Branding on the web, how it works! Does it differ from offline branding ?

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Branding is widely discussed topic. Usually small businesses don’t pay attention to branding, thinking that it is meant for big enterprises. As a matter of fact, every organization, service or product with a unique personality is a brand on its own. In short, a brand can be described as the personality or the overall image that is shaped in the potential customers’ minds when they think of or interact with your product or service.

Brand identity

The brand identity are the elements that contribute to shaping the brand image like brand name, slogan, logo, voice & tone, colors, graphics & typefaces. Consistency among them all is necessary to building a solid, recognizable and memorable brand.

A logo is not a brand

You would have probably heard or read any of the following taglines as an advice or within an advertisement:

Your business can’t stand without a professionally designed logo!
You should get a professional logo now!
Your business needs a professional logo!

In reality, a professionally designed logo means absolutely NOTHING unless there is a story behind it. The logo is the symbol of your brand. Yes, it has to look professionally designed, however it can’t and never could stand on its own. In other words, having a logo is a waste on time and money unless it is designed in consistency with your business goals and to deliver the message you want your potential customers to get about your business.

Usually with the early steps of developing a brand identity, different versions of the logo are created. The common logo versions are the colored logo which is based on the brand’s color palette, a consistently colored version for darker backgrounds and a grayscale version which is used in some cases. You and your designer should be aware of that while creating you style profile.

Online branding vs Offline branding

The forms that shape brand identity offline are usually stationary, business cards, banners, advertisements, flyers and brochures. All these forms are elements that adds up to gaining brand exposure and raising brand awareness.

When it comes to the digital space, new methods to rises up. Examples of these are website sections like testimonials and team members. Such sections on your business website will enhance delivering the message your brand is supposed to deliver and help you to gain more trust.

As we have mentioned, the way your audience reacts to your brand offline is different than how they react online. Having a well branded business website or a web app as a brand expansion gives you the power to get your audience to engage with what you offer.

Web presence with brand expansion

Online brand expansion ideas can be by developing a new web based application or tool to provide value and attract more eyeballs to your other products and services. In common branding terms, a brand expansion is a form of extending an established brand for the introduction of a new product, service or new sub-brands.

Conclusion

There is no straight answer to what message your web presence should deliver or how your business, service or products should be represented to the world. It is all about knowing your audience persona, what they need & how to deliver it in a way.

If you want to know more, need help or want to talk to a professional, you can get in touch with one our professionals & we will do our best to help you develop a standout web presence.


Also published on Medium.

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