Much has been said about websites and how awesome designs benefit your business. When the term branding is mentioned, people would usually talk about their logo and the overall look and feel of their website or social media pages. But, when marketers talk about branding, we’re referring to how people perceive your company or your brand when they land to specific pages on your website.
You see, a website, whether it’s for personal or business, needs to gain exposure on the internet so that it gets better ranking within search engines. That’s where website branding immediately comes in. In order for your site to gain exposure, it should be able to create that general image of you (and your website of course) in the mind of potential clients. Thus, to brand your website, you must be able to make it stand out from the competition.
In order to be successful in website branding, major components such as web design need not be taken for granted. Your goal is to create a distinctive, relevant, and consistent “image” (visual language) that is truly you.
Branding a website is definitely a major part in business development especially for eCommerce businesses. Here are six of the most important tips when doing website branding:
1. All Eyes on Your GOAL
As with almost everything in life, goals keep set the tone for your success. Hence, this is the very first thing you have to keep in mind: focus on the main purpose of your website. When you think of conversion from your website, what does that mean? It could be the number of customer inquiries, units sold, newsletter sign-ups, submission of contact info, and so on. Set your goal straight and make that perfectly clear on your website. Confusing your target audience will hurt you as distracting them will lead to indecision, and indecision will mean more chances of leaving your site.
2. Have a USER-Like Mindset
From start to finish of your website branding project, have a mindset like that of an end-user about 90% of the time. Look at your website like a user – what would they like to see, what would they need, what would be convenient for them, what would they look for, and more. If you deem it’s just too hard for you to think like your customers/users, you may hire experts or ask other people to help you out and give you constructive criticism. With that, you may also be able to ask them immediately if you’re on point with your goal–who your company is, what is your product/service, and why should they trust you.
3. Simplicity is still KEY
As we have mentioned earlier, confusing or overwhelming your audience is never going to do you good. Overly-styled website, excessive content or cluttered layout may break you. Keep in mind that your website just needs to have everything your target market or potential clients need (or will need). Creative elements are okay, just make sure to keep it clear, straightforward, well laid-out, and most of all, easy to navigate. You don’t want your user to end up hitting that X button just because he/she doesn’t know where to go or what to do anymore.
4. Have a THEME
In order to help you achieve tips 1 and 3, it’s best that you keep a general theme, feel, and look of your website for Every. Single. Page. Make each page consistent–meaning, match everything from font to color/s, spacing, writing style and tone, and other design elements. For example, if you are a startup company who wants to be known, then why not put your company logo and even some of your contact information on every page? Consistency is one thing that will lead your audience to believe you’re serious about what you do.
5. Professional & Concise CONTENT
So you may have nailed the creative side of website branding, but have you thought about the content? From the page titles, slogans, product and company descriptions, blogs, and more, you have to make sure everything reflects you and your goals in the simplest possible way. Make them well laid out, beautifully speaking to your audience, free from grammar and spelling mistakes, and most of all SEO-friendly. Always remember that content is the heart of marketing. So make sure not to neglect this part.
6. Make it MOBILE FRIENDLY
Now that we’ve tackled the creative and content part of website branding, we wouldn’t wrap this out without touching the technical side of things. When we say make it friendly, we mean that you need to see to it that your website is user-friendly and mobile-friendly. You want your market to be so pleased with your site that they’ll have no choice but to do what you want them to.
But if it’s just so hard for them to navigate through your site, you’ll never be able to see your conversion rate grow in numbers. Optimize your page speed. Make sure your pages load at the exact same speed whether it’s in mobile or not. And be sure to have it complete with all the necessary links to customer care and support, social media, and the like. You don’t want your website to lose about 1 for every 5 visitors just because your site is too slow and hard to navigate. After all, Google favors websites that help users achieve what they intend to do and when they intend to do it. If your site is just too slow, you’re like leaving money on the table.
Website branding indeed requires extensive time, effort, and attention. But when done correctly, it will surely build a great foundation for your business, making it a successful tool to reach more of your target market. So make sure you don’t take branding lightly– follow these tips so that you’ll reach your website goals in no time!
