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To really understand the importance about branding, lets begin with an example closer home. Say, you’re using a hand moisturiser ‘A’ since the last few years now and someone switches the bottle one day (leaving you unawares). Would you know the difference or would you continue to use the new bottle with as much enthusiasm as you did the first one? Chances are, apart from the few differences in shape and colour, there’s nothing else that you’d really miss. This is an example of an insufficient online branding exercise by the said hand moisturiser brand.
Now, lets us say that you’d made an effort to pick up the bottle, scoured it for the brand name, sniffed the contents, thought to yourself that its probably not as effective as the original one and put it away without using it. Now, that would be what is called as a phenomenal branding success, isn’t it?
That’s the prime position that every company under the sun aims for and that is what makes online branding such a rigorous yet immensely rewarding activity. Reality being, consumers may remember the product or the service, but expecting brand 100% loyalty is a premium that very few companies in the world can command today.
Battleground Online Branding
As the competition in the digital space heats up, there are more and more companies that have geared themselves up to take on the challenges of branding online. However, there are many companies that have become averse to the very thought of it. Do they miss a large part of the market share? Yes, they do. Are they able to sufficiently cater to their segment? No, probably not.
The ground reality is that even MNC’s that have been around for generations feel the need to brand online. Reasons being, in simple words, offline branding is just not enough anymore. Had it been so, you wouldn’t find bluechip companies, ranging from QSR restaurants to real estate mammoths, planning and analysing their next online campaign armed with cartloads of data, facts, figures and in depth analysis of their TA (target audience).
E-branding mistakes that you just shouldn’t make
Copycat branding
This method was perhaps once very widely quoted and applied but today, it’s just not relevant anymore. The key is delineation, segregation, uniqueness marketing, call it what you may, ‘differentiation’ is the order of the day. In the digital space, online branding can take on different forms, so it’s best to have a crystal clear branding message that’s different from others.
Branding the weathercock way
Its unbelievable how so many companies switch their brand propositions from time to time. While it may seem like this is one thing that a brand must never ever do, the reality is that a lot of companies do it more and more all the time.
A clear proposition of the brand, its ethics, logo guidelines and policies are some of the things that are worth carving out on stone, for the brand’s sake and for the employee’s sake too.
What’s in a name? Ahem! Everything
There’s a reason why the name of a company matters a great deal (of money) and it’s not only because of its ornamental value. It’s also got to do with the fact that a good brand name can establish your online identity really well and really fast. Easy to pronounce and simple to remember brands names get more recognition in the digital space. Concurrently, names that can take on a funny meaning or are difficult to pronounce should be avoided at all costs.
Pilferage of your online brand
It can and does happen; more so in the digital space. This is why there needs to be a strict adherence to the logo and brand guidelines. Besides, you’ll need to keep a hawk’s eye on any misuse of your brand. Under no circumstances is it a good thing to have your brand plastered across on things that you have no idea (or control) of.
Undemonstrative branding
Until the time robots completely take over the world, you’re left to contend with humans on the other side of the screen. Monotones and clinical precisions are good but not always. Taking an emotional online route and making your brand a human one will ensure that you will be remembered. Always!
Inconsistency
If you thought that a little bit of this and a little bit of that is a good thing, think again. In the online realm, a clear and constant branding message that is put across through a good use of images and content works well. A little of pink today and little of brown tomorrow doesn’t go down well with an online audience. On t-shirts maybe it does, but online, ‘consistent branding’ is the only key that works.
FAQ
Is Digital marketing the future?
Digital marketing is one of the ways in which you can boost the business sales like never before. Having said that, considering how reliant everyone has become on digital marketing, it is all set to rule the future. Here is why –
- The extent to which people these days are using the internet throws light on how increased internet usage would be in the days to come.
- Digital marketing is an excellent way of building brand awareness among people.
- All the digital marketing strategies put forth by the companies can be monitored as well. The expectation vs. reality picture becomes way clearer now. This further helps in opening up doors for improvement, if any.
Is digital branding the same as digital marketing?
No. Digital Marketing and Digital Branding are different from each other. Digital Marketing focusses on promoting a particular product or service, highlighting its benefits and how useful it would be to the consumers. Digital branding on the other hand is much more subtle and highlights the personality of the company or brand as a whole. Products and services will come and go. Digital marketing strategies will change to suit the seasonal needs or are tailor made for the product in question. However Digital branding is like a long tern digital marketing strategy to bolster the reputation of the company. It communicates what are the core values of the company and what they do to upkeep those values to give the best customer experience.
What are the most important principles of web design?
By now a lot of businesses have realised the importance of good web design. However there are some important principles that need to be followed to ensure that your website turns out perfect.
- Ensure the website loads fast, as this reduces website abandonment.
- Show your intent on every page so customers landing on any page are aware of what your business does.
- Keep it simple so you don’t distract visitors from their purpose, with too many elements.
- Make the navigation as easy as possible, with any part of the website accessible in 3 clicks.
- Maintain the hierarchy in the layout. You don’t want your customers to keep scrolling back up each time they want to refer something.
- Use simple, attractive and value adding content that can convince visitors into becoming customers.
- The site must be mobile friendly for customers to access it on the go.
What is the purpose of website design?
Your website is the first impression that an online customer gets of your business. It is important to make a positive impact on your clients. The website design has the potential to convert a random visitor to a customer and boost organic sales. A great web design will keep customers loyal to your brand as they find the platform comfortable and convenient to use. It provides a good UI/UX to your clients and nurtures your leads. Better the website design, more the engagement with it, bringing in more traffic. It improves the accessibility of your website to a wider audience. It has a significant influence on the brand image and it is important that you get professionals to design your website.
What are the benefits of having a website to your business?
It has come to a point that a business is only considered successful if they have a strong online presence. This is evidently done by creating a dedicated website to the brand. The benefits of owning a website for your business are,
- A credible repository of information on your business
- 24 x 7 customer access to your business
- Boosts interaction with the brand
- It helps expand your market reach
- It improve brand awareness to a global scale
- Provides you with valuable consumer insights
- Helps you beat other competitors with online presence
- Access to all digital modes of advertising
- Makes information exchange easier
What are the new SEO trends of 2021?
SEO is one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to boost traffic to your site. It can open the gateway to new customer pools, even on a global scale. The top SEO trends of 2021 are,
- Core web vitals : Loading, Interactivity and Visual Stability
- Google’s BERT: Using Machine learning and natural language processing for intent matching.
- Keyword research: To identify high ranking keywords.
- Original content: Value adding content that attracts traffic organically.
- Voice search: Voice activated searches that include colloquialisms in global languages.
- Artificial intelligence: Using AI to personalise the customer journey.
- Video marketing: For visitors to better relate to the brand with audio visual stimulation.
- Featured snippets: Elevate reputation of the business with features snippets on Google.
- Influencer SEO: Partner with social media influencers to get their following as customers.
- EAT & Branded SEO: Build expertise, authority and trust by building brand awareness.
What is the difference between website design and website development?
When searching for a web developer, it is important for you as a client to know the difference between website design and website development. The difference is quite distinct but a web developer is capable of doing both if they are skilled enough. Web design is the initial ideation and planning of a website’s layout, appearance and content. Web development is the actual process of developing code for creating the site and its subsequent maintenance. Web design is about creativity, while web development is completely technical. You need to engage the services of web developers who can help you with both, as they know how to recreate your brand personality on the website.
Why every business needs SEO?
For anyone who wants to implement digital marketing for their business, Search Engine Optimisation or SEO as it is commonly known should be the first priority. It is more than the misconception of just adding keywords to your content. When done right, SEO can do the following for you.
- Send quality traffic your way.
- Boost the business reputation
- Get results with inexpensive methods
- Increases customer engagement with the site
- Help you understand your customers
- Help you beat the competition
- Continuously evaluate and boost performance of the site
