5 Top Tips for Getting Your Brand and Website Right

Every time somebody comes into contact with your business you want them to have a fantastic experience, you also want them to know that it is you straight away. The more touch points someone has with a brand the more they start to trust it and the more it will stick in their mind. So, when the time comes that they need the service you provide they will be ready to get in touch with you. Here are some top tips for making sure your brand and website are giving your potential clients or customers that consistent, fantastic experience they are after.

Make Your Brand Eye-catching

You want your brand to attract your ideal client. If your business is aimed at girls who like dancing your branding is going to look very different to that of a business aimed at male rock climbers. Make sure your brand is attracting the right eye. To do this you will need to really know who your ideal client is.

Make Your Brand Consistent and Memorable

Every time someone sees your brand you want them to remember they have seen it before. As I said at the start, the more touch points someone has with you the more likely they are to send their money your way (which is normally the aim of the business game). So, they need to remember that they have had lots of touch points with you. The branding on the side of your van has to look the same as the branding on your leaflet in the local shop. It also has to look the same as your business card, your social media and your website.

Make Sure Your Brand Works in all Eventualities

Your brand should look great in all of the different formats I mentioned in the last paragraph and more. It should look brilliant everywhere from really large on the side of a vehicle to really small on a business card. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Some people will get a really intricate logo which works fine when it’s big but is illegible small. Your brand should also work just as well in grey scale as in colour. You aren’t always in control of how your brand is printed out, so just make sure all eventualities are covered because you don’t want the first time someone comes across your brand to be the time they are reading a photocopied leaflet about services in the area and they can’t work out what your logo says.

Often people don’t think about how their branding will work in the header of their website and have a completely unsuitable logo. It’s either too tall or they only have it in one format on a white background, but they want a coloured background on their website header. These are all things to discuss with your brand designer or to consider if you are creating your brand yourself. We have a brand checklist which you can use to help make sure you get it right.

So that’s a bit about your brand, now let’s move on to your website.

One of my business friends recently likened a website to being the modern day equivalent of having a physical office or shop front. Even if someone has noticed you on social media they will want to come and check out your website. (It’s the first thing I do!) A decent website shows that you are serious about your business. That you are in control of it. It’s the equivalent of being able to come and browse your shop or meet with you in your office and that first impression matters.

Make Sure Your Website Works on All Devices

Your website needs to work beautifully across all devices because over 50% of the people who are looking at it will be doing so on their phones or tablets. If you’ve left your website sitting there for a few years, there’s a chance it was never tested to see if it works on the latest devices or in the newer web browsers so make sure you do that. Some of the common problems I see are headings vanishing off the side of the screen, images doing the same thing, contact forms not working properly and pop ups blocking the whole screen with no way to get away from them and so you have to leave. Those last two are disasters for your business and are actively losing you business.

Keep Adding New Content to Your Website

You shouldn’t really have the situation I mentioned above where your website is just sitting there for a few years untouched. Your website should show you are an expert in your field, that you’re on top of developments in your industry perhaps through blog posts or an up to date portfolio of your work. It needs to show you are respected and trusted which is easy to show through recent testimonials. Notice the words “recent” and “up to date”. The quote from Jane in 2016 that’s on your home page probably isn’t quite cutting it anymore.

Summary

So, if your brand doesn’t appeal or isn’t consistent or your website is old and clunky you are waving goodbye to a lot of potential customers. My challenge to you is to cast a critical eye over your website and brand and ask yourself whether you really think they are doing a good job. If you are creating a new brand or planning a new website then these tips will be helpful to you too so that you can get it right from the start!

By Jude Wharton

Jude is the Business Director of 2nd Floor Designs Ltd and the co-founder of readysteadywebsites.com. She has worked in the web industry since 2010 and before that had a background in education, training and development. You can get in touch with her via the website links or through Facebook and Instagram.