Has good branding ever been enough on its own to ensure the success of a company? Of course not. But in the constant battle for attention in this cutthroat world, you need to make sure that your branding is on point. There’s a pretty clear connection between improving your company’s branding and the likelihood of winning favor with customers. Let’s talk about three ways that you can build on the image you present to the public and how that ties into better results for your ecommerce business.
Keep your design up to date, but still loyal to your original look.
What is the first thing a customer thinks about when they see your logo or visit your website? Making a positive impression is critical. Whether it’s ditching your old symmetrical, grid-like homepage for something more flowing and abstract, or using complex color gradients to make a splash, embracing new design trends is a surefire way to position your brand as a forward-thinking entity.
At the same time, you shouldn’t have to reinvent the wheel. It’s not worth the risk to conceptualize a new logo unless your original one looks like it was made by a newbie freelancer. Can you imagine Nike unveiling a new logo? Me neither. But they aren’t afraid to update the look of their website every so often, and neither should you. A great example of a place to tweak your design without betraying your brand’s identity is the cover image you use for various social accounts. A striking Twitter or Facebook cover image helps set the tone for your audience, and it’s the sort of element that allows for change over time while maintaining the same core identity of who you are.
2. Make sure your copy is memorable and evergreen
Taking a look at what you say and how you say it is a critical element to successful branding. A top to bottom inspection of the copy you use on your website — everything from landing pages to product descriptions; from email newsletters to your “about us” page — is worth doing every couple years.
There are certain do’s and don’ts to consider. Do make an attempt to use humor, as long as it’s part of your brand. Don’t make reference to TV shows or other cultural ephemera that may be relevant now, but passé in the medium to long term. Do adapt a tone that is consistent across your website, Amazon, social, your app (if you have one) and wherever else you have a presence. Don’t use jargon or technical language, unless your audience will understand you. Do use syntax, punctuation, and other simple writing techniques to make your copy stand out and be more easy to absorb. And this should go without saying, but don’t forget to check for grammar and spelling mistakes — the last thing you want is unprofessional misspellings and other sloppy-looking errors.
3. Be in the right place
While it should be obvious to you where you customers are, it’s worth taking the time to consider how they’re finding you and what that means for the way you brand your business — as well as what your branding focuses on. For example, if a majority segment of your audience is male and between the ages of 18 and 35, you probably need to be on Reddit. Sharing the same content to your company’s Reddit profile and Instagram may work better in one place than the other, depending on who you’re targeting. It’s worth thinking about how your brand’s image may change depending on which social media, marketplace, or even search engine you’re targeting. Once you do that, you can craft messaging that makes sense for the people who will see it. And hopefully, you’ll see better engagement as a result.