Successful companies are more than the products they sell. Even before their pitch, they’ve used their brand identity to tell consumers who they are. By the time a customer converts, they’ve probably encountered a brand several times or more. They also have a strong idea of what the brand is “about” — not just what they sell, but what they stand for.
Many of your customers will first find your brand via your site. This is especially true for highly online brands. This means your website is central to effective brand-building.
Here’s how you can build a brand on your website.
1. Start With Your Message
What is your company’s purpose? What needs is it trying to fill? Your company’s message is a summary of its goals.
It’s also a value proposition. It needs to communicate what makes your business unique. It should tell your customers why they should shop with your business and not your competitors’.
Even if you have a clear idea of what your business is trying to do, research can still help. Demographic data on your customers can let you know them better. Keyword research and traffic analysis may tell you about their interests and values. Both can show you how to appeal to their values and fill their needs.
This message will serve as the base of your brand and steer how you build that brand on your website and elsewhere.
2. Find Your Voice
Every brand needs a voice. Your brand voice is the sum of the words you choose and the attitudes you adopt. A voice that’s in line with your messaging will make your message feel more true. It will also help you build a brand that’s trustworthy.
Voice is important because consistency is key. People won’t know what your brand stands for if one article is ultra-serious while another is casual and friendly. Content tone may vary from article to article. But, you should try to stick with a consistent voice.
3. Create Content
“Relevant” and “valuable” are the keywords here.
The content you publish should be relevant to your audience’s interests and needs. It should also provide them with value — that is, something they can actually put to use. This could be an answer to a question. It could also be a useful resource or tool.
Hold off on creating content until after you’ve created a message and found your voice. Consistency in tone across your content makes it more effective.
4. Optimize Your Site’s User Experience
Your logo, web design, and content aren’t the only things that affect brand perception. Customer experience also has a big impact on how customers feel about your brand.
For instance, a slow-loading website may frustrate even your most loyal customers. Or, difficult-to-use website navigation may confuse visitors. Don’t make your content or products hard to access.
Good experiences make it easier to convince customers of your brand’s positive attributes. Checkout with alternative payment options can show that you’re considering all customers. For example, live chat functions can prove your commitment to fast customer support.
5. Steer More Traffic to Your Site
Customers will only be familiar with your brand after several exposures to it. That means increasing traffic to your site is an effective brand-building tool.
Considering your site’s SEO can also help boost you in customer searches. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a technique that boosts your site’s ranking on search engines like Google. Find the few simple tweaks to content wording and site code. It makes a big difference and boosts your site’s ability to draw traffic.
Get creative and find new ways to steer traffic to your site. Hosting valuable content is one piece of this puzzle. A strong social media presence can help, too. Spreading the word at industry or community events may be effective.
You can also add custom notes or printed logos to certain packaging. A note or well-placed logo can steer customers who purchased your products through third parties to your site.
6. Build a Visual Identity
In the same way that your tone matters, your visual vocabulary matters, too. Effective business websites are more than text and web design. They also feature strong visuals that build brand identity. You can cultivate a visual vocabulary in the same way you establish tone.
With your brand values in mind, search for, or create visual content. In a pinch, free stock photos can work. If you have some extra marketing money, you can also commission graphics and designs. Illustrations, flowcharts, and visual content are all effective brand-building tools.
You probably already have the foundation of a visual identity on your site. A logo, brand colors, and hand-picked fonts all contribute to your visual identity. If you’re happy with these elements, build on what they do well by following the next and final tip closely.
7. Keep It Consistent
Work to keep your brand consistent across all your customer-facing channels. This way, when people visit your website, your brand identity won’t throw them off. If your site’s branding isn’t lined up with your branding in other places, this may not be true.
Your website is central to your online marketing strategy. Because of this, it’s a good idea to let your site lead. If you want to experiment with other approaches to branding, make changes on your site first.
How to Keep Building Your Brand Online
Following these steps will provide a strong base for your brand. Repeating them will help you attract customers and deepen your brand’s appeal over time. So long as you keep up your efforts, customers will start to put more faith in the messages you send.
Your website is a powerful tool in building your brand identity. If you can keep it updated and use it to provide great customer experiences, it will be one of the best public ambassadors your brand can have.
