Your website looks fantastic; it’s quick to navigate and easy on the eyes. But is it truly an extension of your brand? Imagine if you scrubbed the logo and brand mentions from your website would customers and prospects be able to identify the website as yours? That’s the importance of branding and web design working together to create a recognizable and unique continuation of your brand online.
The importance of branding in a company’s website design cannot be overstated. A cohesive brand identity across all platforms is crucial for company recognition. Moreover, a website that is cohesive with your branding strengthens your online reputation. It adds to your perceived authority online and creates familiarity with an organization’s values and ethos. Thus, effective branding in web design unequivocally reflects the company and all it stands for.
A great brand doesn’t just materialize; it’s cultivated over time. This updated article looks at the critical role of branding and web design in creating and maintaining a stellar website. You will learn why it matters and how you can create a cohesive brand experience for your own website.
| This article is an update and expansion of the original article published in 2019 |
Why Your Company Needs a Dedicated Website
Your SMB only has one chance to make a critical first impression on new visitors.
| Study finds that 25% of US small businesses still don’t have a dedicated website[1] |
Unlike social media, a dedicated website gives you complete control over how you showcase your brand. It should establish from the outset who you are, what you do, who your company represents, and what you stand for. Moreover, a clear brand identity makes you easier to remember and shows that you’re trustworthy and an authority in your field.
Successful SMB Websites Are Current
Branding and web design are not evergreen. Design trends, web architectures change, and the devices and ways we use the internet to search and access information rapidly evolve. But, that’s not all. You also need to keep an eye out to make adjustments to market and business changes.
Products and services change, and new trends evolve. It’s important to remember that for many prospects your website is their first impression so it’s important that the branding, design, and information reflects your business as it is right now. So keep your website current and well-maintained to stay ahead of the game. A company site that hasn’t been updated for two, three, or more years risks losing business, recognition, and reputation.
By getting your website branding right, you significantly increase the likelihood of customers buying into what you offer. A 2020 McKinsey study found that consumers are quite happy to switch brands when they think a rival is more trusted [2].
Now let’s go over the seven benefits of site branding and why it’s critical for SMB success.
7 Benefits of SMB Branding and Web Design
“Your brand is what others say about you when you’re not in the room” ~ Jeff Bezos.
Branding doesn’t have to cost a lot in financial terms. But it does need a plenty of careful consideration, a deep understanding of your business and its audience, and creative thought to get right. Customer loyalty and retention are harder to come by since online shopping has de-personalized consumer purchasing habits. But there’s something worth noting as you consider the target buyer in your new branding/rebranding efforts. That is, 89% of US consumers are loyal to brands that share their values [3]. In many ways, successful brands of all industries have become lifestyle brands to build loyalty.
Bold Entity’s Proprietary Branding Process: Powered by Experts
Bold Entity’s proprietary branding process is not a one-size-fits-all approach. We understand that every business’s needs are unique. That’s why we customize our branding and marketing strategies based on your organization’s identity, strengths, and specific goals.
Our experts use proprietary branding processes to create a strong, uniform, and 100% unique brand for your business. With results that portray exactly who you are and what you stand for, aligned to your ideal audience.
Learn More About Bold Entity’s Proprietary Branding
#1 Branding and Web Design Recognition
Consumers instantly recognize your brand by its attributes, often without the company name. Examples are colors, logo designs, slogans, consistent packaging, jingles, etc. These cues can be visual or auditory. But they’re unique to your company, so they won’t be mistaken or confused with rival businesses. Also, being familiar with a trusted brand and what it stands for helps to strengthen brand loyalty.
Why Colors Matter—Learn from the Professionals
The strongest brands reinforce their message with recognizable visuals such as a logo or color scheme. According to studies, a signature color can increase company brand recognition by as much as 80%. Starbucks’ green and Coca-Cola’s red are two of many examples. And coloring isn’t random either. Many industries and human feelings are tied to specific colors, such as yellow representing happiness and energy. A Reboot study found that blue is common in tech branding and red for auto companies. And luxury brands often use black, e.g., Gucci, Cartier, Montblanc, etc. [4]
#2 Adds Value to Your Business
In post-pandemic America, a high-quality, customer-focused website is one of your most valuable assets. It’s more than just a platform to generate leads and boost sales and business operations. It can communicate your success stories, feature high-profile clients, company culture, offerings, and other competitive differentiators to a target audience. And a website that aligns with your business model helps shape brand credibility and reach long-term equity.
#3 Branding and Web Design Add Credibility
Trust is the biggest challenge for SMBs when branding a website. Once you’ve established a strong brand and connected with your audience, you gain their trust. For new companies or websites, four things can help a brand gain that vital credibility:
- Think about your audience and what they expect to see when they come to your website.
- Present your products or services in a professional manner. Put thought into the way you describe them.
- Answer promptly to any requests. That includes your contact forms.
- Retain consistent visuals site-wide
Remember to maintain your website, so it’s always live, reliable, and predictable for users. Another way to build brand credibility is to display customer testimonials. And always use updated, high-quality written and visual content to highlight your expertise and build brand authority. Lastly, ensure your contact options are prominent across the site.
#4 Customer/Client Loyalty
Customers and clients want brands that reflect their personality and create well-branded website platforms that are useful and enjoyable. But to achieve that, every interaction must create a positive and memorable experience. That means consistently good products and services, and effective, solid branding. So, your site should reward customers who use it and make them feel valued and special.
The five ways to establish a loyal following with effective branding and web design are:
- Recognize where your traffic originates and know your audience
- Clearly map out your site’s visitor journey to help serve their needs
- Create offers valuable to your target buyer
- Have strategies in place to follow through
- Be visible, transparent, and easily accessible
So, a well-branded website brings repeat business and wins referrals.
#5 Brand Equity
Brand equity is the amount of sway and trust your brand has in the minds of consumers. And a dedicated website is the perfect platform to prove your brand value. Positive brand recognition can generate sales simply by perception prospects have cultivated of your company. So, use your website to generate awareness and create positive user experiences. And remember to focus on the values your target audience holds dear and always deliver on promises.
| 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer | Trust is the New Brand Equity[6]. |
#6 Builds Brand Consistency Across Platforms
Consistency is a critical factor in branding, and your website is a great place to use as a home base for that purpose. The visual and any audio elements here should be consistent across all platforms. Likewise, the site’s colors, logos, fonts, buttons, etc., are constant. This familiarity results in a harmonious experience for users. It also quickly gets them acquainted with your brand’s visuals, message, and core values.
Consistency Fosters Loyalty
A consistent brand is the only way to gain traction with a target audience. Consistency provides your audience with a constructed expectation of what they will receive when engaging with your brand. And every touchpoint helps to build that consistency and loyalty to your brand as it fulfills their expectations.
It’s how you present your company to the world and must be unmistakable. That means it’s well-defined, undisguised, and evident across all marketing channels. If you already have a solid brand identity, integrate that into your site design.
If your digital marketing and brand identity are not aligned, it’s time to change that. But that doesn’t simply mean logos, colors, and graphic design, there’s more to consider when it comes to brand identity. Use the guidance on this page to reevaluate your brand as it pertains to your company and website.
| The State of Brand Consistency Report found that consistent cross-channel branding increased company revenue by up to 20%[7]. |
#7 Branding and Web Design to Attract Top Talent
Your customers and prospects aren’t the only ones interested in visiting your website. Any SMB is only as good as the people it comprises. The competition to recruit and keep top talent is relentless. But a business with an effective, ethical employer brand aligned with the values of job seekers is a huge attraction. This can be an advantage for SMBs, especially when recruiting younger generations who may not view a paycheck amount as the most important criteria when seeking a new job.
Make sure your website has a clear, easy-to-find mission statement. Potential candidates also browse content across a company’s website and social media profiles to learn more about an employer’s value proposition and culture. Thus, regularly updated, informative content helps keep your website fresh and your brand alive.
Employer Brand Statistics According to Research
Here’s why your branded website matters for attracting top talent. About 72% of recruiting leaders said employer brand significantly affects hiring. And at least 69% of SMBs extend their employer brand via the company’s official website [8].
Key Considerations for Branding Your Website
Remember to keep your brand consistent across online and offline platforms. Changing the visual elements or using a different voice for the written content waters down brand influence and can cause confusion. Here are seven transparent branding elements to be mindful of:
- Design (colors, font, packaging, themes, etc.)
- Social media presence and engagement
- Environment and company culture
- Offerings quality and pricing
- Website and marketing
- Taglines and slogans
- Customer service
| You have only 6.48 seconds to capture a visitor’s attention with your brand logo[9]. |
Whatever color palette you choose, consistency is vital across all platforms. While colors and logos alone do not make a brand, they are the most striking and often recognizable parts of your overall branding strategy.
Closing Comments on Integrated Branding and Web Design
The importance of brand identity consistency across your website and all channels is significant. Inconsistent branding in your website’s design can easily cause confusion, even distrust in your target audience, and it could damage your business’s reputation.
Appropriately branding a website requires careful consideration and creativity. While a poor or dated design—or website that doesn’t represent your brand—leaves visitors with a negative perception of your business, your new website design should be thoughtful. It’s not something you want to rush and end up going from a bad website to a worse one. And that’s the fastest way to have potential leads hit the back button and head to your competitors.
If your website is struggling to produce leads, doesn’t look modern, or just doesn’t represent the evolution of your brand, consider hiring strategic branding and web design experts. It may prove to be one of your best investments this year. Because, for the best effect of branding and website design you need both processes to be fully understood, and often the easiest way to ensure that is by partnering with a marketing agency that does both.
Bold Entity’s Expert Website Design & Development for Businesses
Bold Entity boasts over 300 impressive brand updates and website launches, and we can be an integral part of your success, too. Our unique approach to brand strategy, creativity, experience, and momentum sets us apart. Let our expert website designers, developers, and SEO marketers build you a website that will shine.
Learn How Bold Entity Can Become an Integral Part of Your Success Story
Resource Links
- https://topdesignfirms.com/28%-of-small-US-businesses-don’t-have-a-website/
- https://www.mckinsey.com/consumer-study/
- https://www.prnewswire.com/consumers-loyal-to-brands-with-shared-values/
- https://www.rebootonline.com/
- https://www.yotpo.com/blog/customers-brands-love/
- https://www.edelman.com/Trust-Barometer/
- https://info.marq.com/state-of-brand-consistency-report/
- https://business.linkedin.com/employer-brand-stats/
- https://www.entrepreneur.com/the-power-of-first-online-impressions/
