The Essential Components to Professional Branding Online
Creating a profitable online business begins with the building blocks of professionalism and trust. These are the modern essentials that every enterprise establishing themselves online must have to be competitive, and to meet the minimum customer expectation. Branding is the all-encompassing way of describing how a business presents themselves, and customers identify their offering from that of their competitors. In this article, we will discuss the essential components to creating a professional brand online, and why these basics aren’t negotiable in this highly aggressive online market. Logo and Design Concept The concept of a logo design isn’t new in business, but with the online space flooded with graphic designers with modern, unique ways of creating remarkable graphics, the standards are lifting. Logos, combined with harmonised colour schemes and matching fonts, are integral parts to establishing the style of business you are, and who your ideal customer is from the onset. As the logo is one of the first things your customer sees and interacts with, ignoring this design, or opting for an inferior quality version, isn’t sending a level of professionalism your customer expects. Branded Email If you’ve ever received an email from a business that has come from a Hotmail or Gmail address, you will know intimately how unprofessional this looks for the business. While cash flow is a problem that plagues many businesses, branded emails aren’t an expensive option, yet they return high levels of professionalism in return. To further enhance this style of branding, businesses are best to include a signature to the bottom of every email, providing key links and the logo in a prominent place. Social Media While some businesses assume social media isn’t for them, and that their industry is immune to the social media marketing boom, this style of online presence is now an expected practise. The specifics of which platform you choose to have are highly dependent on what you offer, whether it be Facebook, Instagram or a combination of many. However, by having no social media at all creates a message of uncertainty with the customer, and leaves them questioning the commitment and competence of the business. Professional website design As we mentioned earlier, the logo is one of the types of branding your customer interacts with first. As a close second, and often at the same time, your website forms one of the crucial entry points for potential buyers, and your design can make or break the experience. Website design is subjective. However, DIY design, outdated principles, and unconsidered functionality won’t build the trust with your customer, no matter how beautiful or superior your product and service offering is. Considering a new online presence and a professional branding overhaul is vital for struggling businesses; contact us today to discuss your branding and how we can take you to the next level!
Branding by Limelight Leads licensed under Creative Commons 4.0