When you have a small business and online presence too, everybody gets full access to your ecommerce website. People can come and knock on virtual business doors anytime. At that moment, if you don’t possess any distinct identity, you will never be remembered by the customers.
Your branding determines how you want people to think about your business when the name or logo of your business comes to their mind. Once you understand truly how your brand should be perceived, you can be strategic about building it.
A powerful ecommerce brand can result in tremendous ROI. It makes you different in the marketplace. It is not just a name, logo design or tagline. It reflects in everything you do, offer or show.
If you are looking to build a powerful and positive business identity, here are the steps that you can’t afford not to put into play.
Ecommerce Brand Building Key Points
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The power of a good name and logo
Just think about the speed of people visiting sites, coming across advertisement banners on the road or checking their social profiles. It is a matter of seconds now. If the name is long it would be difficult to remember. Chanel, Target, Tiffany, and Amazon… just a few examples of how big brands picked small names for powerful branding.
Visualize your company logo appearing at the top of your website or above the door of your office. Take a really good look at it. Is that projecting the desired image of your company? The logo should be so elegant and simple that people can readily point it out upon seeing it.
People remember strong brands easily. The recognition starts with the name of your business. The business name appears everywhere, like on your websites, social media, business cards, banners, etc. People always associate your company with your company’s name and logo.
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Be unique!
What makes your product so different from others? What makes it unique in the ecommerce industry? What is your story? What do you do that others in the industry do not do? Apple’s slogan “Think different” gives a good inspiration to be unique in the industry.
Just like the product, the name itself should be unique as well for the branding of your company. The name should not be similar to the name of any other company to avoid confusion in people’s minds.
Bestbuy is a giant retailer. They sell products through both physical and online stores. The name clearly tells what they offer. It is best to choose a name that clearly says what you offer and is strongly related to your products or services.
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Build Your Social Media Communities
If you look at the top brands, they spend a hefty amount on advertising and building their brand through social media. Social media is a wonderful way to talk one-on-one with customers. Learn their likes and dislikes and let them know they are talking to a real human. Not a computer, but an employee that cares what they think.
Big businesses and small businesses can benefit from social media. They can create awareness about their brand on Facebook, Twitter, blog, and Instagram. You don’t need to be super active everywhere. Just pick one or two platforms and focus on building the community by investing time and resources.
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Consistency is the key
Be consistent in presenting your brand. It is not just about the company’s name or logo. Consistency in overall aesthetic design, products, services and marketing material content posted on social media is key to interacting with your customers through a clear and consistent voice.
The consistency in branding creates familiarity and that directly leads to building trust. There is no need to be fancy; just remain consistent in the use of color scheme, and logo placement, and create a consistent look and feel throughout.
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Be a networking beast
No business (especially in ecommerce) can succeed without people. The success depends on networking. It is the most important skill you will ever learn in your life. Not just on social media, but in the real world too. The key to sparking growth for your personal brand is networking.
Engage with other people and social influencers in your industry. It is the source of meeting valuable people who can help you spread the voice of your brand. By attending the events, you will meet people in your area.
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A promise is a promise
The existence of any brand depends on the products or services they offer. Even a strong brand will start to suffer if it creates average or below average products/services. Consistently deliver what you promise to every client or any person you serve at any touch point. It is more important than any other thing you can do – even more important than logo, packaging or visual identity.
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Add massive value
We are selfish by nature. We aren’t interested in a product or service if we are not getting something in return from it. The concept is to offer distinct value in whatever you do. Publish awesome content on your blog or website and contribute through industry level publications. Continuously seek ways to provide value. The more value you add to your products or services, the more powerful your identity will become.
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Share your knowledge
It is not enough to tell your story and learn from your experiences. By teaching and sharing your knowledge you will help others too! Produce informative videos to run on social media and gain exposure by sharing them with the world. Lend a hand with a non-profit agency to help them benefit from your experience!
Final thoughts:
One thing to keep in mind is that ecommerce branding does not end with selecting a name, logo and building community. It evolves continuously.
By following these tips, we are sure you will not just establish a positive identity you can be proud of, but one that will evolve and continue to improve over time.
