Branding can be an allusive process that, to be honest, most companies overlook the value in. This is mainly because it’s hard to really understand a clear path to branding. Out of all the website marketing options, I think it’s the least pragmatic. I mean, you can do a website banner ad with a discount or the options that your target audience wants and probably grab some new customers. This is pretty straightforward compared to branding your company. It’s really hard to see the ROI or even conversions with branding. In fact, it’s even really hard to just track branding. That doesn’t matter, though! Allusive or hard to track, branding is very important, and in most cases will have the most value to your website in marketing next to maybe SEO or Design in the long run. With that said, here are 5 helpful tips for your website to help your branding efforts.
1. Business Mascots
Even if you go way back to the 50s, companies have been using mascots to get their branding efforts remembered. I mean, remembering a fish in a hat with sunglasses is easier and fun when thinking about StarFisk tuna than well a tuna can. The nice thing about business mascots is they are what people see in their thoughts when remembering a brand. This gives the business a great way to set the tone for its image. More examples are Reddit, Mail Chimp, Mozilla, Twitter, Sticker Mule, and of course Web Host Pro‘s Mr. Pro Bot.
2. Keep it consistent
Having a message that changes will often hurt your long-term effects on your customer’s ability to remember you. Find the top things your company is good at and focus when presenting your message. If you are an animal-saving nonprofit, then focus on the way they are saved, or where they go after being saved, or make a consistent enemy. Just make sure and go over the same message in different ways. This is how you will be remembered better for your branding efforts. It’s saying a name three times to help remember it. Your message needs to be repeated and consistent.
3. Establish a tone
This one can be a little tricky, but it’s very helpful. By establishing a tone, I mean a level of seriousness, so to speak. See some companies do better with a playful tone and others need a more serious tone. Think of Facebook vs Twitter. Facebook has a serious tone, which is why people think they are in a safer environment and submit all their personal information there (they are not at all FTR). Where Twitter is more playful, so people don’t take it as seriously. A better example would be a lawyer’s office vs. a kid’s dentist’s office (Pediatric, I believe). A lawyer will want to have an “I’m going to stay focused and kick ass tone” where the dentist for kids will want to be fun and comfortable.
4. Find colors and styles that you will repeat
Choose your website colors carefully so you can use them for a long time. You’ll need about 4 or 5. Decide if you want a simple Twitter-type vibe or a high-tech Amazon vibe. We could get back into the tone for each one, but this part is to emphasize using your colors all over. Including your banners, videos, swag, and stickers. These colors are remembered just as much as your logo, mascot, or any other part of your website. Think of Yelp, for example, you get an image of red. Think of Web Host Pro, and you’ll think blue, think of Pinterest, and you’ll think red again. Here is a color-matching tool I love to use: https://color.adobe.com/create/color-wheel/
5. Last but not least, splurge on your logo
I know, logos are so basic, how can you justify spending $200 on it. Web design is only about $500 for the whole site! Well, sadly, your logo will at last your website. In fact, if you get a good logo, it will be around through 5 or 6 versions of your website and then some. Keep the logo simple, don’t rely on colors to define it, and make sure it conveys your company’s tone.
I hope this helps your website and if you have any comments feel free to post below or contact us anytime!
