In a previous article, we talked about why you may want to build your own website to improve your engagement with your customers, and reduce their temptation to buy from others when on marketplaces. In this post, we’re going to look at the concept of your company’s brand, and why building and being aware of your brand should be a part of your business, and especially when establishing your own website.
So: What is my Brand?
Your Brand is the image you and your company show the outside world – Especially your customers!
With a strong, clear and appealing brand, your customers will come back to buy from you for reasons other than pure cost, giving you the flexibility to offer quality goods without mercilessly focusing on cutting prices – Quality of service, quality of product and engagement justify buying from a supplier that is slightly more expensive.
Very few people in the western world (and further) in the 80s and 90s needed explanation of who IBM were, and what they did and stood for. They were one of the world’s leading brands, and are still well known today – That is what you’re aiming for. To be recognised, even if it’s just in your own particular field.
You may already have some idea of what you think your company represents, what you yourself want it to be – But if you can be very focussed on identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for your business (known as a SWOT analysis), you can boil down to the essentials. Essentially, you’re looking at what you and the team are good at, where you’re weak, what is good and bad in your industry and any immediate areas of concern. From that you can identify ways to minimise your weaknesses, avoid being blindsided by competitors, and use the things you’re good at to draw in customers and pursue opportunities to grow and develop more.
With this knowledge, you can identify what you should be shouting about, so you’re promoting the best things about your team and products, while ensuring you avoid drawing attention to your weaknesses. It makes you and your team more confident, because you know who you are, and where you’re going.
Implementing a mission statement for your team, knowing your target market and target customers and deciding if your promotions and website are going to be serious, silly, amusing and nostalgic – And then building your colour choices, layout and graphics to suit are all great places to start with strengthening your brand.
If you’re building a website to take charge of your relationship with your customers, then take the opportunity to look at that relationship, identify whether there are things you need to change, and mould your business, your offering, your website and promotions all as a seamless whole. Then your customers will see you in a different light. They’ll talk about you to their friends and family, come back to check on what you’re doing next and buy something while they’re there.
Your team will feel inspired and invigorated, too – You can make them feel more confident and inspired about your new direction, and they’ll transmit this in their dealings with your customers and suppliers not to mention each other!
So don’t just build a website, re-evaluate and build a brand – People should come to buy from YOU, not your price tags!