Your brand identity embodies not only the products and services your business offers, but also the principles it upholds. Your brand identity, like your personal identity, is what makes you unique, and your website gives you a fantastic opportunity to share it!
It’s crucial to understand that brand, branding, and brand identity are distinct concepts even though many people mistakenly believe they are equivalent.
- Brand: The way your company is perceived by everyone else
- Branding: The marketing practice involved in shaping a brand
- Brand identity: The collection of all visual elements to portray the right image to the customer
The internet is one of the first places customers look when they need answers, so it’s critical that your website be there and conveys the proper message. Your brand identity and your website should be consistent.
Using a typical website template to represent your company identity can be very challenging. If you can’t change your website to look the way you want it to, how can you differentiate yourself from the competition? To ensure that you are accurately showcasing what you have to offer, we always advise that if you really want to display your business, you need a custom website design.
However, there are a few things you can do to exhibit your brand identity on your website regardless of whether you are hiring a web designer to create a bespoke website or you just use a templated one.
Choose the right images
Stock photos appear manufactured, dated, and clichéd. Search for photographs that truly capture the essence of your brand rather than using stock photography. Some of the most prosperous businesses will feature team headshots and images of clients interacting with the brand. Instead of using generic photos, which can create an uncoordinated contrast, you can create your own images and use colours that complement your business.
Your logo should take centre stage
Your logo should take centre stage on your website because it serves as the face of your company, even though it only tells a portion of the story. Make sure your logo is good quality, stands out from its surrounds, and is readily recognisable to your target audience. When someone visits your website, they ought to look at your logo right away.
Make your calls to action stand out
Many people don’t realise how crucial it is to get visitors to click. A call-to-action highlighted on each page can create a tonne of leads, but just like your logo, you need to make sure these are clutter-free. Use typefaces, shapes, and colours that not only complement your brand but also stand out from the rest of the page and catch the viewer’s attention.
Focus on your core message
While we don’t advocate making your website look like a jumbled minefield of text, photos, and call-to-actions, we do advise shifting your attention away from the visual appeal of your website and towards your brand’s central message. Making sure this is understood clearly may require you to simplify your design, provide more area for white space, and give up your favourite colours and fonts in favour of ones that fit the mood. Consistency is crucial because your website is where most of your customers will first encounter your brand.
Don’t copy your competitors
Customers frequently contact web design firms asking for websites that are identical to competitors’ websites. As it eliminates any distinctiveness you may have developed via your branding efforts, this can be highly harmful to your brand as a whole. In essence, copying a rival implies that you are unintentionally promoting their brand rather than creating your own!
The bottom line, as a business, you should never undervalue the significance of your website’s branding and how it can turn visitors into buyers and, eventually, devoted brand advocates. Your website should clearly communicate your core values and enable your visitors to relate to you emotionally so that they will be more likely to click that crucial button by keeping your brand identity in mind.