The Hustler's Digest StaffMany of the things that make your business look great to customers are related to branding. This branding process is actually the same whether your company exists solely online, or whether you have brick and mortar locations as well.
Branding is all about making sure that your customers are provided a consistent experience no matter where they find your business and that they can tell what your business stands for right away when they engage with your ads or social media pages. Branding makes sure that your company presence is consistent and engaging, but it also includes optimizing the ways in which your customer base can reach out to you.
1. Have a Domain Name People Can Remember
As part of your branding strategy, make sure that your domain name creates a lasting impression with potential new clients. Having a domain name that includes your business’ operating name is the most ideal way to link your brand with your website. If you have a short and catchy domain name, you can simply tell people about it a few times, and they will remember it.
If you are not sure how to create this sort of domain name, there are name generators that can help you with this process. You can also look at competitor’s domain names to see how they have styled themselves. You will want to have the same style of domain name as your primary competitors, but you will want your domain to stand out from the crowd.
This domain name should also be related to your business email and other forms of online outreach that you are doing. Being able to tie the name of your company into all of the various forms of outreach that you offer will make sure that people will not forget about you, or what your company is all about.
2. Don’t Forget That Your Employees Are Your Brand
One of the most important things to remember is that your employees are a big part of your branding. Making sure they are both well trained and enjoy their jobs creates a better experience for your customers and furthers the impression of your brand.
Training and education about your products allow your customer-facing employees to better serve your customers. They can recommend products with confidence and answer questions thoroughly. Making sure they understand your brand allows for service that is cohesive with your mission.
You should also show your employees appreciation to create a positive vibe within your business. A strong organizational culture leads to creating internal branding and a happy and welcoming atmosphere. And this shines through to your customers, making them want to be a part of what your business has to offer.
3. Use Beautiful and Compelling Images
You might be thinking that a generic stock image is going to be good enough when you are creating an online presence for your business. This might be fine if you are creating general information for blogs or other kinds of added value outreach, but your website itself needs to be populated with compelling images that speak directly about your business.
Using images of actual employees working at their jobs, or taking the time to have high-quality professional images taken of your products is often the difference between connecting with customers and losing them to other businesses with a more eye-catching website. People are always going to be drawn to quality images that communicate vibrant information about your business.
For some industries, you will want to be sure that each employee gets a professional headshot for use in advertising materials and for use on your website. For other business models, quality images of your locations and the kinds of work that you do will be enough. Make sure to take a look at your competitor’s websites and think up ways to make your website even more eye-catching than theirs.
4. Maintain Your Social Media Presence
Social media is everywhere these days. Everyone in the world seems to live online and engage with some form of social media each day. You will be missing out on these customers if you do not leverage social media to promote your business.
Social media is an easy way to connect with customers because it is largely free. You can run ads on platforms like Facebook, and these are relatively affordable as well. Being able to target the right consumers is much easier on social media than it is when you are paying for banner ads that run across the internet.
It is not enough to just set up your social media pages, however. You will need to stay connected with your audience with daily posts that offer information or engagement activities. You can run giveaways for services or discounts, and you can share information that is related to your business’ niche.
If you run a cleaning service, offer discounted cleaning coupons, or you can share video information about how to clean specific items. While it might seem like you are giving away trade secrets, most people will actually view these videos as a means to see what your company is all about rather than as an outlet to gather tips and tricks.
Showing that you are willing to engage with customers creates a great image for your business and it also reminds people that your company exists and can offer products and services to consumers. Daily posts to your social media sites will keep your business fresh in people’s minds and make sure that you stand out from your competition.
5. Create the Right Logo
Your business’s branding is not complete without the correct logo. If you are not skilled at this kind of design, always be sure to hire someone to create this important part of your business’ online and marketing presence. A logo that misses the mark will damage your connection with your existing customers and discourage new ones from doing business with you.
Consumers associate business standards, company type, and a variety of other factors with the sort of logo that a company has. There is an entire unique science behind this part of the branding process, and graphic designers and advertising experts understand all of the ins and outs of creating a logo that says who you are immediately and without any confusion. Even the shape of your logo can affect consumer emotions about your business!
A good logo is the backbone that the rest of your branding materials is built upon. Always make sure that you think about this part of your business’ presence carefully. You will want to use this logo for the life of your company with very few exceptions, so this piece of your branding strategy needs to be perfect for your needs and it needs to make your business look great to customers.
Your Brand is What Leads to Your Success
Your overall brand presence is a key component of the success of your business. Creating a holistic brand can lead to long-term growth and increased profits. When you craft a brand with your customers in mind, you’ll attract a larger audience and create a customer base that you can count on.
