If you think the purpose of your brand needs no explanation, think again. We tend to concentrate on our company’s needs and see the product or service we are selling as a top priority. So, before you start to look for your company’s purpose, take a moment to define what realistic goals you need to reach to run a successful business, and to guarantee the best user experience for every customer. Your brand’s “why” cannot simply be answered by what you have to offer; it has to focus on your audience and how you can answer their questions and solve their problems. Potential customers or clients are looking for a business that instills trust and has the ability to make a meaningful impact on their lives. If you can’t describe the purpose of your company brand clearly, chances are you are wasting the potential of your best asset.
Your company’s brand is its identity. Everything from your logo to your slogan to the layout of your website communicates to your customers what your business is all about. For example, consider how a company like Apple uses their branding to communicate their values. Their slogan, “think different,” indicates to customers that they are a leader in innovation, specifically that they do things “differently” than their competition. Their aesthetic is also highly minimalistic, relying on shades of gray and ultra-simplified text, where there is text at all. While in many contexts this kind of “futuristic” aesthetic is seen as a cliche, Apple uses it as a visual shorthand that the company offers technology that is more advanced and innovative than other products on the market. This aesthetic is also highly consistent, being carried through from their brand to their products. Even their logo is streamlined and simplified to the point where it can be presented in any color and without any label and still be instantly recognizable. All of these branding elements come together synergistically to create a brand that innately carries the values Apple wants.
Good Branding Starts with your Website
Particularly with newer businesses, the best place to build your brand and establish your purpose is in your website. A website can have multiple purposes, however a successful business has a clear focus on its primary objectives to avoid misunderstandings or underperformance. Mixing different purposes does more harm than good, and you might end up losing sight of your actual goals. Internet marketing needs a clear strategy, and it requires your team to understand why people visit your website and what they are looking to accomplish.
Additionally, you should think about the relationships you want to build with your audience and the role your website plays in the process. In most cases, generating revenue is crucial for your business, but so is earning your customer’s trust and building long-term relationships. Once you have determined this, it will help you to create the right content.
Before anything else, it is paramount that the domain of your site has something to do with your “why.” Domain name extensions like .SHOP, .LAW or .PHOTOGRAPHY allow you to specifically brand your domain name. However, understanding the differences between .com and .org can significantly impact the impression people have of your brand. Certain registrars, like 101domain, offer large selections of new gTLDs, so you might have to shop around to find one that meets your specific needs.
Your website is an important component of your marketing strategy, and you should be aware of the budget you have available for your digital marketing efforts. Nowadays, you do not need a professional web designer to create a beautiful website, but a small budget only gets you so far and will limit your options. Having the right logo can go a long way towards accomplishing this goal on a limited budget—you can see the full pricing for 48hourslogo.com here.
These factors play an essential role in achieving your sales and marketing goals. Market Business News recently published an article explaining how vital different marketing tools really are.
How can a Website be used to Build your Brand
The following describes three of the most common ways website owners use their online real estate for their company:
- Online Recognition: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) will help you to ensure that your content can be found by anyone looking for it. Always remember, if your potential customers can’t find your website, they will find your competition. A website that focuses on your credentials allows your business to make an excellent first impression, but does not necessarily attract new leads or customers.
- Lead Generation: A lead-generation site requires a higher investment than a website designed simply to increase your brand awareness, but it allows you to generate qualified leads. Make sure that a prospect has the chance to tell you that he or she is interested. If you make it difficult to get in contact with you, you might lose a potential customer right at the spot. Call-To-Action (CTA) buttons that get visitors engaged and hungry for more are essential for the success of this type of website.
- Business Authority: Avoid making vague promises that do not really explain what you do, why you do it, or who you do it for. The internet is full of low-quality content, and people crave specialized expertise that is clearly communicated. To convince your audience that you are an authority in your field, you have to stand behind every word you say and every promise you make, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant.
Find your “why”
Finding the right direction for your website can be a challenge for your entire team. The concerns can range from identifying your major user types to planning your site’s structure, and can go all the way to the cost of paying for a professional website. Without spending some time doing research or asking for feedback from existing users or customers, you won’t be able to answer your questions. The better you know your audience, the better you can identify their needs, and the easier it will be to fulfill your business goals.
Keep your audience in mind: Building a website with your target audience in mind means attracting the right people.
Use data and statistics: If you stay on top of your website’s reports, you get the chance to get to know your website visitors better, which will help you to solve their problems or to detect possible friction points. Analyzing traffic from different proxy locations help in providing insights of user behavior and preferences, thus, aiding in website optimization.
Make it user-friendly: Some people prefer a simple website, others want to dig deep and learn as much as possible about you and your company, but everybody enjoys a website that is easy to navigate.
Observe your competition: This can help you to not only learn from the best, but also avoid mistakes that have been made before.
Test your website: Put yourself into the shoes of your audience and try to find out what is most vital for them to enjoy their visit.
The real purpose of a website
What is the point of putting so much effort into a website if it does not generate the business you are looking for? We can’t stress it enough: a successful website is built with a clear focus that has the ability to lead visitors to taking the next step you want them to take. In eCommerce, that could be checking out certain features of a product or reading about new technological developments, while in the service industry, you typically want your audience to fill out a form requesting more information or a consultation.