.asp?qstID=31418

Please, read this because it is designed to help you.

Let me be crystal clear here: catchy is NOT a selling strategy. Please, forget all notions—ALL NOTIONS—of anything "catchy".

Few people if any buy because of the name of the store. They
buy because of choice, value, convenience, and service. They buy because of value and benefits, because of needs met, and because of expectations exceeded.

And whether you like it or not, what YOU think is not important because sadly, you are not important. What do I mean by this?
I mean every one of your customers can shop elsewhere. They
do not need you—but you need your customers.

This means your name must communicate because of what you
do and because of what you offer. It means your name must make sense and sound both relevant and meaningful, AND it must sound significant in the minds of your customers.

It also means your name must make sense because of how the solutions you offer make people FEEL.

When any company or organization disguises what it offers under a fancy name that company introduces the opposite of certainty:
it introduces doubt.

In the world of advertising, marketing, and sales, doubt is death.

When it comes to a strong call to action or any kind of powerful attraction designed to pull people into your store—where they then spend money on the goods and services only YOU can provide (because YOU are the expert)—there can be no room in your calculations for doubt.

None.

This means your name cannot allude to your service. It means your name must TELEGRAPH what you do.

You tell us you'd "love a one word name that is catchy and elegant".

Very nice.

But again, and sadly, what you want is largely irrelevant.

Me? I'd like the wealth of Warren Buffet, the looks of George Clooney. But in the same way that you want name-wise is not the issue here, neither is my lust for wealth and looks.

The REAL issue and the bigger question is what are your customers LOOKING for?

When it comes to creating the home of their dreams, what rings true with THEM?

What fills their needs and solves their problems—whether those problems are real or imagined?

What promises or pictures of the ideal home are your customers really looking for?

It is HERE that you need to make your stand with regard to your name, not on your wants and whims.

And to do this congruently, your message must match those needs, and your store, its name, and your website must all TELEGRAPH the notion that this is what you've done for other people and what you can now do, and do handsomely, for your NEW customers.

But in order to do this your site needs a shot in the arm. At the moment you speak about yourself about four times as often as you speak about your customers.

On a website, this is a huge, huge turn off.

You tell visitors that you have an online store, but when visitors click on that link, they find the store is closed until February.
You show visitors your products but there are no ways for your visitors to click on those products, to find out more about them,
or to buy them.

Cherylmarie, at the moment, might what you're offer be telling people to stay away? Not intentionally I'm sure, but please, think about it. The more you can offer in terms of where you are moving to, what service you want to offer, and who your ideal customer is the better because then, the more detail and help you'll receive from this forum and its many contributors.

I hope this helps.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA

Dear Cherylmarie,

As someone who once lived and worked in an around others and never felt that I belonged, I can relate. It ticks me off no end to hear stories like this, truly it does. That's why I left the UK in 1999.

I don't doubt for one second that you have something to offer your customers. Know what the best treatment for feeling downhearted is? To get up, dust yourself off, and to carry on.

As for support from the locals, screw the locals!

Were any of them buying from you, showing support, urging you on and thanking you for bringing people who spend money to the area? Those who were supporting you, keep in touch with them. Those who offered no support: small minded halfwits are a dime
a dozen.

Don't get mad, get even: sell online.

Recession or not your target customer is STILL spending money
on desired things.

With drop shipping direct from makers and manufacturers you wouldn't need to carry inventory and you'd touch no product.

Your website would be there to take orders, you'd have wholesale agreements with sellers, orders come in through you, you pass them on to the wholesalers, they ship to your customer with your stationery and shipping information, your customer pays you, you pay the wholesaler on the terms you've agreed and the remainder after all fees and disbursements is your profit.

To do this you'll need to revamp your website, but that's something you can easily contract out through an e-commerce solution source such as:

www.volusion.com
www.AdvanceWebDesign.com
www.goemerchant.com
www.3dcart.com
www.corecommerce.com
www.networksolutions.com
https://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/ecommerce
www.prostores.com

Or you could work directly with website designers through www.elance.com or www.guru.com.

And all this talk of having no previous retail experience apart
from selling mortgages? That's crap. Listen lassie, if you can sell mortgages you can sell anything. And if selling mortgages didn't set you up to know how to work with people who want to spend
money wisely then I don't know what will.

Likewise with the whole notion of you wanting to (and being able to) leave a lasting impression so that when your customer needs another gift or nick nak for their home they'll think of your store.

That's what customer loyalty is all about. The key is life time value of the customer, not one time sales. And lifetime value brings in word of mouth, so your marketing money works even harder.

Do NOT give up. You've made too much progress, made too many connections, and sunk too much effort, iron will, and sweat into things to quit. Right now a brick and mortar store may NOT be your best bet. But an online store opens up all kinds of possibilities.

If you're going for the French country interior side of things, the following might help:

www.shabbychic.com
www.countryinteriors.net.au
www.abitofparis.com

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=French+Country+interior+wholesalers&b...

https://interiordesign.lovetoknow.com/Country_French_Style_Basics

So, all is NOT lost and there are ALWAYS ... ALWAYS options.

Again, I hope this helps. Good luck to you.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA

P.S. If you're going for the French country kitchen look, the following domain names are currently available through www.namecheap.com

FrenchCountryInteriorsOnline.com
FrenchCountryInteriorsOnline.co.uk
ClassicFrenchCountryInteriors.com
ClassicFrenchCountryInteriors.co.uk
ClassicFrenchCountryLiving.com
ClassicFrenchCountryLiving.co.uk

The search term "French country decor" got 22,200 searches last month on Google, and the domain names: ClassicFrenchCountryDecor.com and ClassicFrenchCountryDecor.co.uk are also both available through www.namecheap.com