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We closed the domain naming thread (click for details).

Instead, let's start with a killer "elevator pitch!" Joel will be blogging about the elevator pitch approach to naming, but to get you started:

The Elevator Pitch

This isn't as easy as it sounds. Imagine the user who will never read your FAQ and you have two seconds to grab their attention. It should be catchy but descriptive. It should be thoroughly clear but painfully concise. Make every... word... count.

Here are some creative examples:

  • Gawker: Daily Manhattan media news and gossip. Reporting live from the center of the universe.
  • Gizmodo: The gadget guide. So much in love with shiny new toys, it’s unnatural.
  • Autoblog: We obsessively cover the auto industry.
  • DumbLittleMan: So what do we do here? Well, it’s simple. 15 to 20 times per week we provide tips that will save you money, increase your productivity, or simply keep you sane.
  • Needcoffee.com: We are the Internet equivalent of a triple espresso with whipped cream. Mmmm…whipped cream.

Use it as a Tagline

A shorter elevator pitch can be used as a tagline — something you can display in the header at the top of the page. If it doesn't fit, consider shortening it or creating a separate tagline. Here are some great examples:

The Motto (don't forget your logo)

A logo begs for it own little, short tagline — like a motto. Maybe the tagline inspires the logo; Maybe it's the other way around. Mottos make good t-shirt, bumper stickers, and other marketing material. Either way, you'll recognize a good motto when you see it:

  • Just do it.
  • Think Different.
  • The Uncola.
  • Intel inside.
  • Like a rock.
  • The king of beers.

…and perhaps all this leads to a proper name and domain for your site… eventually. So let's start from the basics. Come up with a killer elevator pitch, tagline, and/or motto!

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    \$\begingroup\$ I don't know - many of those taglines Robert cites are IMO actually fairly poor and only useful when already attached to a strong brand. We don't have a strong brand, thus IMO our motto, like "king of beers," should have some indication what the heck this is about. \$\endgroup\$
    – mxyzplk
    Oct 10, 2010 at 15:10
  • \$\begingroup\$ @mxyzplk It's less about the motto/tagline being a useful stand-in for our brand, as it is building a brand (i.e., a consistent presentation) for our front page. When someone lands on the front page, they should very quickly know what we're about, both in terms of function and feel. \$\endgroup\$
    – SevenSidedDie
    Oct 10, 2010 at 19:46
  • 2
    \$\begingroup\$ I hate being that guy, but shouldn't this be CW? \$\endgroup\$
    – LeguRi
    Oct 11, 2010 at 23:10
  • \$\begingroup\$ @LeguRi: You are correct. Done. \$\endgroup\$
    – Robert Cartaino
    Oct 12, 2010 at 3:29
  • \$\begingroup\$ Should this have the [featured] tag? \$\endgroup\$
    – SevenSidedDie
    Oct 12, 2010 at 21:53
  • \$\begingroup\$ Since we're looking for three things—elevator pitches, taglines, and mottos, I tried to categorise the suggestions. If I got the intent wrong, please correct them! \$\endgroup\$
    – SevenSidedDie
    Oct 14, 2010 at 17:58

23 Answers 23

Reset to default
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Ask the Table

(motto)

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  • \$\begingroup\$ +1, but I'd like to suggest a revision (stealing a few things from above): AskTheTable: We accept your quest! Level up your RPG skills with expert Q&A. \$\endgroup\$
    – RMorrisey
    Oct 10, 2010 at 22:38
  • \$\begingroup\$ Done! I thought I should ask before changing your suggestion \$\endgroup\$
    – RMorrisey
    Oct 11, 2010 at 0:14
  • \$\begingroup\$ I think we can combine suggestions we like eventually. The suggestions I've made so far all feel like just a setup for another few words of branding. ("Stack the dice in your favour — Level up your roleplaying via Q&A with experts!" kind of thing.) If the bits are separate we can vote on them individually. \$\endgroup\$
    – SevenSidedDie
    Oct 11, 2010 at 6:32
  • \$\begingroup\$ Actually, can we split this more? We're looking for three things: elevator pitches, taglines, and mottos. I like "ask the table" as a motto or short tagline, but I'm cool-ish on the quest part. \$\endgroup\$
    – SevenSidedDie
    Oct 14, 2010 at 17:46
  • \$\begingroup\$ @SevenSidedDie: good suggestion. done. \$\endgroup\$
    – yhw42
    Oct 14, 2010 at 18:31
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Level up your RPG gaming skills with expert Q&A!

(elevator pitch)

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  • \$\begingroup\$ This draws on both Pat's and yhw's answers, to ideally combine "less jargoney" with "more descriptive". \$\endgroup\$
    – mxyzplk
    Oct 10, 2010 at 15:08
  • \$\begingroup\$ It just doesn't feel smooth to me, but I don't know how I would fix it. The via seems out of place ... \$\endgroup\$
    – C. Ross
    Oct 12, 2010 at 22:19
  • \$\begingroup\$ I agree - I hate my suggestions as much as all these others. \$\endgroup\$
    – mxyzplk
    Oct 12, 2010 at 22:44
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    \$\begingroup\$ Suggest changing to "Level up your RPG skills with expert Q&A" to make it smoother \$\endgroup\$
    – RMorrisey
    Oct 14, 2010 at 3:54
  • \$\begingroup\$ Good idea, done! \$\endgroup\$
    – mxyzplk
    Oct 14, 2010 at 14:08
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The internet equivalent of a shining tower full of wizened sages and interstellar rules-lawyer robots. And we're here to help.

(elevator pitch)

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Master your game.

(tagline)

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Because sometimes rulebooks won't have the answers.

variation: Because sometimes rulebooks won't have the answers, and sometimes you won't even have the rulebooks.

(Tagline/elevator pitch)

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    \$\begingroup\$ I like this one up until the comma, the second clause isn't needed IMHO. \$\endgroup\$
    – Pat Ludwig
    Oct 15, 2010 at 19:34
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Pat Ludwig - I had been flirting with the same thought; edited accordingly. \$\endgroup\$
    – LeguRi
    Oct 15, 2010 at 23:40
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Where helpful game experts hang out. The biggest adventuring party ever.

(elevator pitch)

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Ask The GM: The RPG player's definitive Q&A resource.

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    \$\begingroup\$ +1, but FYI I like the second half, and not the first. \$\endgroup\$
    – SevenSidedDie
    Oct 14, 2010 at 17:44
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Stack the dice in your favour.

(Tagline. Superfluous U optional of course.)

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    \$\begingroup\$ +1 for using "stack" \$\endgroup\$
    – Simon Withers
    Oct 11, 2010 at 1:50
  • \$\begingroup\$ +1 for the same reason... but we need to be careful not to associate too strongly with StackExchange as it has an identity which is kind of bound to programming (I've never been able to describe StackExchnage without going back to StackOverflow) and we're not about programming... \$\endgroup\$
    – LeguRi
    Oct 11, 2010 at 23:12
  • \$\begingroup\$ -1; even though it made me smile when I saw it, the name makes me think of cheating/munchkining (like GiantInThePlayground) \$\endgroup\$
    – RMorrisey
    Oct 14, 2010 at 3:55
  • \$\begingroup\$ @RMorrisey Fair comment. :) It's hard to come up with something pithy that says "Give yourself an advantage!" without also implying "Give your character an unfair advantage!" This just might not fit the bill. \$\endgroup\$
    – SevenSidedDie
    Oct 14, 2010 at 17:44
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Tagline: It's like a Tome of Infinite Wisdom, but with tags

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Questing for Answers

( Motto )

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Improve your table-top experience!

(Tagline)

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Can you make that a separate answer so it can be voted on? \$\endgroup\$
    – SevenSidedDie
    Oct 14, 2010 at 18:00
  • \$\begingroup\$ @SevenSidedDie: done. \$\endgroup\$
    – yhw42
    Oct 14, 2010 at 18:23
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Level Up!

(Motto)

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Great Q&A: Quest and Answers

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    \$\begingroup\$ Maybe better: "Heroic Q&A"? \$\endgroup\$
    – Alticamelus
    Nov 19, 2010 at 11:30
2
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Sage Advice for every role-playing game.

(Tagline)

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  • \$\begingroup\$ very similar to the SeasonedAdvice SE site. \$\endgroup\$
    – yhw42
    Dec 5, 2010 at 23:29
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Crit your knowledge checks.

(tagline)

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Get in character with focused help on your favorite tabletop RPGs!

(elevator pitch)

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Gain table-top XP!

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We accept you Quest(ion)!

(tagline)

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Quests and Answers: What you're seeking is here.

(tagline?)

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Elevator Pitch: Everything you always wanted to know about RPGs but didn't know where to ask

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Motto: We're all about RPGs. Any questions?

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The next time you get plane-shifted during a grapple, we'll be here to help.

(Elevator pitch)

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RPG Knowledge Check.

(motto+2)

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