Your brand is everything about your business that can be experienced. From your client discovering you on social media, to walking into your store or office to your logo design on your business cards, your brand is experienced at many different touch points.
In today’s digital world, people are likely to experience your brand online more than anywhere else. Around a quarter of people discover brands via websites. According to web design survey results; 80 percent of people surveyed chose one service over a competitor because it had a better website, 87 percent of people check out the website before meeting with a company, and 100 percent admit, “I have left a website because it was poorly designed or difficult to use.”
Whether you are a small business or a large corporation, your website is one of the most important assets and can have a huge impact on your profitability. Don’t let this asset go to waste! It is crucial that your website is branded and has been strategically designed to lead clients to success.
Tips For Creating a Branded Website
1. Start With a Solid Foundation
A successful website design needs to reflect all aspects of your brand. That being said, the best results come from those who have a solid brand developed. A well-rounded brand includes brand identity, brand messaging, brand strategy, and brand guidelines. These elements should be infused in everything the company creates.
Whether we are creating a brand or a website our first step at the M Agency is relevant research. This is the stage where we get to know the organization inside and out. Once we know more about the organization, we can begin tailoring a strategy and a target audience that aligns with the goals of the website. This becomes the roadmap that drives the website design process and leads us to site architecture, wireframes, and design decisions.
2. The Messaging
While visual aspects of the brand might grab attention at a glance, messaging retains attention and drives potential clients to buy your product or service. Brand messaging can include a positioning statement, tagline, core values, and the overall voice adding character, tone, language, and purpose to your brand. Whether it is a call-to-action button, product description, or general copy, all content on your website should reflect your brand voice.
3. The Visuals
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is important because it helps the right people find your site. However, the visuals and have a big role in keeping consumers on the site and defining the perception of a brand. Thirty-eight percent of consumers will stop engaging with content that is unattractive in imagery or layout and forty-six percent of consumers in the study based their decisions on the credibility of websites on their visual appeal and aesthetics.
It is important for the web designer to study the brand and reference the brand guidelines while creating the visuals of a website. Consistency is key when it comes to branding, as it builds a connection, brings recognition, and creates trust with your audience. Here is a list of some important brand elements that should be used systematically throughout your website design:
- Logo
- Color Palette
- Call-to-Action Buttons
- Icons
- Typography
- Images and Illustrations
- Layout/White Space Usage
- Navigational Components
4. The Experience
What good is a beautiful website design if it lacks functionality? If the homepage on your eCommerce site takes too long to load or if your website is hard to navigate, users are only a few seconds from clicking to the next best option. The user experience of your website design is very important in branding because it aims to provide positive experiences associated with your brand. In order for your website to fulfill user needs, the design must be interactive, useful, responsive, and usable. A great user experience can guide the user through a positive customer journey and can keep users loyal to the brand.
Conclusion
As Jeff Bezos says, “Your brand is what other people say when you’re not in the room.” Nine times out of ten you’re not in the room when your website is pulled up. Your website shapes people’s perception of your brand. It is important that it is designed to reflect your company’s story. A branded website strengthens customer connections, builds trust, and can help your business achieve goals.
Do you need a new website? Let’s work together to build a branded website that takes your company to the next level. Oh and if your brand is not on point we can help with a rebrand too.
Schedule a project consultation today!