When it comes to branding there is often a noticeable difference in quality between small websites and established players. Of course there is a sizable difference in budget that can be allocated towards branding and graphic design. However, smaller web brands can look just as professional as well-known eCommerce giants without breaking the bank. This article covers some tips on how to ensure your web brand looks professional and consistent.
Build the Right Foundation
When it comes to branding your logo sets the tone. Whatever color, font and graphic you choose will be reflected across all of your web and print brand assets. The rise of website templates and ready-made solutions is convenient but it often reverses the proper order of the design flow. The mistake many web entrepreneurs make is they purchase a template and then have a logo designed independent of the template design. Of course when you incorporate that logo into the web theme it won’t look consistent. Make sure you design your logo first and then get a website. If you are operating on a small budget you can use a solution like GraphicSprings’ Free Logo Maker to generate logo concepts quickly. Alternatively you can hire a graphic designer or use a logo design contest site.
Brand Your Website Properly
With your logo in place it’s time to get your website up and running. Whether you are going for a custom-build or template make sure you keep your logo’s core colors in mind. Those colors should be reflected across your website. Having those colors represented throughout different sections of your website will tie everything together with your logo placed in the top left corner and give your brand a professional and consistent look. One aspect that’s often overlooked when it comes to branding is the consistency in messaging and tone. Decide what message you want to send as a business and use the appropriate tone. All of your website content, from blog to support and landing pages should be consistent.
Match Your Social Media Channels to Your Website
Your social media channels should be an extension of your website and match it exactly when it comes to brand colors, messaging, etc. Most owners of small websites and eCommerce stores aren’t consistent in how they brand their social media. One of the biggest mistakes is to use the same logo file across all of those accounts. Each of those channels has different file type and size requirements. If you don’t upload the right file your logo will look blurry. Make sure you upload your logo properly and use your brand colors consistently. Social media also requires frequent content updates and many of them are visual in nature. When you incorporate images and graphics into your posts make sure they are high-resolution and match your business tone. Use a free site like Kaboompics to find professionally shot images for your social media content. Ideally, you’ll want to find an entire set of relevant images that match in feel and tone. Those should then be used across your website and social media exclusively.
Don’t Forget About Your Ads
If you are launching a website that is selling a product or service odds are you’ll need to advertise at some point in time. One of the keys to successfully advertising is to launch ads that get noticed. Clever use of images and messaging will help you do that. Many website owners just settle for templates provided by ad platforms. These often look generic and don’t match you brand, instead use a free tool like Designbold to come up with beautiful ads. To be consistent make sure you include your logo in every ad along with your brand colors and images.
Last but Not Least
One of the most effective sales and communication tools for website owners is still email. Email also provides a great branding opportunity. Don’t simply use a generic email signature or plain text email. Use a free tool like CakeMail to come up with a visually pleasing email template that is well branded.
Summary
Creating a consistent web brand isn’t difficult. It just requires discipline when it comes to implementation and a bit of homework up front. Find out what message you want to communicate and choose brand colors and a logo based on that. Your website, social media and every other web and print channel should be an extension of that. Be consistent in the use of logo, colors, fonts, icons and images. Repetition is king when it comes to branding and before long your brand will be instantly recognizable by your customers, sales leads and other business stakeholders. Photo by MockupEditor.com from Pexels
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