I'm trying to name a new feature in our software. How do I go about doing it?

Question

It is a new search and replace feature but it is much more sohpisticated that just search and replace. How would I go about naming something like this? We're a small company and try to save money on marketing.

Love the responses so far.

What this does is allow our users to setup templates with keywords and very quick to glance over. The final note they create needs to look beautiful. We even joke that with this new feature they would be proud to send the final note to their HS English teacher.

E.g. Template says "lathargic" -when this is clicked it sends to the note "They appear to be lathargic."

I love the Power Search idea. Are there any legal issues by using someone like Shakespeares's name?

Thanks guys, we will keep the brainstorming up.

Answer 1

Brainstorm it with as many othiers as you can find. Throw out ideas without judging them and new ideas will spring up ffom curmmy ones. Try it.

Answer 2

The naming of your business could be one of the most important decisions you will make. A name's originality and legal availability will create a real asset value of its own, as it becomes marketed and gains market acceptance.

The name you choose will become the focal point of all the benefits and features that relate to your business. Customers will be able to find and refer others to it in the future.

Since any names that are suggested here may already be owned by another party, I wanted to go a different route...

I suggest either hiring a name creation firm or get together with your friends and/or family and throw a "name party" & have everyone bounce some ideas around. Compile a listing of names that you like the best. Once you have that list, do as much free research as you can before you delve into comprehensive research.

I listed some links where you can do some preliminary name checking. However, please be aware that this is merely scratching the surface of what's out there.

Only comprehensive research will tell you if the name is truly available. But, these links are free & a great place to start, so I'd try them out first.

Comprehensive research consists of looking at marks that are similar in Sound, Appearance or Meaning in the pending & registered Federal AND State trademark files as well as the US National Common-Law files.

There are other sites that offer free searching capabilities in conjunction with their commercial services, so I'm not able to post those links due to the Yahoo! TOS. You'll also want to check domain names & yellow pages, so simply do a search for "free domain name search" and "national yellowpages" and the appropriate links will pop up.

Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!

Answer 3

I'm with BuddyGuru on this. Brainstorming is something we even encourage children in Elementary School to do. I would ask myself, "What is unique about the way in which the search and replace feature goes about the task in my new software?"
I believe there will be many possibilities. I enjoy the object name game. The computer I am using sports a lit-up Apple on its open lid. Could a search be a ShakespeareSearch, a Darwin (or a Beagle) or a Columbus?

Would love to hear your ideas as they develop. Bounce some off of us. I believe you are getting some down-to-earth tips from all of us.

Answer 4

Well honestly without describing what this "More sohpisticated" version of search and replace. It's nearly impossible to come up with something that fits.

Aside from that here are a few Ideas
Search and Replace (Usually the simple is better anyway)
Power Search

Hosetly if you name it someing Strange and catchy, people may mistake it for something else and not use it. I have been developing software for years and have found simple and obvous are sometimes more important than neat features if you want many users to accept and use your program. If no one understands what it does from a catch phrase, who will use it?