Have you ever felt confused after visiting a website because the design and copy failed to inform you about the company, what items they sold, or why you should buy something from them? Was the website disorganized (i.e. contradictory information, unnecessary functions, intermittent design elements)?
A lack of branding or a poor branding strategy can result in a terrible experience for the user.
Branding is a marketing strategy where a design, symbol, or name is created to identify and differentiate one product from another, according to Entrepreneur. In order to position your personal career or your business competitively in your industry or market, having a strong brand with a corresponding strategy is extremely important. Your website, as well as your business, will be another random piece of noise online without it.
Your business must have a defined brand. Consistent brand presentation can, on average, increase your overall revenue by 23%. Over 54% of shoppers visit brand websites to receive information about their products, personalized shopping, and customer service, which is why having a website for your brand is so extremely important in today’s marketplace.
Brand Importance
Upon reviewing the definition of branding from Entrepreneur once more, a brand’s primary goal is to differentiate your identity, products and services, and organization from the competition. While the ability to effectively position your business in the marketplace is one of the main benefits and goals of branding, there are also other advantages.
Brands Promote the Customer Experience
When you develop this entity for your company, you are creating a unique customer experience in turn. The total brand experience encompasses everything from the interactivity of your website to your logo. Your brand revolves around the way in which your customer service team answers messages, the manner in which consumers are introduced to your services and products, and the content that’s published across your company’s social media platforms.
You can create a one-of-a-kind customer experience with your brand alone that extends to in-person employee interactions, and through a variety of online channels, among other instances. If your brand is not defined or is unorganized, the customer experience is undesirable and disorienting.
Brand Recognition
If you were given a test of some of the most popular brands in the world, you would likely pass it with flying colors. It is easy to identify leading brands such as Sony, the Walt Disney Company, and McDonald’s in a matter of seconds. In order to improve your brand’s customer recognition, having a brand strategy that is consistent and established is paramount. It can take between 5 and 7 brand impressions on average before someone actually recognizes and remembers you. It’s for this reason that the first couple of impressions need to be strong. If they are scattered, no one will pay any attention to you.
Over 82% of investors believe that name recognition and brand strength will help them make more informed investment decisions, according to Reuters.
48%t of consumers expect brands to not only know them personally but to also help them find new services or products that suit their needs. They have a certain level of trust in the brand. Once customers are able to recognize your brand and interact with it, they will trust your company for all of their specific needs.
Shared values are one of the main reasons they have a trusted relationship with a particular brand, according to 64% of consumers. You won’t be able to demonstrate the value of your company, your products, or your services, or earn the trust of your target customer base if your brand is disorganized online.
Devising a Brand Strategy
You need to develop a strategy for your brand after you have established it. Brand strategies identify goals for your brand, along with how they can be accomplished using a variety of brand components such as trademarks, language, and a logo (a brand standards guide).
While most of your strategy will focus on how your brand should be appropriately utilized across company and marketing efforts, 7 additional components have been identified that must also be included in your approach, according to HubSpot:
- Purpose: What is your company’s vision?
- Uniformity: Your brand’s representation should be seamless.
- Tone/Emotion: Does your brand have a tone of voice? How will your brand deliver emotion?
- Flexibility: If necessary, you need to be able to identify how and when to pivot.
- Employee Engagement: How can your employees promote and best represent the brand?
- Customer Loyalty: How will you appreciate and recognize your loyal customers?
- Competitive Cognizance: In order to differentiate your brand, you need to evaluate your competitors.
You’ll be able to develop and launch a successful website that represents your business in a consistent, accurate, and positive manner with a solidified brand strategy.
What All Brand Websites Need
In order for your customers to trust your brand, your website should inform your customers about your products and services. Over time, this will turn them into paying customers. People won’t trust your brand if your website is chaotic and unorganized. You don’t want customers to feel confused when they try to access your website!
If customers are unable to find what they are looking for on your homepage or website, 79% of them will leave your website and find another website to help them complete their task. Around 81% of customers conduct extensive online research prior to making a purchase, which is why your website must include the following elements:
A Clear and Concise Message
Your marketing team will know how to use the company website to communicate your brand’s message with a defined brand and a thorough brand strategy. Your website must be:
- Aligned with Your Brand’s Strategy
- Appealing
- Entertaining
- Informational
- Concise
- Clear
Your brand’s message should demonstrate why your customers should trust and purchase items from your company, as well as your company’s values.
Critical Business Information
The first thing your customers are looking for when they visit your website is information. Or, they want to know where they can find the information they need on your website.
If you own a restaurant, for example, the visitors of your website should be able to locate your hours of operation and your menu easily. Your website’s navigation should display these page buttons and links clearly if they are not placed on your homepage.
The following is a list of information people commonly search for:
- Directions and Store Location
- Employee Biographies
- Company History
- Product Information
- Hours of Operation
- Products and Services
- Prices
Your potential customers may be left with a negative impression of your brand if you forget to include the information mentioned above. It’s important to make sure that these details are placed where visitors will be able to find them.
Get Professional Help to Create Your Brand and Website.
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