Last Updated November 20, 2021
How to Build a Brand for an Online Business
When starting an online business you should keep in mind that your website will be the first impression that people will get of your business. Therefore, your website symbolizes an important element in the branding process. My intent with this article is to provide information that will show you how to build a brand for an online business.
Your site lets visitors know who you are, what you offer, and what you promise, which is your brand. It does this through the content, how your website is organized and how it looks and feels.
Creating a Brand will Help You Succeed.
What Does a Brand Do?
Many people believe the myth that a brand is a logo, but a logo is really nothing more than a name tag for a business or a product. It’s a striking illustration intended to communicate the heart of a brand.
The business identity is shaped by the logo through things that are used by the business such as, uniforms, letterhead, signage, and graphics on vehicles. Creating a business identity gives a visual tone to your business.
A brand, however, is not about what you say it is, but it’s about what others say it is. It’s about quality, service, value, integrity, work ethic, authority, and what you stand for. A brand is about everything and anything that could add to how your business is looked upon.
Advantages of Building a Brand
Remember that people will come to their own opinions about your business whether you develop a brand or not. Here are some of the ways that branding can help your business.
- Current customers and potential customers will remember your business name.
- It will build loyalty and interest.
- It will let you charge top prices.
- Helps you to gain sales and market share by association and trust.
- Tell you apart from others and makes your position in the marketplace clearer.
- Aligns your visual identity and public awareness with your idea, operation, planned priorities, and internal traditions.
- Creates expectation and tell about a promise of value.
How to Build a Brand for an Online Business
After a website is branded it will provide clear insight into your business through the information that you present, the manner in which you present it, as well as the user experience on the website. The intent of this article is to show you how to build a brand for an online business.
Branding your website will give your business a solid foundation for your online presence. It’s where you can engage your customers.
Connect Your Brand with Customers
The first step is to connect your brand with your target audience. So how do that? You can do this by using your website, social media, email, and blogs. The construction of a significant, emotional connection is very important for creating flourishing customer relationships.
Converse
Just because you know all about the features and benefits of the products and services your business offers doesn’t mean that the consumers know about them. Communicating information to your target audience is essential to inspire brand awareness.
Consumers need to be emotionally impacted during their whole journey of commercial partnership. Keep in mind some of the best ways of client communication – send custom-made emails, create content based on consumer needs and engage in conversations on social media.
Brand Name
Your brand name should be the same as your domain name so consider this when you are deciding on what to use as a domain name. Think about the guidelines for creating a domain name, such as it is easy to remember, not too long, etc.
Tag Line
Use a tagline or slogan. The tagline should indicate what you do or the field that you are in. However, if your tagline does not provide this information make sure that you have a logo that can provide the information.
Cohesive Brand Identity
Your website should have cohesive brand uniqueness. This would comprise a logo, icon, and a favicon that should be the same design as the icon. Each of these branding identity website accessories should tie together. Use the same colors, the same fonts, and the same idea.
Most marketers usually ignore the use of a favicon, but it is very important because it is used as an icon for bookmarked links every time your visitors bookmark any of your website pages. It can also be seen beside your title and your URL when people view your website.
You should also use custom-made business cards that are in line with your brand identity. Just because you have an online business doesn’t mean you should not promote your business offline as well. The cost of business cards is relatively cheap these days and you may be surprised at the amount of awareness you can get from their use.
Communication
Always use your @yourwebsitename email. Do not use your free personal emails such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc. Use your website email address and then have them forwarded to your personal or business accounts such as Gmail.
Branding your website is important to your business’ success.
Use of Social Media
This is definitely a must, specifically Twitter. Social networks are tools that can help your business and brand in several ways. It’s an easy way to keep in touch globally to extend your reach.
Positioning
Building brand visibility in directing your attention to your customers and their needs will strengthen your custom brand in the customers’ minds through positive social association.
Communicating an attractive, consistent, and relevant brand image provides the customers with an impression that they will come to recognize as being the heart of your business. Users will see you as reputable will connect your brand image with your business.
Brand Using Giveaways
Try using giveaways that are branded to include your website URL if you can afford this. Some giveaway ideas are pens, pencils, and post-it notes.
Guest Blog Commenting
Make a presence on related blogs and forums by commenting on them to help promote your brand. Making comments on your competitor’s sites will build a big awareness of your targeted audience.
Customer Service
While it’s a given to provide quality products and customer service to your customers, this is not always the case with some businesses. Understand what it is like for users to deal with your business. Can they reach you by phone and hear a live voice? Make sure your customers can easily find the contact information on your site.
Be aware of this and your customers will more than likely keep coming back and referring friends and family to your business. You will want satisfied customers, as they will stay longer, purchase more products, enabling you to increase your profits and base.
Optimize the content
Nobody likes to read a boring and monotonous webpage. Try to explain about your brand in inventive and fewer words. Even if you want to go into details, keep in mind to use interactive ways so that it interests the audience and keeps them engaged in reading. Keep it interactive!
Define your niche
Be clear about what your brand represents. Do not try to be a part of everything that the audience wants. Define your niche and stand by it. “Jack of all trades, master of none” won’t do your branding much good. You have to create an irreplaceable position in the market as a master of your business. So, define your niche clearly and stand by it.
Summary
Today it is essential than before for individuals and companies to effectively manage brand and reputation online. Businesses that devote the time and effort to creating a dependable and controlled brand presence will benefit from great customer associations and better conversions.
Your website provides an advantage to “speak” much about your business. The main workings of your site include characteristics such as quality content, personality, consistency, and an overall feel and experience to the users.
Your brand must state what is different about your business from all the others. To determine if your brand is effective you should analyze (1) how you are perceived, (2) what are you great at, (3) how are you different, (4) what do you do, (5) is your purpose clear, and (6) why does all of that matters?
Be a frontrunner!
You may have noticed that most of the information discussed, relates to your website. That is the reason a branded website is what all online businesses should strive to achieve. A high-quality website is a foundation for your brand. Take time to invest in it.
Branding your website can be the best thing to ever happen to your online business. Building your brand is not something that you only do while your business is at its start-up stage. It is a continuous process that you have to do to maintain your credibility with your customers.
Establishing a successful online business requires hard work, patience, and lots of creative ideas to continuously build and improve your brand. Understanding how to build a brand for an online business should be at the top of your list of tasks.
Please feel free to contact me if you need help with anything. Just make a comment below or you can always get in touch with me through wealthyaffiliate.com (here is a link to my profile).
Verna
Founder of Your Trusted Affiliate
email: verna@momstrustedaffiliate.com
Hi Verna,
I found this post really useful many thanks 🙂 Seems you know your marketing quite well.
I have a website/ blog and am building my brand as I realise the importance of this. For me it’s about focussing on providing the most value to people that I can in every way and as time goes on I come to connect with and understand my audience better. I guess I am allowing my brand to be shaped as I learn more and more about what make my website unique and what people want more of. I have the basic idea but I’m kind of ‘getting my groove’ and refining things as I go along.
Anyway thanks for sharing!
Hi Tim,
Building a brand and building a website should go hand in hand. Sounds like you are on the right track. But, just like it takes time to build a website, it also takes time to build a brand. I think if you keep working as you have been you will get it right.
Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you found the article useful.
Come back any time. Let me know if you have any questions you need help with?
Verna
Hey! Great tips on building a brand for your business. Honestly, there’s a lot to cover regarding this topic and I think you did well.
Lot of things in there I didn’t think of. You opend my mind on a lot of things thank you.
I’ll make sure to come back and refer to this article from time to time.
Have a good one!
Hello Sim,
You are correct. There is quite a bit to learn about branding yourself and your website. My aim was to give several nuggets to get people thinking about it more. Many marketers either just forget about it or don’t think it is important enough.
I try to suggest to people to begin building their brand as the work on building their websites.
Sure, come by anytime. I’m so glad to be able to give you some other insight into branding. Let me know if I can help you with any questions.
Thanks for taking the time to check out my article. You are welcome to check out the rest of my site; maybe there is some other topics of interest to you.
Verna