Is Your Website Serving its Purpose for Your Brand?
Your website is your company’s face when facing your target market online. The website reflects the values and achievements of a company, but, a website can be more than just a place where people go to find your contact information. It could be a means of purchase for your products or even tool for your consumers to talk to you through live chat features or appointment setting.
Thus, it is a must to constantly ask the question, “Is my website doing its job of contributing to my overall branding?” We’ve compiled some things you need to look out for to answer this question:
- Character
Think of your website as a person that represents your company; an individual that has his or her own qualities, even a gender. If you are a company that repairs vehicles, it makes sense to build a character that is based on a car mechanic; whether it is a man or a woman is up to your company’s beliefs and values. He or she could be an individual in his or her late 20s who is highly skilled, generously experienced, and a reliable person. Remember that the brand should have a character so people can relate to it. A relatable character has more chances of being recalled, than a stranger.
- Voice
This part of your website is more than the audio you play when they open a page or land on a particular gallery. Just like any individual, who has a character, a brand should have a voice. It can be bold, shy, conservative or aggressive. It depends on how the company would like their brand to be heard. When we say this, we mean that your voice should transcend all communication channels, especially your website. It can be a written output, a video output, or a physical output. It is best to identify the voice of the brand so that tip number 3 becomes easier.
- Consistency
In everything we do, consistency is key. This goes as well for improving our website’s branding. When we build a character, the parameters of representing the brand should remain consistent.
It should also be aligned with the voice of the brand. Following the example earlier, if he is a mechanic in his late 20s, we then ask “how does he speak?” Is he a polite man using gentle words or a brisk mechanic that uses brute force to convey his message? The company has to decide which voice best reflects their website branding and which voice fits their target audience.
- Color
For websites, color is the first thing that people notice. When people see certain colors, the brain is wired to react specifically to these. Ever imagined why online shopping websites are bleeding red while health or pharmaceutical companies are as clear as the sky? It is because red stimulates the brain to consume, or more plainly, to buy; while white, makes people think of clean, healthy, and light. If you are running a pharmaceutical business, better keep your website as bright as it can be because bright colors are associated with wellness.
- Logo
Where you put your logo in your website is a crucial decision to make. How big the image would be is another story; and making sure that it reflects your brand is for another day of discussion. But what is important is, your logo is big enough to be noticed after people have identified your website with a particular color. Logo is not only the face of the company, it also reflects the style of the management who created it. Shapes and colors would highly affect this part. Some psychologists would associate quadrangles as a shape preferred by people who seek equality, triangle for people who look for stability, and circle for people who want versatility. Whatever, your choice, maybe, be sure to ask if it is something that resembles your brand.
- Navigation
After getting a face, a character, and a voice, people will now aim to get to know you through your site. They will start clicking and navigating through your pages. Are the information provided enough to answer their inquiries? Does the website provide the service that your client is looking for at the shortest possible time? Navigation is part of branding your website, because this highlights their virtual experience with your company.
- Uniqueness
With thousands of suppliers offering the same products and services, your website should have a differentiating quality that will make customers decide to choose your brand. Uniqueness comes after a thorough survey of your business market. Whether it’s the ease of doing business on your online portal, or the quality of graphics and visual effects, your website should have one quality that would make it standout in the crowd.
While these may seem to float on the clouds, it will all make sense when you start to build your website and its branding! Fill in the requirements one at a time and do not haste. It is not a contest of who builds first but a competition of who builds best. So, take your time building your website and its branding and harvest its fruits in the future. Good luck!
