Website Design and Branding
First Impressions Matter
As a rule of thumb in business, first impressions matter.
Before the age of technology, the perception of a company was based on a storefront, a proprietor, or a word of mouth account from a trusted friend or loved one. Maybe even an ad in the local paper if your business could afford it.
Today, a brand and how it is perceived in a marketplace, has multiple points of contact — social media, digital media, traditional media, and an online presence and/or digital storefront. Websites in particular are a crucial part of building brands, and creating a stellar first impression with potential clients and customers. Everything from how the website looks individually, how it ties into assets off the site (both printed and digital), and how the site itself functions matters to prospective clients.
Let’s start by defining what a brand is. Contrary to popular belief, a logo is NOT the only component of brand design.
A brand is everything from a company’s name, logo design, mark, symbol and/or tagline that sets a company’s product or service apart from their competition. It should clearly encapsulate what you do, and the tone you do it in. While a logo can be a visual rallying point for a brand, a brand goes beyond the visual to encompass the entire experience that a company wants associated with its products and services.
Consistency Across Platforms
A major part of branding is consistency.
Everything from the way that your logo is used to how you speak to your customers, or your brand voice, should be the same in a brick and mortar store as the language and assets you’re using on your website, social media posts, out of home advertising or billboards, and any print collateral (such as business cards, tri-folds, flyers, etc.).
Additionally, how your brand looks to consumers should be consistent in all cases as well. A successful brand identity should take into account all the different arenas your brand will be present in, and create a design package that will be effective for each location that it will be seen. Many brand guidelines may include a primary logo and secondary logos (or an alternate logo version) that can be used in smaller spaces and on social media profiles such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. By giving a visual mark that can be adjusted based on the platform or space it is being used in, there is less of a chance that the mark will be misused or create confusion. Color palettes and typography used across all platforms should also be consistent.
Building brands, especially successful ones, involves a commitment from the client to use the guidelines given to them by their design team and adhere to them when promoting their products or services. This will not only make your assets look cohesive, but give your business brand recognition from your competition, which will lead to return customers.
PRIMARY LOGO
Secondary Logos
(for use on social media or a variety of layouts)
Purpose of a Website
Now that we know more about what branding is, let’s talk about how brand and web design fit together, and how custom websites enhance a brand.
A website is a key way to expand your business and grow online.
Not only can a website facilitate online business—via an online store, scheduler, or offerings list— but a custom designed website can be tailored to support your specific business goals.
Let’s take a wedding photographer’s business: The photographer can showcase a portfolio of their past client work, have a custom blog that speaks to their expertise in their industry and makes them more visible in search engines by using specific keywords, list their pricing or packages, and have an easy link to book consultations with prospective clients. In this case, the website is the hub that a client can be sent to to learn more about what this business does, how much it will cost, and why they should work with this company.
Additionally, websites are a great place to send traffic to from in-person and digital platforms.
If you meet someone at a networking event, chances are you’ll give them a business card. There is no way that in a 5-10 minute conversation you can explain everything your business does, but after the event when they check out the site listed on your card, they can see the full breadth of what you’re capable of, and how you can be an asset to them and their business.
Similarly, on social media a link to your website can increase traffic to the site, and expand upon the messaging that followers are seeing on your account’s profile.
Web Design Build Process
When a design studio or designer is working on a website as a part of a business branding project, they should constantly circle back to how the logo designs and mood boards they are presenting will work on a company’s website and on their social media presence.
Considering not just how the logo will look, or the language they will use, but also how the site will tell the brand’s story is key.
Graphic elements on the website such as iconography, photography, or buttons should also support the overarching brand identity. Additionally, user interface and user experience design should be a major consideration. As most users will view a website on a mobile device, it is important to design a fully responsive website that works on a variety of devices. Many have even been designing with a “mobile first” mentality, and optimizing their site’s functionality for phone devices.
The first step when designing a website is to create a site map.
This is exactly what it sounds like— a chart that lays out different page titles, and how the site will flow and function. Once this is approved, the designers will start to layout wireframes, and begin mock ups of what the site will look like in desktop and mobile platforms (usually starting with the homepage). This will allow the client to give the creative team feedback before they fully design out the site, and make sure that everyone is aligned on a clear direction for the website’s design and layout.
Whether the team has engaged a developer to create fully custom code, or they’re using a platform to lay the site out, like Squarespace, the goal is to create a live environment that the client can interact with and see not only how the website will look, but also how it will function.
There isn’t a right or wrong way to do the build on the back end, but there are positives and negatives to both. While using a developer means you are less limited in how the site functions, it can be costly and difficult to maintain and update. The benefit to a Squarespace website is that once the site is built, it is easy to train clients to make updates to content like images, blogs, or events themselves. This not only puts you in control of your website, but keeps maintenance costs low once the website launches.
Additionally, most Squarespace packages include email campaign builders, and website analytics so you can see how the site is performing, and target areas for improvement.
Showing Experience
What you put on your site is going to explain to prospective customers what you do, and why they should work with you.
Having content that supports your business’ offerings, on top of laying out the “what” or “how” is equally important. Let’s go back to the example of the wedding photographer. They have their portfolio up, a list of their packages and pricing, but how will folks who are interested in their services know that they do what they say they do (unless they know someone personally who has used their services in the past)? This is where adding past client testimonials or customer experiences to the site can be beneficial. Here are some examples of client testimonials on the Northwest Brand Design site:
“They bring the combination of exquisite listening to your ideas, and dreams for your project and brand.”
“I finally feel I have a website to be proud of. They did what others could not.”
“From the start, Northwest Brand Design met with me and understood my end goals.”
Not only can these reviews add validity to your website, they also validate that a customer is making a good investment and may be the difference between them deciding to purchase with you vs. one of your competitors.
Working with Northwest Brand Design
At Northwest Brand Design, we can take your brand to the next level.
Not only will we design a beautiful logo and custom brand strategy, we will also curate a website that converts traffic to sales, positively influences business growth, and supports your brand’s values.
Set up a free consultation today to discuss a complete brand package that covers everything from websites, logos, social media templates, and more!
We can’t wait to work with you to develop your powerhouse brand!
