Establishing your brand is an integral part of creating a website.
Your brand isn’t just a name or a logo; it’s the entirety of your audience’s perception of your business. It’s the promise you make to your customers and how you choose to deliver on that promise.
To create a strong brand, you must understand what your business stands for, what makes it unique, and how it resonates with your target audience.
Build Your Brand
Understanding Brands: A Guide for New Businesses
A brand is more than a catchy name or a sleek logo. It’s a complex system of values, attributes, and artwork that differentiates you from the competition and connects you with your customers. For new businesses, it’s crucial to understand that a brand’s power lies in its consistency and its ability to evoke emotion and build trust. Remember, strong brands don’t happen overnight; they grow and evolve with your business.
Let’s start at the beginning with our article on Understanding Brands: A Guide for New Businesses
Define Your Brand Identity
Your brand identity serves as the backbone of your business. It’s the combination of your brand values, mission, unique selling points, and personality. Start by defining these aspects. What are your core values? What is your mission? What makes you different? Your brand identity should permeate every aspect of your business, from your website and social media to your customer service and beyond.
Now that you understand brands, let’s start working on how to Define Your Brand Identity
Design Your Visual Elements and Logo
Visuals play a huge role in brand recognition. Your logo, color scheme, typography, and other visual elements work together to create an aesthetic that should resonate with your audience and be instantly recognizable as your brand. When designing your logo, consider your brand’s personality and how you can visually communicate that. Keep it simple, versatile, and memorable.
Now for the fun, and a little scary, part of the process! Let’s Design Your Visual Elements and Logo
Develop Your Brand Voice and Messaging
Your brand voice is the distinct personality that your brand adopts in its communication. It could be professional, friendly, authoritative, or casual, depending on your brand and audience. This voice should remain consistent in all your messaging, from your website copy to your social media posts. It helps your brand become recognizable and relatable, fostering a sense of familiarity and trust among your audience.
A very important step that is often overlooked, Develop Your Brand Voice and Messaging
Leveraging Color Psychology in Your Online Business
Colors are more than just visual elements; they evoke emotions and can significantly influence perceptions and decisions. That’s why understanding color psychology can be an effective tool in your branding. For instance, blue often conveys trust and stability, while yellow can stimulate feelings of happiness and energy. Choose colors that reflect your brand’s personality and resonate with your audience.
A fun step in the branding process is Leveraging Color Psychology in Your Online Business
Create Your Brand Style Sheet
A brand style sheet, also known as a brand guide, serves as the rulebook for how your brand presents itself to the world. It includes your color palette, typography, logo usage, imagery guidelines, and more. A well-defined brand style sheet ensures consistency across all platforms, reinforcing brand recognition. It’s a vital tool for anyone creating content for your brand, from web designers to social media managers.
Not too many website owners will do this but I highly recommend you create and keep it on file as you will never know when you will need it, Create Your Brand Style Sheet
Books on Branding
Want to expand your knowledge on the most important aspect of building your business? Consider reading a few of these top-rated books (and some are free if you have a free or paid Audible Subscription.).
- Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller: This book offers a framework for creating a compelling brand story that resonates with customers and helps businesses clarify their message for effective communication.
- Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth Godin: Seth Godin challenges traditional marketing strategies and encourages businesses to stand out by being truly remarkable, making it an essential read for brand builders.
- Brand Identity Breakthrough: How to Craft Your Company’s Unique Story to Make Your Products Irresistible by Gregory V. Diehl: This book focuses on crafting a unique brand identity by understanding and effectively communicating the story behind your products or services.
- Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits edited by Debbie Millman: This book presents a collection of interviews with prominent figures in the world of branding, offering diverse perspectives and insights into the art of building successful brands.
- Brand Management: Research, Theory, and Practice by Tilde Heding, Charlotte F. Knudtzen, and Mogens Bjerre: This comprehensive book explores the theories, strategies, and practical aspects of brand management, making it an invaluable resource for understanding the complexities of building and managing a brand.
- Building Strong Brands by David A. Aaker: David Aaker provides a step-by-step guide to building strong brands, offering frameworks, case studies, and strategic insights that help businesses create and sustain successful brands.
- Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries and Jack Trout: This classic book emphasizes the importance of positioning a brand in the consumer’s mind and provides practical advice for creating a unique and compelling brand position.
- Brand Aid: A Quick Reference Guide to Solving Your Branding Problems and Strengthening Your Market Position by Brad VanAuken: This practical guidebook offers quick solutions to common branding challenges, helping businesses navigate the complexities of brand development and management.
- Brandscaping: Unleashing the Power of Partnerships by Andrew M. Davis: Andrew Davis explores the concept of brand partnerships and provides strategies for creating mutually beneficial collaborations that amplify brand visibility and reach.
- ZAG: The #1 Strategy of High-Performance Brands by Marty Neumeier: Neumeier challenges businesses to differentiate themselves by zagging when others zig, presenting a fresh perspective on a brand strategy that encourages innovative thinking and creative positioning.
Remember that building a brand is an ongoing process, and these books can serve as valuable references, but practical application and adaptation to your specific business context are essential.
Ready for the next step? Let’s move on to Creating a Website Budget.
If you want to take a step back, go to Preparing for a Website Launch
Or, you can revisit the main guide page, Step-by-Step Guide on How to Set Up a Website.
