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Branding is an ongoing process that encompasses all aspects of your business. Your work culture, your beliefs, everything that you do work together to build your brand. We’ve talked before about the value of branding, but where exactly does Web Design lie in the picture? Marketing and Branding often go hand-in-hand, but the importance of Web Design is more important than you may give it credit for. Think of it this way:
- Your Brand is who you are
- Marketing is what you say
- Web Design is how you act
While not very intuitive at first glance, “how you act” describes Web Design pretty well. Your business conducts marketing to get people through the door, and also crafts marketing statements to provide rich, uniquely-branded content. But if you have poor web design, it could put a damper on all of your efforts.
You could have an excellent product with a great marketing strategy, but if visitors are turned off the moment they visit your site, then it’s all for nothing. It’s like a great worker with an excellent resume that walks into an interview wearing a T-shirt and shorts. What a missed opportunity!
Your website is like an online salesman. You could either come across as cheap and needy, or savvy and helpful. Don’t choose to be the sleazy salesperson! The first step to building a strong web design is to opt for a custom website over a template site. The ability to customize a site in any way makes it truly yours, and allows you to execute the marketing strategies that lead to sales.
Your Website as Owned Media
Your website is “owned media.” This means that you manage the content, giving you complete control over things such as your logo and representation. The images that you use. Your fonts, your colours, your use of media. These are your rules. Completely you! Is that a good thing? Well, kind of.
Owned media can be a double-edged sword. As we’ve stated before, branding your business is not what you say about yourself but rather what your customers say about you. If you say one thing but do the other, the dissonance can cheapen your message and make your brand come off as fake. But if your message is on point, a strong marketing message coupled with a well-structured website will go miles for your sales conversions.
A well-designed website will hit the right message, at the right time, and in the right place. Since visitors have landed on your site, they’re already sold on one aspect of your business or another. Do your brand justice, and don’t let potential customers slip through your fingers. Take advantage of your owned media and use the proper tone of voice (Professional? Cool? Proper? Casual?) to connect with your fans. Show them that you’re not just talking the talk – you can walk the walk. You’re not just trying to sell them something, you’re a genuine part of their community.
Does your brand resonate with your audience? Give us a call for a free quote, and we’ll help you build your brand. We love discussing ways to improve branding through web design and a strong marketing strategy. Come visit our marketing agency in downtown Vancouver, or give us a call! We always have chocolate.