Creating a website is usually at the top of every entrepreneur’s to-do list. Small business owners are aware that in today’s digital world, a website is needed to establish legitimacy and drive business. Did you know that your website is frequently the first impression that your audience gets from your company? Studies show that customers will judge your website in less than 50 milliseconds! So, you can see why it’s important not just to create a website, but to create one that will generate a quick, positive impression with your site visitors.

But if you view your website merely as an online brochure where your products and services are displayed, you are missing out on the opportunity to gain a competitive advantage. Your website allows you to differentiate your small business from your competitors, and you can achieve this website branding.

Tips for website branding that connects

In this post, I’ll show you how a branded website will help to get your audience’s attention quickly and create a powerful first impression.

The best way to enhance brand recognition is to develop a brand strategy for your small business website. I’ve put together a list of five pro tips that will help to create a website that connects with the right audience, conveys your value proposition, and reinforces your brand identity.

1. Define your target audience

Frequently when I ask small business owners who their target market is, they reply that it’s anyone who needs their services. This is an approach commonly taken by entrepreneurs because their focus tends to be on building sales. While we are all hesitant to exclude people who might purchase from us, the results of the “sell to everyone” strategy are usually disappointing because it’s inefficient. 

On the other hand, when you choose a specific target market, you are likely focusing on a group that may feel overlooked. In this way, a small business can compete with its larger competitors by focusing on groups that the larger companies are neglecting. If you can address the needs of a specific group better than your competitors, then they will trust you more and recommend your business to friends.

The problem you will encounter when you try to reach a broad audience is that your marketing efforts won’t connect with the right people. Mass advertising is expensive and can result in a large number of poor matches for your business. You end up paying a lot of money for low-quality leads. Whereas, when your message is geared to a particular group, you are more likely to get higher-quality leads that will eventually convert to sales. 

Not sure who to target? Take a look at your current customer base – look for the commonalities among them (for example, gender, age, location, etc). You can also look at who your competition is targeting but don’t target the same market. Instead, look for an overlooked group.

Consider other elements such as demographics or psychographics to find groups that are more likely to purchase your product or service. (For a step-by-step breakdown on finding your target market, please download my free Brand Clarity Workbook). Once you have identified your target market, you can focus on the right combination of brand elements that will most effectively reach your target market.

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2. Have a clear goal for your website

Why are you creating a website? If your answer is to have an online presence, you may need to dig a bit deeper. In other words, what do you want your site visitors to do when they land on your website? Do you want them to contact you for a free consultation (to generate leads)? Do you want to feature video demonstrations of your product and offer product guarantees (to improve conversion)? Or maybe you just want to build awareness of your brand?

When you’re branding your website, you need to provide people with a reason to visit your site, so it’s important to keep your end goal in mind.

3. Be consistent with your brand colors and fonts

While your logo is very important and needs to be on your website, remember that your logo is just a part of your brand identity. Your brand colors are one of the first things a visitor will notice on your site. Your brand colors will become associated with your business if you use them consistently. Your clients will come to expect to see those colors on your website (if they don’t, they may think they’ve landed on the wrong site!). Brand colors are easy to remember and should reflect the personality of your business (click here for a more detailed post on brand colors). Using these colors consistently throughout your small business website will help build familiarity and trust with your brand.

Building familiarity is an important factor in branding your website. There is a psychological principle that states that people develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them. So once you become familiar to your audience, they are more likely to purchase from you simply because they know of you.

Fonts also play a role in building trust among your target audience when used consistently. The typeface used on your website should also reflect your brand personality.

When you are selecting fonts for your small business website, there are a few important things to consider: 

• Use up to two to three different typefaces. I normally use two typefaces, which allow site visitors to easily differentiate headings, labels, and titles. This makes it easy for them to quickly categorize the information you give them (our brains always prefer simple and easy).

• Make sure paragraph fonts are easy to read (you may want to avoid script or other “fancy” fonts).

• Ensure that your font matches your brand identity (for more on choosing typefaces for your brand, check out this post).

Example

4. Create a coherent look for brand photos and graphics

To help develop brand consistency, photos and graphics should be displayed consistently throughout your small business website. This will present a unified appearance to your audience. Make sure to choose only high-quality photos and graphics.

If you look at well-designed websites, you’ll notice that the photographs all have a similar appearance. To achieve this, consider using stock photos from the same photographer or using photo treatments to achieve similar lighting and appearance. Also, try to pair your photos with the same or similar color schemes.

Check to make sure that your photos and graphics don’t clash with your brand identity. For example, on a website for financial services, you would probably be very confused if the site used a floral background or cartoonish graphics. Again, brand consistency is key.

Example

5. Write in your brand voice

The writing on your website should reflect your value proposition (or what makes your business unique in your industry). How do you want your audience to view you? Fun and casual? You can inject a little humor into your writing. Maybe you’d rather appear more professional and informative? Then your writing style can be more formal. This becomes your brand voice and your audience will associate that writing style with you.

Once you settle on your brand voice, keep it consistent throughout all your content. Your landing page, blog posts, and about us page should all use that same brand voice. This helps to develop your brand consistency.

TIPS

•  Keep it simple. People don’t like to work to figure out your message. Remember, you don’t have much time to grab their attention; make it easy for them.

•  Be personal. People deal with computers and machines all day; they crave connections with other people. The more personal you can be through your small business website, the more they will trust you.

What’s your vision? 

Why did you start your business? 

What are your values? 

Tell you’re story. There are a ton of similar businesses to yours. If someone has had similar experiences as you or shares similar values, they will feel more connected to you. Showing your human side can help to nurture trust in your relationships with clients.

•  Be consistent. I’ve mentioned it throughout this blog, but it is so important it bears repeating: Brand consistency is essential.

Conclusion

I hope these tips help you brand your website. Having a website is important for your business. If you add website branding, you can differentiate yourself from your competitors and your audience will be able to recall your business more easily. If you find yourself getting overwhelmed with all of the different visual elements — logo, color palette, fonts, etc. — that go into branding your website, I can help you with that. Please schedule a free discovery call or contact me for more information.

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